Arts/Law at ANU? (1 Viewer)

[marilyn_floatin]

I have been looking at so many Uni's lately and I am just about 2 put in my preferences for UAc and I want 2 know whether ANU is an excellent uni for Law. It is very confusing which one is the best!

I absolutely don't want 2 go 2 sydney, to many snobby bitches, and high living expenses?
Can anyone help with my dilema?

 

[loquasagacious]

Whats the choice between? What career do you want to pursue?

ANU's law school like to say they're the nations best. I'd say that ANU law roughly equals UNSW law and USYD.

The key differences being to career paths involved law school in sydney being more condusive to a career in private practice at oe of the top firms. Whereas ANU is a good place if you want to head into the public service. I think ANU's international law is the best available.

Considering you want to do arts/law can we assume that you want to do International relations/pol sci in arts and international/admin law in law?

If so the ANU would be the place to be.

 

[paper cup]

Whats the choice between? What career do you want to pursue?

ANU's law school like to say they're the nations best. I'd say that ANU law roughly equals UNSW law and USYD.

The key differences being to career paths involved law school in sydney being more condusive to a career in private practice at oe of the top firms. Whereas ANU is a good place if you want to head into the public service. I think ANU's international law is the best available.

Considering you want to do arts/law can we assume that you want to do International relations/pol sci in arts and international/admin law in law?

If so the ANU would be the place to be.

omg IR and politics is totally the new black. I think that's what turned me off.
marilyn I can definitely relate, ANU law is pretty good, put it down.

 

[loquasagacious]

I can guarantee that intro to IR by Jim George would turn you off more.....

 

[Ziff]

Jim George is a god! Don't diss Jim George. Awesome...

I'm starting to get doubts about the law programme at the ANU... ethics course is shit. The contracts course is being taught extremely poorly. Yep. Doubts.

 

[MissSavage29]

ANU has a really good arts faculty - the school of history is great

i still like law - i loved torts in the first semester - and i do agree with ziff about hte ones we are doing at the moment, they are not as good as they could be at the moment (contracts will pick up now though!)

i dont know if ANU would be classed as the best law school in australia but it does have advantages - the varoious supreme / family courts and high court are in canberra, smaller tute groups

if you dont like sydeny (which is why i didn't go there) i think canberra is a good place to study law - the other thing you would have to think abotu is what other choices you had for law schools - i dont know how highly regarded the other nsw unis law programs are

 

[loquasagacious]

I'm also liking history - partly because of getting my first HD in history - yay! Other than that though Arts wise Ben Wellings (lecturer on contemporary europe) is awesome and the international relations courses constitute apparently the most comprehensive IR in the country. Other uni's covering it as an interesting offshoot of politics and thus having sparse courses on the topic.

 

[marilyn_floatin]

I am looking at going into diplomatic service and do u think that anu isgood if wanting 2 pursue this career option?
politics isa definently an option
what do ya think?

 

[loquasagacious]

ANU is the only place to pursue such a career path. It is one of few universities to teach International Relations and is certainly the premier among those that do.

Bear in mind though that half the campuss also wants to get into the diplomatic corps, and they only accept one or two applicants per year. Needless to say it is very competitive. Check out DFATs profiles of previously successful applicants. Probably a bad idea to pin all your hopes on it.

If you want it though then arts/asian studies, arts/economics or arts/law is the way to go.

In any case in Arts major in International Relations and one of the following: American Studies, Anthropology, Applied Linguistics, Contemporary Europe, Developement Studies, History, International Communication, Linguistics, Population Studies, Sociology, or a Language (Italian, German, French, Spanish, Arabic or Persian).
Economics: Economics and Economic Development.
Law: Admin Law and International Law.

I stress though that an appropriate degree (even with shit-hot marks) is unlikely to be enough (honours would probably e a good idea). They look for experience internationally with either business or NGOs, probably some time on exchange, well rounded character the whole lot.

Other avenues to consider are AusAid (administrators of all our overseas Aid), ASIO (strategic analysis/spies), ONA (analysts), Dep of the PM, or NGO work.

 

[paper cup]

ANU is the only place to pursue such a career path. It is one of few universities to teach International Relations and is certainly the premier among those that do.

Bear in mind though that half the campuss also wants to get into the diplomatic corps, and they only accept one or two applicants per year. Needless to say it is very competitive. Check out DFATs profiles of previously successful applicants. Probably a bad idea to pin all your hopes on it.

If you want it though then arts/asian studies, arts/economics or arts/law is the way to go.

In any case in Arts major in International Relations and one of the following: American Studies, Anthropology, Applied Linguistics, Contemporary Europe, Developement Studies, History, International Communication, Linguistics, Population Studies, Sociology, or a Language (Italian, German, French, Spanish, Arabic or Persian).
Economics: Economics and Economic Development.
Law: Admin Law and International Law.

I stress though that an appropriate degree (even with shit-hot marks) is unlikely to be enough (honours would probably e a good idea). They look for experience internationally with either business or NGOs, probably some time on exchange, well rounded character the whole lot.

Other avenues to consider are AusAid (administrators of all our overseas Aid), ASIO (strategic analysis/spies), ONA (analysts), Dep of the PM, or NGO work.

I want to work for ASIO
addy can you give me an answer to this question - in the media there's been stories, alright one story, that I read about Politics/IR grads not being able to get jobs outside of staying at the uni and teaching, and even those are a bit hard to get. This true? Because I really was thinking about doing arts/law but I'm veering in the maths direction now.

