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The Sydney LLB Advantage - Undergraduate Law @ Sydney

Sydney Law School is Australia's First. Since its inception, it has been at the forefront of developments associated with both the teaching and research of law. Its strong sense of history is rivalled only by its commitment to innovation. Its undergraduate program is one of the most reputable in Australia as well as holding a strong standing overseas.

The Sydney LLB...

The Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at the University of Sydney is a three-year degree. It is recognised for the purposes of satisfying the academic requirements for admission as a legal practitioner in New South Wales*. The Sydney LLB comprises two years of compulsory study and one year of elective study. Like most Law schools, Sydney requires students to undertake another degree either in conjunction with or separate to its LLB. Prospective students can therefore enter the Sydney LLB through a variety of methods that include:

  • Entry via combined law
  • Entry via combined law transfer
  • Entry via graduate law
  • Entry via graduate law transfer
  • Entry via special admission
  • Entry via full-fee

Entry via any of these avenues results in a place in the Sydney LLB. The content and employment prospects upon graduation are identical. The only difference is in the time taken and format chosen. For instance, if a student obtains a place directly from school into the Combined Law LLB program it takes on average five years. On the other hand, if a student first completes a degree (in any discipline at any institution) and then enters the Graduate Law LLB program, it takes a year extra on average (six years instead of five).

This website intends to answer any questions prospective students may have about the Sydney LLB. It aims to clarify the admissions process and communicate the exclusive features and benefits of the Sydney LLB. Overall, it explains why Sydney Law School is Australia's First. The Sydney LLB is characterised by the following features:

*Additional requirements must be met before a Law graduate can practice as a lawyer in NSW

Outstanding Graduate Employment Record

Sydney Law School graduates hold one of the best employment records within the Australian workforce. The most recent statistics reveal that not only do more of our graduates attain employment upon graduation but that we hold one of the best records for employment into the legal profession of any Law School in Australia. Our undergraduate program equips you not only for work as a legal practitioner, but also for other careers in areas including banking and finance, politics, diplomatic and foreign affairs, management consultancy and journalism.

Exchange Opportunities

  • University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
  • Queen's University, Ontario, Canada
  • Duke University, North Carolina, USA
  • University of Texas, Austin, USA
  • New York University (NYU), USA
  • Cornell University, New York, USA
  • Harvard University Law School, USA
  • Katholieke University, Leuven, Belgium
  • Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
  • Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, Germany
  • Utrecht University, Netherlands
  • Kobe University, Japan
  • National University of Singapore

Clinical Skills Based Training

Students can experience the study of law within a clinical or practical environment, where they often engage in legal work for actual clients. They can work at a placement site once a week that has a public interest focus. Elective units that have a practical focus include the Jessup International Law Moot, External Placement Program, Practising in the Public Interest, Dispute Resolution and Advocacy, Interviewing & Negotiation.

Double Degrees with an Edge

If you choose one of our Combined Law degrees, you will also acquire a degree from one of our reputable partner faculties. The University of Sydney's Arts, Science, Economics and Business, and Engineering faculties are among Australia's finest with reputations the world over. Each offers students in-depth and innovative coverage of its respective disciplines.

Strong Level of Student Involvement

The Sydney University Law Society (SULS) organises not only social and cultural events but also initiatives of professional and intellectual interest to students. With sponsorship from a vast array of legal and professional organisations, they are one of the chief contact points between the students and the legal profession. Activities include public forums, mooting programs and publications.

Unrivalled International Focus

Sydney Law School prides itself on its international focus. It is one of the few Law Schools in the country where students must complete at least one unit in International Law. The scholarship of the Faculty extends across the entire range of international law specialities including human rights, migration law, and private international law. We also offer a Winter School in Shanghai where students study Chinese Law.

