UNSW Faculty of Law | |
---|---|
Motto | Where Law Meets Justice |
Parent school | University of New South Wales |
Established | 1971 |
School type | Public |
Dean | Andrew Lynch |
Location | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 33°55′02″S151°13′40″E / 33.917093°S 151.227890°E Coordinates: 33°55′02″S151°13′40″E / 33.917093°S 151.227890°E |
Enrollment | 2,625 (2021) [1] |
Faculty | 116 (2021) [1] |
Website | www.law.unsw.edu.au |
The Faculty of Law 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 2021 QS World University Rankings rank the UNSW Law Faculty 13th in the world, 2nd in Australia and 3rd in the Asia-Pacific region, [2] 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. [3]
The Faculty comprises the School of Global and Public Law; the School of Criminal Justice, Law and Society; and the School of Corporate and Private Law. [4] It further comprises 13 affiliated research and specialist legal centres, including a community legal centre, the Kingsford Legal Centre, as well as the Refugee Advice and Casework Service. The Faculty is also co-founder and operator of the Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII), which provides free access to case law, legislation and other primary legal resources online. [5] It offers legal education for all career stages: undergraduate law dual degree programs, the Juris Doctor for graduates, postgraduate coursework, postgraduate research, and continuing legal education short courses. [6] [7]
On 13 July 1964, the University's Council approved the creation of the UNSW Faculty of Law. [8] On 24 January 1966, the Foundation Chair of Law was created, with the appointee to also be the Dean of the Faculty of Law. [8] On 8 September 1969, Wootten was appointed to this position, where, in 1971, he would oversee the first teaching classes in the faculty. [8]
The Faculty opened on 1 March 1971 with 219 undergraduate students. [9] Prior to this, only the University of Sydney offered law degrees in New South Wales. The task of establishing the new law school was given to John Halden Wootten QC, a former judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, who was appointed Foundation Dean in 1969.
In 1976, the Faculty moved to occupy five floors of the UNSW Library Tower on upper campus. In 2006, the Faculty moved to a new law building on lower campus. The official opening took place on 21 September 2006 by the then Chief Justice of Australia Murray Gleeson. [10] A quotation from Hal Wootten, Founding Dean, is set out on a wall of the law building: "a law school should have and communicate to its students a concern for those on whom the law may bear harshly." [11]
Currently the Faculty teaches approximately 2,675 students. [12]
In 2021, the QS World University Rankings placed UNSW Law School 13th on its list of the best law schools in the world. [2] The law school is ranked second in Australia after the University of Melbourne by the ARWU 2017 subject rankings, and second in Australia by the 2020 Times Higher Education subject rankings. [13] The UNSW Law School was noted as one of the primary faculties in helping to place the University 1st in Australia and 33rd in the globe for most millionaires produced. [14]
In the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Good Universities Guide, UNSW was the only law school in Australia to receive top ratings across all criteria, which include: teaching quality, generic skills, overall satisfaction, and success in obtaining a job. [15] From 2006 to 2009, the Federal Government's assessment of excellence in tertiary education found that the Faculty lead all Australian universities for the quality of learning and teaching in law. [16] [17] [18]
Beginning in 2019, UNSW moved to trimesters seeing the teaching year divided into three terms rather than two semesters as previously. [19] This led to a cut in contact hours with students, which was criticised as a cost saving measure. [20] Other issues including limited time between terms, overall reductions in holidays and increased stress from higher workloads were outlined before the change to the three term system. [21] At least some of those concerns materialised in 2019, for example contact hours (face to face teaching time) were reduced by 25% from 48 to 36 hours per course (on average) with no savings from this reduction being passed onto the student body [22] [23]
Among the Go8 law schools, UNSW Law topped the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) 2014 survey, conducted and funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training, which measured the perspectives of recent students and graduates on experience as students and employment and salary outcomes. [24] UNSW Law achieved the highest percentage in each of these categories, and continued to do so as of 2016. [24] [25]
In the past three years, five UNSW law graduates have won Rhodes scholarships. [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] In 2018, three UNSW law graduates won New Colombo Plan Scholarships. [31]
UNSW law students have achieved success in a number of international advocacy competitions, including:
The Law Faculty is situated in the Law Building on the University's main campus in Kensington, Sydney.
