Faculty of Law - The University of Auckland

Explore our range of programmesBachelor of Laws (LLB)Quick Facts – LLBFull time: 4 yearsTaught at: City CampusPoints per degree: 480Application closing date: 8 December 2009 for LLB Part I,1 December 2009 for LLB Part IIClasses start: 1 March 2010The LLB is a four-year (eight-semester) degree for a full-time student. Thedegree is comprised of 480 points, studied in four parts (Parts I – IV).The degree includes compulsory law courses, law elective courses, non-lawcourses from another degree programme and General Education courses.A wide range of law elective courses is available, including Commercial,Public, Criminal, International, Family, Intellectual Property, Health Careand Environmental Law.To become an LLB Part I student you will need to apply for, and beadmitted into, two degrees: the LLB and one other bachelors degree.This can either be as conjoint degrees or as double (concurrent) degrees.Application for both degrees needs to be made at the same time.If you are selected for LLB Part II, you may decide to continue with theLLB degree only. However, students usually continue with two degrees asa conjoint programme.If you complete the LLB Part I but do not gain selection into LLB Part II, youwill probably want to pursue an alternative qualification. As you will havealready completed courses for another degree in your first year, you willhave laid a good foundation for further study and will in most cases be ableto credit the two law courses from the first year to your alternative degree.If you are a graduate, you will apply for LLB Part I and possibly anotherprogramme if you wish to improve your grades for application for LLBPart II. Alternatively, if you demonstrate legal aptitude (eg, by having agood LSAT score) you can apply for admission to LLB Parts I and LLB Parts IIconcurrently. The latter is subject to final approval.What you’ll study in LLB Part ILAW 121G Law and SocietyAll undergraduate students take LAW 121G in the first semester as aprerequisite to LAW 131.This course is an introduction to theories of the nature, functions andorigins of law and legal systems, including:• sources of law• comparative concepts of law• an overview of constitutional and legal arrangements in New Zealand,including the role of the courts• the operation of the legal system in historical and contemporaryNew Zealand• Māori concepts of law and justice, and their relationship to theNew Zealand legal system.LAW 121G is not only a compulsory course for LLB Part I, it also countsas a General Education course for the LLB degree. It may be taken as aGeneral Education course for some other bachelors degrees. See GeneralEducation for more information.LAW 131 Legal MethodLAW 131 Requires a prerequisite of a C+ or better pass in LAW 121G.This course is an introductory study of how law is made and applied inNew Zealand, which provides an overview of:• the law-making roles of the legislative, executive and judicial branchesof government• other influences on the development of the law• an introduction to case law, including judicial reasoning and thedoctrine of precedent• an introduction to statute law, including the legislative processand techniques of statutory interpretation and application• the interaction between case law and legislation.LAW 121G and LAW 131 are both semester-long courses. Each courseusually involves three one-hour lectures per week and a compulsory onehourtutorial every fortnight. These courses cannot be studied extramurally.Non-law coursesYou will be required to choose non-law courses as a foundation for yourother bachelors degree. Before making your selection, you areencouraged to seek guidance from the other faculty’s Advice Centre.General Education coursesCourses in General Education are a distinctive feature of The Universityof Auckland bachelors degree. The General Education programme hasbeen designed to produce graduates with flexibility, critical thinkingskills, and an appreciation and understanding of fields outside of theirusual area of study.LAW 121G counts as a General Education course for the LLB and is takenwithin LLB Part I. Law students take a second General Education coursefrom courses available to their other programme of study.See www.auckland.ac.nz/generaleducationIf you do not take a second General Education course during Part I, youwill need to fulfil this requirement concurrently with Parts II to IV. Thepoints may be additional to the requirements of Parts II to IV if you arecompleting the LLB degree on its own.If you are enrolling for conjoint degrees, you will be required to passtwo General Education courses (30 points) for the conjoint degreescombination (one General Education course in each component degree).Conjoint students usually defer one General Education course (not LAW121G) to years two to five.Graduate students and students who enrolled at The University ofAuckland before 2006 are not required to take General Educationcourses.Special arrangements apply if you are transferring from another tertiaryinstitution with credit. See www.auckland.ac.nz/generaleducationLLB(Hons) programmeIf you achieve a B+ average over all your law courses at the completion ofPart II, you will be invited to transfer to the Bachelor of Laws (Honours)programme. The LLB(Hons) involves an additional semester of enrolmentfor the completion of an extra seminar course and a dissertation.Throughout the programme you will need to maintain a B+ average.