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Master of Laws

Course code: 0068 + Course abbreviation: LLM + Total credit points required: 48 (coursework); 48 (coursework and minor thesis) + 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time

Study mode and course location

On campus (Melbourne city)

Course description

The Master of Laws (LLM) program at Monash has been developed to offer maximum flexibility and choice for law graduates, with a broad range of subjects that enable them to individually tailor their masters degree to suit their interests and professional needs.

Entry requirements

Normally, applicants for admission to the degree of Master of Laws by coursework and minor thesis or coursework alone must have qualified for the degree of Bachelor of Laws or equivalent legal qualification at a credit standard. A student who is not so qualified, however, may be admitted to candidature if he or she has qualifications and experience which together are considered equivalent to a Bachelor of Laws qualification.

Applications for admission to candidature for the LLM degree by coursework and minor thesis and by coursework alone are normally required to be lodged by 30 November for admission in the first semester and by 30 June for admission in the second semester. Late applications may be approved in special circumstances.

Course structure

This course may be taken in one of three ways:

(a) Eight coursework units. This will enable students to develop and demonstrate advanced skills in research, analysis and the written and oral communication of complex ideas, knowledge of the law and the theoretical and policy framework within which law operates. Students wishing to specialise in one of the areas listed below must complete five units from the specialist area.

(b) Four coursework units and a minor thesis of 30,000 words. Applicants who enrol in one of the nine specialisations must complete at least two units in their chosen area and the minor thesis on an approved topic in the area.

(c) Six coursework units and a minor thesis of 15,000 words. Applicants who enrol in one of the nine specialisations must complete at least four units in their chosen area and the minor thesis on an approved topic in the area.

Specialisations

Students may enrol in the general LLM or one of the following specialisations:

Advanced legal practice -- for those who wish to:

foster the facility to apply detailed knowledge of the law in a practical and effective manner, together with an ability to think creatively and use the law effectively in new situations
articulate into a practically-oriented masters degree from the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Skills and Ethics.

Banking and finance law -- for those who wish to:

keep abreast of local and international developments from a policy and a practical perspective
obtain a thorough grounding in fundamental principles of security and financial services law.

Commercial law -- for those who:

want to learn about new and developing areas of commercial law
want to acquire or develop an expertise in an area of commercial law
are working in the commercial law field and want to put their practical knowledge into a sound theoretical and academic framework.

Digital economy law -- for those who wish to:

keep abreast of laws relating to electronic commerce and the internet
develop further knowledge and skills in relation to electronic commerce.

Human rights law -- for those who wish to:

develop their interest in how human rights law impacts upon their work
seek employment by human rights-related organisations such as international human rights NGOs and international development agencies
upgrade their knowledge and keep abreast of local and international developments in human rights law.

Intellectual property -- for those who wish to:

upgrade knowledge and keep abreast of local and international developments of laws relating to the protection of intellectual property rights
obtain a thorough grounding in the fundamental principles of intellectual property law
gain accreditation as a trade mark attorney and credit for units recognised by the Academy of the Institute of Patent Attorneys.

International and comparative law -- for those who want to pursue an international career in law and law related work. This area is especially suited to:

lawyers whose practice exposes them to commercial law, human rights and international law
non-lawyers working in NGOs, government and industry who are interested in how the international legal framework impacts upon their work.

Tribunal procedures -- for those members of administrative tribunals who require certain core skills and knowledge to carry out their role, whatever their professional background. This course allows them to:

update and refresh existing knowledge
add further competencies relevant to their tribunal membership
achieve further legal qualifications.

Workplace and employment law -- for graduates in law who have an interest in the study of all facets of workplace and employment law at an advanced level. The faculty offers a wide range of units in the field covering workplace, employment, discrimination and human rights law.

For further information regarding specialisations, visit the website at www.law.monash.edu.au/units/postgrad-specialisation.html.

Postgraduate offerings

The faculty endeavours to offer a broad range of graduate units each year selected from the list below. The following units have been approved for the purpose of the coursework component in the postgraduate programs.

Units are offered on a rotational basis. Students should check the current timetable to determine which units are available each year. The faculty reserves the right not to offer in a particular year any of the listed units if it appears there are insufficient enrolments or if there are other overriding considerations. Enrolment quotas may have to be imposed in respect of all or some of the listed units.