The building is four levels high and was designed by Melbourne architects Corbet Lyons. Features of the building include light-filled atria space, open staircases, landscaped courtyards and an agora running up through floors. There are 13 classrooms with 40-plus seats, two Harvard-style lecture rooms with 90 seats and a 350-seat auditorium. Other features include a new Moot Court and student lounge. The Herbert Smith Freehills Law Library is occupied over two levels. [40]
In addition to the main campus in Kensington, the Faculty of Law also offers classes, predominantly to those in postgraduate coursework programmes and those in later years of law degree programmes, at its CBD Campus located within Sydney's legal and financial district, on levels 6 and 7 of 1 O'Connell Street, Sydney. [41]
The Law Faculty offers both an undergraduate and a graduate law program, namely the combined Bachelor of Law (LLB) with a Bachelor in another discipline, and the graduate Juris Doctor (JD) program.
After an extensive curriculum review, the Faculty introduced a new curriculum in 2013. [42]
The combined law program, which involves a five-year undergraduate course of study comprising a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor in another discipline, is currently made up of the following course study structure: [43]
For students commencing their degree before 2019, the program structure is: [44]
The Graduate Juris Doctor program, [45] which involves a three-year graduate course of study, is made up of the following course study structure: [46]
The academic study load of the JD program differs from that of undergraduate dual law program in that for a full-time study mode it requires a full study load of four law subjects each semester in contrast to only part law study load each semester in the undergraduate dual law program. [47]
Electives for the JD program are selected from postgraduate subjects such as those within but not limited to Master of Laws (LL.M). [47] Core subjects in the program are taught solely within the JD cohort, with postgraduate electives taught with the postgraduate cohort and standard electives (if chosen) taught with the undergraduate dual law cohort.
The UNSW JD program has previously been criticised for over-enrollment, with reports that a few students attempted to 'buy' their way into classes for as much as $10k.[ citation needed ]
The Law Faculty does not use a lecture and tutorial system common in faculties in England and still used by some other Australian law schools. Rather, the Faculty has long conducted classes in a seminar-format. Students are asked to contribute to class discussion using the Socratic method; basic learning is done through reading materials prior to class, and class time is devoted to examining the complexities and critical exploration of the material, though the level of Socratic questioning varies between teachers and courses. First year classes ordinarily have a maximum of 28 students. Most upper-year classes have a maximum of 44 students. Some upper-year courses have up to 90 students. [48]
The Law Faculty offers a number law subjects taught at overseas institutions through international arrangements, including courses at Columbia Law School, UC Berkeley School of Law, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. [49] It also offers exchange programs at over 60 universities, including Sciences Po, Panthéon-Assas University, University College London, Tilburg University, McGill University, National University of Singapore, University of Hong Kong, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and others. [50]
In 2015 and 2016, entry to the undergraduate combined law program required an ATAR mark of 99.7, the highest entry requirement for admission to a law degree in Australia. [51]
From 2017, entry into the undergraduate combined law program will be based on both an ATAR or academic result, as well as the results from a Law Admission Test (LAT) (not to be confused with the Law School Admission Test used in the United States). [52] The test will consist of two questions requiring written responses. It is designed to assess aptitudes and skills that are relevant to success in the law program, including critical thinking and analysis, and organising and expressing ideas in a clear and fluent way. Applicants will have two hours to complete the test. [53] The first LAT test will be held on Monday 26 September 2016 for entry into 2017 admission. LAT results will be valid for two years. [53]
The UNSW JD (Juris Doctor/J.D.) is the professional law degree for graduates of disciplines other than law, or with a law degree from an overseas institution. [47] It is the equivalent of the undergraduate Bachelor of Laws for the purpose of admission as a legal practitioner, but is only open to university graduates. Entry into the JD program is based on academic results in previous university degrees earned by the applicant. [45] The JD is also open to international applicants. [45] Approximately 33% of cohort holds postgraduate qualifications. [46]
The undergraduate law program offers Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP).
