Program Requirements
The Juris Doctor requires the completion of 144 units, of which:
144 units must come from completion of courses from the subject area LAWS Law
A maximum of 36 units may come from completion of 2000-, 3000- and 4000-level courses
The 144 units must consist of:
90 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:
LAWS6101 Foundations of Australian Law
LAWS6102 Lawyers, Justice and Ethics
LAWS6103 Torts
LAWS6104 Contracts
LAWS6105 Australian Public Law
LAWS6106 Criminal Law and Procedure
LAWS6201 Administrative Law
LAWS6202 Commonwealth Constitutional Law
LAWS6203 Corporations Law
LAWS6204 Property
LAWS6205 Equity and Trusts
LAWS6207 Evidence
LAWS6244 Litigation and Dispute Management
LAWS6249 Legal Theory
LAWS6250 International Law
A minimum of 18 units from completion of 7000- and 8000-level courses in the subject area LAWS Law
A minimum of 6 units from completion of one capstone course from the following list:
LAWS4010 Jessup Moot
LAWS4230 Law Internship
LAWS4240 Special Law Elective 4: International Social Justice Clinic
LAWS4267 Clinical Youth Law Program
LAWS4268 Community Law Clinical Program
LAWS8301 Graduate Research Unit
Study Options
| Year 1 48 units | LAWS6101 Foundations of Australian Law 6 units | LAWS6103 Torts 6 units | LAWS6104 Contracts 6 units | Full-time students undertake 3 compulsory courses in their first semester. There is sufficient flexibility in the program due to intensive electives to allow students to complete in 3 years |
| LAWS6102 Lawyers, Justice and Ethics 6 units | LAWS6105 Australian Public Law 6 units | LAWS6250 International Law 6 units | LAWS6249 Legal Theory 6 units | |
| Year 2 48 units | LAWS6106 Criminal Law and Procedure 6 units | LAWS6201 Administrative Law 6 units | LAWS6203 Corporations Law 6 units | Law Elective 6 units |
| LAWS6202 Commonwealth Constitutional Law 6 units | Law Elective 6 units | Law Elective 6 units | Law Elective 6 units | |
| Year 3 48 units | LAWS6204 Property 6 units | LAWS6244 Litigation and Dispute Management 6 units | Law Elective 6 units | Law Elective 6 units |
| LAWS6205 Equity and Trusts 6 units | LAWS6207 Evidence 6 units | Law Elective 6 units | Law Elective 6 units |
Admission Requirements
A Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 4.5 / 7.
All applicants must meet the University's English Language Admission Requirements for Students
If applicants have more than one completed tertiary qualification, the GPA will be determined as the average of all tertiary qualifications.
Indicative fees
- Annual indicative fee for domestic students
- $26,016.00
For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees
- Annual indicative fee for international students
- $37,104.00
For further information on International Tuition Fees see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments/international-tuition-fees
Scholarships
ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.
Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are. Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.
For further information see the Scholarships website.
The ANU JD is a distinctive program for graduates of non-law disciplines (or non-Australian law degrees). The program consists of compulsory and elective courses. Graduates complete all the academic courses required by Australian Legal Practitioners Admission Boards for admission to legal practice following completion of additional practical training. Students have access to dedicated JD courses and other courses offered as part of the LLM program. A small number of LLB electives can also be included in the program of study. The program can be studied either full or part-time with entry points in Semester 1 and Second semester.
Career Options
Graduates from ANU have been rated as Australia's most employable graduates and among the most sought after by employers worldwide.
The latest Global Employability University Ranking, published by the Times Higher Education, rated ANU as Australia's top university for getting a job for the fourth year in a row.
Employment Opportunities
Employment OpportunitiesJuris Doctor (JD) graduates may find work either in areas where a law degree is a professional requirement or more general fields in which law is especially useful. A Law degree (JD) would normally be a requirement for the following occupations: a Barrister or Solicitor in professional practice; a Legal Officer in government departments or private enterprise; a Corporate Legal Officer in private industry, commerce and finance; community legal work; law teaching and academic research; a Judge's Associate, and legal journalism. To practice as a Barrister or Solicitor graduates must complete professional training such as the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice at ANU. More general fields of employment include: the Australian Foreign Service; industrial relations; social welfare; government administration; business management; lobbying; media; public relations; law librarianship; court reporting; environmental agencies; technology and communications; and Federal and State police forces.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will be able to:
- apply an advanced body of legal knowledge in a range of contexts for professional practice in law, and as a pathway for further legal learning
- apply a body of legal knowledge that includes an extended understanding of recent developments in the discipline and professional legal practice
- apply knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to law and its professional practice
- exhibit cognitive skills to demonstrate mastery of theoretical knowledge and to reflect critically on theory and professional practice in law
- exhibit cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories and to apply established theories to different bodies of legal knowledge or practice
- exhibit cognitive, technical and creative skills to generate and evaluate complex legal ideas and concepts at an abstract level
- exhibit communication and technical legal research skills to justify and interpret theoretical propositions, methodologies, conclusions and professional decisions to specialist and non-specialist audiences
- exhibit technical and communication legal skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse and theorise about developments that contribute to legal professional practice
- demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills with creativity and initiative to new situations in legal professional practice and/or further learning
- demonstrate application of knowledge and skills with high level personal autonomy and accountability
- demonstrate application of knowledge and skills to plan and execute a substantial research-based legal project, capstone experience and/or professionally focussed project.
