Bachelor of Laws
at The University of Queensland, Queensland.
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 The University of Queensland 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 | QTAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official QTAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
The UQ Bachelor of Laws is a four-year program taught from the TC Beirne School of Law at St Lucia and is built around the Priestley 11 compulsory areas required for admission to legal practice in Queensland. Year one establishes legal foundations with the Australian legal system, legal research and writing, contract law and torts, alongside an introduction to public law and legal method. Students learn to read cases, brief authorities and construct legal arguments from primary sources. Years two and three carry the bulk of the Priestley areas: criminal law, constitutional law, administrative law, property law, equity and trusts, corporations law, civil procedure and evidence. Seminars run in smaller groups with heavy weekly reading of statutes, cases and commentary, and problem-based hypothetical questions are central to learning. Students choose from electives such as international law, intellectual property, environmental law, human rights and taxation. Year four deepens specialisation through advanced electives, legal ethics and professional responsibility, and capstone-style research. Most UQ law students complete the LLB as part of a dual degree (with Arts, Commerce, Economics, Business, Science or Journalism), which extends total study to five years. Mooting, clinical legal education through the UQ Pro Bono Centre, and competition advocacy are widely available.
Example first-year subjects
- Australian Legal System and Method
- Legal Research and Writing
- Principles of Contract Law
- Law of Torts
- Introduction to Public Law
- Foundations of Criminal Law
How you will be assessed
- Problem-based hypothetical questions and case-analysis assignments
- Final exams of 50 to 70 percent in core Priestley subjects (often open-book)
- Research essays of 2500 to 5000 words in elective and upper-year subjects
- Mooting and oral advocacy assessment
- Statutory interpretation and legal-drafting exercises
- Tutorial participation and class problem sets
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 or law clerk at top-tier and mid-tier Brisbane firms
- Judge's associate or tipstaff at the Supreme, District or Federal courts
- Paralegal or legal officer in Queensland Government departments
- Lawyer at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions or Legal Aid Queensland
- Graduate at the Australian Government Solicitor or Crown Law
- In-house legal or compliance graduate at corporates and banks
Graduate starting salary
$65,000 - $75,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-24.
After graduation
An LLB alone does not admit graduates to practice. Graduates must complete Practical Legal Training (PLT) such as the College of Law or Queensland University of Technology PLT, plus supervised workplace experience, before admission to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a lawyer. Many graduates take a graduate clerkship or associateship with a judge as an entry point. Postgraduate pathways include the Master of Laws (LLM) in specialist areas, the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and the UQ MBA. Combined degrees mean many students graduate with a second qualification in Arts, Commerce or Science.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students who enjoy close reading of dense text and precise written argument
- Those comfortable memorising and applying detailed rules under exam pressure
- People drawn to debate, advocacy and structured reasoning
- Students prepared for a long pathway including PLT before practising
- Those willing to manage heavy reading loads across four to five years
It is probably not for you if
- Students wanting a short degree with an immediate licence to practise
- Those who dislike high-stakes final exams and statutory detail
- Anyone uncomfortable with sustained reading and formal writing
Careers this leads to
Australian career pathways that name this Bachelor of Laws as an entry route. Each page shows uni, TAFE and apprenticeship alternatives.
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the The University of Queensland handbook and on QTAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/uq/bachelor-of-laws.