The Juris Doctor program offers both Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) and Full-Fee places. Commonwealth Supported Places are offered to the most competitive domestic applicants and the remaining eligible domestic applicants will be offered a full-fee place in the JD program. [46] As a guide, to be competitive for a CSP, applicants would have achieved at least a distinction average in previous Bachelor or master's degree. Applicant's eligibility to be offered a CSP place may be improved if they have also completed an optional honours year or research degree. [46]
The tuition fees for 2016 are as follows: [54]
FEE-HELP is a Commonwealth government loan available to help eligible students pay part or all of their tuition fees. FEE-HELP is available only to domestic students on CSP or Full-Fee places. In 2016, the FEE-HELP limit is AU$99,389. [56]
There is a number of UNSW Law Centres, which contribute to the Faculty's research as well as providing internships and clinical legal education to students. [57]
The Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law [58] was founded in October 2013 by former refugees Andrew AM and Renata Kaldor AO , who were awarded honorary doctorates by UNSW in November 2018. [59]
Dedicated to the study of international refugee law, it is a world-leading research centre. It undertakes research on displacement issues in Australia, the Asia-Pacific region and around the world, and contributes to public policy by proposing legal, sustainable and humane solutions to forced migration. [60] In June 2019, the Centre published a document citing seven principles which should be key to Australia's refugee policy, supported by law and evidence-based research. [61] [62]
The Australasian Legal Information Institute is operated jointly by the Faculties of Law at the UTS and the UNSW. AustLII offers free access online to case law, legislation and other primary legal resources [63] and is "Australia's largest online legal public library." [64]
In 2000, Danny Gilbert, managing partner of law firm Gilbert + Tobin, agreed to support a centre for public law at UNSW, and in 2001 the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law was founded. It functions as a research centre specialising in constitutional and administrative law, Indigenous legal issues, and human rights. [65] The Centre's Advisory Committee is chaired by Sir Anthony Mason, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. [66]
The Centre has hosted a number of projects, including: the Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship: Anti-Terror Laws and the Democratic Challenge Project; [67] the International Refugee and Migration Law Project; [68] the Charter of Human Rights Project; [69] the Referendums project; [70] the Electoral Law Project; [71] and the Federalism Project. [72] The Centre also hosts an annual Constitutional Law Conference and Dinner attended by practitioners, academics, and judges involved or interested in public law issues.
The Faculty hosts the Kingsford Legal Centre which is both a teaching centre offering clinical legal education and a community legal centre which provides free legal advice and referral and ongoing assistance to the residents of the local area in relation to legal problems. The Centre takes on cases where there is no other source of assistance or where acting for the client will benefit the community by achieving change in the law or government policy. The Centre advises on matters including domestic violence, debt, criminal law, employment law, legal aid, victim's compensation, motor vehicle accidents, consumer matters and accidents and injuries. It has a statewide specialisation in discrimination law. [73] [74] [75]
As of March 2021 [update] , the following centres are also affiliated to the faculty: [57]
There are a number of research groups attached to the Faculty of Law, including (as of July 2019 [update] ) [76]
Affiliated centres: [77]
The Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre (formerly listed here) appears to be defunct.
The Faculty publishes the UNSW Law Journal, one of Australia's leading academic, peer-reviewed legal journals. The journal is produced entirely by a voluntary student board, selected on academic merit and editorial skills, and assisted from time to time by faculty advisors. [78] Submissions for publication are received from local and international academics, judges, and legal professionals from a wide range of practice areas. The journal is distributed among a diverse set of subscribers, including judges, government departments, non-government organisations, law firms, and more than 250 universities worldwide. Four editions are published each year.
Other Faculty publications and journals include: Australian Indigenous Law Review; Australian Journal of Human Rights; Australasian Journal of Natural Resources Law and Policy; Human Rights Defender; and Indigenous Law Bulletin. [79]
Notable alumni include:
|
Business and law
Others
|
The University of New South Wales(UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive universities.
Legal education is the education of individuals in the principles, practices, and theory of law. It may be undertaken for several reasons, including to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for admission to legal practice in a particular jurisdiction, to provide a greater breadth of knowledge to those working in other professions such as politics or business, to provide current lawyers with advanced training or greater specialisation, or to update lawyers on recent developments in the law.
The University of Toronto Faculty of Law is the law school of the University of Toronto. The Faculty's admissions process is the most selective of law schools in Canada and is one of the most selective in North America. The Faculty has consistently been ranked as the top law school for Common Law in Canada by Maclean's since it began to publish law school rankings. The Faculty offers the JD, LLM, SJD, MSL, and GPLLM degrees in law.
