Law covers a diverse range of subjects included in the compulsory and elective courses that constitute the LLB. Rather than specialising at an undergraduate level, students undertake the study of compulsory core topics to gain a broad understanding of the law, with electives available in the final year of their degree.
Subject overview
Auckland Law School has New Zealand’s largest community of legal academics and is ranked the best law school in New Zealand. Students gain transferable skills such as knowledge of the law and its implications, analytical and research skills, social appreciation and public responsibility, the ability to work under pressure, a sense of justice and communication skills.
Law subjects include:
Contract, Torts, Equity and Private Law
Private Law encompasses legal doctrines and rules that govern relationships between private individuals.
Contract, Torts, Equity and Private Law cover doctrinal analysis, policy debate and theoretical foundations of the law of private obligations.
Criminal* Law and Justice*
The Faculty of Law offers a number of courses focusing on criminal justice issues and examines the classic conflict between the individual and the state from a variety of perspectives.
The Faculty has always had a strong focus on criminal law and justice into account – and with several new members of staff concentrating in this subject, it seems well set to continue as New Zealand’s leading faculty in this area.
Land* and Environmental Law
Land Law is core discipline in the common law, with a number of elective and postgraduate courses offered in the area. In Environmental Law we have one of the world’s largest programmes, with a number of courses offered at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.
The faculty is also home to the New Zealand Centre for Environmental Law (NZCEL) which includes membership from the Faculty of Law and the School of Planning and Architecture, as well as academics from the University of Canterbury and the University of Waikato.
Constitutional, Administrative and Other Public* Law
Public Law research and teaching ranges across the full gamut of public law scholarship. It covers both traditional constitutional and administrative law and specialist fields such as local government, health, mental health, immigration and refugee law.
The Faculty regularly attracts visits from leading international public law scholars and has hosted several conferences on aspects of public law in recent years, often in conjunction with the Legal Research Foundation.
Corporate and Commercial Law
Commercial Law offers a wide range of electives, while the Faculty is also home to the New Zealand Centre for Law and Business. The Centre aims primarily to facilitate interdisciplinary research connecting law and business.
Courses are taught by a combination of the faculty’s permanent staff, staff of the Department of Commercial Law in the Faculty of Business and Economics, distinguished overseas academics and senior law practitioners.
Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Law
The faculty has extensive expertise in the law as it relates to Māori, Pacific and Indigenous peoples, including constitutional law, criminal justice, land, human rights, comparative jurisdictions and social and economic issues.
The Law School is home to the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre for Indigenous Peoples and the Law, which grew out of the Nin Tomas Indigenous Peoples and the Law Group. The Centre contributes to local and international policy on Indigenous rights and collaborates with Māori, Pacific, the UN and other international movements for the advancement of Indigenous rights.
International and Comparative Law
Courses in International Law aim to bridge the international and New Zealand legal contexts and the relationship between laws. Specialisations range from private law areas such as taxation and arbitration to public international law areas of environmental, security, criminal and trade law.
The Faculty has been developing an exciting and dynamic international law programme since the early 1990s, with approximately one quarter of our lecturers teaching, researching and supervising in areas of International Law.
Legal History and Theory*
Legal History is of particular importance for understanding New Zealand law, with our legal system emerging from English common law’s peculiar institutions, categories and doctrines. Legal Theory provides a framework for reflection on law from multiple perspectives that promise a deeper understanding.
Many of the academics in the faculty are engaged in legal research that is theoretically and historically informed. Our wide range of courses in Legal History and Theory allows us to share these important perspectives on law with our students as part of the faculty’s commitment to excellence in legal education.
Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Family and Relationships Law
The Faculty offers a strong portfolio of teaching and research in litigation, dispute resolution, family and relationships law and policy. Our courses are aimed at equipping our students with both the doctrinal knowledge and the clinical skills necessary to be effective advocates in whichever context they choose to practice.
Complementing these areas of teaching, the faculty has a vibrant mooting programme across all levels of the degree.
*Compulsory core subjects
Where can Law take you?
Our graduates can be found practising law in New Zealand and worldwide; many begin their careers in other areas, such as accounting and consultancy, business and industry, national and local government, teaching, research and journalism. They are also well-prepared for work in international, environmental and other non-government organisations.
Undergraduate study in Law
What can you study in Law?
Unlike other undergraduate degrees, the LLB does not have a major attached to it. Everyone who earns an LLB degree gains a broad background in the law.
Compulsory courses include:
- Law and Society
- Legal Method
- Criminal Law
- Public Law
- Law of Torts
- Law of Contract
- Legal Research, Writing and Communication
- Land Law
- Equity
- Jurisprudence
- Legal Ethics
There are numerous elective courses for Part III and IV in Commercial, Environmental, General and Public Law.
After completing the LLB, students who wish to be admitted as a barrister and solicitor must complete an approved professional legal studies course.
Entry requirements for Law
All first-year law applicants apply for:
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Part I
AND
- Another degree programme for their non-law courses
If you have achieved the New Zealand University Entrance (UE) standard, and are admitted to another programme at the University, you will be admitted to LLB Part I.
