International students have been coming to Australia for postgraduate study, in law and other fields, for many years. That has not been so common in relation to the basic professional qualification in law in Australia (the LLB or JD). However, even that is now changing.
Increasing international recognition of Australian law degrees
The problem with the LLB or JD was that it was not as internationally portable as, say, an economics or commerce degree. It could be used to practise law in Australia (and that has attracted and continues to attract many international students), but, generally speaking, international students could not take the Australian LLB or JD home with them and use it to practise law there, unless they made a special case to their local admitting authority.
In recent years, however, the LLB or JD of some Australian law schools has been recognised by a number of other countries as satisfying part of the academic requirements for admission to practice there. Singapore and Malaysia are notable examples. In an historic decision in June 2006, the Bar Council of India recognised the LLB or JD of a number of Australian law schools for the purpose of admission to legal practice in India. And Australian-qualified lawyers have always gravitated to the UK, and are doing so in increasing numbers to the United States, where at least two States (California and New York) allow graduates from some non-US accredited law schools to sit for the State Bar exam.
Two ways of undertaking the LLB or JD in Australia
On completion of their secondary studies, most Australian students take the LLB in combination with another degree—for example, in Arts, Science, Economics, or Commerce—over five years. However, many take their non-law undergraduate degree first, and then take their law degree as a stand-alone graduate degree over three years.
International students also have both options. Those who already have a first degree at undergraduate level in their home country will be particularly interested in taking the graduate-entry LLB or JD in Australia. In either case, the attraction is increasing as the degree becomes increasingly internationally portable.
Masters and Doctorates
Many international students will continue to want to come to Australia to study for a higher degree in law, such as a Masters or a Doctorate, for broader reasons. They may be pursuing an academic career, or just their intellectual interests, or increasing their specialised knowledge, or gaining a higher qualification to give them an edge in the job market generally. Australian higher degrees in law are increasingly popular for all of these reasons.
Article submitted by Professor Michael Coper,
Immediate Past Chair 2005-2007,
Council of Australian Law Deans.
Australian National University
More about this institution Law at the Australian National University The ANU was established in 1946 with the specific mission of becoming Australia's flagship research-intensive university. It is consistently ranked in the world's top 100 universities, and first in Australia. The Faculty of Law was established in 1960; renamed the ANU College of Law in 2006, it is the 7th oldest of Australia's 29 law schools. Fittingly for a law school with special strengths in international law, it has always welcomed international students. ANU Law Dean a true internationalist 'International student exchanges,' says Professor Coper, 'enrich each country's cultural experience and understanding. Greater mobility for practising lawyers, which is enhanced by the international recognition of the basic professional law degree, enables otherwise parochial legal systems to learn about and borrow the best from other legal systems.' 'ANU warmly welcomes international students,' Professor Coper emphasises. The irresistible charms of Australia's national capital ANU also has one of the most picturesque and safest campuses in Australia, with extensive on-campus accommodation. Canberra has all the dynamism and political intrigue of a national capital, yet it also has the virtues of a relatively small and cohesive community (around 300,000 people), in an idyllic bush setting. And it is close to the major metropolitan city of Sydney (three hours by car), as well as to Australia's renowned coastal beaches (two hours by car) and snowfields (also two hours by car). The diversity of choice of law programs at ANU In its postgraduate program, the ANU College of Law offers a diversity of coursework Diploma and Masters programs, and a range of research degrees, including the M Phil, SJD, and PhD, with some of the world's best mentors and supervisors. These programs span many areas, including international law, public law, commercial law, environmental law, criminal law, legal practice, and many others. ANU College of Law: http://law.anu.edu.au/ , enquiries.law@anu.edu.au . |
