Sydney Law School

Last updated

Sydney Law School
New Law Building, Sydney Law School.png
New Law School building
Parent school University of Sydney
Established1855;169 years ago (1855)
School type Public
Dean Simon Bronitt
Location Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Enrollment2,310 (2019) [1]
Faculty106 (2020) [2]
Website sydney.edu.au/law

Sydney Law School (informally Sydney Law or SLS) is the law school at the University of Sydney, Australia's oldest university. Sydney Law School began a full program of legal instruction in 1890 following the appointment of its first dean, having offered legal examinations since 1855. [3]

Contents

The law school has produced many leaders in law and politics, including six Prime Ministers, four Federal Opposition Leaders, two Governors-General, eleven Federal Attorneys-General, and 20 out of 56 justices of the High Court (plus five from the broader University)—more than any other law school in Australia. [4] The school has also produced 24 Rhodes Scholars and several Gates Scholars.

In 2010, the School replaced its graduate-entry Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree with the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. The LL.B. degree remains as part of an undergraduate double degree program. Today, it has approximately 1,700 LL.B. and J.D. students, [5] 1,500 postgraduate coursework students, and 100 postgraduate research students. There are now 24 chairs, including the Challis Professors of Law, Jurisprudence and International Law.

History

The law school was inaugurated in 1855 and established by the Act to Incorporate and Endow the University of Sydney 1850 (NSW) and an 1855 University Senate by-law, becoming the third faculty (after the Faculty of Arts and Sydney Medical School) of the University of Sydney.

The Faculty of Law commenced its work in 1859, primarily as a body of assessment and examination rather than teaching. In 1890, the first chair was appointed to the faculty and a full legal academic programme commenced at the Faculty.

Prior to 2011, Sydney Law School was the sole school under the Faculty of Law, under the College of Arts and Humanities, one of the three constituent colleges of the university. As part of a re-organisation of faculty organisation, in 2011 the Faculty of Law was renamed Sydney Law School, adopting the better-known name of its sole school. [6]

Reputation and Student Achievements

Sydney Law School is widely regarded as being one of Australia's top law schools. In 2022, QS World University Rankings ranked the law school 16th in the world (3rd nationally, 2nd in Sydney, 4th in Asia-Pacific). [7] In 2016, the Social Science Research Network ranked the law school as first in Australia and fifth in the world in the number of downloads of academic papers which have been uploaded to its website. [8] Sydney Law School has won the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition on a record six occasions: in 1996, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2021. [9]

NICA Ranking [10]

The NICA rankings evaluate law schools based on their performance in moot court competitions. The rankings consider two factors: the weight of the competitions, determined by the number of participating law schools, and the advancement of teams within these competitions. The system provides a straightforward comparison of law schools' performance in moot courts. Sydney Law School is consistently a top performer in international moot court competitions, obtaining an average world ranking of 80th and an average Australian ranking of 4th.

Sydney Law School International Mooting Rankings 2014-2023 [11]
2014201520162017201820192020202120222023Average
World Rankings325th4th6th6th36th12th374th3rd6th28th80th
Australia Rankings12th1st2nd1st4th1st14th1st2nd3rd4th

Campus

Former St. James Campus

Old Law School building Sydneylawschool.jpg
Old Law School building

The law school building on Phillip Street in the centre of Sydney's legal and business district was the home of the Sydney Law School until early 2009. While the faculty is now located in the New Law School building on the main Camperdown campus of the university, some classes and other functions continued to be hosted on the St. James campus until 2015, and students could still submit assignments there. As of 1 July 2015, the building is no longer owned by the university, and the law school's CBD operations have been relocated to 133 Castlereagh Street, Sydney. [12]

The former St. James campus is bounded by Elizabeth, King, and Phillip Streets and is opposite the Supreme Court of New South Wales. The building consists of 13 dedicated levels, three of which are underground. Level four is the ground entrance level and housed the assembly hall, a foyer, and some offices; levels one and two housed "Harvard-style" lecture theatres; level three housed a staff car park and other amenities; level five housed University of Sydney Union premises, including the office of the Sydney University Law Society (SULS), until their relocation to the New Law School Building on the Main Campus at Camperdown and Darlington. The Sydney University Law Library and the Faculty of Law's information desk were located on levels seven to ten and twelve, respectively. These facilities have since relocated to level zero to one and level three of the New Law Building, respectively.

The building was constructed in 1969 in the brutalist architectural style. Busts of classical orators and jurists adorn the Phillip Street entrance, while the University of Sydney crest is found on the Elizabeth Street and Phillip Street entrance. The former St. James campus is located near St. James railway station and Martin Place railway station and is serviced by a bus stop outside its entrance on Elizabeth Street.

