The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) will be awarded on the basis of a student’s Weighted Average Mark (WAM) achieved in the Deakin M312 Bachelor of Laws and their successful completion of two units, one in research method and one on a research project. In addition to equipping you with an understanding of law and the contexts in which it operates, the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) places a significant emphasis on building your high-level research skills through opportunities to conduct independent legal research. Through the Bachelor of Laws (Honours), you will graduate with an honours-degree, giving you additional advantages in establishing your career or providing the foundations for postgraduate study. The program satisfies the academic component to be admitted as a legal practitioner in Australia. Students must complete the Deakin M312 Bachelor of Laws course requirements with a WAM of 65% and successfully complete the two Bachelor of Laws (Honours) research units to receive the Deakin Bachelor of Laws (Honours) award.

Obtaining a law degree is normally the first step towards becoming a barrister or solicitor, and most students entering law school aspire to enter one of these branches of the legal profession. A Law degree, especially when combined with a degree in Arts, Commerce, Management or Science, is a qualification that offers unequalled career opportunities. As an alternative to practising as a barrister or solicitor, you may choose to enter business (eg. as a corporate lawyer, company administrator or business manager); government service (as a lawyer with departments or authorities as diverse as the Attorney Generals Department, the office of Parliamentary Counsel, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Australian Securities Commission); industrial relations; public administration; teaching (at a university); or in law reform (as a research officer). The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree provides students with demonstrated research skills, which are highly prized in legal practice, government, policy, and corporate roles. In particular, students who complete the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) will have a strong foundation for entry into postgraduate study and potential careers in academia, legal practice, and government roles.