Master of Laws

Course code: 0068 ~ Course abbreviation: LLM ~ Total credit points required: 48~ 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time ~ Managing faculty: Law

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 enables students to individually tailor the masters degree to suit their interests and professional needs.

Course objectives

The Master of Laws aims to provide further education to lawyers to assist them to update their skills, specialise in specific areas of the law and undertake research. It may also contribute to continuing legal education and professional development. The course, in terms of course structure, teaching methods, class times and venues, is designed with the interests of part-time students particularly in mind.

Course structure

The Master of Laws requires the completion of 48 points. Candidates with a law degree from a non-Australian jurisdiction will be required to complete the unit LAW7212 (Australian legal system).

Course requirements

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.

(b) four coursework units and a minor thesis of 25-30,000 words on an approved topic

Postgraduate unit 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 over-riding considerations. Enrolment quotas may have to be imposed in respect of the listed units.

LAW7001 Practical perspectives on private international law
LAW7003 Business finance: law and practice
LAW7004 Commercial equity
LAW7007 Comparative family law 700
LAW7009 Commercial leases
LAW7010 Contemporary legal thought
LAW7011 Copyright
LAW7013 Current issues in civil procedure
LAW7014 Secured finance and related transactions
LAW7015 Current problems in taxation
LAW7018 Economic Torts
LAW7019 European union law and policy
LAW7021 Family property
LAW7022 Forensic family law
LAW7025 International trade finance: law and practice
LAW7026 Overview of international human rights law
LAW7027 International taxation
LAW7028 International trade law
LAW7031 Corporate insolvency
LAW7033 International law of the sea 1: resources and management
LAW7037 Occupational health and safety
LAW7040 Current issues in evidence
LAW7041 Public sector employment law
LAW7043 Sentencing
LAW7044 Stamp duties and other state revenue
LAW7045 Takeovers
LAW7046 Tax avoidance: judicial and legislative responses
LAW7048 Taxation commissioner's discretionary powers
LAW7049 Taxation in the European community
LAW7050 Taxation law as an instrument of social and economic policy
LAW7051 Taxation of capital gains
LAW7052 Taxation of corporations and shareholders
LAW7053 Taxation of trusts and partnerships
LAW7055 Theories of justice
LAW7056 Competition law
LAW7059 Planning law
LAW7060 Current problems in family law
LAW7061 Legislative and judicial refinement of the income tax base
LAW7066 Forced migration and human rights
LAW7068 International environmental law
LAW7069 The law and the environment
LAW7071 Commercial alternative dispute resolution
LAW7073 Law, gender and feminism
LAW7074 Legal issues in bioethics
LAW7075 Trade marks and commercial designations
LAW7076 Principles of privacy and freedom of information
LAW7077 International aspects of intellectual property
LAW7078 Graduate research paper
LAW7082 Confiscation of the proceeds of crime
LAW7083 Law of employee relations
LAW7087 Local government law
LAW7092 Payment systems and banking law
LAW7093 Judicial law making and legal theory
LAW7109 Consumer credit
LAW7110 Elements of forensic medicine 700
LAW7112 Constitutional law for litigators
LAW7116 International law of the sea 2: issues in maritime management
LAW7118 Pacific comparative law
LAW7119 Patents for inventions
LAW7121 Insurance law
LAW7122 Superannuation law and practice
LAW7129 Law and discrimination
LAW7133 Legal issues in medicine
LAW7140 Defamation and freedom of speech
LAW7165 Comparative constitution and rights
LAW7205 Employee share ownership plans
LAW7206 Native title: courts, tribunals and communities
LAW7207 Psychiatry, psychology and law
LAW7208 Contemporary problems in the administration of criminal justice
LAW7209 International sale of goods
LAW7212 Australian legal system
LAW7213 Law of the internet
LAW7214 Utility regulation: law and policy
LAW7215 Labour law for corporate lawyers
LAW7217 Current issues in administrative law
LAW7218 International humanitarian law
LAW7220 Money laundering