If you are a graduate, or already enrolled in another University of Auckland bachelors degree programme, you will be admitted to LLB Part I.
Entry requirements for admission into conjoint programmes with Law are higher than those for single degree programmes. For more information about conjoint degrees, see auckland.ac.nz/conjoints.
Places in LLB Part II are limited and all applicants must go through a selection process. There is also an enrolment limit on each of the LLB Part II courses. This allocation includes returning Part II students. To be considered for selection into LLB Part II in 2020 or later, you need to have:
- Passed LAW 121G with at least a B– (C+ for UTAS students) (subject to review)
- Passed LAW 131 and LAW 141 (or their equivalent at another New Zealand law school) with at least a C+
AND
- Gained at least 75 points (or the equivalent) of non-law university degree courses
Entry into LLB Part II for 2020 will be calculated on the basis of your grades in:
- LAW 121G – single weighted
- LAW 131 – double weighted
- LAW 141 – double weighted
- Recent best 75 points from non-law courses – single weighted
The Selection Committee meets in late December. If you have repeated LAW 121G, LAW 131, LAW 141 or all three courses to improve your grade, please note that both your first and second attempts will be factored in when the Law GPA is calculated.
The overall average grade required for selection into LLB Part II can vary from year to year, depending on the number of applicants. In recent years the minimum grade required has been between a B+ (GPA 6.0) and A– (GPA 7.0). Students with a Law GPA less than 6.5 will still be considered for selection into LLB Part II.
Please note:
There is no direct entry from secondary school into LLB Part II. You must first enrol in another university degree programme and also complete all LLB Part I pre-requisite courses. Not all students who complete Part I will be able to continue on to LLB Part II. Admission to Part II is limited and competitive. You will be selected on the basis of academic merit – your Part I results and results from your other university courses will be used to assess whether or not you will be selected for Part II. Special entry schemes for admission are available for domestic students. Selection and admission criteria for entry to LLB Part II may change each year.
The entry requirements above are subject to change each year.
Structuring your undergraduate programme in Law
The LLB is a four-year (eight-semester) degree if you are studying full-time.
The degree is made up of 480 points, studied in four parts (Parts I–IV). It is a combination of compulsory Law courses, elective Law courses, non-Law courses from another degree programme and one General Education course.
We offer a wide range of Law elective courses, including Corporate and Commercial, Public, Criminal, International, Family, and Environmental Law.
Postgraduate study in Law
What can you study in Law?
Through the study of law, you will gain a skill set that meets the high demands of any legal career. These include analytical and research skills, knowledge of the law and its implications, social appreciation, public responsibility and communication skills.
Postgraduate study allows you to gain extra skills and deeper knowledge of the law. It is increasingly important in a globalised world, as many careers now demand more focused, sophisticated and advanced legal expertise. The Law School’s postgraduate programmes allow you to specialise in areas that benefit both your employment opportunities and academic interests.
Find out more about postgraduate specialisations you can take.
Courses
Explore the postgraduate courses you can take for a Law major:
Where can postgraduate study in Law take you?
Investing in postgraduate study at The Law School will broaden your academic, research and employment horizons, and add value with specialist skills and knowledge. Whether you plan to join the next generation of leading lawyers in New Zealand, or strive to become a leader in the international field, a postgraduate law qualification from the Auckland Law School will help you to make your mark on the world.
Jobs related to Law
- Barrister, solicitor
- Financial adviser, strategic policy planner
- Foreign policy official
- Policy analyst
- Research counsel
- Tax adviser, auditor, revenue assessment officer
- Accountant and auditor
- Business development manager and compliance manager
- Police officer
- Public sector staff
Further study options
- Doctor of Philosophy
Scholarships and awards
Each year we award scholarships and prizes to thousands of students.
Find out about the scholarships you may be eligible for, search available scholarships or begin an application by visiting Scholarships and awards.
Help and advice
For general postgraduate student enquiries, please contact the Applications and Admissions Office.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0200 61 62 65 or +64 9 923 1535 (outside New Zealand)
Or contact the Student Academic and Support Advisor Angela Vaai.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +64 9 923 8180
Doctoral study in Law
Why study with us?
- The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s highest-ranking university. The Auckland Law School is ranked 29th in the QS World University Rankings (2018).
- Stimulating and rewarding, a PhD at the Auckland Law School requires a high level of self-motivation and discipline, providing an exciting opportunity to engage in independent, cutting-edge research.
- The University of Auckland offers a range of scholarships and opportunities for incoming doctoral candidates.
Research opportunities
Auckland Law School has New Zealand’s largest community of legal academics, with leaders in Corporate and Commercial Law, Public Law and International Law. With these and all other major areas of the law, we attract research students from around the world.
The University of Auckland Law School is an active and vibrant research institution. Its members regularly publish articles and books in New Zealand and around the world, and also serve as editors of a range of publications. The faculty hosts a number of research centres, and maintains close cooperation with the Legal Research Foundation. The faculty’s work is supported by the Davis Law Library’s extensive collection of legal materials.
