Bachelor of Legal and Justice Studies

In the fight for justice, you need integrity, perseverance and ideally, this degree.

The Bachelor of Legal and Justice Studies will equip you not just with a knowledge of how the law works, but also why it was established in the first place and how it affects others.

While a law degree provides you with the skills to work in legal practice, this degree provides a broader range of insights to people with interests in social justice, policy development, politics, and analysis.

Graduates are prepared for a wide range of roles in the justice and social policy sector, as well as the public service.

Career Opportunities

Law-related work In legal firms, government policymaking, corporate firms, government legal departments, law enforcement agencies, legal aid offices, court administration, public prosecutions, and in the corporate sector in banking, insurance, and conveyancing. This is a recognized educational qualification for a licensed conveyancer in NSW.

Professional Recognition

The Bachelor of Legal and Justice Studies provides students with the academic requirements necessary to obtain a conveyancer’s license in NSW and is accredited by NSW Fair Trading. For licensing requirements, and details of mandatory additional work experience required to enable registration, inquiries should be made to NSW Fair Trading.

Note that each Australian state or territory has its own legislation regulating conveyancing practice, except QLD where only qualified solicitors are legally permitted to engage in conveyancing.

Professional Placement

Students can undertake voluntary legal experience and para-professional placement with legal firms or offices to complement their practical legal skills and become familiar with the issues facing working paralegals.

Major Areas of Study

The course consists of compulsory law and units and elective units, including Australian Politics, the Australian Legal System, Global Social Movements and Social Policy. Students can choose to study a major in Conveyancing.

Additional information: Some elective units, when studied online, require students to attend on-campus workshops.

Assessment methods

The assessment methods used in this course vary from unit to unit. They may include research proposals, research essays, reports, oral and written presentations, case studies, online and class participation, and examinations. The weighting of assessment marks between assignments and examinations also varies.

Teaching methods

On-campus students experience a variety of teaching approaches including face-to-face lectures and tutorials. Some units offer online activities, classes, pre-recorded and/or live lectures. The method of teaching may vary from unit to unit.

The online study option is highly interactive and strives to promote collaboration and a sense of community. Students may receive online pre-recorded and/or live lectures, electronic study materials, workshops, online discussion forums and virtual classes. The method of teaching may vary from unit to unit.

If online students choose to study the following elective units, they will need to attend workshops at either the Lismore or the Gold Coast campus:

• LAW00057 - Conveyancing Law (a one-day workshop, usually Saturday or Sunday)

• LAW00214 - Mediation and Dispute Resolution (a two-day workshop, usually Saturday and Sunday)

• LAW00216 - Mediation Practice and Procedure (a two-day workshop, usually Saturday and Sunday)

Facts, figures, rankings and awards

Southern Cross University is a progressive, young and connected regional research university, with vibrant campuses in northern New South Wales and the southern Gold Coast. We offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and many are available in a dynamic online form. Whether studying on-campus, online, or both, we deliver exciting, contemporary and high-quality learning experiences.

Why SCU?

Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 20Bold, progressive and just 23 years of age – Southern Cross University is one of the Asia-Pacific’s Top 100 Universities and one of the world’s Top 50 Generation Y Universities .

Our contemporary campuses, with purpose-built state-of-the-art facilities, are located on the east coast of Australia, at the Gold Coast in Queensland, and in Lismore and Coffs Harbour in New South Wales. All are unique regions renowned for their natural beauty and ecological diversity, providing living laboratories for learning and creative hubs for artistic endeavour.

Branch campuses in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are operated in collaboration with EduCo on behalf of Southern Cross University. The University also operates The Hotel School Sydney and Melbourne in partnership with Mulpha Australia. We also deliver degrees with collaborators in China, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

We have a large and diverse range of courses available online, offering interactive and immersive learning experiences wherever our students are.

Whether studying on-campus, online, or both, we deliver exciting, contemporary and high-quality learning experiences.

We aim to produce graduates who are career ready, world ready and digitally literate, and who experience an academic environment distinctive for its personal approach.

The University has a strong focus on industry and community collaboration to produce engaged teaching and research outcomes.

This connectivity is seeing Southern Cross University lead the $13.8m national Farming Together Pilot Program, partnering with the Northern Rivers Co-operatives Alliance and the Australian Government. The University has also introduced an important new Centre for Organics Research with the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

In the latest Excellence in Research for Australia report, Southern Cross achieved outstanding ratings of 'at world standard' or above in 24 research fields. In nine research fields, the University was evaluated at the highest possible classification of 'well above world standard'. This was achieved in the fields of Geochemistry, Oceanography, Environmental Science and Management, Zoology, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Crop and Pasture Production, Forestry Sciences, Nursing, Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Campuses

Southern Cross University is a vibrant, contemporary Australian university with beautiful campuses on the Gold Coast, Lismore and Coffs Harbour.

Sydney, Melbourne and Perth branch campuses (International students)

Southern Cross University's branch campuses at Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth are conveniently located in the central business districts.

Studying at SCU Sydney, Melbourne or Perth gives international students the opportunity to complete undergraduate or postgraduate degrees in three of the world's most liveable cities. Southern Cross University collaborates with EduCo Sydney Branch Pty Ltd for the operation of the SCU Sydney, Melbourne and Perth branch campuses.