Australia's newest law school ready for students in 2015
In Summary
Australia’s newest law school is preparing for its first intake of students in 2015 after receiving approval from the Council of Legal Education.
Swinburne Law School, located at Swinburne University of Technology’s Hawthorn campus, will offer students the choice of being able to undertake a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or combined law degrees.
Swinburne’s LLB has a distinctive orientation towards commercial law with a unique specialisation in intellectual property law.
This specialisation will equip students for careers in the new knowledge economy, giving them the skills to work in media and entertainment, design, branding and advertising, and in internet companies and firms advising information-dependent industries.
Dean of Swinburne Law School, Professor Dan Hunter, said a feature of the LLB and combined law degrees will be the requirement for students to undertake professional work experience commencing in their first year.
“This will provide valuable firsthand experience of legal practice while also making a direct contribution to the community and profession,” Professor Hunter said.
“Swinburne Law School will have a moot court with the latest in courtroom technology, providing students with the opportunity to hone skills in a real-world environment.
“We are going to be introducing our new law students to practical skills right from the start, with a five-day introductory program which will culminate in moot court hearings.
“Right from the beginning we will reflect Swinburne’s commitment to applied learning.”
The Faculty of Business and Law’s Executive Dean, Professor Michael Gilding, said Swinburne Law School is linked to the university’s vision to be a leader in science, technology and innovation, and its focus will be on innovation, creativity and intellectual property.
“By establishing the law school at Swinburne we have increased our research capacity, especially around legal issues involved in engineering, design or taking new products to the market,” Professor Gilding said.
“This has widened our repertoire of skill and expertise within the university and we are committed to filtering what we learn into our degrees.
“We will be focusing on legal issues surrounding innovation and we have centred our resources on commercialisation, intellectual property, social innovation and philanthropy.
“Add to this our focus on creativity and technology, and we have a very strong industry and applied focus.”
The Swinburne LLB will be offered in three forms: an LLB for school leavers; an LLB as part of a combined degree course; and a three-year degree for graduates.
It is expected that there will be an intake of around 100 students to the Swinburne Law School in 2015 and each year thereafter.
Find out more about studying law at Swinburne.