Administrative justice issues in tribunal adjudication (LAW7250)
Administrative law practice (LAW7411)
Advanced corporations law (LAW7277)
Advanced negotiation and mediation (LAW7312)
Advanced private international law (LAW7001)
Advanced property law (LAW7270)
Advanced taxation trusts (LAW7002)
Advanced trade marks and commercial designations (LAW7126)
Advocacy: theory and practice (LAW7303)
Applied legal ethics (LAW7404)
Australia and the international legal order (LAW7058)
Australian legal system (LAW7212)
Business finance: law and practice (LAW7003)
Children’s rights in international and domestic law (LAW7319)
Civil litigation practice (LAW7401)
Collateral obligations (LAW7222)
Commercial alternative dispute resolution (LAW7071)
Commercial and corporate practice (LAW7402)
Commercial equity (LAW7004)
Commercial law of the United States (LAW7211)
Commercial leases (LAW7009)
Communications law and practice (LAW7322)
Comparative Australian and United States taxation law (LAW7006)
Comparative competition law (LAW7278)
Comparative constitution and rights (LAW7165)
Comparative family law (LAW7007)
Comparative labour relations law (LAW7008)
Comparative tax reform (LAW7005)
Comparative tort law (LAW7305)
Competition law (LAW7056)
Compliance, regulation and crime (LAW7301)
Confiscation of the proceeds of crime (LAW7082)
Consumer credit (LAW7109)
Consumer protection, self-regulation and corporate compliance (LAW7258)
Consumer law practice (LAW7413)
Contemporary legal thought (LAW7010)
Contemporary issues in administrative law (LAW7307)
Contemporary problems in the administration of criminal justice (LAW7208)
Copyright (LAW7011)
Corporate and white collar crime (LAW7304)
Corporate governance and directors’ duties (LAW7306)
Corporate groups and governance (LAW7261)
Corporate information and the internet (LAW7255)
Corporate insolvency (LAW7031)
Creditors and family law (LAW7016)
Crime and gender (LAW7111)
Criminal justice, legal culture and globalisation (LAW7294)
Criminal law practice (LAW7405)
Current issues in administrative law (LAW7217)
Current issues in air transport law (LAW7012)
Current issues in banking and finance law (LAW7220)
Current issues in civil procedure (LAW7013)
Current issues in electronic commerce law (LAW7245)
Current issues in evidence (LAW7040)
Current issues in intellectual property (LAW7309)
Current issues in international environmental l(LAW7259)
Current issues in international human rights law (LAW7026)
Current issues in workplace law (LAW7310)
Current problems in constitutional law (LAW7112)
Current problems in family law (LAW7060)
Current problems in taxation (LAW7015)
Decision-making for tribunal members (LAW7248)
Defamation and freedom of speech (LAW7140)
Derivatives regulation (LAW7302)
Designs law and practice (LAW7254)
Drugs and the law (LAW7017)
e-Crime (LAW7280)
Economic analysis of current issues in commercial law (LAW7020)
Economic torts (LAW7018)
Electronic workplace law (LAW7279)
Elements of forensic medicine (LAW7110)
Employee share ownership plans (LAW7205)
Employment and industrial relations practice (LAW7406)
European union law (LAW7019)
Ethics and professional responsibility (LAW7403)
Evaluation and assessment (LAW7289)
Expert evidence (LAW7306)
Fact-finding in administrative proceedings (LAW7249)
Family law (LAW7225)
Family law practice (LAW7407)
Family property (LAW7021)
Forensic family law (LAW7022)
Goods and Services Tax: complex issues and planning (LAW7262)
Graduate research paper (LAW7078)
Human rights in the global economy (LAW7253)
Human rights litigation (LAW7252)
Indigenous rights and international law (LAW7260)
Intellectual property and the internet (LAW7244)
International air law (LAW7024)
International aspects of intellectual property (LAW7077)
International aspects of patenting inventions in biotechnology (LAW7295)
International banking and finance: law and practice (LAW7323)
International criminal justice (LAW7286)
International and domestic dispute resolution (LAW7030)
International environmental law (LAW7068)
International financial transactions law (LAW7025)
International human rights law and women (LAW7311)
International humanitarian law (LAW7218)
International law and economic, social and cultural rights (LAW7318)
International law of the sea I: marine resources and management (LAW7033)
International law of the sea II: issues in maritime management (LAW7116)
International organisations (LAW7072)
International organisations II: the WTO regime (LAW7023)
International sale of goods (LAW7209)
International space law (LAW7124)
International taxation (LAW7027)
International trade law (LAW7028)
Introduction to regulatory studies (LAW7313)
Investing in China: law and practice (LAW7321)
Issues in the taxation of capital gains (LAW7029)
Judicial law-making and legal theory (LAW7093)
Labour law for corporate lawyers (LAW7215)
Labour organisations (LAW7298)
Law and the environment (LAW7069)
