Bachelor of Laws
at Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria.
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 Swinburne University of Technology 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 | VTAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | VTAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | VTAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official VTAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
First year of the LLB introduces the legal system, legal method, foundations of public law and contracts. You learn how to read a case, build a legal argument and apply statutory interpretation. Most LLBs are studied combined with another bachelor (arts, commerce, science, criminology). Mid years cover the Priestley 11 areas required by the Legal Profession Admission Board: contracts, torts, criminal law, constitutional law, administrative law, equity and trusts, property, civil procedure, evidence, ethics and corporations law. Reading loads of 100 to 300 pages a week of case law are normal. Final year features advanced electives (international law, intellectual property, taxation, human rights), a research capstone or thesis option, and the option of a clinical placement at a community legal centre or in-house team. After graduation, students complete Practical Legal Training (PLT) and apply for admission to the Supreme Court.
Example first-year subjects
- Legal Method and Reasoning
- Foundations of Law
- Contracts
- Torts
- Public Law and Statutory Interpretation
- Criminal Law and Procedure
How you will be assessed
- End-of-semester exams (often 70 to 100 per cent of mark)
- Hypothetical case-analysis problem questions
- Research essays (2500 to 5000 words)
- Moot competitions and oral advocacy
- Take-home seen-question exams
- Group negotiation and mediation exercises
- Clinical placement reflective journals
Placement and industry experience
Swinburne law schools run clinical legal education electives that place students at community legal centres, court diversion programmes or in-house legal teams. Typical placements run 100 to 150 hours over a semester. Students must complete Practical Legal Training (PLT) after graduation through providers such as the College of Law, ANU or Leo Cussen, as required by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board before being admitted as a lawyer.
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 top-tier or mid-tier Melbourne law firms
- Associate to a Federal Court, Supreme Court or County Court judge
- Government lawyer at the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office
- Office of Public Prosecutions or Victoria Legal Aid lawyer
- In-house counsel at a corporate or major bank
- Policy lawyer in Commonwealth or state government
- Community legal centre lawyer
Graduate starting salary
$70,000 - $95,000 per year
Source: https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/jobs/solicitor. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
After the LLB, graduates complete Practical Legal Training (PLT, six months full-time or equivalent part-time) and apply for admission as an Australian lawyer through the Victorian Legal Admissions Board. Postgrad options include the Master of Laws (LLM), specialist LLMs in tax, IP, international law or human rights, the JD for non-LLB graduates wanting a law qualification, and PhD pathways through Swinburne's law school.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Strong readers comfortable with 100-plus pages of case law a week
- Precise writers who can build a tight legal argument
- Patient students who can hold detail in their head
- Confident speakers willing to moot and present
- Self-starters who chase clerkships from year two
It is probably not for you if
- Students who dislike heavy reading and writing
- Those who hate final-exam pressure
- People wanting a science or maths-heavy course
- Students who avoid public speaking and oral assessment
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Swinburne University of Technology handbook and on VTAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/swinburne/bachelor-of-laws.