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Juris Doctor (MC-JURISD) // Course structure
About this course
Coordinator
Anna Chapman
Contact
Melbourne Law School
Currently enrolled students:
• General information: law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd
• Contact Stop 1
Future students:
• Further information: law.unimelb.edu.au/study/jd
• Make an enquiry
Course structure
The Melbourne JD comprises 24 subjects.
Compulsory Subjects
Sixteen are compulsory, enabling the School to provide its students with cumulative learning, by integrating both subject matter and skills across and between semesters. These subjects are organised so as to ensure a balanced range in each semester, between which linkages can be made. In addition, subjects in both private and public law build progressively over the semesters, contributing to the effectiveness of the learning experience.
In the first of the JD students are grouped into cohorts for compulsory subjects. This enhances the collegial experience of, and learning communities forged between, students during their time in the School and establishes bonds that will continue long after graduation.
Elective Subjects
The remaining eight subjects are chosen by students from a wide range of optional subjects offered by the School. These vary from year to year, enabling the School to respond to changes in the law and legal thinking and giving students access to the latest developments in research by some of the leading scholars in the School.
Standard course structure - 3 years
In its standard form, the degree is taken over three years. This format enables students to take advantage of other educational, professional and social opportunities during the summer and winter breaks, including seasonal clerkships, international exchanges, internships, mooting and Law Review editorial work.
Flexible course structures - 2.5, 3.5, or 4 years
The Melbourne JD can also be accelerated by students with outstanding results with approval from the Law School, by utilizing the summer and winter break periods to complete additional JD subjects. The Melbourne JD can also be extended up to four years, subject to Law School approval. This flexibility enables students to take advantage of other educational, professional and social opportunities during the summer and winter breaks, including seasonal clerkships, international exchanges, internships, mooting and Law Review editorial work. These opportunities are necessarily more limited for accelerating students.
Subject options
Melbourne JD - Course Structure
The below subjects are structured based on the 3 year JD course structure. For students completing the JD in 2.5, 3.5, or 4 years, alternative course structures can be found on the Melbourne Law School website.
The Standard 3 Year Course Structure
Year 1 - Foundation Subject
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50023 | Legal Method and Reasoning | Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Year 1 - Compulsory Subjects
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50024 | Principles of Public Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50026 | Obligations | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90140 | Disputes and Ethics | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50028 | Constitutional Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50029 | Contracts | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50025 | Torts | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50031 | Legal Theory |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
December (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Year 2 - Compulsory Subjects
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50032 | Administrative Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50033 | Equity and Trusts | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50030 | Property | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50034 | Criminal Law and Procedure | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50035 | Corporations Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50037 | Evidence and Proof |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Winter Term (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Year 3 - Compulsory Subjects
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50039 | Legal Research |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50036 | Remedies |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
November (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
JD Electives Available in 2019
During the JD, students must complete 100 credit points of elective study.
Students following the Standard 3 Year Course Structure would generally complete:
- 2 electives in Year 2
- 6 electives in Year 3
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50055 | Advocacy |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
November (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS90059 | Commercial Law in Practice | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50063 | Competition Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50084 | Construction Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90136 | Criminal Institutions | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50050 | Cross-Border Litigation | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50051 | Deals | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90004 | Disability Human Rights Clinic | November (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90037 | Economic and Business Law in Asia | December (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50064 | Employment Law |
February (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50078 | Environmental Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50067 | European Civil Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50047 | Family Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50071 | Global Lawyer | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90133 | Health Law and Ethics | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50093 | Insolvency Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50045 | Institutions in International Law | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50128 | Intellectual Property & Popular Culture | Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50094 | International Commercial Law & Disputes | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50049 | International Human Rights Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50042 | Jessup Moot | August (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90006 | Law and Legal Practice in Asia | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90033 | Law Apps |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS90036 | Legal Drafting | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50059 | Legal Internship |
January (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
November (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50096 | Media Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90039 | Mediation | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50060 | Melbourne Journal of International Law |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50058 | Melbourne University Law Review |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50106 | Murder | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50131 | Negotiations |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
November (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS90107 | New Technology Law | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50127 | Philosophical Foundations of Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50116 | Public Interest Law Clinic |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50041 | Public International Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50101 | Refugee Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90108 | Start-Up Law | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50102 | Street Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50126 | Sustainability Business Clinic | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50046 | Taxation Law and Policy |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50075 | Trade Mark Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90161 | Advanced Constitutional Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90162 | Law of Commercial Cyberspace | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90078 | Corporate Governance | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90075 | Patents and Trade Secrets | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50130 | Advanced Torts | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50119 | Sports Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50114 | New Ideas in Legal Scholarship | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50091 | International Investment Law | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50108 | Mergers, Acquisitions & Capital Markets | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90163 | Why Tax Systems Differ Between Countries | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Optional: Melbourne Law Masters (MLM) Elective
Information on how to apply for this opportunity can be found on the Melbourne Law School website.
