Faculty of Law

Degree Programs

Juris Doctor

COURSE OVERVIEW | COURSE STRUCTURE

Duration: 2 years full-time (24 subjects). Note that due to professional admission requirements, JD students may NOT overload and must take a minimum of six semesters to complete the degree.

Intakes: Each January, May & September

Entry Requirements:

A prior degree in any discipline. Consideration is also given to recent academic tertiary results, relevant work experience and referees’ reports on the suitability of the applicant for studying law. Students from non-English speaking backgrounds must achieve an IELTS score of 6.5.

Program Description:

The Juris Doctor (JD) is a professional legal qualification designed to equip students for a career in the legal profession, business industry or government, in Australia and overseas. Its combination of excellent teaching, small classes, international perspective and extensive legal skills program provides an exciting learning experience that both challenges students academically and prepares them practically for a legal career. Our skills program equips students with the following skills needed to practice law in a modern environment:

• Legal Research & Analysis
• Legal Writing & Drafting
• Negotiation & Dispute Resolution
• Advocacy & Oral Presentation
• Client Interviewing & Communication

Program Structure:

Students must complete 19 compulsory subjects, including all the ‘Priestley Eleven’ areas required to practice law in Australia, plus 5 Master’s level law electives. Specialisations are offered in the following areas:

Industry Experience:

The QLD Public Interests Law Clearing House (QPILCH) runs an administrative law clinic as a Bond elective subject. Students research cases and write submissions on behalf of QPLICH. Many students elect to complete clerkships or work experience with law firms during their holidays, but these do not form part of degree requirements.

Combined Degrees:

Combined degrees are encouraged and take between three and four years full-time to complete. The Juris Doctor can be combined with most other postgraduate awards. Popular combinations include the MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Finance, Master of Arts and Master of International Relations.

Professional Outcomes:

The Juris Doctor has been constructed to enable graduates to take leading positions in the public and private sectors. Our graduates are now employed in top law firms throughout Australia and across 38 countries, including the USA, UK, Canada, Scandinavia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, as solicitors in private practice, barristers, government lawyers, in-house counsel and academics. Students are encouraged to emphasise specific areas of study that they feel best serve their proposed career paths.

Professional Recognition:

The Juris Doctor degree is an approved degree for purposes of admission as a legal practioner in all Australian jurisdictions. (Students are advised to confirm admission requirements in the particular jurisdiction in which they wish to practice.) In conjunction with further study, the degree can also be used to gain admission internationally.

Further Information:

  • Apply on-line.
  • Admission to legal practice in Australia and overseas.
  • Outstanding students may graduate from the degree with Honours.
  • Australian students may take advantage of Fee-Help funding arrangements.
  • Commencing students should follow the recommended program for first semester.
  • Please note that the despite the name, the JD is not a doctoral-level award and graduates are not entitled to use the honorific title "Doctor".
  • Some classes in elective subjects are taught to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Where this occurs, the subject outline will detail the different classes, content and/or assessment requirements for the two groups.