Further Information
While this version of the program is offered on campus in Canberra to both International and Domestic students on either a full-time or part-time basis, the ANU also offers a part-time Juris Doctor program online for Domestic students.The Juris Doctor (JD) program requires completion of 144 units (24 courses) consisting of 15 compulsory courses (90 units) and 9 elective LAWS courses (54 units) of which at least 3 courses (18 units) must be LAWS 8000 level courses from an approved list and 1 course (6 units) must be completed from a list of approved capstone courses.
There will be an information session for new JD students as per the O’Week website. We encourage all students to attend. At this session you will be introduced to both the law school and to key staff members and you will receive information about the program.
The College has recommended standard patterns of study for all of its programs. The curriculum is planned on the assumption that the majority of students will enrol in these standard patterns. These patterns are recommended for a number of reasons, including ensuring students have foundational understanding and prerequisite courses necessary to complete subsequent courses.
While full-time students will generally enrol in four 6xunit courses per semester, in their first semester, will enrol in only three courses. There is sufficient flexibility in the JD program to allow students to complete their degree in three years as the majority of research intensive postgraduate courses are taught intensively and/or outside of normal semester teaching periods. Some undergraduate elective courses may also be available over the summer or winter sessions.
Enrolment pattern for full-time JD Students commencing in Semester 1
Semester 1
LAWS6101 Foundations of Australian law
LAWS6103 Torts
LAWS6104 Contracts
Semester 2
LAWS6102 Lawyers Justice and Ethics
LAWS6105 Australian Public Law
LAWS6250 International Law
LAWS6249 Legal Theory
Enrolment pattern for part-time JD Students commencing in Semester 1
Semester 1
LAWS6101 Foundations of Australian law
LAWS6103 Torts
Semester 2
LAWS6102 Lawyers Justice and Ethics
LAWS6105 Australian Public Law
Enrolment pattern for full-time JD Students commencing in Semester 2
Semester 2
LAWS6101 Foundations of Australian law
LAWS6102 Lawyers Justice and Ethics
LAWS6104 Contracts
Semester 1 in the following year
LAWS6103 Torts
LAWS6105 Australian Public Law
LAWS6106 Criminal Law and Procedure
LAWS2203 Corporations
Enrolment pattern for part-time JD Students commencing in Semester 2
Semester 2
LAWS6101 Foundations of Australian law
LAWS6104 Contracts
Semester 1 in the following year
LAWS6103 Torts
LAWS6105 Australian Public Law
Foundations of Australian Law JD 2016 Semester 1: Important Note
In Semester 1 of 2016, the Foundations of Australian Law course for JD students (LAWS6101) will be run on a semi-intensive basis. The course will span the first seven weeks of the semester. There will be a one-off introductory lecture in week 1, which will be held on Monday, 15 February 2016 from 11am-12pm in the Law Link Theatre. The introductory lecture will be recorded.
Each week, there will be four hours of face-to-face class time (two seminars, each two hours in length) and approximately two hours of online study. The seminars will commence in week 1 of the semester. Seminars will not be recorded.
Students will be able to enrol in a seminar group via the Foundations of Australian Law (LAWS6101) WATTLE site. Seminar enrolment on WATTLE will open on Tuesday, 9 February 2016 at 10am. Students enrolled in seminar group 1 will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am-1pm. Those enrolled in seminar group 2 will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7pm.
Seminar Group 1:
Weekly Seminar A: Tuesdays, 11am-1pm. Venue: LAWG21.
Weekly Seminar B: Thursdays, 11am-1pm. Venue: LAWG21.
Seminar Group 2:
Weekly Seminar A: Tuesdays, 5-7pm. Venue: LAWG21.
Weekly Seminar B: Thursdays, 5-7pm. Venue: LAWG21.
Contracts JD 2016 Semester 1: Important Note
In Semester 1 of 2016, the Contracts course for JD students (LAWS6104) will be run on a semi-intensive basis. The course will run from weeks 4-13 of the semester. From weeks 4-7, there will be two hours of face-to-face class time per week (one seminar, two hours in length – held on Wednesdays from 11am-1pm). From weeks 8-13, there will be six hours of face-to-face class time per week (three seminars, each two hours in length – held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11am-1pm). In each week of the course, there will be approximately one hour of online study. Note: There will only be one seminar group in Contracts. Contracts seminars will be recorded.
Seminars (weeks 4-7):
Wednesdays, 11am-1pm. Venue: LAWG21.
Seminars (weeks 8-13):
Tuesdays, 11am-1pm. Venue: LAWG21.
Wednesdays, 11am-1pm. Venue: LAWG21.
Thursdays, 11am-1pm. Venue: LAWG21.
Students who are undertaking both Foundations of Australian Law (LAWS6101) (‘FAL’) and Contracts (LAWS6104) in semester 1, 2016 are strongly encouraged to enrol in the morning FAL seminars (Tuesdays and Thursdays 11am-1pm). Once the FAL course ends, Contracts seminars will then run at those times (Tuesdays and Thursdays 11am-1pm), with the addition of a Wednesday 11am-1pm seminar each week.
Academic Advice
Contact the JD Program Administrator in the College Student Office at JDadmin.law@anu.edu.au or telephone (02) 61253483
Do you want to talk to someone before enrolling?
Contact JD Administrator at jdadmin.law@anu.edu.au