New Law School building

New Law School building The University of Sydney New Law Building 2013.jpg
New Law School building

Sydney Law School had changed location several times in the past but had always remained in the centre of the city because of the tradition of teaching by practitioners, and for easy access to the courts and members of the profession. However, with the increased number of enrolled students, the campus in the city was no longer sufficient for both staff and students and hence, the faculty proposed to shift the law school to the main campus in Camperdown. [13] Consequently, a new law school was constructed at the main Camperdown campus, adjacent to Fisher Library and on the site of the former Edgeworth David Building. Completed in February 2009, the faculty administration began occupation in mid-February, prior to classes beginning in early March.

On 30 April 2009, the New Law School Building was officially opened by Governor-General of Australia Quentin Bryce. Also in attendance were Robert French, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia; Murray Gleeson, immediate past Chief Justice of the High Court; Jim Spigelman, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; and Malcolm Turnbull, then leader of the Federal opposition. [14] Numerous seminars and other sessions were held as part of the building's opening day program. [15]

The design and construction of the New Law School Building were each performed by local Australian firms, namely FJMT (Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp) Architects and Baulderstone Pty Ltd, respectively. [16] The building is in the style of late-20th-century International Style architecture and is characterised by its blue tint glass exterior walls. [17]

Academics

Herbert Smith Freehills Law Library The University of Sydney New Law Building Law Library 2013.jpg
Herbert Smith Freehills Law Library

Programs

The Sydney Law School offers the professional degrees of Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) (combined with another bachelor's degree) for undergraduate-entry, and the Juris Doctor (J.D.) for graduate-entry. The law school also offers higher-research degrees, namely the Masters of Criminology by Research, the Master of Laws by Research, the Doctor of Juridical Science, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Law. [18] In addition to this, the law school offers postgraduate coursework degrees such as the Master of Laws by coursework, and diplomas and non-degree study in specialist areas of law and government for both law and non-law graduates. [19]

Sydney Law School has an arrangement with the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford under which high-achieving Sydney students who are accepted into a postgraduate law program at Cambridge or Oxford can commence their postgraduate studies in the second last semester of their Sydney law degree, and count those studies towards their Bachelor of Laws degree. [20]

Research centres and institutes

Sydney Law School has a number of associated Research Centres:

Publications

Sydney Law School Law publishes several academic journals, including the Sydney Law Review , Current Issues in Criminal Justice , Asia Pacific Journal of Environmental Law, and Australian International Law Journal.

Admissions

For admission into the Combined Law program in 2017, domestic students required an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) or equivalent of 99.5, or an International Baccalaureate (IB) score of 43 points. [30] In 2016, the ATAR cut-off was 99.5, with the median ATAR for all students who were accepted for that year being 99.55. [31]

Admission to the Master of Laws by coursework program requires a Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor with a Distinction average to be competitive. [32]

Admission to postgraduate research programs, such as the Doctor of Philosophy in law, generally requires a master's degree or a bachelor's degree with first or second class honours, as well as the acceptance of a satisfactory research proposal and "satisfactory evidence of skills, knowledge and the ability to pursue and complete the proposed program". [33] This may be demonstrated by successful completion of sustained research, scholarly publications, and sustained research in a professional capacity. [33]

Student organisations

Many student organisations operate in association with the Sydney Law School, to cater to law students. The Sydney University Law Society (SULS), formed in 1902, represents all law students at the university. The Chinese Law Students Society (CLSS), formed in 2004, provides services with a more international outlook. [34] The South East Asian Law Society (SEALS), caters to all students and especially those from South East Asian nations. The Korean Law Students Society at the University of Sydney (KLUS), caters to Korean ethnic students, formed in 1997. The St. Thomas More Society, caters to Catholic students. The Sydney University Evangelical Union (SUEU) Law Faculty, caters to Evangelical/Protestant students.

Notable alumni

In its over 169 years of history, the Sydney Law School has produced a prominent group of alumni.