Outstanding Student Achievements

Excellent Mooting Program:

  • Australian Champions, Jessup Moot, 1995-1998, 2000, 2008
  • World Champions, Jessup Moot, 1996, 2007
  • Australian Runners-Up, Jessup Moot, 2007
  • World Champions, University Debating Championships, 2001
  • World’s Best Speaker, University Debating Championships, 1996, 2001, 2004
  • World Champions, World Trade Organisation Moot (WTO), 2006
  • World Intervarsity Debating Champions, 2006

Individual Achievements:

  • Ben Saul (BA ’99, LLB ’01) – Winner of the Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop Award - $25,000
  • Danielle Malek (BA ’93, LLB ’04) – Winner of 2003 Sir General John Monash Prize – Australia’s Richest Scholarship - $50,000
  • Thao Nguyen (B Com ’04 LLB '07) – Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations Assembly
  • Robert Yezerski (BA '02, LLB '04) - Winner of Frank Knox Fellowship to complete LLM at Harvard Law School
  • Brendan Plant (BEcSocSci '02, LLB '003) - Winner of Chevening Scholarship to complete Masters at London School of Economics (LSE)
  • Peter Turner (BSc '99, LLB '02) - Winner of WM Tapp Studentship in Law to complete PhD at Oxford

History of Rhodes Scholars:

The Sydney Law School holds a fine reputation for its history of Rhodes Scholars that include:

  • The Hon. Justice D H Hodgson (BA ’59, LLB ’62)
  • Geoffrey Robertson QC (BA ’67, LLB ’70)
  • The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP (BA ’77, LLB ’78)
  • The Hon. A J Abbott MP (B Ec ’78, LLB ’81)
  • Gordon Fell (B Sc ’86, LLB ’88)
  • Dr. Andrew Bell (BA ’88, LLB ’90)
  • Dr. Scott Nixon (BA ’90, LLB ’92)
  • Peter Barnett (BA ’93, LLB ’95)
  • Michael Izzo (BA ’98, LLB 2000)
  • Andrew Charlton (B Ec ’01, LLB ’03)
  • Sandy Cameron (LLB ’04)
  • Jonathan Bonnitcha (B Ec '03, LLB '06)
  • Kate Brennan (BA '05, LLB '07)
  • Angela Cummine (BA '05, LLB '06)
  • Eric Knight (BA '06, Current LLB Student)
  • Joanna Mascarenhas (BEcoSocSci '04, Current LLB Student)

Strong Alumni Network

As Australia's First, Sydney Law School has developed a strong link with its alumni. Sydney Law Graduates are represented in all professions, not just in law, both here and overseas. Through our graduates' participation in unique opportunities such as judging law moots, delivering public seminars and attendance at a variety of events, students can benefit from the knowledge and experience of our alumni. Students automatically become members of the Sydney University Law Graduates Assocation (SULGA) upon graduation. Our alumni include current and former members in a wealth of professions:

Judiciary:

  • Four of the seven current members of the High Court of Australia including the Chief Justice, The Hon. Justice Murray Gleeson, The Hon. Justice William Gummow, The Hon. Justice Susan Crennan and the Hon. Justice Michael Kirby.
  • Chief Justice of New South Wales, The Hon. Justice James Spigelman.
  • President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal, The Hon. Justice Keith Mason
  • Chief Judge at Common Law, Supreme Court of New South Wales, The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan QC
  • Chief Judge in Equity, Supreme Court of New South Wales, The Hon. Justice Peter Young
  • Chief Judge of the District Court of New South Wales, His Honour Judge Reginald Blanch
  • Former leading judges including: Sir Anthony Mason, The Hon. Elizabeth Evatt, Sir Laurence Street and The Hon. Mary Gaudron

Government:

  • Former Prime Ministers John Howard, Gough Whitlam, William McMahon and Edmund Barton
  • Former New South Wales Premier Neville Wran
  • Former Governor-Generals, Sir William Deane and Sir John Kerr
  • Federal Attorney-General, The Hon. Robert McClelland MP
  • Minister for Home Affairs, The Hon. Bob Debus MP
  • Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, The Hon. Tony Burke MP

Business, Media & Sport:

  • Outgoing CEO of Macquarie Bank, Alan Moss
  • Geoff Thomson (ABC)
  • Craig Reucassel, Julian Morrow and Chas Licciardello (ABC)
  • Former Wallabies’ Captain, Nick Farr-Jones
  • CEO of the National Rugby League (NRL), David Gallop
  • Former Head of the Australian Institute of Sport and High Performance Manager for Football Federation Australia, John Boultbee
  • Former President of the World Bank and Special Representative of the Middle East “Quartet” for the Gaza Strip, James Wolfensohn