Program Requirements

The Juris Doctor requires the completion of 144 units, which must consist of:

90 units from completion of courses from the following list:

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

AND

A minimum of 6 units from completion of one capstone course from the following list:

LAWS6010 Jessup Moot

LAWS6230 Law Internship (Capstone)

LAWS6267 Youth Law Clinic

LAWS6268 Community Law Clinic

LAWS6278 Indigenous Community Legal Clinic

LAWS6281 Environmental Law Clinic

LAWS6301 Law and Development Clinic

LAWS6302 International Law Clinic

LAWS6304 Prison Legal Literacy Clinic 

LAWS6307 Legal Education for True Justice: Indigenous Perspectives and Deep Listening on Country

LAWS6700 Juris Doctor Capstone Project

LAWS8301 Graduate Research Unit

LAWS8430 Law Internship

AND

A minimum of 24 units from completion of LAWS 8000-level courses.

AND

A maximum of 24 units may come from completion of 4000-level courses from the subject area LAWS Law

.

Master Research

To satisfy the research requirements of this program, all students are required to complete a research-based project and/or piece of scholarship worth at least 50% in at least 12 units of courses. Such research is a central aspect of graduate Law courses, most of which feature research essays and other research projects as the substantive assessment item, usually worth at least 50% in each course. In the compulsory course, LAWS6700 - Law Capstone Project, students are required to demonstrate application of knowledge and skills to plan and execute a substantial research-based legal project, capstone experience and/or professionally focused project to meet the requirements of this program.

Master Research Training

To satisfy the research training requirements of this program, all students are required to complete the research training components of the compulsory courses. Specifically, In LAWS6101, Foundations of Australian Law, students will gain training in various methods of legal research, writing. in this course students learn how to apply relevant legal principles for the purpose of advising on legal problems; engage in legal research training using a variety of legal research sources, including legal databases, in order to research case law, legislation and scholarly journal articles. Those undertaking 12-unit research projects in law, LAWS8301 – Graduate Research Unit, will gain further research training through completing the pre-requisite methods course, LAWS8800 - Advanced Introduction to Legal Methods.

Capstone Courses

Specialisations

Study Options

Admission Requirements

Applicants must present a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.0/7.0.

The GPA for a Bachelor program will be calculated from (i) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades and/or (ii) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades other than those from the last semester (or equivalent study period) of the Bachelor degree. The higher of the two calculations will be used as the basis for admission.

Ranking and English Language Proficiency: At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry. 

In line with the University's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. Applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of: 

• a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or
• demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency

Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.

Further information: English language admission requirements and post-admission support

Diversity factors: As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.

Assessment of qualifications: Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met.

 Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au

ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base the assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.

Fee Information

All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)

The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.

For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments

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.

Employment Opportunities

Juris 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 legal training in an approved graduate course. 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

1. Review and reflect on knowledge and contemporary developments in law and legal professional practice to design and justify solutions to complex legal and justice problems.
2. Critically evaluate the nature of law and its current and predicted social and ethical impact on society, and propose legal, policy and practical initiatives and reforms in response.
3. Undertake technical legal research to access a range of legal materials, literature databases, and other online sources to justify professional decisions.
4. Interpret and communicate theoretical propositions, legal methodologies, conclusions and professional decisions to a variety of legal and non-legal audiences in a range of oral and written formats.
5. Develop insight into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ diverse perspectives on law and society and evaluate their relationship and importance to contemporary Australian law and society.
6. Work both with a high level of autonomy and collaboratively as required, and evaluate and reflect on feedback to develop personal, professional and ethical capability across a range of legal disciplines.
7. Plan and execute a substantial research-based legal or transdisciplinary project, capstone experience or professionally focused project. 

Research Strengths

To satisfy the research requirements of this program, all students are required to complete a research-based project and/or piece of scholarship worth at least 50% in at least 12 units of courses. Such research is a central aspect of graduate Law courses, most of which feature research essays and other research projects as the substantive assessment item, usually worth at least 50% in each course. In the compulsory course, LAWS6700 - Law Capstone Project, students are required to demonstrate application of knowledge and skills to plan and execute a substantial research-based legal project, capstone experience and/or professionally focused project to meet the requirements of this program.

Further Information

From Semester 1 2020, the online delivery mode for all compulsory courses in the ANU college of Law Juris Doctor will be phased out. From semester one 2024, all compulsory courses in the ANU college of Law Juris Doctor will be delivered on-campus only.