Notable faculty

Deans

  1. 1890–1910: Pitt Cobbett
  2. 1910–1942: John Peden
  3. 1942–1946: James Williams
  4. 1946–1947: Clive Teece (acting)
  5. 1947–1973: Keith Shatwell
  6. 1974–1977: David Benjafield
  7. 1978–1979: Dyson Heydon
  8. 1980–1985: John Mackinolty
  9. 1986–1989: Colin Phegan
  10. 1990–1992: James Crawford
  11. 1992–1993: Alex Ziegert (acting)
  12. 1993–1994: Colin Phegan (acting)
  13. 1994–1997: David Weisbrot
  14. 1998–1999: Ros Atherton (acting)
  15. 1999–2002: Jeremy Webber
  16. 2002–2007: Ron McCallum
  17. 2007–2012: Gillian Triggs
  18. 2012–2013: Greg Tolhurst (acting)
  19. 2013–2018: Joellen Riley
  20. 2019–2019: Cameron Stewart (acting)
  21. 2019–present: Simon Bronitt

Notable professors

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Sydney</span> Public research university in Australia

The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the world's first universities to admit students solely on academic merit, and opened its doors to women on the same basis as men. The university comprises eight academic faculties and university schools, through which it offers bachelor, master and doctoral degrees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Newcastle (Australia)</span> University in Newcastle, Australia

The University of Newcastle is a public university in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1965, it has a primary campus in the Newcastle suburb of Callaghan. The university also operates campuses in Central Coast, Singapore, Newcastle City in the Hunter as well as Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Law School of India University</span> Public Law School in Bangalore, India

National Law School of India University (NLSIU), or simply the National Law School(NLS), is a public law school and a state university in Bangalore, India. The school is one of the leading law schools in India, consistently ranked #1 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework for law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NALSAR University of Law</span> Public law school in Telangana, India

The National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), is a public law school and a National Law University located in Shamirpet, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, and is considered as one of the best law schools in India. It has its jurisdiction over entire state of Telangana.

Monash University Faculty of Law, or Monash Law School, is the law school of Monash University. Founded in 1964, it is based in Melbourne, Victoria and has campuses in Malaysia and Italy. It is consistently ranked as one of the top law schools in Australia and globally, and entry to its Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme is highly competitive.

The Faculty of Law and Justice of the University of New South Wales is a law school situated in Sydney, Australia. It is widely regarded as one of Australia's top law schools. The 2024 QS World University Rankings rank the UNSW Law Faculty 12th in the world, first for undergraduate law in Australia, 2nd overall in Australia and 3rd in the Asia-Pacific region, and the 2021 Times Higher Education subject rankings also rank it second in Australia, making it the top ranked law school in New South Wales according to both tables, as well as being the top undergraduate Law school in the country.

The Castan Centre for Human Rights Law is a research centre located within the Monash University Law Faculty in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 2000 to cater for the study of human rights law globally, regionally and in Australia, and grew rapidly to become the largest research centre in the Monash Law School. As of 2022 it is led by Professor Melissa Castan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Law School</span> Graduate school of the University of Melbourne

Melbourne Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of the University of Melbourne. Located in Carlton, Victoria, Melbourne Law School is Australia's oldest law school, and offers J.D., LL.M, Ph.D, and LL.D degrees. In 2021–22, THE World University Rankings ranked the law school as 5th best in the world and first both in Australia and Asia-Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Auckland Law School</span> Law school of the University of Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland Law School is one of the eight faculties that make up the University of Auckland. Auckland Law School is located at the City Campus, between Waterloo Quadrant and Eden Crescent. It is in close proximity to the Auckland High Court. In 2020, Auckland Law School ranked 50th in the world. The University of Auckland's Law School is the largest of its kind in New Zealand. It has courses in a variety of fields, including commercial, public, human rights and environmental law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faculty of Law, University of Delhi</span> Law School of the University of Delhi

The Faculty of Law, University of Delhi is the law department of the University of Delhi. It has the unique distinction of producing the largest number of sitting judges of the Supreme Court of India, with many notable alumni's from various fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Medical School</span>

The University of Sydney School of Medicine, also known as Sydney Medical School (SMS) is the graduate medical school of the University of Sydney. Established in 1856, it is the first medical school in Australia. In 2018, Sydney Medical School joined the newly formed Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. SMS is ranked 19th in the world and second in Australia in the 2021 QS Subject Rankings for medicine.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law is a law school in Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law</span> Public law school in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law is the law school located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is on the university's Fort Garry campus. The Faculty is located within the Robson Hall building, named after one of the two founders of the law school, Hugh Amos Robson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dundee Law School</span>

The Dundee Law School is the law school of the University of Dundee in Scotland. It provides undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in Scots and English law, permitting students to qualify into all three United Kingdom legal jurisdictions. The law school traces its roots to the University of St. Andrews, and has placed in the top 15 law schools in the UK on the University League Tables. The school is based in the Scrymgeour Building—named for Henry Scrymgeour, a 16th-century legal philosopher from Dundee—while the Law Library is based in the libraries building, both on the university's main campus. The Law School is part of the wider School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law at Dundee.

