UOW B laws - Reputation ? (1 Viewer)

[blakegman]

Hi,

just curious as to what reputation the law faculty and overall degree i supoose has within the sydney region i suppose. i realise a lot of opinions based on this are largely unfounded or hearsay, but if its seen as inferior to sydney, uts and nsw then i might choose to just do a commerce degree or such.

thanks

 

[Josie]

Wait, so you're going to UoW anyway, but you're going to pick which degree based on what random people on a forum tell you about the reputation, not on what *you* actually want to do?

Good luck with that.

 

[Hakz]

I have done law100 last semester and i have to say they have a really good course structure. If im wrong correct me but i think you have to combine law with another degree at uow. Sydney unis as unsw are better then uow law though, they are higher ranked then us.

 

[watatank]

nah you can just do straight law at uow if you want.

 

[Hakz]

Ah ok my wrong. How long would that take?

 

[watatank]

i think its 4 years if you do it undergrad and with a diploma of some sort, less if you do postgrad (3 years?).

 

[hfis]

You can do law by itself as I am - it takes four years. You can do it by itself (LLB) or along with the practical legal training course (LLB/GDLP). Both take the same length of time, the former allowing you more time to complete electives, and being better suited for those who do not necessarily wish to enter legal practice.

As far as reputation, UoW's Faculty of Law is beaten hands down by USYD and UNSW. Also, most likely Macq, UTS and ANU. Anyone who tells you otherwise is delusional. UWS is a grey area.

'Reputation' however only goes to perceived prestige. As for course content and the quality of learning offered, whilst I have not attended law at any of the aforementioned institutions, UoW shines in this department. Yes, some subjects suck balls (property law *cough*), but not because they're taught bad. There are hard subjects wherever you go.

If you choose your course based on what others see as 'prestigious', you deserve to be miserable during your studies. If you are interested in law/justice or want to be a lawyer, do law. If you want to be a whatever-the-hell-commerce-people-do person, do commerce. It's pretty simple really.

Feel free to ask me any questions regarding the LLB program itself.

 

[Hakz]

ok cool. thanks.

 

[poloktim]

Not fond of ICT anymore?

 

[blakegman]

i must have made myself a bit vague in the original post.

from what ive researched so far, law and commerce interest me the most at uni, just as they do in their related topics at high school. I'm not simply choosing a subject because of what someone tells me, i just think that if im interested in commerce and law equally, and the law degree at UOW wont get me very far, it may not be worth the extra 2 years of study a combined degree requires yeah ?

again, sorry if i was vague. but you answered my question in relation to reputation. so thanks

 

[watatank]

why don't you do a combined law/commerce degree then? its only five years, one extra year than the other straight law program.

 

[blakegman]

^^^ thats what ill more then likely end up doing

 

[Hakz]

Not fond of ICT anymore?

hahah nah ICT is good, i did one law subject and didnt like it. I also dont like commerce stuff as well, they are a bit boring. Technical things are my style.

 

[Raiks]

Hi,

just curious as to what reputation the law faculty and overall degree i supoose has within the sydney region i suppose. i realise a lot of opinions based on this are largely unfounded or hearsay, but if its seen as inferior to sydney, uts and nsw then i might choose to just do a commerce degree or such.

thanks

Reputation is quite good in terms of graduates finding quality jobs. UOW regularly has graduates finding spots in the top tier firms, ACCC, as well as DPP etc... We're known as having quite a intensive and content based degree compared to some other uni's making the workload a bit higher then elsewhere but that itself is its own reward.

 

[Tulipa]

Reputation is quite good in terms of graduates finding quality jobs. UOW regularly has graduates finding spots in the top tier firms, ACCC, as well as DPP etc... We're known as having quite a intensive and content based degree compared to some other uni's making the workload a bit higher then elsewhere but that itself is its own reward.

I know of a UOW law grad who graduated last year and is now working at Freehills.

 

[Raiks]

Law friends of mine are finishing this year with jobs at Corrs, the DPP, ACCC, Treasury, Mallesons and Blake Dawson Waldron... but those who haven't gone to Canberra or top tier firms have ended up picking up quite good local jobs around Wollongong.

So a law degree from UOW might not have the (loose) student "prestige" of a sandstone university but it's good enough to make you one of the top graduates in the country.

 

[blakegman]

anyone got any idea how interesting the course is ?

i do legal studies at school which i enjoy for some topics, but i would want it to be a bit more interesting to study it for 5 years. i realise interest is subjective, but just an opinion of someone who has done the course or knows someone would be appreciated

 

[watatank]

anyone got any idea how interesting the course is ?

i do legal studies at school which i enjoy for some topics, but i would want it to be a bit more interesting to study it for 5 years. i realise interest is subjective, but just an opinion of someone who has done the course or knows someone would be appreciated

i'm no law student, but i really think its not so much about the course content (well it is to some extent) but more whether you see yourself as a lawyer. i know a fair few people first year law students and none actually like it at all, despite liking legal studies in the hsc. it could mean that they picked the wrong course or that first year is not that good, eh i duno.

 

[macoboi]

anyone got any idea how interesting the course is ?

i do legal studies at school which i enjoy for some topics, but i would want it to be a bit more interesting to study it for 5 years. i realise interest is subjective, but just an opinion of someone who has done the course or knows someone would be appreciated

I'm in first year law now, and really enjoying it. watatank is right- if you are interested in law, you will like the degree. if you're thinking "well, i got the marks, no point wasting my UAI" then you'll hate it.

First year is a bit of a slog at times, but genuine interest will get you through it, its the only way you'll get through the readings each week.

The subjects you study (this is what i've done- not sure if they'll keep the same structure) are :

*Foundations of law A and B- A is fairly easy, just an introduction to legal theory and constitutional law. B goes more in depth, focussing on interdisciplinary aspects of law- sociology/anthropology/epistomology/linguistics in law. Both classes are pretty interesting, though i've found B is really dense (lots of reading, thinking)

*Contracts A and B- Contract law, really dense, hard to get into if you're not really into contracts, though there are some interesting cases, and the majority of assessments are problem questions, which i find more fun to do then research essays

*Criminal Law A and B- Self explanatory. Really dense as well, lots of readings, a fair bit of theory thrown in, but gets a little easier as you begin to understand it

*Lawyers and Australian society- basically an ethics class, not too bad.

*Communications Skills- has the potential to be a useful class, but right now is pretty easy. 2 CP, easy assessments, and you only have 6-7 classes.

*Legal Research and Writing- Bludge subject, all online quizzes, most people i know did nothing and got 80% plus.

*Adovcacy Skills- Similar to communications skills, only 7 classes to attend, easy assessments, one involves presenting bail applications in court.

In saying all this though, if you like the field, you'll like the majority of your classes. I've never had a problem with any lecturers/tutors, they really love the subject they're teaching, and are really helpful.

Hope this helps

 

[hfis]

First year is a bit hard, as there are a lot of new concepts to get used to. Having sat through two years worth of first year groups, I've noticed that incoming students tend to have difficulty with the adjustment from HSC rote-learned style exam answers to the dynamic style that law requires. I've found that many seem to have dificulty translating the weekly readings into something useful - for example, many people will try and quote lengthy passages from a case or rattle on about their interpretation of the 'ratio', when all you need is the name of a case and its two-line principle.

After first year the subjects get harder and more in depth, but this is mitigated by the fact that most people have mastered the exam technique by then. Those that haven't usually drop out - the class size between first and second year tends to decrease dramatically, whereon it remains fairly constant. Subjects to watch out for include Property A and Property B, as they will make you question your sanity.