Firstly, what you have to do depends on whether you want to practice as a foreign lawyer or be admitted to practice here. The former means you can only practice under limited circumstances and don't have any exams, whereas the latter involves a several step process. Indeed, we don't have a 'bar exam' per se, but have to go through an admissions process that varies by jurisdiction (New South Wales, Victoria etc).

If you want to be admitted, the procedure generally varies by the level of qualification you have overseas and where it is from. A UK recent graduate usually has to take Australian Consitutional Law and a legal practice course. You can take this legal practice course through College of Law, which runs programs online with short onsite requirements that can be taken around the world. This varies though depending on the jurisdiction of original qualification, the program you took in your LLB and any additional study.

Check out the pdf's at http://www.agd.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/lpab/ll_lpab.nsf/pages/lpab_overseasprac for futher information on the NSW requirements.

Hope this helps.

Hi, your llb from Uni of london is acceptable in Australia provided you satisfied the following:
1 attained minimum sec lower.
2 Completed the LPC in England.

Your degree would then be assessed for compatibilty. As you have not been admitted, you may find yourself repeating the majority of the degree in Australia.

Good Luck.

There is no bar exam in AUstralia. HOwever, you definitely must pass the so called "Priestley 11". These are 11 areas of law (e.g. contracts, torts, property etc.) which constitute the heart of the Australian legal system. Launch your application to the NSW authorities, from anecdotal evidence, this is the fastest way to get admitted in AUstralia. Do not launch your application to the VIC Council of Legal Education before you have formally graduated!

Could you tell me if my LLM from American Law School is enough to be addmitted to "Priestley 11"??
I appreciate your response.

Hi,

It is my understanding LLM courses do not count towards Priestley 11 in Australia because they are taught with the objective of gaining admission into the legal profession. The LLM will, however, enable you to gain credit towards the elective component of the JD/LLB if you intend to complete an Australian law degree - i.e. in the best case scenario you will only have to complete the Priestley 11 subjects to meet the academic requirements.

I will be able to assist more if you let me know whether you have a JD or LLB.

Regards
Greg

same subject - different degree.

I hold an european masters of law and I would like to specialize on asian law since I am also a sinologist.

In case I graduate a LLM program in Oz, what requirements do I have to meet in order to practice there and how long do you reckon it would take?

thanx for bothering. kw.

Hi,

I think your situation is the same as my earlier reply. Basically, they will evaluate your basic law degree (i.e. LLB or JD). If it is from UK then you will not be required to complete many 'conversion' subjects. If you do not have a basic law degree then you will most likely be required to complete a law degree in Australia. The LLM (regardless of it being Australian or European) will most likely be of assistance towards gaining elective credits in the LLB/JD program you are enrolled in. This should shorten your degree program by 0.5 - 1 year depending on the course structure of compulsory courses in each university (compulsory vs elective subjects).

Let me know if you need further information!

Regards
Greg

hello everyone i m doin law from university of london (external programme) i really want to do LLM from Autralia..my questions are:-

a)is our degree recognised there
b)if not whats the criteria to get into their LLM programme

thank u in advance:)

Hi Meriam,

As far as I am aware, it is recognised. The most common requirement would be a pass degree - there is no quota on entry.


Regards
Greg

thank u soo much greg i really appreciate your early reply one other thing that i want to know is which uni do u suggest offers the best course for LLM since i have no idea where to apply and how?

Hi Meriam,

No worries. The 3 most prestigious law schools in Australia are University of Melbourne, Australian National University and University of Sydney. However, i think University of Melbourne requires International Students to spread their 1 year program over 1.5 years - I am unsure as to this though.

The other Universities that you can consider are University of Queensland, University of New South Wales, Monash University, University of Western Australia.

I guess it depends on what specialisation you are interesting in. For example, if you are into International Trade and/or Litigation and Dispute Resolution then University of Queensland would be the best option because they allow students to have two specialisation within a LLM degree. Alternatively, if you would like International Law then Australian National University would be the one to go to! Other considerations might include fees etc. Let me know what sort of considerations you have and I can perhaps give you more specific recommendations.

Regards
Greg

first of all thank u soooo much for your time I really appreciate that.. as for the choices of universities are concerned I m still confused personally I really like university of Melbourne as I heard a lot about that university's good repute and off course the beauty as well :).
As far as the specialization is concerned I want to keep my options open...to be honest with wide variety of choices given in the universities I m confused on that part too but most likely I would opt for something that would help me outside Australia as well. I would really like to do something in human rights or family law or maybe MBA with LAW (combined degree)

For right now my two main concerns are
a) Is IELTS a requirement for us as well? (External students)
b) which university will be a better choice for me(considering what I have in mind)

Once again thanks a lot for your time and replying me whenever I bother you!

God bless you!

Hi there,

Monash University offers a DUAL MBA/LLM (Commercial Law) degree in 2.5 years while University of Adelaide has a DUAL MBA/MComm degree in 2 years. Other universities like University of Queensland would be happy to allow you to design your own dual degree (e.g. I did a JD/MBA with them even though it was not officially offered).

If you want a MBA degree that allows LAW subjects to be taken (i.e. combined) - there are many programs that will allow you to pick MBA electives from the Law School. However, a 'Law' specialisation will not appear on the MBA degree - unless you go to Deakin and/or Victoria University - which I advise against.

If you are looking at Human Rights then Monash/Melbourne would be the better ones to go to. As far as an LLM is concerned, you can't go wrong if you were to go to Melbourne or Sydney for it - their offerings are the most extensive. However, their cost are the highest as well. If budget is an issue then ANU or UQ is the way to go.

Let me know if you need help!

Regards
Greg

oh, i forgot to answer your question on IELTS.

I think if you completed a first degree in english then it would be waived. If not, then i think you would be required to undertake IELTS. However, the requirement imposed by each Law School differs so I can't advise you on the exact score required. I do, however, know that Law Schools usually require a higher score compared to that of what each University generally requires. (i.e. the University might require a grade 6 avg while the Law School might require a 7).

Regards
Greg

hello greg...ive decided to apply to University of melbourne..i hope i get in!
i hope i can bother you if i need any assistance

thanks for all your help!

Hi there,

no worries! Feel free to drop me questions anytime and I will try to help you.

I think Uni Melb is a good choice if cost isn't an issue (it is one of the most expensive JD programs in Australia). Also, it is the only one that requires the LSATs. If these are an issue then you can consider cheaper options like the Australian National University - the location is not as lively though!


regards
Greg

hey..cost is not a prob at all but i didnt know they ask for LSATs.i mean even after u've done your LLB???
if thats the case then probably i will look out for other uni's as well!:)
one thing more i have applied for Bar at law to U.K..i m really confused abt makin a choice between Bar at law and LLM..some people say that its just a vocational course practically LLM is much better while i think Bar is the best course for lawyers!
plz guide me in this regard as well!


thank u soo much!:)

Oh hey,

Sorry, i just realised that you were asking about the Melbourne LLM not JD. In this case, the LSATs is not required.

I heard from some international students that they are required to complete the 1 year LLM in 1.5 years though. However, I am not sure if this rule applies across to everyone.

I would go for the Bar at Law Course if it allows you to practise law in the UK. The LLM can wait i guess? There is usually no quota for entry in Australia for LLMs so it is not competitive.


Regards
Greg