The Sydney Law School, Top Law School in Australia

Founded in 1855, The University of Sydney Law School (The Sydney Law School) is one of the seventeen colleges under the University of Sydney and one of Australia’s top law schools, ranking 16th in the 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject for Law. The University of Sydney Law School has trained six chief justices, numerous lawyers and scholars, and its alumni are all over Australia and around the world. It is located in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales.

Course List

The University of Sydney Law School offers three courses: Juris Doctor (JD), Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Master of Laws (LLM) & Graduate Research Degrees.

The Juris Doctor is a three-year full-time program designed to develop students’ professional knowledge and skills to play leading roles in contemporary legal practice, business, government and community organizations. The course accepts law undergraduates or non-law undergraduates to enroll. Meanwhile, the school admits students based on the applicant’s academic background and other test scores such as the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) (optional). Students who have obtained a Juris Doctor degree can apply for the qualification of lawyers in Australian jurisdictions.

The Bachelor of Laws course at the school lasts for four years, and the Master of Laws course lasts for one year, both of which are taught face-to-face in intensive classrooms. The curriculum is very flexible and there are many professional directions, such as banking and financial law, human rights law and international tax law. Among them, the Master of Laws is mainly suitable for graduates of law undergraduates. Graduates who do not have a bachelor’s degree in law can also apply if they have relevant work experience.

There are two postgraduate degree programs at the Sydney Law School: Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

The duration of the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) is 1.5 – 2 years (full-time), and students with excellent relevant academic backgrounds are recruited. A research paper of 40,000 – 50,000 words is required.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) duration is 3 – 4 years (full-time). A Master of Philosophy background can lead to a Doctor of Philosophy. A research paper of 80,000 – 100,000 words is required to enroll students with an excellent relevant academic background.

In addition, both degrees require students to undertake a substantial independent and original study under academic supervision. Research papers will be externally reviewed by internationally recognized academics with in-depth knowledge of the research subject matter.

To get more course details, please check via the official website; to get more law courses in Australia, please check via Course Finder.

Other information

To help international students successfully complete their studies, the University of Sydney Law School provides a lot of support, including: Mentor Program, Internships, Legal Academic Skills Center and Careers Services.

For example, through the Mentor Program, students can conduct one-year extracurricular tutoring and exchanges with senior alumni and legal practitioners. At the Legal Academic Skills Centre, students can improve their legal English writing and legal research skills. In addition, students can seek employment advice and mentoring from experienced legal career advisors at the University of Sydney Law School.

As a leader and innovator in legal education, Sydney Law School is a learning place full of ideas, excellence and knowledge exchange. It is home to internationally renowned academics and leaders in the legal field who can assist students to succeed in the legal field and in whatever career path they choose.