A world-class legal education in Australia
Experience studying law in one of the world's most liveable cities.¹ Start your journey to becoming a legal professional in Canada with La Trobe's Juris Doctor.
Join a law school ranked in the world's Top 200.² Learn from leading professors and practicing lawyers to prepare for a global career in law.
Gain the knowledge and practical skills to excel as a legal professional:
- Meet the academic requirements to apply for admission to practice law in Victoria, Australia³ and start your journey to qualification as a Canadian lawyer.⁴
- Build strong foundations with our core subjects and develop specialist knowledge with our electives.
- Develop the professional skills of a practicing lawyer and understand your role as an ethical practitioner committed to promoting the rule of law and access to justice.
- Connect with the profession through our prestigious alumni network and industry partnerships, with placements to develop skills in a real-world legal environment.
- Prepare for legal practice with diverse placement opportunities, including the La Trobe Legal Clinic.
Why study La Trobe's Juris Doctor?
Big city legal experience
Benefit from small evening classes at our City Campus in the heart of Melbourne’s central business district and court precinct.
Hands-on skills
Develop practical skills in professional legal environments with leading law firms, government and community organisations
High employability
Join the 83.9% of La Trobe’s domestic law postgraduates in full-time employment.
Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), 2024, ComparED: Law & Paralegal Studies (Postgraduate)
Save on fees
Depending on your grade point average (GPA), with a La Trobe International Scholarship, you could save up to 25 per cent on fees for the duration of your degree – potentially saving more than A$10,000 a year. You don't even need to apply – applicants will be automatically considered after submitting their course application, including conversion of their GPA to Australia's weighted average mark (WAM).
Explore law at La Trobe
Hear from our students
The best lecturers are just so inspiring and have left me with lasting motivation, even after the subject was completed. I found myself wanting to delve a bit deeper and consider pursue a career in that particular area of law. It's the small size of the class which enables more interaction with the lecturers.
Even though I'm ten years out from graduating, I still keep in contact with a lot of my classmates. I met fellow Canadians studying law at La Trobe. Having those connections helped a great deal when I got back to Canada and went through the process of having my law degree recognised in Canada.
I love the practical experience part of the course, and the overseas exposure, I did an overseas internship and a short program. I gained invaluable legal skills and I also built connections with other lawyers and legal practitioners from different backgrounds through these experiences. La Trobe provides great flexibility in terms of the timetable and mode of teaching. I was able to work part time while studying full time throughout the Juris Doctor because of the accommodating timetable.
¹ World Economic Forum, 2022, These are the world's most liveable cities
² Times Higher Education (THE), 2022, World University Rankings 2023 by subject: law
³ The Juris Doctor satisfies the academic requirements for admission to practice law in Victoria on meeting the additional requirements set by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board (VLAB).
⁴ La Trobe's Juris Doctor is recognised by the Canadian National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) as a common law academic qualification. Each graduate must apply to the NCA to have their credentials assessed. Under the current rules, graduates will be required to take five Canadian law subjects or pass the relevant challenge examination for each subject. Canada's provinces also have additional requirements for admission to legal practice.