C04148 Master of Law and Legal Practice v2

Overview

The Master of Law and Legal Practice is the first national example of a Master's-level entry path into the profession of law, and is accredited by the Legal Practitioners Admission Board (LPAB) of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Graduates of this course are eligible to apply for admission as a legal practitioner in NSW.

Historically in NSW there have been only two pathways into the profession of law, through the Bachelor of Laws degree or the Legal Practitioners Admission Board (LPAB) Diploma. The Master's is a third option for graduates of other disciplines who hope to practise law. This course offers an advanced level of study to graduates who already have a greater measure of intellectual maturity and academic standing.

Career options

Career options include legal practitioner within a government department, private firm or community law centre, or legal policy adviser in the public or private sector.

Additional admission requirements

Applicants require a Bachelor's degree in a discipline other than law.

Additional assumed knowledge

The Faculty recommends that students read one of the following books prior to entry: A Guide to Legal Problem Solving for Law Students, P Keyzer, Butterworths; or A Career in Law, J F Corkery (ed.), Federation Press.

Additional recognition of prior learning

Course duration and attendance

The Master of Law and Legal Practice can be completed in three-and-a-half years of full-time study or five years of part-time study. Candidates may require additional time to complete depending on when they complete their practical experience work placement.

Course acceleration may be permitted by enrolling in subjects totalling up to a maximum of 28 credit points per semester with the leave of the Faculty's Postgraduate Program Director.

Course structure

The course comprises a total of 168 credit points. The study components for course completion are as follows:

• 96 credit points of compulsory core law subjects (14 subjects) all of which must be completed before the options can be commenced, plus
• six postgraduate options (36 credit points) all of which must be completed before the practical legal training component can be commenced, followed by
• eight practical legal training subjects (36 credit points).

To undertake a major in the options component, students must complete at least five subjects (30 credit points) within a major plus a further one subject (6 credit points) from within one or other of the major areas.

Course completion requirements

Industrial training/professional practice

Admission to practice as a legal practitioner in NSW is based upon the successful completion of an undergraduate law degree (such as the MLLP) plus an accredited course of practical legal training. Practical legal training is a integral component of the MLLP undertaken in the final semester(s). For more information about the practical legal training program see:

Course program

The list of available majors is shown below, followed by a standard program for a full-time student and a part-time student.

Core subjects are timetabled every semester. Optional subjects are regularly timetabled but not all options listed are offered in any one semester. Optional subjects are timetabled subject to sufficient student interest. The current timetable can be found at:

Honours

To qualify for Honours in the Master's, candidates must attain a minimum average mark of 75 per cent across all subjects attempted, and complete the two-semester Research Project.

Professional recognition

Supreme Court of NSW.

Satisfies the requirements for admission as a legal practitioner.

Other information