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Juris Doctor (MC-JURISD) // Course structure
About this course
Coordinator
Arlen Duke
Contact
Melbourne Law School
Currently enrolled students:
- General information:
law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd
Future students:
- Further information:
Course structure
The Juris Doctor requires the successful completion of 300 credit points.
To obtain the degree students must complete:
- 200 credit points of compulsory subjects
- Juris Doctor (JD) students are not allowed to select a fourth subject in Semester 1, Year 1. Elective subjects can only be taken in Year 2 and 3 respectively.
- 100 credit points of JD (quota and enrichment) and Melbourne Law Masters (MLM) elective subjects including
- A maximum of 100 credit points of JD quota elective subjects
- A maximum of 100 credit points of JD enrichment elective subjects
- A maximum of 25 credit points of MLM elective subjects
- Melbourne Law Masters (MLM) electives: JD students can apply to take up to 25 credit points of their electives (typically two) from the list of MLM electives. Students cannot self-enrol into MLM electives. Enrolments will be confirmed after a selection process has been run.
Compulsory Subjects
Sixteen subjects 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 semester 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 full time 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, 4-6 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 and there are several different course structures available for both full time and part time students. 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 compulsory and elective subjects
The below subjects are structured based on the three year full-time JD course structure. Alternative course structures can be found on the Melbourne Law School website via:
https://law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/studies/course-plans
Year 1 - Foundation Subject
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS50023 | Legal Method and Reasoning | Summer Term |
12.5 |
Year 1 - Compulsory Subjects
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS50024 | Principles of Public Law | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50026 | Obligations | Semester 1 |
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 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50033 | Equity and Trusts | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50030 | Property | 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 |
Elective subjects
During the JD, students must complete 100 credit points of elective study. Students following the Full Time 3 Year Course Structure would generally complete:
- Two electives in Year 2
- Six electives in Year 3
Electives in the JD fall under three broad categories:
1. JD quota electives
2. JD enrichment electives
3. Melbourne Law Masters (MLM) electives available to JD students
The timeline and process for enrolment in electives in each category are outlined in full on the Melbourne Law School website, respectively:
https://law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/studies/enrolment
https://law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/studies/enrolment/jd-electives
JD quota elective subjects
All timely JD quota elective enrolments are subject to a selection process which the Academic Support Office will perform after the timely re-enrolment period closes. Late self-enrolment is on a first-in basis up to quota.
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS50130 | Advanced Torts | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50055 | Advocacy |
February
Semester 1
July
|
12.5 |
| LAWS90213 | Commercial Data Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90059 | Commercial Law in Practice | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50063 | Competition Law | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50084 | Construction Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90197 | Consumer Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90074 | Copyright and Designs | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90136 | Criminal Institutions | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50050 | Cross-Border Litigation | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90187 | Economic Analysis of Law | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50064 | Employment Law |
February
Semester 1
Semester 2
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50078 | Environmental Law | January |
12.5 |
| LAWS50047 | Family Law | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90243 | Future Lawyer | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50049 | Human Rights Law and Practice | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50093 | Insolvency Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50128 | Intellectual Property & Popular Culture | Summer Term |
12.5 |
| LAWS50094 | International Commercial Law & Disputes | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90212 | Law and Civil Society in Asia | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90245 | Law and Human Nature | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90008 | Law and Indigenous Peoples | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90033 | Law Apps | Semester 1 |
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 |
| LAWS50131 | Negotiations |
Summer Term
Summer Term
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 | July |
12.5 |
| LAWS50101 | Refugee Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90108 | Start-Up Law | Winter Term |
12.5 |
| LAWS50046 | Taxation Law and Policy |
Semester 1
July
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50075 | Trade Mark Law | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90191 | Treaty: Indigenous-settler Agreements | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50109 | World Trade Organisation Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90258 | Executive Branch Policy Lab | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90262 | Law and Global Health | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90261 | Making Sense of Statutes | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90260 | Personal Injury Litigation | November |
12.5 |
| LAWS90256 | Race and the Legal Profession | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
JD enrichment elective subjects
JD enrichment electives have an application and selection process. Students cannot self-enrol into these electives. Enrolments will be confirmed after a selection process has been run.
