Future Students

Law

Good lawyers possess proficient language skills, clear thought processes and the ability to resolve complex problems, which have both a legal and a human component.

Not a day passes without legal issues forming a significant part of the daily news. This illustrates that law does not exist in a vacuum but is an integral part of modern living and that legal issues raise social and, at times, political issues.

An understanding of the way in which the law deals with these complex issues allows more informed debate and criticism, both for cases decided by the courts and of proposed legislative changes. There are three options for studying a Bachelor of Laws degree.

Each of these options qualifies you for legal practice. You do not have to enter Law School straight from secondary school to gain the chance to study law.

Category A
The aim of this program is to give you a broad education to equip you with the skills needed to work in a demanding and rapidly changing environment.

Level 1
Legal Process
Criminal Law I and II
Non-Law subjects

Level 2
Torts I and II
Contract I and II
Non-Law subjects

Level 3
Property I and II
Equity
Trusts
Constitutional Law I
Non-Law subjects

Level 4
Evidence
Administrative Law I and II
Constitutional Law II
Corporations Law
Five Law option units

Level 5
Procedure
Commercial Practice, Conveyancing and Drafting
Six Law option units

Category B
This program is open only to graduate applicants. The three-year LLB program requires students to study the same compulsory units as in the combined degree, and nine option units.

Category C
This program of study is for students who are neither school-leavers nor graduates. Successful applicants can elect to enrol in a four-year LLB program or a combined course.  The four-year LLB program requires students to study the same compulsory units as in the combined degree and graduate programs, and 12 option units.

Career opportunities

Most people who study law hope to practise as professional lawyers. You may practise with a firm of lawyers, at the independent bar, or as a legal advisor in a company or in the public service. After completing the LLB, the graduate must serve a period of one year as an articled clerk. You are then qualified for admission as a legal practitioner but must work for another year (the ‘restricted practice year’) as an employee of a qualified lawyer or law firm before working independently. The study of law should not be considered merely as a path to professional legal practice and, as with all professions, employment opportunities reflect market demand. There are many other career opportunities for law graduates, especially those with combined courses. Some well-known graduates of the UWA Law School have pursued careers outside law with great success for example, in politics, business, diplomacy, finance and banking, public service, publishing, advertising and academia. You are strongly advised to consider all career options.