Law but where?

[Sah123]

What kind of GPA is required to get into the Melbourne JD? I've heard a 75+ will get you considered but is this average calculated from your first/second/third year subjects combined? Does this mean that you basically have to get great marks from the beginning of your degree?

[LOVEPHYSICS]

Yes you do.

[burbs]

ANU all the way?

[baijid.a]

Hey guys I'm currently in year 12 and have planned to study Law for quite a while now. I was just wondering though...what is the most prestigious (or simply the best) way of pursuing studies in Law? I'm currently on the border between Melbourne and Monash and have received various opinions over the past few months. I'm really confused :\ is there anybody out there who has experience in this field or has any idea what I should do? I welcome all opinions. Thank you 

[baijid.a]

If you get into Law, I recommend Melbourne. In reference to prestige I personally feel Melbourne on a world stage is better. Australian universities. com, rank Melbourne university as the second best university in Australia. Monash is ranked 8. I don't think you should taken into consideration the Atar clearly in score to determine which university is better. Remember Melbourne has the Melbourne model.

I'm currently doing yr 12 as well, I'm determined to do Law. For me it's out of Melbourne or La trobe. Monash is way to far for me to travel and I'm not confident will get the clearly in Atar. Good luck with your exams.
 

[chrisjb]

If you get into Law, I recommend Melbourne. In reference to prestige I personally feel Melbourne on a world stage is better. Australian universities. com, rank Melbourne university as the second best university in Australia. Monash is ranked 8. I don't think you should taken into consideration the Atar clearly in score to determine which university is better. Remember Melbourne has the Melbourne model.

I'm currently doing yr 12 as well, I'm determined to do Law. For me it's out of Melbourne or La trobe. Monash is way to far for me to travel and I'm not confident will get the clearly in Atar. Good luck with your exams.
 

Yes, but why do a 3-4 year undergrad with no guarantee of getting into JD? If I get above the cut off for guaranteed entry into Melbuni JD then I wouldn't think twice about taking it. IMO it's the best possible law course for a Victorian. However, why would I chose to go to a uni where there's no guarantee that I'll end up with a law degree when I could go to ANU, Deakin, Monash or Latrobe and be guaranteed a degree in what I actually want?

It's all well and good to want to have the best degree out there, but if your score is between 93 and 99 (which is where a lot of people on this site will probably end up) it's better to chose a less prestigious course rather than take your luck with the Melbourne Model IMO.

[Water]

+1 Chrisjb, Melbourne Model is way too insecure for Post Grad. The risks involved, for a number of many years, is far outweighed by the entries like VU, Monash, La Trobe, RMIT, ANU where entering law faculty is just an ATAR entry. Besides, Law is tedious stuff, and most would drop it 2nd year, since the work involved in quite copious and requires alot of reading, based on my brother who did law degree and someone else who did do law but failed in it, and thought it wasn't the right course. So in saying that,  2nd year is already a screening test. What is MU thinking?!??!

I'm still in VCE myself, so I don't know the amount of work involved, though it isn't for the light hearted is what I"m told. Some serious juice in that course

[Menang]

I'm also looking at doing Law (specifically Arts/Law), and I've done some research, and here's my opinion. If I'm wrong on anything (which I may very well be), feel free to correct me, anyone!

I feel like the two best universities to choose from would be either Monash or Melbourne. I do agree that the Melbourne JD (Graduate Law Program) is slightly more internationally recognised and I also think between the two, it's a slightly better degree. However, you should also take the cost as well as location of these two uni's into account.

Monash
It's five years to complete the double degree with an average annual contribution of $7,300 which adds up to $36,500 for the entire degree. You finish after five years with a BA/LLB.
: Cheaper, less years, and if you get the required ATAR you are guaranteed (pretty much) to graduate with a law degree.
: Monash can be quite a commute for west-siders (or anyone not in the east-side). I personally also don't think that the LLB is as internationally recognised as the JD (but not by much).

Melbourne
3 years of undergrad Arts ($5,442/year or $16,326 for the whole degree on average) + another 3 years for the JD (roughly $30,000 for the full degree). Total fees paid for Arts/JD is about $46,000 give or take.
: There's (I think) more flexibility with the Melbourne Model - more chances to pursue other interests and expand your skill set. Also, the location is amazing - so close to the CBD and right next to Lygon street. And you do finish with the JD. Also, it's much easier to get into Arts at Melbourne (ATAR: 88) compared to Arts/Law and Monash (ATAR: 98.4)
: More expensive. About $10,000 more expensive. Also, there's no guarantee you'll get into the JD. Last year, about 600 students applied for 200 spots. You need to sit the LSAT (which I've heard is brutal) and write a personal statement, as well as maintain a good undergrad weighted average. Unless, of course, you get an ATAR of 99.90+ which guarantees you a CSP place, in which case that's not a problem.

