Juris Doctor (JD)

• Learn from the very best of the legal profession and award-winning academics recognised nationally for excellence in teaching and research.
• Emphasis on practical and professional skill building and an inquiry approach to learning.
• Study with high-achieving students in an inclusive environment and build lifelong friendships with a diverse and vibrant cohort of future leaders.
• Very high graduate employment rates.
• Comprehensive and integrated wellbeing and professionalism programs.

Be at the forefront of innovation in legal education with initiatives such as:

• Indigenisation of the Juris Doctor curriculum: An Australia-first initiative that seeks to embed Indigenous knowledge, experiences and laws across the Juris Doctor.
• You'll be introduced to cutting-edge technological developments in the law and in the provision of legal services.
• Progressive and interesting elective offerings.

The JD curriculum has been purposefully designed to scaffold sequential knowledge and skills progression, and may be completed in three years full-time or on a part-time basis (up to nine years). Students with external commitments (including but not limited to work, travel, clerkships and sporting commitments) are expected to plan these commitments around their studies. External commitments are not regarded as valid reasons for timetable changes, swapping tutorials, the waiving of pre-requisites or variation from the prescribed course structure*.

In making a decision as to whether to complete the JD on a full or part-time basis, students should be aware that the estimated time commitment for a full-time (4 units) enrolment is approximately 46 hours per week excluding examinations. Some units are also offered as intensives, either in semester breaks or between semesters. Although the contact hours for these units are compressed into a shorter period of time, the time commitment of the unit remains the same.

* Students who undertake exchange, or other commitments which involve official representation of the Law School or the University, or which are recognised under University Policy, may seek approval from the Deputy Head of School (Students) for a variation in the prescribed course structure.

Full time course structure

• Foundations of Law and Lawyering# (Sem 1)
• Criminal Law (Sem 1)
• Contract (Sem 1)
• Property (Sem 1)
• Foundations of Public Law (Sem 2)
• Torts (Sem 2)
• Interpretation (Sem 2)
• Land Law (Sem 2)

• Dispute Resolution# (Sem 1)
• Constitutional Law (Sem 1)
• Equity and Trusts (Sem 1)
• Option 1 (Sem 1)
• Corporations Law (Sem 2)
• Remedies (Sem 2)
• Administrative Law (Sem 2)
• Option 2 (Sem 2)

• Professional and Ethical Practice# (Sem 1)
• Evidence (Sem 1)
• Option 3 (Sem 1)
• Option 4 (Sem 1)
• Procedure (Sem 2)
• Option 5 (Sem 2)
• Option 6 (Sem 2)
• Option 7 (Sem 2)

# These units are taught intensively over a two-week period immediately preceding the start of Semester 1.

• Legal Internship unit – 12 week legal work placement
• Clinical Legal Education unit, situated in the UWA Mediation Clinic and Minderoo Tech & Policy Lab
• Legal APPtitude elective
• Mooting competitions, client interview competitions, and Australia’s first university law journal

Rebecca Faugno is Director of the Juris Doctor and teaches Corporations Law (LAWS5104) and Professional Practice (LAWS5108).

Her research interests are in the areas of Corporate Governance, Regulation of Multinational Corporations, Corporations and Human Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility.

The UWA Law School is certified by the Australian Law School Standards.

The UWA Law School is ranked in the top 150 law schools in the world for Law and Legal Studies (QS 2023). You will join and contribute to 90 years of excellence: we were the first law school established in WA and the fifth oldest in Australia.

Our graduates include a Prime Minister, a Governor of Western Australia, State Ministers, Justices of the Supreme Court of WA, a Young Australian of the Year, Rhodes Scholars, and more.

While we have a long and proud history, we're also a closely-knit, creative and progressive Law School, fostering critical thought, ethical scholarship and practice, a deep connection to our Indigenous past and present, and supportive student culture based upon wellbeing and inclusion.

"My internship at Legal Aid was an invaluable opportunity to experience how working in a legal environment, particularly in Criminal Law, would be. Undertaking the internship gave me an insight into advocacy and the court system, something I have a keen interest in. As part of my internship, I rotated with lawyers at the Children’s Court, Magistrates Court and District Court and I was also involved with various research projects within the organisation. It was a really rewarding experience as it allowed me to apply and observe some of the legal concepts learnt at university and confirmed my intention to pursue a career in this area of law" 

- Arianna Aragona

"When I started university I would never have thought I would end up as a lawyer. I thought there was a special breed of super-smart people who became lawyers.

It was during my international relations studies that I got a taste of how law can shape society, which set me on the pathway to a career in law. Studying at UWA gave me the opportunity to gain experience, expand my networks and discover my passions through overseas study, internships and volunteering. 

After graduating from my law degree, I worked as an Associate at the Federal Court of Australia where I assisted with hearings, judgments and the day-to-day management of the Court. I subsequently joined the law firm, Allens, where I have worked in the Disputes and Investigations and the Projects teams. 

My studies taught me the value of hard work and persistence. I learnt to solve complex legal questions and think critically. Outside the classroom, I was surrounded by a dazzling array of legal talent: academics, mentors, friends and members of the profession who inspired me and have informed my professional life ever since. 

My time at UWA helped me to develop an intellectual curiosity and growth mindset that follows me through all aspects of life."

--Ebony Back, Bachelor of Arts (2015) and Juris Doctor (2018)