School of Law
The aim of the School
The School of Law at James Cook University aims to produce multi-skilled, versatile and ethical graduates. Our aim is that graduates will have the knowledge, skills and attributes fit in them to take their place in their chosen career path. Our degrees prepare people for the practice of law and also for work and service to a broad range of sectors. The School seeks to do that by imparting a strong appreciation both of the rule of law and role of law in its social, economic, environmental and political contexts. Students are enabled to understand the significance of the law for ensuring stable government, economic prosperity and the protection and preservation of individual and cultural rights and the protection of the environment. Further, we aim to empower students by instilling core skills for life. These include a capacity for lifelong learning, an ability to critically evaluate, a strong ethical commitment, strong analytical and problem solving skills, good written and oral communication skills, strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of a team.
The Law Program
The Law School offers a full undergraduate coursework degree and postgraduate research degrees in both Townsville and Cairns. The School provides students with a solid foundation in traditional law subjects, along with an exciting and broad ranging elective program. The School is proud of its community links and is strongly supported by the local profession, with a variety of sponsorships from leading local firms. JCU law graduates benefit from a practical approach and an understanding of modern society - they are highly prized by the legal profession.
The Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree is a four-year program. The Graduate Bachelor of Laws, for existing degree holders, is a three-year program. A range of joint degree options is also available:
Combined degrees can provide students with a broader understanding of legal principles and the place of law in society. The combined degrees are strongly supported by the profession. They can also open up employment opportunities in specialist areas. The undergraduate law and joint-LLB degrees are all accredited for admission purposes in Queensland and the School has also been approved by the Queensland Law Society as an assessing authority for the purpose of assessing the overseas qualifications of applicants seeking admission to practice in Queensland. The School also offers a range of specialist commercial and environmental law subjects for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Environmental Engineering and Bachelor of Science degrees (subjects that are also taken as electives by students enrolled in a range of other degrees offered by the university).
Background and History of Law at JCU
Until 1989 JCU only offered the first year of study towards a LLB. The program was hosted by the then Department of History and Politics and students completed full-year subjects in “Introduction to Law” and “Criminal Law” as well as two full-year non-law electives (or the semester equivalent). They then had to transfer (usually) to the University of Queensland or the Queensland Institute of Technology (subsequently the Queensland University of Technology) to complete their degrees.
In 1989 the University established the Department of Law as a separate School, introduced second year subjects and started offering a full four-year LLB program. Third year subjects were introduced in 1990 and fourth year subjects in 1991. Degrees were formally conferred on JCU’s first Law graduates in May 1992.
The Cairns Campus of the School began in July 1998 with 34 students and two fly-in staff. Since then the Cairns Law School has grown to over 200 students and 5 permanent academic staff. The Cairns Law School is supplemented by a host of additional sessional staff and access to the staff and facilities provided by the Townsville campus. Students have been able to complete their entire degree in Cairns since 2000. It was a proud moment for all those involved in the development of the School when our first Cairns graduates were awarded their degrees in April 2001. In 2005 the School introduced an innovative First Year Experience program on both campuses.
