Undergraduate - CourseBachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Biomedical Science

The honours degree of Bachelor of Laws satisfies the academic requirements for admission to practice as an Australian lawyer. It is also a preparation for diverse careers in and beyond the law, and a pathway to masters and doctoral qualifications. The course provides coherent and advanced knowledge of the sources of law, the principal areas of law, legal concepts and broader perspectives about the law. It develops professional skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, research, communication, collaboration with others, self-management, ethical awareness and professional judgment. The skills and knowledge learned in the course are applied in a later year project which provides varied research activities and outputs. The elective component gives flexibility to choose from a wide range of specialist units, to study overseas, and to undertake work-based learning. The faculty offers students significant international learning experiences (not only through the on-campus curricula but also through off-campus international exchange and study abroad experiences), internships locally and internationally, and a legal clinical program.

Biomedical science studies introduce students to a range of interdisciplinary units covering areas of modern biomedical sciences and human biology. The interdisciplinary approach of the biomedical science component produces graduates who are able to make a unique contribution to both medical science and law.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 8, the Bologna Cycle 1 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 8, the Bologna Cycle 1 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

On completion of the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) component of this double degree, students will be able to demonstrate:

(1.) an understanding of a coherent body of knowledge that includes:

• the fundamental areas of legal knowledge, the Australian legal system, and underlying principles and concepts, including international and comparative contexts
• the broader contexts within which legal issues arise
• the principles and values of justice and of ethical practice in lawyers' roles

(2.) ethics and professional responsibility including:

• an advanced understanding of approaches to ethical decision-making
• an ability to recognise and reflect upon, and a developing ability to respond to, ethical issues likely to arise in professional contexts
• an ability to recognise and reflect upon the professional responsibilities of lawyers in promoting justice and in service to the community
• a developing ability to exercise professional judgment

(3.) thinking skills to:

• identify and articulate complex legal issues
• apply legal reasoning and research to generate appropriate responses to legal issues
• engage in critical analysis and make reasoned choices amongst alternatives
• demonstrate cognitive and creative skills in approaching legal issues and generating appropriate responses and developing new understandings

(4.) intellectual and practical research skills needed to:

• interpret legal conclusions and professional decisions
• identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant factual, legal and policy issues

(5.) communication and collaboration skills to:

• communicate in ways that are effective, appropriate and persuasive for legal and non-legal audiences
• collaborate effectively

(6.) self-management skills to:

• learn and work with autonomy, accountability and professionalism
• reflect on and assess their own capabilities and performance, and make use of feedback as appropriate, to support personal and professional development.

On completion of the Bachelor of Biomedical Science component of this double degree, students will:

• have a basic knowledge of the biomedical sciences in a range of important multidisciplinary areas
• have mastered the essential analytic procedures of written and oral communication relevant to biomedical sciences
• be graduates who are well prepared for potential employment opportunities in most facets of the health care and related industries
• be well prepared to embark on further vocational training or postgraduate studies in the biomedical sciences or other discipline areas
• have received training relevant to a range of knowledge-intensive health care industries
• have acquired skills in modern information technologies
• have been exposed to the research frontier at which advances in biomedical science are occurring
• have an appreciation of the ethical and social attitudes and responsibilities which arise as a professional, practicing biomedical scientist.

The maximum amount of credit allowable towards the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) component is 60 points. The maximum amount of credit allowable towards the Bachelor of Biomedical Science is 48 points.

Admission to practice: Disciplinary reports

Students should note that a domestic applicant applying for admission to practise law in Victoria is required by the Admission Rules 2008 to provide to the Board of Examiners:

• a report from the University disclosing any disciplinary action taken against the student during the course (including any finding under the University Discipline Statute that the student has cheated in an assessment).
• an affidavit stating that the applicant has made full written disclosure of "every matter which a reasonable applicant would consider that the Board of Examiners might regard as not being favourable to the applicant". This may include an incident of academic or general misconduct, even if it did not lead to disciplinary action.

The Board of Examiners will consider these matters in assessing whether the applicant is a "fit and proper person to be admitted to the legal profession".

