Sydney Law School

With a reputation built on 150 years of history, The Sydney Law School is Australia’s first, having been inaugurated in 1855. It has had a tremendous impact on the Australian judiciary, politics and business. At the postgraduate level, areas of study have been progressively strengthened to encompass an enormous range of specialisations. It was the first Law School in Australia to introduce the Doctor of Juridical Studies (SJD), a unique degree that offers advanced study in law through both coursework and dissertation. The Sydney Law School’s Master of Laws (LLM) program is one of the most reputable law coursework programs in Australia. Candidates may choose from the entire range of approximately 160 units on offer in our postgraduate area each year. 80 per cent of our units are offered on an intensive basis, permitting candidates to complete classes in a matter of days. Sydney Law School also delivers the Master of Global Law (MGlobL). The first of its kind, it permits candidates to combine study in Domestic and International Law with Comparative and Foreign Law.

We deliver our program via two campuses. Our St. James Campus is located in the heart of Sydney’s Central Business District. This enables working professionals to attend classes after work with a matter of ease. It is also within reasonable walking distance of Sydney’s major tourist attractions providing international students with ample opportunity to partake in the life of the City.

Sydney Law School has its own purpose-built, state-of-the-art Law Building, located on the University’s main campus. Occupying an elevated position adjacent to Sydney’s Victoria Park, the building l provides an “open door” orientation towards the city, reinforcing its connection to the CBD’s legal precinct and wider society.

The majority of units of study are now taught in the Law School Building at the University’s main campus. Some evening classes will continue to be taught in the Phillip Street Building. Please check the Sydney Law School website for details.

The Law Building consists of eight levels and accommodates the faculty academic and administrative staff, together with a range of research centres and institutes. It incorporates collaborative spaces, meeting and conference rooms. There are a total of 23 teaching spaces within the building ranging from 300 and 100 seat lecture theatres, through to 60, 56, and 24 seat seminar facilities to suit a wide range of teaching requirements. It also accommodates a Moot Court facility, the Law Library and a spacious Forecourt.

The Sydney LLM – International in Scope – Transnational in Focus
Master of Laws (LLM)
The University of Sydney’s Master of Laws (LLM) program is one of the most reputable law coursework programs in Australia. It is a flexible and highly sought after degree that caters specifically for the needs of the legal profession and law graduates. Candidates may choose from the entire range of units on offer in our postgraduate program, permitting candidates to tailor a program to suit their academic and professional needs.

Comprehensive & Flexible Delivery
The Sydney Law School’s postgraduate coursework program is one of Australia’s largest with over 170 units of study scheduled to be taught in 2011. Sydney caters to approximately 19 areas of specialisation in law, with units taught by our very own experts as well as overseas visitors. Units are taught intensively or over an entire semester. If you’re a full-time student it’s possible to complete your LLM in one year by finishing eight units of study. Alternatively, if you are a part-time student you have a maximum time to completion of six years. However, part-time study is only available to domestic students. The Sydney LLM offers the following key features:

Complete your LLM via semester length units of study…
Each unit of study, offered as part of the Sydney LLM, comprises 26 contact hours plus assessment. The semester length model permits students to study a subject once a week for two hours over 13 weeks. Classes are generally taught either at the Law School’s City or Main Campus location locations on a weeknight from 6pm to 8pm. Assessment may vary, but it generally includes either written assignments or take-home or sit-down examinations. Essentially, the semester length model offers the convenience and stability of regular once a week classes, permitting the student to comfortably fit study in with work commitments.

Complete your LLM via intensive units of study…
The intensive mode of study condenses the 26 contact hours of each unit into four to five days. Units are taught via block mode – four to five days in a row - or consecutive mode – four to five days spread over a certain period at the New Law Building. Following class attendance, students must complete the required assessment which may, in the case of written assignments, be submitted via distance. The intensive model offers a popular and flexible way to fast-track your LLM.

