FAQ for Students from Canada

What is the difference between the LLB and the JD?

The Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and the Juris Doctor (JD) are both professionally recognised degrees. The JD entry is restricted to graduate students while the LLB has no such restriction.

Law has traditionally been taken as a first degree in Australia and 'LLB' is the traditional label for that degree. However, a number of universities have introduced 'JD' degrees for graduate entrants. The compulsory law units for the two Bond degrees cover the same content and students in these subjects may be taught together.

• The LLB comprises 32 subjects in total, including 19 compulsory law units and 4 compulsory non-law units.
• The JD comprises 24 subjects in total, all being law units, with 19 of the units being compulsory. Electives for the JD are taken from the LLM (Master of Laws) list rather than the LLB list.

Canadians who possess a first degree generally enrol for the JD.

How much does it cost?

Academic Fees for 2012 will be approximately AU$3,820 per subject ( x24 subjects for the JD). They are adjusted each year.

Residence fees vary depending on the level of accommodation.

Shared accommodation in the vicinity of the University is readily available.

Email: Student_residences@bond.edu.au if you have questions about accommodation.

What are the admission requirements and are there deadlines?

Admission decisions are made on an overall assessment of the application, with prior academic performance being the primary consideration.

• We generally expect Canadian applicants to have at least 70% (or GPA equivalent) undergraduate averages.
• In common with other Australian universities, we do not use the LSAT.

There are no fixed deadlines for admission applications. We make our decisions on a 'rolling' basis, issuing offers to qualified applicants until all available spaces have been filled. You can apply up until one year in advance.

After I graduate, what do I have to do in order to be eligible to practise law in Canada?

To practice law in Canada, you will need to complete a Canadian bar admission course. To be eligible for a bar admission course in any of the common law provinces (ie excluding Quebec), you will need a Certificate of Qualification from the National Committee on Accreditation (the ‘NCA’) of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.The certificate will state that you have education and training equivalent to that of a graduate from a Canadian law school.

• Application is made to the NCA at the end of your degree at Bond. The NCA will review your record and prescribe a number of examinations in Canadian law. Click to view the NCA's guidelines.
• The NCA makes its decisions on an individual basis, taking account of academic performance, and will not issue advance rulings. 
• The NCA introduced a new scheme in early 2009. Most recent Bond graduates have been required to take four examinations in Canadian law: Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Principles of Administrative Law, and Foundations of Canadian Law. Bond currently teaches electives in Canadian Constitutional Law, Canadian Administrative Law and Canadian Criminal Law and Procedure which, subject to certain conditions, have been recognised by the NCA as satisfying its requirements for these subjects.

How can I take the examinations in Canadian law?

There are two ways of taking these examinations if they have not been taken as part of a Bond degree.

You may seek admission to a Canadian law school for this purpose. Places are limited. Alternatively, you may take 'challenge exams' set by the NCA. The more popular route is the challenge exams.

How much difference is there between Australian and Canadian law?

The principles and methodology of Australian and Canadian law are similar. The details of statutory provisions and case-law obviously differ but an Australian law degree provides a good basis for taking examinations in Canadian law and for legal practice in Canada.

Can I take some of the examinations by going on exchange to a Canadian law school?

Our Canadian students are permitted to credit one semester at a Canadian law school toward their Bond degrees (usually the elective component). However, there is no guarantee that the subjects needed will be available that semester or visiting students will be permitted to take them.

Can I transfer from Bond to a Canadian law school?

Some of our students have transferred to Canadian law schools in order to take Canadian degrees, receiving some credit for their studies at Bond. Several have also managed to complete the requirements for their Bond degrees, receiving some credit for their studies in Canada, so that they have both Canadian and Australian degrees.

Admission to Canadian law schools as a transfer student is competitive. The most common destinations have been the University of Toronto, Queen’s University and the University of New Brunswick.

Will I be able to stay in Australia and practise law there?

There are two separate issues here: qualification as an Australian Lawyer and possession of a visa entitling you to work in Australia.

• Admission to the legal profession in Australia requires, depending on the State, the completion of either articles or a six-month Practical Legal Training program.
• Australian immigration operates on a ‘points’ system for working visas. Some points are awarded for having an Australian degree but additional points are required. Some of our graduates have qualified and are working in Australia. For further information, you should contact the Department of Immigration or an Australian consulate in Canada.

Applying for Admission

Students may apply to Bond University on-line or via one of our Canadian agents:

Further Questions?

Please contact Professor Lee Stuesser,  email  lstuesse@bond.edu.au