Juris Doctor

The Juris Doctor prepares students for a career as a legal professional, both within Australia and overseas.

It is an alternative to the Bachelor of Laws for students who have completed an undergraduate degree in any discipline.

The Juris Doctor provides students with a thorough grounding in essential areas of substantive law and access to a wide choice of law elective subjects, including the option of completing a specialisation.

An integrated skills and professionalism program is embedded in the degree and focuses on core legal skills essential to the practice of law.

The Juris Doctor provides an engaging learning experience that challenges students academically and prepares them practically for a legal career.

View the Juris Doctor - Program Structure and Sequencing for all semesters of commencement.

The Juris Doctor program comprises 24 subjects:

Law compulsory subjects (17)

• LAWS75-105 Legal Foundations A
• LAWS75-106 Legal Foundations B
• LAWS75-107 Foundations of Private Law
• LAWS75-108 Foundations of Public and Criminal Law
• LAWS75-201 Contract Law A
• LAWS75-202 Tort Law
• LAWS75-203 Criminal Law
• LAWS75-204 Property Law A
• LAWS75-216 Constitutional Law
• LAWS75-217 Contract Law B
• LAWS75-218 Property Law B
• LAWS75-310 Corporate Law
• LAWS75-313 Equity
• LAWS75-317 Administrative Law
• LAWS75-318 Evidence
• LAWS75-325 Civil Dispute Resolution
• LAWS75-326 Legal Profession

Law electives (7)

Students must complete postgraduate law electives from the Faculty of Law’s offerings.

Students may choose to complete an optional Law Specialisation in one of the following areas:

• Corporate and Commercial Law and Practice
• International Business and Finance Law
• Dispute Resolution
• Canadian Law and Practice 
• Legal Innovation and Technology
• Legal Practice

To be eligible for a Law Specialisation, students must complete a minimum of four (4) of their law electives (40 credit points) within one of the above areas. Eligible students will receive a Specialisation Certificate at the completion of their program.

Juris Doctor degree with Distinction

Students may be eligible to receive the Juris Doctor degree with Distinction. Please see the Law Honours / Distinction information page for eligibility requirements.

International students

To fulfil student visa requirements, students will need to enrol in a minimum of 4 subjects per semester.

Domestic students

Most students undertake four (4) subjects per semester (equivalent to 40 credit points). You may however enrol in fewer subjects and extend your degree over a longer period.

Teaching methodology

Bond University’s teaching methodology involves a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, examinations, projects, presentations, assignments, computer labs and industry projects.

Academic entry requirements

Completion of an Australian Bachelor degree or equivalent.

Please contact the Office of Future Students for further information.

English language proficiency requirements

As tuition is delivered in English, all students will be required to provide documented evidence of the required level of proficiency in the English language. Read more detailed information on English language proficiency requirements for university study.

Credit for prior study

Subject credits may be awarded for previous studies. To apply for credits, you will need to submit academic transcripts including detailed subject outlines/course descriptions for each relevant subject and/or certified copies of testamurs to the Office of Future Students. 

For students holding a civil law Bachelor of Laws degree:

• Bond University will grant 6 subject credits into the Juris Doctor Degree. These credits will be for law elective subjects.
• Students who receive credit will complete the Juris Doctor degree in five (5) semesters.
• Students will be required to complete 17 compulsory law subjects and 1 postgraduate law elective subject.
• A complimentary subject LAWS70-602 Australian Law and Language will be offered to students at no cost and no academic credit.

Please refer to how to apply for credit for more information.

Key dates

Bond University calendar

How to apply

In order to apply for study at Bond University, you will need to complete the online application form. To find out more about the application process please refer to how to apply.

The Juris Doctor is an approved degree for the purposes of admission as a legal practitioner in all Australian jurisdictions, in conjunction with further study (Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice) or a traineeship. The Juris Doctor degree can also be used to apply for admission internationally.

The Juris Doctor prepares graduates to pursue careers in the public or private sector, such as solicitors, barristers, government lawyers, in-house counsel, judge's associates, academics or business leaders. Bond Law graduates are employed in top tier law firms throughout Australia and overseas, including Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Scandinavia, Singapore, United Kingdom and USA.

Students are always advised to confirm admission requirements in the particular jurisdiction in which they wish to practise.

A Juris Doctor from Bond University is considered a qualifying Law degree for the purpose of practising Law in Canada. Students who complete the JD at Bond are required to apply to the National Committee on Accreditation, part of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, to obtain a Certificate of Qualification in order to be eligible to apply for articling and legal registration in the provincial jurisdiction of their choosing. For more information, please visit the National Committee on Accreditation.