Deakin's Bachelor of Laws provides the robust training and recognised qualifications you need to start your career as a first-class legal practitioner. All major areas of law are covered, such as contract, torts, property, legal practice and ethics, constitutional law, criminal law and procedure, and administrative law. Deakin’s Bachelor of Laws is accredited by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board, and satisfies the university component of the requirements to become an Australian Lawyer. If you wish to practise as a lawyer you will then complete an additional 12-month traineeship or a 6-month legal practice course. Deakin Law School consistently ranks among the top in the country for teaching quality and student satisfaction. It was ranked in the top 100 in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2018. The School’s teaching staff have a strong international profile, with qualifications from some of the top ranked universities around the world. Throughout a Deakin law degree you will develop real-world legal skills including negotiation, mediation, preparing for court appearances, legal drafting, and statutory interpretation. A Deakin law degree develops transferable skills in critical thinking, evaluation, analysis, problem solving, communication, research and formal document drafting that will launch you on a variety of career paths. Graduates of a Deakin Law degree will have the ability to: Understand, synthesise and organise knowledge relevant to legal doctrine and legal practice. Communicate legal knowledge effectively to legal and non-legal audiences Research, locate and disseminate legal information using digital technologies Think critically and exercise judgment and intellectual independence to evaluate, consolidate and synthesise legal knowledge Solve legal problems by applying legal reasoning and critical analysis to generate and articulate appropriate solutions to legal issues Learn and work independently and take responsibility and accountability for own learning Contribute effectively to team work Engage in ethical legal decision-making and understand the professional behaviours and responsibilities of legal professionals Course structure To complete the Bachelor of Laws, students must attain a total of 32 credit points. Most units (think of units as 'subjects') are equal to 1 credit point. The 32 credit points include 18 credit points of core units (these are compulsory) and 14 credit points of elective units. The 14 credit points of electives must include a minimum of 6 credit points of law electives, including 1 credit point of WIL/practical/experiential from a list, a minimum of 4 credit points of non-law electives. Most students choose to study 4 units per trimester, and usually undertake 2 trimesters each year. Career outcomes Obtaining a law degree is normally the first step towards becoming a barrister or solicitor, and many students entering law school aspire to enter one of these branches of the legal profession. Upon completion of your degree and the additional practical legal training, you will be qualified to work as a solicitor or barrister in all legal fields, including commercial law, criminal law, family law, public international and human rights law, refugee law and personal injury law. Warrnambool: (first two years of course only. Students will then transfer to the Waterfront Geelong Campus or Cloud Campus)