 

[marilyn_floatin]

I knew that diplomatic stuff was hard and very competative but I had no idea it was as competitive as you described it.

So to get ahead of others it would be good 2 do honours?

now I don't really know I just can't see myself working as a real lawyer!!!!

I don't mind working from the crapiest level where would be the most obvious place 2 start?

Help please!!

 

[loquasagacious]

Cherryblossom: As far as jobs go, I havn't heard of there being much problem, i think it is important to have something else more 'employable' as a second major.

eg a IR/journalism student could work as a journo/in PR, IR/International Business could work with a multinational.

In the end employers are looking for people who are trained to think, they still have to be trained to work. Pols/IR/History trains you to research and analysis. Other areas give you a paradigm through which to view things eg a company hires a lawyer because they want someone to examine something from a legal perspective, etc etc.

I wouldn't worry too much about employment prospects as yet (unless you plan on doing Gender Studies). If you are worried do another major (or two as well). Or combine it with another degree eg economics,commerce, law, etc etc.

Marilyn: Definantly a good idea to do honours. Which has the added advantage of making other postgrad studies later easier to get into.

 

[loquasagacious]

With any university you get the good bad and the ugly - yes you get a bit of each at ANU Law. I have found tha Law faculty to be extremly helpful in a number of situations and not as snobbish as you'd expect. They do understand that we have lifes and dramas outside of law school. Yes, you will have a combination of those who want to make money in private practice and those that want to save the world. Either way its good to be surrounded by people of similar interests. Although you may see these people as competition in the future, you will probably find that people change, needs change, perspectives change and careers change

 

[whipped cream]

some qn's

i was just wondering about the type of ENTER that would be needed to be accepted into the ANU for a Arts/Law course? and will it accept VCE results?
and once studying there, does the university have any correspondence with government departments or other institutions when it comes to work experience, job offers adn etc?

 

[erawamai]

I want to work for ASIO

If you want to work for ASIO you must do the foreign policy. I did this at unsw and we had a few former 'spys' come down to talk to us. Very interesting. Many of those who go into DFAT and ASIO are ANU grads who have done international relations at ANU.

 

[imsooverskool]

I am looking at going into diplomatic service and do u think that anu isgood if wanting 2 pursue this career option?
politics isa definently an option
what do ya think?

LOL, you and probably 95% of ANU Arts/Law student population. Trust me i know this, i was one of those people who thought that i would become one of the chosen few who actually have a shot at heading into DFAT.

Hmm, my 2 years at ANU law school have quashed my optimism and left an empty, vacant shell of unabashed cyniscism. Excuse me, I'm off to re-evaluate my life... ANU LAW, HIP HIP HOORAH- who am i kidding, i really was never that enthusiastic

Mazza, don't let my manic depression put you off, by all accounts ANU is the best place to be if you want to head into diplomacy, all i have to say to you is JOIN THE QUEUE, IT'S LONGER THAN CENTRELINKS

 

[neo o]

LOL, you and probably 95% of ANU Arts/Law student population. Trust me i know this, i was one of those people who thought that i would become one of the chosen few who actually have a shot at heading into DFAT.

Hmm, my 2 years at ANU law school have quashed my optimism and left an empty, vacant shell of unabashed cyniscism. Excuse me, I'm off to re-evaluate my life... ANU LAW, HIP HIP HOORAH- who am i kidding, i really was never that enthusiastic

Mazza, don't let my manic depression put you off, by all accounts ANU is the best place to be if you want to head into diplomacy, all i have to say to you is JOIN THE QUEUE, IT'S LONGER THAN CENTRELINKS

There were 3 different contracts classes on weekly last semester. Two of these clashed with IR/pols classes. There were no more than 20 people in each of those classes, 10 in one. Go figure

@ whipped cream :

1) Yes, but you have to apply through UAC. Going on previous years you'd need an ENTER of about 95, but it's expected to rise this year.

2) I'd assume so in regards to government departments, but to tell you the truth: I don't really know. At the very least if you want to try to get an internship at say, DFAT over the summer it'd be closer to home.

 

[_Benji_]

Ok... I've always thought my #1 pref wld be IR but lately a LOT of people have been talking at me about doing arts/law... to give that "edge" or whatever.

Now I wouldn't ever consider practicing as a lawyer... I want to head into the UN (yes like everyone else) or human rights/ NGO fields and quite frankly law looks quite boring until you can actually get into the human rights/international stuff, so, I'm not all that enthusiastic about it, but i've been rather sucked into all these prep talks, changing my prefs to arts/law.

Can anyone give me the scope on whether they think this is a gd idea... do many people do it just to give them a bit of an edge/more knowledge on the IR front with no interest in practicing law? Any past experiences?

Gah... so many decisions and I'm indecisive at the BEST of times!

 

[loquasagacious]

Yes there are alot of people who do law without ever intending on practicising - personally I don't think this is a good idea (Neo may disagree though). The theory largely runs that law develops a powerful intellect/research skills and complements the arts side especially for those who take IR/Pols majors in arts and international law/human rights majors in law.

There is no real way to verify the veracity of the 'give the edge' claims....

 

[neo o]

Personally I love law (excluding courses like International Law ). Different people enjoy different things though, and why try it based upon what others think would be good for you? Then again, if you have the UAI and don't know what else you're interested in, why not take law for a year? What you learn definately wouldn't be wasted knowledge, since at the ANU you cover a hell of a lot of content in one year (torts, contracts, ethics and a foundations course). Besides who knows, you may actually enjoy it!

Loq, am I always trying to sell law?