LAW7221 Technology contracts and licensing law
LAW7223 Overview of intellectual property
LAW7224 Trade mark practice
LAW7226 Tort liability of public authorities
LAW7243 Shareholders' remedies
LAW7244 Intellectual property and the internet
LAW7245 Current issues in electronic commerce law
LAW7246 Privacy and information security law in cyberspace
LAW7247 Selected topics in public international law
LAW7248 Decision-making for tribunal members
LAW7249 Fact finding in administrative proceedings
LAW7250 Administrative justice issues in tribunal adjudication
LAW7251 Negotiation and mediation skills
LAW7253 Human rights in the global economy
LAW7254 Design law and practice
LAW7256 Superannuation, venture capital and managed investment schemes
LAW7258 Consumer protection, regulation and compliance
LAW7260 Indigenous rights and international law
LAW7261 Corporate groups and governance
LAW7262 Goods and services tax: complex issues and planning
LAW7263 Australian corporate law
LAW7276 Principles of taxation
LAW7278 Comparative competition law
LAW7279 Electronic workplace law
LAW7280 Cybercrime
LAW7283 Loss, causation and damages
LAW7285 Legal research and communication
LAW7286 International criminal justice
LAW7295 International aspects of patenting inventions in biotechnology
LAW7298 Labour organisations
LAW7303 Advocacy: theory and practice
LAW7304 Corporate and white collar crime
LAW7306 Corporate governance and directors' duties
LAW7308 Expert evidence
LAW7307 Contemporary issues in administrative law
LAW7309 Current issues in intellectual property
LAW7310 Current issues in workplace law
LAW7311 International human rights law and women
LAW7312 Advanced negotiation and mediation skills
LAW7313 Regulatory fundamentals: concepts, constructs and context
LAW7314 The regulatory process
LAW7315 Regulatory methods
LAW7316 Regulating in a globalising world
LAW7317 Evaluating what works in regulation
LAW7318 International law and economic, cultural and social rights
LAW7319 Children's rights in international and domestic law
LAW7320 Terrorism and human rights
LAW7322 Communications law and regulation
LAW7323 International banking and finance: law and practice
LAW7324 Energy law, regulation and policy
LAW7325 Regulation of Australian water resources
LAW7326 World trade organization law
LAW7327 Workplace anti-discrimination law
LAW7328 Case studies in regulation
LAW7329 The privatising state: reform, regulation and reinvention
LAW7330 Protecting the rights of minorities, marginalised and vulnerable people
LAW7332 Principles of construction law
LAW7333 Comparative Bills of Rights
LAW7334 European agriculture, food and wine law
LAW7335 Regulating the professions
LAW7336 Taxation of financial arrangements
LAW7337 Tax disputes and written advocacy
LAW7338 Work Choices law
LAW7339 Advanced international commercial arbitration
LAW7414 Planning and environmental law practice
LAW7416 International human rights law and development
LAW7417 Law of virtual worlds
LAW7418 Human rights advocacy: Australian law and practice
LAW7419 Current issues in human rights law
LAW7420 Principles of environmental law
LAW7424 Local government contracts and procurement
LAW7425 International refugee law and human rights
LAW7426 International copyright law
LAW7427 International aspects of foreign investment
LAW7430 Corporate finance law
LAW7431 Death, dying and the courts

Thesis requirement

Candidates proceeding to the LLM degree by coursework must have completed either four or six units and have obtained 70% or above in each of the units before embarking on a minor thesis. Candidates must complete a thesis of either 12,000-15,000 words (where the student has completed four units) or 25,000-30,000 words (where the student has completed six units) 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.

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 postgraduate program coordinator 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.

For information on the requirements which must be met with respect to the certification of theses prior to submission for examination contact the postgraduate program coordinator.

Contact details

Postgraduate program coordinator LLM, telephone +61 3 9641 6206, email graduate@law.monash.edu.au or visit http://www.law.monash.edu.au/postgraduate.

Course convenors

Associate Professor John Duns, Professor Stephen Barkoczy