Bachelor of Laws (Honours) / Bachelor of Arts - Aboriginal Studies La Trobe University - Melbourne Campus, Australia

La Trobe's Bachelor of Laws (Honours)/Bachelor of Arts lets you enrich your legal education by pursuing your interests and passions. Open doors to a diverse range of rewarding careers, while exploring how to make a difference in your community.

Learn the fundamentals of criminal, constitutional, property and company law. Explore the legal system and understand how it can be used as a powerful and positive force in society. Develop key skills in advocacy, negotiation and dispute resolution.

You'll also choose from our list of arts majors and explore your area of interest. Broaden your knowledge and experience by studying areas like politics, languages, sociology, history, philosophy and media studies. Learn how to communicate effectively and think critically, analytically and creatively.

You can also choose to complete law electives that complement your arts specialisation. For example, a politics major can be matched with related subjects like public international law and human rights law. While a language or philosophy major could be augmented by subjects in areas like Indigenous Australians and the law, intellectual property law or family, society and law.

Enhance your classroom learning by taking advantage of optional internships, work experience, and our study abroad program*. Gain hands-on experience working with community legal centres, law firms and government agencies. Find out what it takes to interview clients, prepare legal advice and work with senior lawyers to develop legal solutions.

Graduate ready to make a positive difference. With combined expertise in law and arts, you can build a career as a solicitor or barrister, in-house counsel or corporate consultant, working in commercial law firms or community legal centres. You could also work in the public service as a government lawyer or support social justice initiatives in the not-for-profit sector.

You'll learn:

• Evidence and criminal procedure: Build your understanding of the criminal legal system and process. Learn how to apply the law to factual scenarios and provide legal advice.
• Contract law and company law: Learn how to apply the legal principles governing the creation, interpretation and termination of a contract. Develop the skills to specialise as a corporate legal expert through studies in incorporation, corporate governance and the various methods of financing.
• Constitutional law: Discover how government power is distributed, exercised, and controlled. Learn about federalism, the €˜external affairs' power, and express and implied constitutional rights.
• Dispute resolution: Build key skills in negotiation and mediation to support your future practice. Learn about the processes of arbitration, conciliation, mediation, and negotiation in private and commercial disputes.
• Critical and creative thinking: Delve into complex problems. Learn how to see new possibilities and turn them into reality.
• Communication: Learn how to connect, communicate and collaborate with your university peers and future colleagues.

Major: Aboriginal Studies
The Aboriginal Studies Major provides students with the opportunity to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and community. In this major you will be exposed to a range of academic disciplines including history, archaeology, politics, public health, anthropology, media studies and linguistics. Throughout the major you will engage with topics focussed on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities that promote strong cultural awareness, Indigenous knowledges, community development and social advocacy.

You will study different aspects of Aboriginal societies including, Aboriginal history and languages, the contemporary politics of Indigenous Australia, Aboriginal self-determination and the impact of government policy on Indigenous Australians. This will give you an in-depth understanding of the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in mainstream Australia and introduce you to social research methods aimed at promoting local community engagement, wellbeing and empowerment in Aboriginal communities.