Introduction to the faculty - Faculty of Law

 

The Monash Faculty of Law is consistently recognised as one of the world’s leading Law schools. Our excellence in research, teaching and scholarship has been at the forefront of legal education for decades in Australia. We provide a broad teaching base, with course offerings at all levels, and pride ourselves on offering real, tangible legal experience and international study opportunities to equip our students with an extensive legal education.

Monash Law's postgraduate program provides both a professional qualifying degree, the Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) or Juris Doctor from Trimester 2, as well as 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 comprises the research degrees Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Juridical Science and Master of Philosophy, as well as masters programs, a graduate diploma and single-unit enrolments.

The majority of postgraduate coursework teaching is delivered at the 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. Postgraduate coursework students also have the opportunity to participate in the Monash Law international programs which operate at the Monash Prato Centre, Italy or Monash University Malaysia.

The faculty's vibrant research culture is supported by three dedicated research centres: the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, the Australian Centre for Justice Innovation and the Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies. These centres produce influential research that is doctrinal, theoretical, policy-orientated, global and comparative in its outlook. The faculty collaborates with world leaders in law research and education throughout Australia and internationally and demonstrates top tier research-intensive performance.

Structure and organisation of the faculty

The Law School has approximately 70 academic staff, 50 professional staff and a total enrolment of around 3800 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 a single-department faculty governed by the dean and executive committee, the members of which have major portfolio responsibilities in the areas of staffing, research, education policy, postgraduate studies, undergraduate studies, international engagement and management and administration. The faculty general manager is the faculty's senior executive responsible to the dean for all faculty-based administrative systems, services, records and resources and is supported by a small team of managers.

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 faculty's three main teaching programs: Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) (JD) and the comprehensive masters program, including the Master of Laws (LLM), masters courses for non-law graduates and the Graduate Diploma in Law

The student services manager, together with the student services officers, are available to attend to the needs of postgraduate students within the faculty. They should be consulted for all enquiries relating to the postgraduate program.

The higher degrees by research (HDR) courses are governed by Monash Graduate Education 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 student services staff of the faculty research services.

Professional recognition of courses

The Master of Laws (Juris Doctor), or 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.

Victorian Legal Admissions Board requirements for admission to practice

The Victorian Legal Admissions Board (VLAB) is responsible for the recognition of law qualifications in Victoria and the administration of the Legal Profession Uniform Admission Rules 2015. 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. For more details refer to the Victorian Legal Admissions Board website.

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 Monash University (Academic Board) Regulations.

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, students wishing to apply for intermission should contact the faculty.

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. Completed single units may, in accordance with the Credit towards a Degree or Award Regulations, be subsequently credited towards a master's 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. Only units undertaken with the assessment option may be granted credit.

Duration of candidature

Graduate and postgraduate diplomas*

  • Full-time: 1 year; part-time: 2 years (maximum of 4 years)

Master's by coursework*

  • Full-time: 1 year; part-time: 2 years (maximum of 4 years)

Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) or Juris Doctor

  • Full-time: 3 years; part-time: 4 years (maximum of 8 years)

Master of Philosophy

  • Full-time: 2 years; part-time: 4 years (maximum of 6 years)

Doctor of Juridical Science/Doctor of Philosophy

  • Full-time: 4 years; part-time: 8 years (maximum of 10 years)

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

Contact details

Graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and masters by coursework degrees

Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) or Juris Doctor

Higher degrees by research