VCE Stuff > VCE Legal Studies
Key Things from 1/2 for 3/4?
Jimmmy:
--- Quote from: prag.ahmad on January 03, 2020, 12:29:10 pm ---^ Thank you Jimmy this is such a helpful reply!!
Sorry if this is going off track a little, but I see in your signature you're doing law/arts at Monash. As someone with similar aspirations of studying law, I was wondering what made you choose LLB at Monash over say, BA/JD at Melbourne? I'm bouncing back and forth between Monash and Melbourne for law and I'm keen to hear different opinions :) Thank you!
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Hi Prag, absolutely no worries with that question, and am happy to answer it. Whilst all my responses will be irrespective of 'non-uni specific' factors, I will admit I live a lot closer to Monash, so it was always going to be a higher priority for me than Melbourne. Anyhow, into the factors you're interested in!
One of the big bonuses of doing Monash Undergrad is the 'guaranteed' aspect of it. If you do well enough in VCE, you'll get an offer and know that, as long as you pass all the units, you're guaranteed to get the degree. It may not seem like much, but it's a big weight off the shoulders. Also, I've heard the Arts/Comm degrees at Melbourne can get really competitive to try and get into those Post-grad spots. Whilst Monash Law will presumably be highly competitive also, I know I'm going to enjoy the initial process anyway so I'm getting something out of it.
I've heard Melbourne is far more theoretical, and a bit more 'old-school' with their teaching style of the JD, whereas if I wanted to excel my knowledge at Monash after the Undergrad, I could apply for the LLM (Masters) and do so there, in a process that 'sounds' less taxing than even getting into Melbourne Law in the first place. Also, doubling with Arts gives a Global Immersion opportunity, which means at the end of first year we can go to another country to study for three or so weeks which was super enticing, as it's pretty much all expenses paid. The LSAT would scare me, and I'm not the best examination guy, but have strengths in other areas, so grabbing the Monash offer seemed the logical choice. Also, whilst I loved the UniMelb campus, the Monash campus feels a lot more chill and relaxed in comparison.
I can't really 'sell' the Monash Law course yet, nor can I critique it until I go to some lectures, but I can tell you that Monash was always preferred for the Law course in my mind. Everyone I spoke to was in favour of Monash too, and the only people I really heard pumping up Melbourne were the former Melbourne graduates. I was also wary of the 'elitist' vibes that I've heard about at Melbourne. I know you can't necessarily take rumors with much more than a grain of salt, but there's still that grain of salt!
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. :)
pahm:
--- Quote ---I've heard Melbourne is far more theoretical, and a bit more 'old-school' with their teaching style of the JD, whereas if I wanted to excel my knowledge at Monash after the Undergrad, I could apply for the LLM (Masters) and do so there, in a process that 'sounds' less taxing than even getting into Melbourne Law in the first place.
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The theoretical aspect of Melbourne JD definitely puts me off! I've heard that at Unimelb for both undergrad and postgrad, there are no placement/internship opportunities unless you go out of your way to find your own and you have to work it around school hours. Is that the same for Monash?
One other thing I'm worried about is that I know law is one of those fields that places heaps of importance on prestige and Unimelb and Monash seems to be the only universities that are at the top of the food chain when it comes to law. For example, I know all LLB students at ACU get placements throughout their degree which sounds incredibly enticing, but would top law firms even *consider* someone with a degree from ACU?
I was also wondering, at Monash do you get to specialise in certain fields of law like corporate law, intellectual property law etc, or does everyone study the same subjects?
I know uni hasn't officially begun for you yet so I'm sorry for all my questions! Thanks a million! :)
Jimmmy:
--- Quote from: prag.ahmad on January 04, 2020, 12:40:37 pm ---The theoretical aspect of Melbourne JD definitely puts me off! I've heard that at Unimelb for both undergrad and postgrad, there are no placement/internship opportunities unless you go out of your way to find your own and you have to work it around school hours. Is that the same for Monash?