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS90214 | Indigenous Law in Aotearoa and Australia | October |
12.5 |
| LAWS90209 | Indigenous Legal Advocacy Clinic | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50042 | Jessup Moot | August |
12.5 |
| LAWS90006 | Law and Legal Practice in Asia | October |
12.5 |
| LAWS50059 | Legal Internship |
January
Semester 1
June
Semester 2
November
|
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 |
| LAWS90164 | MLS Tax Clinic |
Semester 1
Semester 2
|
12.5 |
| LAWS90189 | NDIS and Disability Benefits Clinic | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50114 | New Ideas in Legal Scholarship | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90107 | New Technology Law | July |
12.5 |
| LAWS90241 | Projects and the Environment Practicum | December |
12.5 |
| LAWS50116 | Public Interest Law Clinic |
Semester 1
Semester 2
|
12.5 |
| LAWS50102 | Street Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50126 | Sustainability Business Clinic | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90257 | Access to Justice on Country | April |
12.5 |
| LAWS90201 | Listed Company M&A in Practice | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS90259 | Stateless Legal Clinic | Semester 1 |
12.5 |
Melbourne Law Masters (MLM) elective subjects
JD students can apply to take up to 25 credit points of their electives (typically two) from the list of MLM electives below. Students cannot self-enrol into MLM electives. Enrolments will be confirmed after a selection process has been run.
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS90145 | Artificial Intelligence and the Law |
March
August
|
12.5 |
| LAWS90147 | Biodiversity Law | October |
12.5 |
| LAWS70011 | Commercial Applications of Equity | July |
12.5 |
| LAWS70230 | Commercial Law in Asia | September |
12.5 |
| LAWS70009 | Comparative Corporate Tax | September |
12.5 |
| LAWS90157 | Esports and the Law | February |
12.5 |
| LAWS70151 | Global Health Law | July |
12.5 |
| LAWS70234 | International Humanitarian Law | March |
12.5 |
| LAWS90017 | International Tax: Anti-avoidance | November |
12.5 |
| LAWS70225 | Medical Litigation | May |
12.5 |
| LAWS70080 | Online Streaming, Film and TV Law | May |
12.5 |
| LAWS70021 | Patent Law | March |
12.5 |
| LAWS70239 | Payment Matters in Construction Projects | October |
12.5 |
| LAWS70112 | Remedies in the Construction Context | July |
12.5 |
| LAWS70046 | Trade Marks and Unfair Competition | August |
12.5 |
| LAWS70322 | WTO Law and Dispute Settlement | July |
12.5 |
Elective subjects not offered this year
The following subjects have been offered as electives in the JD previously, however are not available for enrolment this year:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS90161 | Advanced Constitutional Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50110 | Advanced Topics in Taxation | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90186 | Advanced Trusts Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90061 | American Constitutional History & Rights | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50122 | Animals and the Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50056 | Climate Change Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50088 | Commercial Law In Asia | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50115 | Commercial Restitution | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50085 | Consumer Protection Law And Policy | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50057 | Copyright and Patents | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90078 | Corporate Governance | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90005 | Corporate Tax | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90198 | COVID-19 Assistance Project | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50125 | Criminal Justice: Drugs in Asia | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50066 | Cyberlaw | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50051 | Deals | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50080 | Deals In Asia Pacific | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50118 | Democracy, Law and Civil Liberties | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90004 | Disability Human Rights Clinic | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90037 | Economic and Business Law in Asia | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50070 | Encounters: Meeting of Laws in Australia | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90079 | Entertainment Deals | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50068 | Equality and Discrimination Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50067 | European Civil Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50071 | Global Lawyer | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90133 | Health Law and Ethics | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90109 | Histories of International Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50069 | Human Rights Lawyering | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50045 | Institutions in International Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90228 | International Capital Markets | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90060 | International Criminal Justice Clinic | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50052 | International Criminal Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50133 | International Environmental Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50091 | International Investment Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90240 | Law and Automation | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50121 | Law and Literature | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90076 | Law and the Holocaust | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90188 | Law of Commercial Arbitration | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90162 | Law of Commercial Cyberspace | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90038 | Law of Elections | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50098 | Law Reform | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50117 | Law, Justice & Human Rights in China | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50095 | Legal Histories | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90007 | Media Regulation and Freedom of Speech | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50132 | Multiculturalism Religion and the Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50106 | Murder | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90077 | Not for Profits and the Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50124 | Private Law: Theoretical Perspectives | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90134 | Property Law and the City | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90135 | Rights and Freedoms in Malaysia | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90190 | Sexualities, Gender, Activism and Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS50119 | Sports Law | Semester 2 |
12.5 |
| LAWS50120 | The Rule of Law in Theory & in Practice | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
| LAWS90163 | Why Tax Systems Differ Between Countries | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
Last updated: 21 March 2023