JD students can apply to take 1 of their electives from the below MLM subjects available in 2019:
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS70011 | Commercial Applications of Equity | August (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70042 | Company Takeovers | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90127 | Comparative Indigenous Rights | April (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90018 | Development, Labour and Human Rights | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70421 | Law and Emerging Health Technologies | April (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70218 | International Employment Law | April (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70242 | Internat.Issues in Intellectual Property | December (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70120 | International Law and Children's Rights | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70161 | International Petroleum Transactions | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70225 | Medical Litigation | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90029 | Planning and Building Sustainable Cities | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70185 | Water Law & Natural Resources Management | June (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70019 | Class Actions | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70078 | International Law and the Use of Force | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70105 | Islamic Law and Politics in Asia | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70135 | Bargaining at Work | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70139 | International Construction Law | August (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70163 | Sports Medical and Anti-Doping Law | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70166 | Sports Law: Entities and Governance | November (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70182 | New Media and Communications | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70219 | International Environmental Law | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70229 | Current Issues in Negligence | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70234 | International Humanitarian Law | November (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70301 | Internat and Comparative Competition Law | August (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70313 | Post-Conflict State-Building | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70336 | Advanced Commercial Law: Current Issues | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70360 | Human Rights Beyond Borders | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70386 | Environmental Rights | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70398 | Law of the Sea | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70420 | Hedge Funds and Private Equity Funds | August (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70423 | International Mineral Law | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70424 | Separation of Powers | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70425 | Money, Law and Politics | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70452 | Human Rights and Climate Change | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70454 | Human Rights: From Morality to Law | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS70462 | Sports Integrity and Investigations | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90013 | Constitutional Rights and Freedoms | August (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90023 | International Law and Politics | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90043 | Mineral and Petroleum Law | April (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90047 | Law of International Organisations | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90051 | Commercial Arbitration in Practice | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90085 | Competition in the Healthcare Industry | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90087 | Disability Human Rights Law | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90088 | Disaster Law and Climate Adaptation | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90106 | Multiculturalism and the State | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90145 | Artificial Intelligence and the Law | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90147 | Biodiversity Law | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90148 | Politics of Transnational Regulation | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90153 | Institutional Abuse and Legal Redress | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90154 | International Law and the City | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS90155 | NGOs and International Development | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90160 | Human Rights and Global Justice | December (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
JD Electives Not Offered in 2019
The following subjects have been offered in the JD previously, however will not be available for 2019 enrolments:
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50110 | Advanced Topics in Taxation | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50122 | Animal Law | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50056 | Climate Change Law | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50066 | Cyberlaw | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50070 | Encounters: Meeting of Laws in Australia | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50069 | Human Rights Lawyering | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50052 | International Criminal Law | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50121 | Law and Literature | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS90076 | Law and the Holocaust | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS90038 | Law of Elections | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50098 | Law Reform | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50095 | Legal Histories | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS90007 | Media Regulation and Freedom of Speech | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50132 | Multiculturalism Religion and the Law | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS90077 | Not for Profits and the Law | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50120 | The Rule of Law in Theory & in Practice | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50109 | World Trade Organisation Law | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50057 | Copyright and Patents | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50068 | Equality and Discrimination Law | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50073 | International Capital Markets | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50123 | Comparative Law | No longer available | |
LAWS50080 | Deals In Asia Pacific | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50115 | Commercial Restitution | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS50118 | Democracy, Law and Civil Liberties | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS90008 | Law and Indigenous Peoples | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS90060 | International Criminal Justice Clinic | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS90074 | Copyright and Designs | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS90079 | Entertainment Deals | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS90134 | Property Law and the City | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
LAWS90135 | Rights and Freedoms in Malaysia | Not available in 2019 | 12.5 |
Last updated: 18 December 2020