The Sydney School of Veterinary Science is a constituent body of the University of Sydney, Australia. Initially established on 22 March 1910, it is the second oldest established veterinary school in Australia, the longest running veterinary school in Australia and one of two universities offering veterinary degrees in New South Wales. The faculty offers a joint Bachelor of Veterinary Biology/Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (BVetBiol/DVM), having retired the former Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc), and the Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience (BAnVetBioSc). The Faculty is established across both Camperdown and Camden campuses. The faculty is usually associated with the Roundhouse or Centaur as a logo and celebrated its centenary in 2010. The Faculty will be incorporated into the Faculty of Science in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UQ Law School</span> Law school of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia

The UQ Law School is the law school of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Founded in 1936, UQ law school is the sixth oldest law school in Australia and the oldest operating in Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yong Pung How School of Law</span> School of Law of the Singapore Management University

The Yong Pung How School of Law is one of the six schools of the Singapore Management University. It was set up as Singapore's second law school in 2007, 50 years after the NUS Faculty of Law and 10 years before SUSS School of Law. Prior to its establishment as a law school, the school was a department within the School of Business between 2000 and 2007. The school was known as the SMU School of Law until 2021, when it was renamed after former Chief Justice Yong Pung How.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law</span> Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong

The University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law is one of the 11 faculties and schools at the University of Hong Kong. Founded in 1969 as the Department of Law, it is the oldest law school in Hong Kong. HKU Law is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the world. In 2019, HKU Law was ranked 18th on the QS World Rankings and 22nd on the Times Higher Education World Rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College of Arts, Law and Education (University of Tasmania)</span> College of the University of Tasmania

The College of Arts, Law and Education was founded in 2017 as a college of the University of Tasmania that incorporated the School of Humanities, the School of Social Sciences, the School of Creative Arts and the Faculties of Law and Education. The College offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs.

References

  1. ↑ "University of Sydney 2019 Annual Report" (PDF). University of Sydney.
  2. ↑ "Sydney Law School website - Academic Staff".
  3. ↑ The University of Sydney. History - Sydney Law School. Retrieved 14 May 2013
  4. ↑ Wikipedia - List of law schools attended by Australian High Court justices.
  5. ↑ Law, Faculty of. "History of the Sydney Law School". sydney.edu.au. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  6. ↑ Implementation Report - University of Sydney
  7. ↑ "QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022: Law". Top Universities. QS.
  8. ↑ "SSRN Top 500 International Law Schools". Social Science Research Network, Top 500 International Law Schools List. 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  9. ↑ "International Law Students Association: The Future of International Law: Jessup Archives". International Law Students Association.
  10. ↑ "About - Nica.team". Nica.team - home of moot courts. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  11. ↑ "University of Sydney - Nica.team". Nica.team - home of moot courts. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  12. ↑ "CBD Campus". Sydney Law School. University of Sydney. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "The Law School Shift" (PDF). Sydney Law School. 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  14. ↑ "Sydney Law School Open Day - 30 April 2009 - Sydney Law School - The University of Sydney". Sydney Law School. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  15. ↑ "Sydney Law School Building Opening - 10am-3pm, Thursday 30 April - Sydney Law School - The University of Sydney". Sydney Law School. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  16. ↑ "Faculty of Law, The University of Sydney" . Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  17. ↑ "Sydney Architecture Images- New Law School, Sydney University". Sydney Architecture. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "Research Programs @ Sydney Law School - Future students - The University of Sydney". Sydney Law School. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  19. ↑ "Postgraduate Law @ Sydney - Future students - The University of Sydney". Sydney Law School. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  20. ↑ The University of Sydney (2016). "Our scholars shine at Oxford and Cambridge" (PDF). Sydney Law School. pp. 8–9. Archived from the original on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  21. ↑ Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law
  22. ↑ Centre for Asian and Pacific Law
  23. ↑ Constitutional Reform Unit
  24. ↑ Julius Stone Institute of Jurisprudence
  25. ↑ Ross Parsons Centre of Commercial, Corporate and Taxation Law
  26. ↑ Sydney Centre for International Law
  27. ↑ Sydney Institute of Criminology
  28. ↑ Sydney Health Law
  29. ↑ Australian Network for Japanese Law
  30. ↑ "How to apply".
  31. ↑ "ATAR explained".
  32. ↑ "Master of Laws - Courses - The University of Sydney". sydney.edu.au. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  33. 1 2 Law, Faculty of. "Research Law @ Sydney Law School". sydney.edu.au. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  34. ↑ Sydney Law School - Student Societies

Further reading

33°52′08″S151°12′39″E / 33.869008°S 151.210762°E / -33.869008; 151.210762

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.