Law, the environment and the policy process (LAW7035)
Law of employee relations (LAW7083)
Law of the internet (LAW7213)
Legal issues in bioethics (LAW7074)
Legal issues in medicine (LAW7133)
Legal placement (LAW7412)
Legal research and problem solving (LAW7079)
Legal research and communication (LAW7285)
Legislative and judicial refinement of the income tax base (LAW7061)
Local government law (LAW7087)
Loss, causation and damages (LAW7283)
Migration law (LAW7066)
Modern criminal justice (LAW7088)
Native title and land rights (LAW7206)
Negotiated project (LAW7290)
Negotiation, mediation and process management skills (LAW7251)
Occupational health and safety (LAW7037)
Overview of corporate law (LAW7263)
Overview of intellectual property (LAW7223)
Pacific comparative law (LAW7118)
Patents, trade secrets and allied rights (LAW7119)
Payment system and electronic banking law (LAW7092)
Planning law (LAW7059)
Planning and environmental law practice (LAW7414)
Pre-trial analysis and preparation (LAW7282)
Principles of administrative law (LAW7274)
Principles of civil procedure (LAW7272)
Principles of constitutional law (LAW7268)
Principles of contract law (LAW7265)
Principles of corporate insolvency law (LAW7210)
Principles of corporation law (LAW7275)
Principles of criminal law and proceeding (LAW7264)
Principles of drafting in family law (LAW7038)
Principles of evidence (LAW7273)
Principles of equity (LAW7269)
Principles of privacy and freedom of information (LAW7076)
Principles of property law (LAW7267)
Principles of taxation (LAW7276)
Principles of torts (LAW7266)
Principles of trusts (LAW7271)
Privacy and information security law in cyberspace (LAW7246)
Professional legal skills (LAW7292)
Property law practice (LAW7408)
Psychiatry, psychology and law (LAW7207)
Public sector employment law (LAW7041)
Regulating in a globalising world (LAW7316)
Regulation of Australian water resources (LAW7325)
Regulatory methods (LAW7315)
Rights arising out of de facto cohabitation (LAW7062)
Secured finance and related transactions (LAW7014)
Secured finance and intangibles (LAW7219)
Selected topics in public international law (LAW7247)
Sentencing (LAW7043)
Shareholders’ remedies (LAW7243)
Stamp duties - state taxes (LAW7044)
Superannuation and managed investments (LAW7256)
Superannuation law and practice (LAW7122)
Takeovers (LAW7045)
Tax avoidance (LAW7046)
Taxation commissioner’s discretionary powers (LAW7048
Taxation in the European Community (LAW7049)
Taxation of capital gains (LAW7051)
Taxation of corporations and shareholders (LAW7052)
Taxation of trusts and partnerships (LAW7053)
Technology contracts and licensing law (LAW7221)
Terrorism and human rights (LAW7320)
The civil liability of lawyers (LAW7216)
The expert witness in the adversary system (LAW7281)
The expert witness in the courtroom (LAW7284)
The regulatory process (LAW7314)
Theories of justice (LAW7055)
Tort liabilities of public authorities (LAW7226)
Trade mark practice (LAW7224)
Trade marks and commercial designations (LAW7075)
Tradition in law teaching (LAW7288)
Trust and office accounting (LAW7410)
Turning theory into practice (LAW7287)
Utility regulation: law and policy (LAW7214)
What works in regulation? (LAW7317)
Wills and estates practice (LAW7409)
Workplace anti-discrimination law (LAW7327)
World trade organisation law (LAW7326)

Thesis requirement

Candidates proceeding to the LLM degree by coursework and minor thesis must complete a thesis of either 15,000 or 30,000 words at a standard comparable to legal writings found in a learned law journal.

Candidates are required to submit a completed thesis proposal form to the postgraduate studies office. The prescribed proposal form is available from the postgraduate studies office upon request or from the faculty’s web site at www.law.monash.edu.au/postgraduate/application.html.

Candidates are encouraged to discuss proposals with members of academic staff. If required, the chair, Postgraduate Studies Committee, will assist in recommending an appropriate member of staff.

On receipt of the completed thesis proposal form, the administrative officer will submit it to the Postgraduate Studies Committee for approval of the topic and the appointment of a supervisor. In approving the research topic, the Postgraduate Studies Committee has regard to the adequacy of the candidate’s preparation for the research project and the facilities available in the faculty for the supervision and carrying out of the research.

The requirements which must be met with respect to the certification of theses prior to their submission for examination are set out in sections 47 and 48 of the faculty’s regulations.

Contact details

Inquiries: postgraduate studies officer, telephone +61 3 9641 6206, email graduate@law.monash.edu.au or visit www.law.monash.edu.au/postgraduate.

Course coordinator

Associate Professor John Duns

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