The Master of Laws (Advanced Legal Practice) focuses on the practical legal skills and professional ethics that tomorrow's legal practitioners may be expected to possess and follow. The course is highly innovative in its unique combination of practical skills training with academic research and excellence.
The Master of Laws (Advanced Legal Practice) aims to:
- enable students to develop and demonstrate advanced skills in research, analysis and the written or oral communication of complex ideas
- enable students to develop and demonstrate a knowledge of law and the theoretical and policy framework within which the law operates
- enable students to understand their ethical responsibilities and those which may affect their clients
- equip students with a variety of techniques for dispute resolution
- provide current and future practitioners in law with the appropriate theories and skills to deal with the legal challenges that arise in all areas of national and international activity
- impart and develop further the practical skills essential to the knowledge and practice of law in the professional context
- develop Monash graduates' attributes.
Applicants who have completed the requirements of the Monash Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Skills and Ethics (PDLP) course from July 2005* may be given credit for up to 24 credit points if the required marks in the relevant units have been achieved as follows:
- a graduate who obtained a result of 70 per cent or more in each of the major units (Civil litigation practice, Commercial and corporate practice and Property law practice), plus 70 per cent or more in each of the elective units is entitled to credit of 50 per cent or 24 credit points (four units) towards the LLM (Advanced Legal Practice).
- a graduate who obtained an average of 65-69 per cent across the three major units above and in each of the electives is entitled to credit of 25 per cent or 12 credit points (two units) towards the LLM (Advanced Legal Practice).
- a graduate who obtained a result of 70 per cent or more in two of the three major units above only is entitled to credit of 25 per cent or 12 credit points (two units) towards the LLM (Advanced Legal Practice).
The course comprises eight 6-point coursework units, or coursework units and a minor thesis.
Students who have not been granted credit must complete one of the following options:
- eight coursework units. Students must complete five units offered as part of the advanced legal practice specialisation. The remaining three units may be taken from the approved list of law units. Refer to 'Areas of Study'.
- four coursework units with at least two units from the advanced legal practice specialisation and a minor thesis of 25,000-30,000 words on an approved topic in the area.
- six coursework units with at least three units in the advanced legal practice specialisation and a minor thesis of 12,000-15,000 words on an approved topic in the area.
In order to qualify to undertake one of the minor thesis options, a student must have achieved a minimum of 70 per cent in each of the coursework units undertaken. Information on the minor thesis option is available at: http://www.law.monash.edu.au/current-students/enrol/re-enrol.html
Students who have been granted 24 points of credit have the following options:
- four coursework units from the advanced legal practice specialisation.
- subject to approval, two coursework units from the advanced legal practice specialisation and a 12,000-15,000 minor thesis on an approved topic in the area.
Students who have been granted 12 points credit have the following options:
- six coursework units from the advanced legal practice specialisation.
- subject to approval, four coursework units from the advanced legal practice specialisation and a minor thesis of 12,000-15,000 words on an approved topic in the area.
- subject to approval, two coursework units from the advanced legal practice specialisation and a minor thesis of 25,000-30,000 words on an approved topic in the area.
Additional course requirement and recommendation:
- Students with a law degree from a non-Australian jurisdiction must complete the unit LAW7436 Introduction to Australian legal process.
- International students are recommended to undertake the unit LAW7285 Legal research and communications.
Advanced legal practice specialisation
- LAW7000 Minor thesis (25,000-30,000 words)
- LAW7022 Forensic family law
- LAW7040 Current issues in evidence
- LAW7060 Current problems in family law
- LAW7071 Commercial alternative dispute resolution
- LAW7078 Graduate research paper
- LAW7083 Law of employee relations
- LAW7213 Law of the internet
- LAW7215 Labour law for corporate lawyers
- LAW7223 Overview of intellectual property
- LAW7245 Current issues in electronic commerce law
- LAW7251 Negotiation and mediation skills
- LAW7278 Comparative competition law
- LAW7279 Electronic workplace law
- LAW7303 Advocacy: theory and practice
- LAW7308 Expert evidence
- LAW7312 Advanced negotiation and mediation skills
- LAW7332 Principles of construction law
- LAW7339 Arbitration of international commercial disputes
- LAW7431 Health Law and Human Rights
- LAW7432 Non-adversarial family law
- LAW7456 Minor thesis (12,000-15,000 words)
Students wanting to complete units from the Master of Laws program other than those listed above will need the approval of the Associate Dean (Postgraduate Studies).
For further information regarding law units and specialisations visit http://www.law.monash.edu.au/postgraduate/units-overview.html
Students are advised that not all units may be available in every year.
For information on the current postgraduate law timetable visit http://www.law.monash.edu.au/current-students/t-tables/index.html
Areas of Study
Law postgraduate elective units
Master of Laws (Advanced Legal Practice)