The faculty welcomes enquiries from prospective research students. The faculty’s core subject areas include:
- Constitutional, Administrative and Public Law
- Contract, Torts, Equity and Private Law
- Corporate and Commercial Law
- Criminal Law and Justice
- Human Rights Law
- Indigenous Peoples and the Law
- International and Comparative Law
- Land and Environmental Law
- Legal History and Theory
- Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Family and Relationships Law
Our people
Pursue your topic with us and benefit from exceptional standards of support and supervision from internationally recognised researchers.
Professor Jane Kelsey
Professor
Jane Kelsey is one of New Zealand’s best-known critical commentators on issues of globalisation and neoliberalism. She has taught at the University of Auckland since 1979, specialising in socio-legal studies, law and policy and international economic regulation.
Jane is active internationally as a researcher, analyst, adviser and media commentator on globalisation, especially the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, trade in services, and investment agreements. She is an active member of a number of international coalitions of academics, trade unionists, NGOs and social movements working for social justice.
Professor Craig Elliffe
Professor
Professor Craig Elliffe specialises in taxation law. Craig was appointed to a chair after 14 years as a tax partner at KPMG and nine years as a tax partner at Chapman Tripp. Craig’s research areas are in the field of international tax, corporate tax and tax avoidance.
He is the author of International and Cross-Border Taxation in New Zealand (Thomson Reuters), which was awarded the JF Northey best law book award in 2015, and Dividend Imputation: Practice and Procedure (Lexis). He has also written numerous articles and other materials on tax. He is listed in Chambers and the International Tax Review as a leading tax practitioner. He is the Director of the MTaxS programme (the leading postgraduate tax course in New Zealand). He is a member of the Government’s Tax Working Group (2018/19).
Professor Janet McLean
Professor
Janet McLean is a Professor of Law at The University of Auckland and Associate Dean (Research). Before returning to Auckland in 2012 she held the Chair in Law and Governance at the University of Dundee. She has held visiting fellowships at Woodrow Wilson School of Politics and International Affairs and the Program in Law and Public Affairs, Princeton University (2009), and at The Australian National University (2001) and was the George P. Smith Distinguished Visiting Professor at Indiana University at Bloomington (2003).
She has acted as an advisor to the NZ government serving on the Legislation Advisory Committee and on a ministerial inquiry into Human Rights Protection in New Zealand (2000). She is the author of J McLean, Searching for the State in British Legal Thought, Cambridge University Press (2012) and A Quentin-Baxter and J McLean, This Realm of New Zealand: The Queen, The Governor-General, The Crown, AUP (2017) and of numerous articles about administrative law, human rights, the public private distinction, the political constitution, and unwritten constitutions.
View the complete list of Faculty of Law academic staff and their specialisations.
Past research topics
- “Combating Climate Change: Religious Engagement in the interface between Ethics, Policy and Law” | Supervised by Professor Klaus Bosselmann
- “The Investment Treaty Regime and Public Interest Regulation in Ghana: Perspectives in Constitutionalism and General International Law” | Supervised by Professor Jane Kelseyand Associate Professor Chris Noonan
- “Global Matchmakers: Tax Challenges and Responses in the Digital Economy” | Supervised by Professor Craig Elliffe
- “A Praiseworthy Device for Amusing and Pacifying Savages? What the Framers Meant by the English Text of the Treaty of Waitangi” | Supervised by Professor David Williams
- “Corporate Political Spending Information Disclosure Regime: Economic Consequences and Future Development” | supervised by Professor Susan Watson and Professor David Mayes
- “Unwritten Constitutionalism: A Study of the Principles and Structures That Inform New Zealand’s Distinctively Unwritten Constitution” | Supervised by Professor Paul Rishworthand Professor Bruce Harris
- “A law and development perspective on services liberalisation in the Pacific Island Countries with particular reference to tourism” | Supervised by Professor Jane Kelseyand Associate Professor Amokura Kawharu
- “Safeguarding a Liberal System of States: Reinterpreting States’ Freedoms in Increasing Interdependence” | Supervised by Associate Professor Caroline Foster and Professor Jane Kelsey
- “Global Climate Change: Transfer of Technology, Financial Assistance and Sustainable Economic Development of Developing Countries under the International Legal Framework” | Supervised by Professor Klaus Bosselmann
- “The Acquisition and Loss of Property Ownership and Registered Trade Mark Law” | supervised by Associate Professor Chris Noonan and Professor Warren Swain
Scholarships and awards
There are several scholarships you may be eligible for when you decide to pursue your doctoral studies in Law.
University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships
University of Auckland Law School’s Dean’s Doctoral Scholarships
New Zealand Law Foundation Doctoral ScholarshipFind a scholarship
Contact us
Do you want to chat further about your studies?
The Law School’s Postgraduate Student Adviser is Angela Vaai.
Room 2.33, Level 2
Building 810
1-11 Short Street
Auckland City
Telephone
+64 9 923 8180
Email
[email protected]