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I've heard that the best university to go to for placement and internship opportunities is Deakin, and I seriously considered their program over Monash's, however, I believe that Monash provides a good middle ground between the theoretical side, an almost equivalent reputation with Melbourne, as well as opportunities for interns in 4th and 5th years from what I've heard. the Monash Law Students' Society is also a very strong group, whereas I haven't heard much about a Deakin Law Society, although I'm sure there'd be one there. To specifically answer your question, I don't think it's as hard to do that at Monash, but from everything I've heard, Deakin offers the best placement opportunities and work experience during your course.
--- Quote from: prag.ahmad on January 04, 2020, 12:40:37 pm ---One other thing I'm worried about is that I know law is one of those fields that places heaps of importance on prestige and Unimelb and Monash seems to be the only universities that are at the top of the food chain when it comes to law. For example, I know all LLB students at ACU get placements throughout their degree which sounds incredibly enticing, but would top law firms even *consider* someone with a degree from ACU?
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I probably don't have the authority to answer this, and I didn't really even consider ACU for a second. If I hadn't gotten the numbers, I honestly would've preferred going and doing an Arts degree at Monash, Deakin or La Trobe before going to ACU. I personally don't think it matters a lot once you get your foot in the door and excel at a firm, but I do think it's problematic to getting into the system in the first place unless you have connections (eg. private school, family etc.). I think dedication shows that, while I'd rather accept a guaranteed offer at Monash over Melbourne's program, I would've rathered enter Monash or Melbourne Undergrad than go to a lower ranked Uni straight into Law.
--- Quote from: prag.ahmad on January 04, 2020, 12:40:37 pm ---I was also wondering, at Monash do you get to specialise in certain fields of law like corporate law, intellectual property law etc, or does everyone study the same subjects?
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You do get that opportunity! I haven't really delved into it, as I'm pretty sure that only becomes relevant in 4th and 5th year (first two years you all complete exactly the same Law units), but you definitely can specialise at a point later in your degree.
--- Quote from: prag.ahmad on January 04, 2020, 12:40:37 pm ---I know uni hasn't officially begun for you yet so I'm sorry for all my questions! Thanks a million! :)
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No worries at all! I'm happy to answer any questions for you that I can :)
pahm:
--- Quote from: Jimmmy on January 04, 2020, 01:10:47 pm ---I've heard that the best university to go to for placement and internship opportunities is Deakin, and I seriously considered their program over Monash's, however, I believe that Monash provides a good middle ground between the theoretical side, an almost equivalent reputation with Melbourne, as well as opportunities for interns in 4th and 5th years from what I've heard. the Monash Law Students' Society is also a very strong group, whereas I haven't heard much about a Deakin Law Society, although I'm sure there'd be one there. To specifically answer your question, I don't think it's as hard to do that at Monash, but from everything I've heard, Deakin offers the best placement opportunities and work experience during your course.
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I can't believe I never even considered Deakin! Thanks so much for letting me know about their programs, I'll definitely be looking into them!
I was seriously considering ACU should I not get the ATAR, but after hearing about Deakin's programs I guess I gotta re-evaluate my options!
--- Quote ---the Monash Law Students' Society is also a very strong group, whereas I haven't heard much about a Deakin Law Society, although I'm sure there'd be one there.
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I've heard many people talk about student societies in universities - what exactly is their purpose? Like, is it a networking group, do they give you actual career opportunities, or are they just for social events?
Thanks so much for your insights!!
Jimmmy:
--- Quote from: prag.ahmad on January 04, 2020, 01:34:08 pm ---I can't believe I never even considered Deakin! Thanks so much for letting me know about their programs, I'll definitely be looking into them!
I was seriously considering ACU should I not get the ATAR, but after hearing about Deakin's programs I guess I gotta re-evaluate my options!
I've heard many people talk about student societies in universities - what exactly is their purpose? Like, is it a networking group, do they give you actual career opportunities, or are they just for social events?
Thanks so much for your insights!!
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Deakin has a great reputation for work experience, and their ATAR requirements are a bit lower (I think 92 was their clearly in selection rank, in comparison to 98 for Monash), so I would seriously consider it. It ended up as my second preference behind Monash's Law degree.
As far as I know, the main purposes are just as you've said, networking and social interaction (more the latter I think). It's also a great way to find second hand books, hear about the different electives on offer in our future years, and get an insight into Uni life in the particular faculty!
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