Complete your LLM in one area of study or combine disciplines…
The great strength of the Sydney LLM is that it enables students to choose from the entire range of postgraduate coursework units of study offered in any given year by the Sydney Law School – an opportunity not provided in any of its other postgraduate coursework programs. Effectively, candidates may select all eight units of study in one area such as International Law or Corporate, Securities and Finance Law. Alternatively, they may like to combine fields of study by selecting units in Commercial Law alongside those in Environmental Law, for instance. While Sydney Law School offers 19 primary specialist coursework study areas, there are a number of specialised subjects that we teach that may be part of more than one area such as:

Commercial Conflict of Laws
Competition Law - Exceptions & Defences
Consumer Credit - Local & Global
Criminal Justice Internship
Disability & Human Rights in Domestic & International Law
Executive Contracts & Executive Pay
Financial Issues on Relationship Breakdown
Fundamentals of the Law of Trusts
Indigenous Peoples & Criminal Justice
International Law I
International Law II
International Law & Non-State Actors
International Securities Regulation
Interpreting Commercial Contracts
Introduction to Australian Business Tax
Introduction to Commercial Law
Law & Literature
Law, Justice & Development
Principles of Patent Law
Regulation of Financial Products & Services
Trade Practices: Exceptions & Defences
World Trade Organization - Dispute Resolution

Complete a single unit of study to count towards an LLM…
You do not have to commit to an entire program straight away and you may like to sample a unit of study. With a maximum time to completion of six years, you can start off with just the one unit and then you may wish to delay your study until another unit of interest is taught. So long as you complete the assessment, that unit will count towards an award course such as a Graduate Diploma or Masters.

Complete units of study in Europe, China, Japan and Nepal…
Sydney LLM students can also enrol in any offshore units of study. These units include those taught as part of the Sydney Law School in Europe program as well as those taught as part of the Shanghai Winter School and Environmental Law program respectively. We also deliver units of study in Kyoto and Tokyo as well as Nepal. For the first time, we are teaching a unit of study on the legal system of the European Union on location in Prato, Italy in 2011.

Complete the Graduate Diploma in Law and upgrade to the LLM…
You may like to start out with a Graduate Diploma, which consists of four units of study. With approval you can then upgrade to a Masters. Many of our students commence with a Graduate Diploma in Law (GradDipLaw) and then decide to enhance their qualifications by transferring to the LLM. With only four units of study remaining to qualify, it’s a decision worth considering.

Sydney LLM Degree Program & Structure
Master of Laws (LLM) – 48 credit points to complete.
Graduate Diploma in Law (GradDipLaw) – 24 credit points to complete.

Candidates choose from the entire range on offer, permitting them to concentrate on one area or combine their interests in a number of fields. Units of study are worth 6 or 12 credit points.

Admission Requirements
Master of Laws (LLM) – An undergraduate degree in law or equivalent at an appropriate level.

Units of Study
Latest list applicable to the Master of Laws (LLM)

Fees
The fee for international candidates is A$32,400 in 2011, equivalent to approximately 20,000 United Kingdom Pounds or 23,000 Euros or $30,000 US dollars (Exchange rate as of March 2011).

How to apply
International applicants must complete the University of Sydney Postgraduate Study International Application Form and include all necessary supporting documentation.

Academic Advice
For detailed academic advice in relation to Sydney Law School’s Master of Laws (LLM), please contact the Program Co-ordinator, Dr Arlie Loughnan

Important Links
Sydney Law School Postgraduate Timetable
Sydney Law School Postgraduate Unit of Study List
Further Information @ Sydney Law School
Master of Laws (LLM) @ Sydney Law School
Sydney Law School in Europe
Kyoto & Tokyo Seminar in Japanese Law
Sydney Law School’s Shanghai Winter School
Himalayan Field School

Centres & Institutes
Australian Centre for Climate & Environmental Law (ACCEL)
Centre for Asian & Pacific Law (CAPLUS)
Centre for Health Governance, Law & Ethics
Sydney Institute of Criminology
Julius Stone Institute of Jurisprudence
Ross Parsons Centre for Commercial, Corporate & Taxation Law
Sydney Centre for International Law (SCIL)

Contact
Sydney Law School
Law School Building (F10)
Eastern Avenue
University of Sydney NSW 2006
Australia

T +61 2 9351 0351
F +61 2 9351 0200
E law.info@sydney.edu.au
W sydney.edu.au/law