Introduction to the faculty - Faculty of Law

Monash Law's postgraduate program endeavours to provide further education to lawyers and non-lawyers to assist them to update their skills, specialise in specific areas of the law, undertake research and move into a career in law.

The program curriculum includes Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Juridical Science, Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Philosophy, masters programs for non-lawyers, graduate diplomas, graduate certificates and single-unit enrolments. The LLM program offers both coursework and research options.

The majority of postgraduate coursework teaching is delivered at the new Monash University Law Chambers, located at 555 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne situated in the heart of the legal precinct, next door to Owen Dixon Chambers West and in sight of the County Court. The Law School has established four research centres committed to advancing research in specialist areas of the law, including mental health law, regulation, human rights and court and justice system innovation. In addition, the Law School offers a forensic studies program and has recently formed a substantial commercial law group to concentrate upon a broad range of commercially relevant research and teaching areas conducted within the faculty.  Managed and directed by law staff, both the centres and the commercial law group also include members of associated professions and communities on their advisory boards. Each builds on the existing strengths within the Law School and contributes to both research within the school and the development of further units in the undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Professional recognition of courses

The Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) at Monash University is accredited for the purpose of admission to practice as a barrister or solicitor in the state of Victoria. The course is accepted for admission in other Australian and some international jurisdictions and is accepted as qualifying a graduate to sit the Bar Examination in some US states. Students who plan to seek admission to practice in an interstate or overseas jurisdiction after graduation should seek advice from the admitting authorities in that jurisdiction.

Council of Legal Education (CoLE) requirements for admission to practice

The Council of Legal Education (CoLE) is responsible for the recognition of law qualifications in Victoria and the administration of the Legal Profession (Admission) Rules 2008. These rules state that to be admitted to practice as a barrister or solicitor in the state of Victoria, applicants must have completed a tertiary qualification(s) in Australia which includes:

(a) the equivalent of at least three years of full-time study of law

(b) units of study which demonstrate an understanding of and competence of 11 specified areas of legal knowledge.

In addition, candidates for admission to practice must have completed Practical Legal Training (PLT) Requirements.

Structure and organisation of the faculty

The Law School has approximately 75 academic staff and a total enrolment of more than 3500 undergraduate and postgraduate students across all year levels. The postgraduate program is delivered at the City chambers, and the undergraduate program at the Clayton campus.

The Faculty of Law is not divided into departments. Academic staff and students are collectively involved in the decision-making processes of the faculty through a well-defined committee structure with membership of committees determined either by election or by nomination.

The chief officers of the faculty are the Dean, the Associate Deans, the Program Directors and the Faculty General Manager. The Dean presides over meetings of the faculty executive and faculty board, and is responsible for the governance and development of the Law School.

The Faculty General Manager is concerned with the overall administration of the faculty including human resource management, budgets, admissions and matters relating to student administration, including enrolments, examinations, academic progress, course advice and timetabling. The day-to-day management of postgraduate student services is the responsibility of the Manager, Postgraduate Programs and Services.

The Associate Dean (Education) is responsible for the governance and development of all postgraduate and undergraduate courses including teaching quality and the training and evaluation of academic staff.  Program directors are charged with day-to-day responsibility for managing the three main teaching programs: Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) (JD) and Master of Laws (LLM).

The Manager, Postgraduate Programs and Services, together with the faculty student services officers, are available to attend to the needs of postgraduate students within the faculty. The student services officers should be consulted for all initial enquiries relating to the postgraduate program.

The Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) courses are governed by the Monash Institute of Graduate Research (MIGR) and fall within the portfolio of the Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Law. The HDR courses are managed by the HDR Director with support from staff of the Faculty Research Services. All enquiries on HDR courses should be referred to the Faculty Research Services.

Faculty regulations

The regulations of the Faculty of Law are found in the Monash University Calendar at
http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/calendar/facregs/regs-law.html.

Faculty credit policy

A candidate may be granted credit towards a masters degree or graduate diploma
in accordance with the Credit towards a Degree or Award Regulations.

Additional credit arrangements exist for some individual postgraduate programs in the faculty. For specific details please refer to the Faculty of Law regulations, http://www.adm.monash.edu/legal/legislation/faculty-and-research-award-and-course-regulations.html.

Cross-institutional course studies

A Monash degree is an academically coherent and cumulative program of specific units that contribute not only to the acquisition of knowledge, but to the development of Monash graduate attributes. In accordance with University credit policy, enrolled students seeking credit for units undertaken at another institution will need to demonstrate that there is significant educational advantage that cannot be derived from studying Monash units. Students desiring to enrol on a cross-institutional course basis must obtain a form and approval from the postgraduate studies office. This form must then be submitted to the postgraduate studies office at the other tertiary institution, as required.

If the cross-institutional course enrolment is approved, the student must enrol formally at both Monash University and at the other tertiary institution concerned.

The student is required to pay the course fee in respect of the unit to the other tertiary institution.

Time limit and intermission

For each course in the postgraduate program, there is a maximum time limit within which students must complete all of the requirements. The time limits are set out in the degree regulations and in the course information below.
Students may apply for a period of intermission not exceeding one year at any given time. By granting intermission, the faculty reserves a place in the course in the following year. However, the period of approved intermission will not extend the time allowed for completion of the course. In the first instance, applications for intermission should be made online at http://adm.monash.edu.au/enrolments/wes/wes.html.

Overloading

Opportunities to accelerate study are normally limited to students who have achieved at least a distinction average in the previous academic year. Students should discuss this option with a faculty adviser and obtain approval prior to re-enrolment.

Single unit enrolments

Persons who are not admitted to an award program or who do not wish to enrol in such a degree may enrol in a single unit upon payment of a tuition fee. A single unit may, with the approval of the Postgraduate Studies Committee, be subsequently credited towards a masters degree or a graduate diploma.

All single units offered form part of the Monash Law masters program and students have the option of completing these units with or without assessment.

Student advisers

Graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and masters by coursework degrees

Contact the Postgraduate Program Coordinator LLM on +61 3 9903 8005 or email law-pgstudents@monash.edu.

Master of Laws (Juris Doctor)

Contact the Coordinator Students and Programs on +61 3 9903 8520 or email law-pgstudents@monash.edu.

Higher Degrees by Research

Contact the HDR Coordinator, Faculty Research Services. Tel:  +61 3 9905 3342 or email law-research@monash.edu.

Duration of candidature

Graduate and Postgraduate diplomas*

Full-time: 1 year; part-time: 2 years

Masters by coursework*

Full-time: 1 year; part-time: 4 years

Master of Laws (Juris Doctor)

Full-time: 3 years; part-time: 6 years

Masters by research

Full-time: 2 years; part-time: 4 years

Doctor of Juridical Science/Doctor of Philosophy

Full-time: 4 years; part-time: 8 years

*In the case of the coursework component, part-time candidates are normally expected to complete at least one unit each semester.