The Law component of this degree is recognised by the Council of Legal Education (CoLE). For further information refer to the Faculty of Law's professional recognition of coursesprofessional recognition of courses (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/undergrad/law-03.html) webpage.

The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) component consists of 17 common core units (102 points) plus nine elective units (54 points) including one commercial law elective and one research project unit.

The Bachelor of Biomedical Science component requires that students must complete 96 points of biomedical science units, including 14 compulsory units and two electives.

First year

• BMS1011 Biomedical chemistry
• BMS1031 Medical biophysics
• BMS1042 Biomedical sciences and society
• BMS1062 Molecular biology
• LAW1111 Foundations of law
• LAW1112 Public Law and statutory interpretation
• LAW1113 Torts
• LAW1114 Criminal law 1

Total: 24 points of law; 24 points of biomedical science (48 points)

Second year

• BMS1021 Cells, tissues and organism
• BMS1052 Human neurobiology
• BMS2021 Biochemistry of human function
• BMS2042 Human genetics
• LAW2101 Contract A
• LAW2102 Contract B
• LAW2111 Constitutional law
• LAW2112 Property A

Total: 24 points of law; 24 points of biomedical science (48 points)

Third year

• BMS2011 Structure of the human body: An evolutionary and functional perspective
• BMS2031 Body systems
• BMS2052 Microbes in health and disease
• BMS2062 Introduction to bioinformatics
• LAW3111 Equity
• LAW3112 Corporations law
• LAW3402 Property B
• 6-point law elective unitlaw elective unit (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2015handbooks/aos/law-electives/)

plus one of the following 6-point commercial law electives:

• LAW4701 Commercial transactions
• LAW4702 Competition and consumer law
• LAW4703 Introduction to Intellectual property
• LAW4704 Taxation law

Total: 30 points of law; 24 points of biomedical science (54 points)

Fourth year

• BMS3021 Molecular medicine and biotechnology
• BMS3042 Biomedical basis of disease II
• LAW4170 Trusts
• LAW4331 Administrative law
• 12 points of level three units elected from biomedical science disciplines*
• 18 points of elective law unitselective law units (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2015handbooks/aos/law-electives/)

Total: 30 points of law; 24 points of biomedical science (54 points)

* Generally these units begin with the prefixes BCH, BME, DEV, GEN, HUP, IMM, MIC, MIS, PHA and PHY and can be found in the Handbook indexes of units by codeindexes of units by code (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/units/index-bycode.html) or by using the browse unitsbrowse units (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/units/search) tool.

Fifth year

• LAW4323 Evidence
• LAW4303 Litigation and dispute resolution
• LAW4309 Lawyers' ethics in practice
• LAW4332 Criminal law and procedure 2
• 18 points of elective law unitselective law units (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2015handbooks/aos/law-electives/)

plus one of the following 6-point research project units:

• LAW4801 Honours research project
• LAW4802 Research practicum
• LAW4803 Clinical externship
• LAW4804 Law reform and community development
• LAW4805 Mooting and advocacy competition
• LAW4806 Jessup moot competition
• LAW4807 Vis arbitration moot
• LAW4808 Monash law review 1
• LAW4809 Monash law review 2

Total: 48 points of law

Students may undertake honours in biomedical science at the end of three years of study, provided they have met the requirements of the Bachelor of Biomedical Science program and completed a minimum of 144 points of total study. Refer to the entry for 3418 Honours degree of Bachelor of Biomedical Science.

High achieving students enrolled in the the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) single or double degrees have the opportunity of undertaking a maximum of two masters-level electives, which can be counted towards a Master of Laws (LLM) degree if they wish to progress to LLM studies within ten years. Visit the faculty's Master of Laws elective programMaster of Laws elective program (http://www.law.monash.edu.au/current-students/course-unit-information/master-of-laws-elective-program.html) web page for full details.

Students may exit from the double-degree program and graduate with only one of the single degrees providing all requirements for that degree have been met.

Students may also in some instances graduate from one of the single degrees before going on to complete the other degree in the double-degree course providing all requirements for the 'graduating' degree have been met.

Refer to the relevant single degree entry for details.

Bachelor of Biomedical Science
Bachelor of Laws (Honours)