Bachelor of Laws
at Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory.
An accredited LLB degree covering the Priestley 11 areas of law (contracts, torts, criminal, constitutional, administrative, equity and trusts, property, civil procedure, evidence, ethics and corporations). Often combined with another bachelor degree.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the Charles Darwin University Bachelor of Laws. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | SATAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | SATAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | SATAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official SATAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
Year one introduces legal foundations (legal method, legal research, Australian legal system) and the first compulsory Priestley 11 units in criminal law and torts. CDU's Asia Pacific College of Business and Law teaches the LLB with strong emphasis on Indigenous justice, Northern Territory criminal law contexts and remote-area legal practice. Year two covers contracts, constitutional law and administrative law. Year three builds property law, equity and trusts, civil procedure and evidence. Year four delivers corporations law, legal ethics, the optional electives (Indigenous legal issues, environmental law, family law, international human rights) and a clinical or moot court capstone. Expect substantial reading loads (around 300 pages a week per unit), heavy case-law analysis, structured exam-style problem questions and closed-book final exams worth up to 70 per cent. CDU's smaller cohort allows direct lecturer access in moot court preparation.
Example first-year subjects
- Legal Method and Research
- Criminal Law and Procedure
- Foundations of Public Law
- Torts
- Legal Theory and Australian Legal System
- Contracts 1
How you will be assessed
- Closed-book final exams (50 to 70 per cent weight in core units)
- Open-book legal problem-question essays
- Case-law analysis assignments
- Moot court advocacy and oral examination
- Research essays in higher-year electives
- Practical legal skills portfolio (drafting, client interviewing)
Career outcomes
- Graduates work as solicitors and barristers after completing practical legal training and admission to the relevant state Supreme Court.
- Common destinations include top-tier and mid-tier law firms, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and state legal aid commissions.
- Many alumni move into in-house counsel roles, policy work in government or the judiciary as associates and tipstaves.
Professional accreditation
- Priestley 11 compliant
- Recognised for admission by the relevant state Legal Profession Admission Board
Typical first jobs
- Graduate solicitor at NT or interstate law firm
- Crown solicitor at NT Department of the Attorney-General
- Associate to a Northern Territory Supreme Court or magistrates court judge
- Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions solicitor
- Legal Aid NT solicitor in criminal or civil practice
- Policy adviser in a state or federal department
After graduation
Graduates must complete a Practical Legal Training course (CDU offers the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice with PLT certification) and be admitted by the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory or another Australian state Supreme Court. From admission, alumni pathway into solicitor roles at NT firms, the Northern Territory Bar (with at least one year of practical experience), in-house counsel positions and Crown Law roles. Postgraduate options include the Master of Laws (LLM) at CDU and partner universities, with strengths in commercial law, Indigenous and human rights law and resources law.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- You can sustain heavy weekly reading loads in case law and statute
- You are interested in NT criminal law and Indigenous justice contexts
- You handle closed-book exams well and enjoy structured argument
- You want a smaller cohort with direct access to lecturers and judges
- You are committed to a four-year commitment plus PLT and admission
It is probably not for you if
- You dislike heavy reading and case-law analysis
- You want a quick three-year degree
- You expect a fully practical vocational-style course
- You cannot manage closed-book exams as the dominant assessment
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Charles Darwin University handbook and on SATAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/charles-darwin/bachelor-of-laws.