Note: These fees are all CSP fees. Full fee places (especially for the JD) are around three times more expensive. (So that 30k for the JD just became 90k. That's right.)

[werdna]

Monash Law FTW.

I think with a double degree at Monash, you'd be exploring your options/interests even better. Yes, a BA or BComm at UoM might just expand your horizons and so on, but a double degree at Monash like a BComm/LLB will mean that you explore your options, just like you would in an undergraduate degree at UoM, BUT you explore these options whilst doing a law degree. So it's a bit of a compare/contrast experience, seeing what you like and don't like would be so much easier whilst undertaking a double degree.

[eeps]

According to a lady from the Law faculty at the University of Melbourne that I heard today at an information day, she said out of roughly 600 students who applied for JD last year, only 250 were accepted. Chances aren't that great; the safer option would be to do an undergraduate law degree at another university. For those interested, an ATAR score of 99.0+ guarantees a full-fee place for JD, though you have to maintain a 75% weighted average in your undergraduate degree. If you get an ATAR score of 99.90 or better, it guarantees a CSP place for JD, though I still think you need to maintain a 75% weighted average in the undergraduate degree.

[Menang]

Monash Law FTW.

I think with a double degree at Monash, you'd be exploring your options/interests even better. Yes, a BA or BComm at UoM might just expand your horizons and so on, but a double degree at Monash like a BComm/LLB will mean that you explore your options, just like you would in an undergraduate degree at UoM, BUT you explore these options whilst doing a law degree. So it's a bit of a compare/contrast experience, seeing what you like and don't like would be so much easier whilst undertaking a double degree.

Yeah, you're probably right. I just think that doing a double degree would take up a lot of my time and subject space. Doing just Arts would give me a whole bunch for IDF/Breadth space to mess around outside a major.

That said, I'm definitely leaning towards Monash just because of the fees.

[Menang]

According to a lady from the Law faculty at the University of Melbourne that I heard today at an information day, she said out of roughly 600 students who applied for JD last year, only 250 were accepted. Chances aren't that great; the safer option would be to do an undergraduate law degree at another university. For those interested, an ATAR score of 99.0+ guarantees a full-fee place for JD, though you have to maintain a 75% weighted average in your undergraduate degree. If you get an ATAR score of 99.90 or better, it guarantees a CSP place for JD, though I still think you need to maintain a 75% weighted average in the undergraduate degree.

EPL! You were at Access All Areas? I was too! Listening to the same lady!

[eeps]

According to a lady from the Law faculty at the University of Melbourne that I heard today at an information day, she said out of roughly 600 students who applied for JD last year, only 250 were accepted. Chances aren't that great; the safer option would be to do an undergraduate law degree at another university. For those interested, an ATAR score of 99.0+ guarantees a full-fee place for JD, though you have to maintain a 75% weighted average in your undergraduate degree. If you get an ATAR score of 99.90 or better, it guarantees a CSP place for JD, though I still think you need to maintain a 75% weighted average in the undergraduate degree.

EPL! You were at Access All Areas? I was too! Listening to the same lady!

Yeh, I was there. I think I sat in the row in front of you. I was the (only) Asian guy there!

[Menang]

According to a lady from the Law faculty at the University of Melbourne that I heard today at an information day, she said out of roughly 600 students who applied for JD last year, only 250 were accepted. Chances aren't that great; the safer option would be to do an undergraduate law degree at another university. For those interested, an ATAR score of 99.0+ guarantees a full-fee place for JD, though you have to maintain a 75% weighted average in your undergraduate degree. If you get an ATAR score of 99.90 or better, it guarantees a CSP place for JD, though I still think you need to maintain a 75% weighted average in the undergraduate degree.

EPL! You were at Access All Areas? I was too! Listening to the same lady!

Yeh, I was there. I think I sat in the row in front of you. I was the (only) Asian guy there!

How do you know which row I was sitting in! 0_0

Haha, now I'm trying to remember what you looked like. Should have paid more attention to the audience!

[werdna]

Hmm.. JD sounds very, very risky! Besides if you want to do graduate law, I think Monash has a Master of Laws which I'd imagine would be internationally-recognised?

I wish UoM didn't have that stupid Melbourne Model, I liked the way things used to be with the BComm/LLB degrees there.. these were definitely internationally-recognised I think, I had a tutor in grade 6 that finished this degree and is now lawyering in London and Hong Kong....