Monash University

Program

The Monash JD has three intakes per year (January, May, and August) and is taught in trimesters. Monash Law’s Juris Doctor (JD) is designed to equip you with basic legal knowledge and skills required for admission to practice law, plus the opportunity to explore more specialized areas of law. The foundational studies are delivered through three broad themes: legal methodology and legal practice; public law; and private law. Meanwhile, elective units of your choice will cover specialized knowledge and advanced skills.

Part A. Legal methodology and legal practice
This JD theme explores the nature of law – and particularly, statute law – enacted by Parliaments as well as common law developed by courts. It also includes the key concepts, principles and methods of research and reasoning that enable lawyers to identify and interpret law and apply it to relevant facts in order to provide legal advice. It covers the law of procedure and evidence that governs judicial proceedings; alternative methods of resolving legal disputes; and the code of ethics that regulates the professional conduct of legal practitioners.

Part B. Public law
Public law includes constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law. It concerns the powers and procedures of the legislative, executive and judicial organs of government, and how they are regulated and controlled by “the rule of law”. It also concerns the legal relationship between government and individuals, including the protection of individual rights.

Part C. Private law
As part of your JD, you will also study private law, which deals with legal relationships between legal persons including corporations as well as individuals. It includes the study of property rights; contractual rights and obligations; wrongs (called “torts”) such as trespass and the negligent infliction of injury; and the law of equity and trusts.

Part D. Extending specialised knowledge and advanced skills
In these studies you add to your expertise by choosing from a broad range of elective law units. Elective law units enable you to develop specialised knowledge and advanced skills in areas of law that suit your own interests, skills and career goals.

Clinical Legal Education
Monash’s Clinical Legal Education Program is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate law students seeking real-world experience as lawyers. This means you work with real clients, on real cases, all while gaining course credit towards your degree.

Want to know what’s really great? You can help the community while learning invaluable practical legal skills, gaining work experience (great for your CV), and you can do all this for credit toward your law degree. Monash is the first law school in Australia to offer a guarantee like this for its students.

Depending on your placement opportunity, you can work directly with clients, solicitors, and other professional staff, gaining real life experience and skills that cannot be taught in the classroom. Ultimately, you will develop a profound understanding of your legal coursework material, the social dynamics of a legal workplace, the challenges faced within the legal sector and how the law serves the broader community.

Monash Clinical Guarantee
Monash guarantees their law students a place in the clinical legal education program to build their knowledge, experience, and confidence. From 2018, Monash Law has offered a guaranteed clinical education experience for all students who wish to incorporate a practical component credited toward their Monash Law degree.

Learn more about Monash Law School’s clinical legal education.