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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
Future students:
- Further information:
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
April
|
12.5 |
Year 1 - Compulsory Subjects
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS50024 | Principles of Public Law |
Semester 1
June
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50026 | Obligations |
Semester 1
May
|
12.5 |
| LAWS90140 | Disputes and Ethics | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50028 | Constitutional Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50029 | Contracts | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50025 | Torts | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50031 | Legal Theory |
Semester 2
November
|
12.5 |
Year 2 - Compulsory Subjects
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS50032 | Administrative Law |
Semester 1
May
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50033 | Equity and Trusts | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50030 | Property |
April
Semester 1
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50034 | Criminal Law and Procedure | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50035 | Corporations Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50037 | Evidence and Proof |
Semester 1
July
|
12.5 |
Year 3 - Compulsory Subjects
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS50039 | Legal Research |
Semester 1
Semester 2
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50036 | Remedies |
Semester 1
November
|
12.5 |
JD Electives Available in 2020
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS50130 | Advanced Torts | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90186 | Advanced Trusts Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50055 | Advocacy |
Summer Term
Semester 1
Semester 2
|
12.5 |
| LAWS90059 | Commercial Law in Practice | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50063 | Competition Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50084 | Construction Law | February |
12.5 |
| LAWS90074 | Copyright and Designs | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90136 | Criminal Institutions | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50118 | Democracy, Law and Civil Liberties | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90187 | Economic Analysis of Law | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50064 | Employment Law |
Summer Term
Semester 1
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50078 | Environmental Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50068 | Equality and Discrimination Law | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50067 | European Civil Law | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50047 | Family Law | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90133 | Health Law and Ethics | July |
12.5 |
| LAWS50093 | Insolvency Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50128 | Intellectual Property & Popular Culture | June |
12.5 |
| LAWS50094 | International Commercial Law & Disputes |
Semester 1
July
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50049 | Human Rights Law and Practice | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90188 | Law of Commercial Arbitration | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90036 | Legal Drafting | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50096 | Media Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90039 | Mediation | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50108 | Mergers, Acquisitions & Capital Markets | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50106 | Murder | February |
12.5 |
| LAWS50131 | Negotiations |
Summer Term
Summer Term
December
|
12.5 |
| LAWS90107 | New Technology Law | July |
12.5 |
| LAWS90075 | Patents and Trade Secrets | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50127 | Philosophical Foundations of Law | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50041 | Public International Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50101 | Refugee Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90190 | Sexualities, Gender, Activism and Law | November |
12.5 |
| LAWS50119 | Sports Law | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90108 | Start-Up Law | July |
12.5 |
| LAWS50046 | Taxation Law and Policy |
Semester 1
Semester 2
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50075 | Trade Mark Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50042 | Jessup Moot | August |
12.5 |
| LAWS50060 | Melbourne Journal of International Law |
Summer Term
Semester 1
Semester 2
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50058 | Melbourne University Law Review |
Summer Term
Semester 1
Semester 2
|
12.5 |
| LAWS90037 | Economic and Business Law in Asia | November |
12.5 |
| LAWS50071 | Global Lawyer | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50045 | Institutions in International Law | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90006 | Law and Legal Practice in Asia | February |
12.5 |
| LAWS90033 | Law Apps |
Semester 1
Semester 2
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50059 | Legal Internship |
January
Semester 1
June
Semester 2
November
|
12.5 |
| LAWS90164 | MLS Tax Clinic | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90189 | NDIS and Disability Benefits Clinic | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50116 | Public Interest Law Clinic |
Semester 1 (Early-Start)
Semester 2 (Early-Start)
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50102 | Street Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90191 | Treaty: Indigenous-settler Agreements | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
Optional: Melbourne Law Masters (MLM) Electives
Information on how to apply for this opportunity can be found on the Melbourne Law School website.
JD students can apply to take one of their electives from the below MLM subjects available in 2020 (subject to space):
JD Electives Not Offered in 2020
The following subjects have been offered in the JD previously, however will not be available for 2020 enrolments:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS90161 | Advanced Constitutional Law | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50110 | Advanced Topics in Taxation | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50122 | Animal Law | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50056 | Climate Change Law | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50115 | Commercial Restitution | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50057 | Copyright and Patents | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90078 | Corporate Governance | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50050 | Cross-Border Litigation | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50066 | Cyberlaw | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50051 | Deals | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50080 | Deals In Asia Pacific | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90004 | Disability Human Rights Clinic | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50070 | Encounters: Meeting of Laws in Australia | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90079 | Entertainment Deals | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50069 | Human Rights Lawyering | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50073 | International Capital Markets | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90060 | International Criminal Justice Clinic | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50091 | International Investment Law | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90008 | Law and Indigenous Peoples | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50121 | Law and Literature | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90076 | Law and the Holocaust | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90162 | Law of Commercial Cyberspace | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90038 | Law of Elections | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50098 | Law Reform | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50095 | Legal Histories | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90007 | Media Regulation and Freedom of Speech | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50132 | Multiculturalism Religion and the Law | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50114 | New Ideas in Legal Scholarship | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90077 | Not for Profits and the Law | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90134 | Property Law and the City | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90135 | Rights and Freedoms in Malaysia | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50126 | Sustainability Business Clinic | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50120 | The Rule of Law in Theory & in Practice | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90163 | Why Tax Systems Differ Between Countries | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50109 | World Trade Organisation Law | Not available in 2020 | 12.5 |
Last updated: 1 May 2020