Bachelor of Laws

Summary

One degree, unlimited potential. Gain the skills and knowledge to meet the high demands of a wide range of careers within the legal profession and beyond.

Programme overview

When you embark on a Law degree you will learn analytical, communication and research skills, and gain an understanding of legal ethics, professional responsibility and the role law plays in society.

Auckland Law School is the top-ranked law school in Aotearoa New Zealand and one of the best law schools in the world (QS World University Rankings in Law, 2020).

The Bachelor of Laws (LLB) is a four-year (eight-semester) degree if you are studying full-time. It is studied in four parts (Parts I-IV).

Unlike other undergraduate degrees, the LLB does not have a major attached to it. Everyone who earns an LLB degree gains a broad background in the law.

Programme structure

The LLB is made up of 480 points. It is a combination of compulsory law courses, elective law courses, non-law courses from another degree programme and one General Education course.

LLB Part I

Part I students usually take LAW 121G Law and Society in Semester One. If you gain a B- (C+ for students applying under UTAS) or better in LAW 121G you can progress to LAW 131 Legal Method and LAW 141 Legal Foundations in Semester Two.

LAW 121G is offered in both Semester One and Two of each year, whereas LAW 131 and LAW 141 are offered only in Semester Two.

You will be required to choose five non-law courses totalling 75 points as a foundation for your other bachelors degree. This includes one 15-point General Education Course.

LLB Part II

LLB Part II consists of five compulsory courses, which can be completed in the second year of study for those full-time students pursuing an LLB as a single degree, or across the second and third year of study for those completing conjoint degrees.

LLB Parts III and IV

In LLB Parts III and IV students are allowed to select elective courses. We offer the largest range of law elective courses in New Zealand with papers relating to Corporate and Commercial Law, Public, Criminal, Family, International and Environmental Law. It is important to plan ahead as not all elective courses are offered in every semester or every year.

Where could this programme take you?

A Law degree will arm you with many transferable skills, including knowledge of the law and its implications, a sense of justice and public responsibility, analytical, research and communication skills, and an ability to work under pressure. A degree from the University of Auckland Law School is well-respected. In any given year, about half our graduates take up positions in New Zealand law firms, while the other half begin their careers in other professional organisations. These include accounting and consulting firms; business and industry; national and local government; teaching, research and journalism; and international, environmental and other non-governmental organisations. Our graduates can be found practising law in New Zealand and worldwide – many of our former students work for leading law firms in London, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other major cities. Some of our top students go on to study our LLM and PhD degrees.

Please note that you can only start Part II in Semester One.