The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences is a premier public law school in India, and is a National law University located in Salt Lake City of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. In 2021, it was ranked 4th among law colleges in India by National Institutional Ranking Framework, and 2nd by India Today.
The George Washington University Law School is the law school of George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest top law school in the national capital. GW Law boasts the nation's largest course offerings with 275 elective courses in business and finance law, environmental law, government procurement law, intellectual property law, international comparative law, litigation and dispute resolution, and national security and U.S. foreign relations law. Admissions are highly selective as the law school receives thousands of applications. In 2019, the acceptance rate was 34%.
The University of Miami School of Law is the law school of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. Founded in 1926, it is the oldest law school in South Florida, graduating its first class of 13 students in 1929.
The University of Alberta Faculty of Law is the graduate school of law of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Established as an undergraduate faculty in 1912 it is the third oldest law school in Canada, and often considered the oldest law school in Western Canada.
Monash University Faculty of Law, or Monash Law School, is the law school of Monash University. Founded in 1963, 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.
Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (WashULaw) is the law school of Washington University in St. Louis, a private university in St. Louis, Missouri. WashULaw has consistently ranked among the top law schools in the country; it is currently ranked 16th among the 197 American Bar Association-approved law schools by U.S. News & World Report and 9th in the country by AboveTheLaw.com. Prominent alumni include numerous U.S. senators, congressmen, governors, cabinet members, federal and state judges, businessmen, and scholars. Founded in 1867, WashULaw is the oldest continuously operating law school west of the Mississippi River. The law school was originally located in downtown St. Louis but relocated in 1904 to the Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis.
Melbourne Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of the University of Melbourne. Located in Carlton, Victoria, MLS is Australia's oldest law school, and offers J.D., LL.M, Ph.D, and LL.D degrees. In 2021-2, THE World University Rankings ranked the law school as 5th best in the world and first both in Australia and Asia-Pacific.
Sydney Law School 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.
Auckland Law School is one of the eight faculties that make up the University of Auckland. The Faculty of Law 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 and best in New Zealand on QS World University Rankings. The University of Auckland’s Faculty of Law is the largest of its kind in New Zealand. It boasts experts in a variety of fields, including commercial, public, human rights and environmental law.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law is a law school in Hong Kong.
The University of Ottawa Faculty of Law is the law school at the University of Ottawa, located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the nation's capital. Established in 1953, the Faculty is today divided into Civil Law and Common Law sections, the two formally recognized legal traditions in Canada. It is regarded as one of the most prestigious institutions of legal education in Canada.
The Faculty of Law is a faculty of the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The first class of students matriculated in 1968, and the current building was opened in 1970. The Faculty has grown immensely over the past 50 years, increasing its national profile through its innovations in research and from thousands of alumni across Canada and the world. The 2017 endowment to the Faculty of Law was $10.2 million. The Faculty is also the current academic host institution of the Canadian Bar Review (CBR), the most frequently cited journal by the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2018, the Faculty of Law was ranked the 5th best law school in Canada by Canadian Universities magazine.
The ANU College of Law is the law school at the Australian National University and one of the seven Colleges of the ANU. It is located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. This provides the College with opportunities to connect with the work of the Parliament of Australia, the High Court of Australia, the departments and agencies of the Federal Government, as well as the local ACT law-making institutions – the Legislative Assembly and the ACT courts.
The Faculty of Law of the University in Belgrade, also known as the Belgrade Law School, is one of the first-tier educational institutions of the University of Belgrade, Serbia. The building is located in the heart of the old part of Belgrade, in the urban neighborhood of Palilula, contiguously to the city park Tasmajdan, on Bulevar kralja Aleksandra.
The Yong Pung How School of Law is one of the six schools of 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. Before becoming a law school, the school was a Law Department within the School of Business between 2000 and 2007. Up until 2021, the school was known as the SMU School of Law; in 2021, it was renamed after former Chief Justice Yong Pung How.
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.
The SOAS School of Law is a law school of the University of London. It is based in the Paul Webley wing of the Senate House in Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom. The SOAS School of Law has an emphasis on the legal systems of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
|title=
(help)|title=
(help)|url=
(help)|journal=
(help)|journal=
(help)|title=
(help)