The Melbourne JD
Taught at a graduate level, the Melbourne JD is a multifaceted program designed to equip graduates to take a leading role in legal practice, the private sector, government or community organisations.
The curriculum allows you to build the core skills essential to a wide range of legal and professional careers. It also gives you the opportunity to pursue areas of interest through a broad selection of over 50 elective subjects across diverse topics including international and human rights law, corporate law, environmental law, cybersecurity and technology.
The Melbourne JD is an internationally recognised degree and can be used as a basis for seeking admission to practise law in Australia and many international jurisdictions, including the United States. Graduating with a JD degree from the University of Melbourne, ranked #8 globally for graduate employability,^ means wherever your career takes you, your degree will be recognised as exceptional.
^QS Graduate Employability 2022
I was thrilled to find out that the Melbourne JD is recognized by the American Bar Association, which meant that I could sit for the New York bar exam without taking a bridging course Kamaka Martin, Senior Vice President, U.S. Managed Services at Consilio, LLC.
I particularly appreciated the breadth of electives available, including subjects related to human rights, disability rights, mental health law and legal research. I truly believe the professors are some of the best in Australia and the world. My peers were from all around the world. Being surrounded by some of the brightest minds made the experience very enriching and pushed me to give my all. Alison Youssef, Attorney - McDowell Cotter, APC
The program offered a lot of different electives, so if I wanted to not practise as a lawyer and go into consulting or maybe work for the United Nations, those options were still available to me. It wasn't one path for the rest of my life. Joanna Gu, Lawyer - Minter Ellison
The best thing about this degree has been the people. There’s a really collegiate community … [and] everybody's come from different degrees, universities and countries, which makes it really unique and diverse. Kosta Patsiotis, Lawyer - Gilbert + Tobin
Explore Melbourne Law School
Join a global leader in legal education and research enriched with the talent, energy and diversity of our students, scholars and staff.
Australia's leading law school
#1
law school¹ and graduate employability² in Australia
#8
law school¹ and graduate employability3 worldwide
¹Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2026: Law
²Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026
3QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022
Where our JD graduates have progressed
When it comes to choosing graduate study, we think it’s important to really understand the journey you’re about to begin. A Juris Doctor degree from the world's #8 law school will open doors to exceptional career opportunities globally. Melbourne JD graduates have strong employment outcomes with a 94% full-time employment rate.
Source: Melbourne Law School class of 2021 graduate survey (conducted 18 months after completion of the degree, with an 85 per cent response rate).
Rose Barnsley – Juris Doctor
Andrew Norris – Juris Doctor
Lilly Hart – Juris Doctor
Student enrichment opportunities
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Frequently asked questions
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The Melbourne Law School does not consider the LSAT as part of the JD selection criteria. Your application will be based on all undergraduate university results (complete and incomplete degrees).
Applicants to the JD must hold an undergraduate degree in any discipline other than law or a law degree from an overseas jurisdiction.
Melbourne Law School does not consider personal statements, interviews, references, work experience and extracurricular activities in the admission process.
For further information, please visit our entry requirements page.
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What score do I need?
Take the first step toward studying the Melbourne Juris Doctor and find out if you're eligible for your preferred graduate course using the grade conversion calculator.
This calculator should be used as a guide only.
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In Australia, first semester runs from February to the end of June and second semester runs from July to the end of November. The Melbourne JD commences in early February each year and there is no semester two intake.
Applications are accepted from March to September for commencement in February of the following year. Applicants will be notified of an outcome within four to six weeks, provided a complete application is submitted.
International applications are made directly to the University of Melbourne or you can use the free services of an authorised education agent.
There is an application fee of AUD$150 for the JD.
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At Melbourne Law School, we believe in preparing you to achieve your full potential, providing you with affordable access to excellence and to achieve a career that makes a lasting impact.
Please refer to our fee page for international student course fee information.
For information on available financial assistance, visit Melbourne JD Scholarships. For US citizens, the University of Melbourne does not participate in the US Direct Loan program, but you are able to use US private loans. Learn more here.
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To practise law in the US, all lawyers – foreign or domestic – must be admitted to the bar association of the state in which they wish to practise. Most states accept law degrees from foreign universities and each has its own requirements for bar admission. The US does not have a mutual recognition scheme providing recognition of legal qualifications in one jurisdiction on the basis of qualification in another.
Lawyers who wish to be admitted as a lawyer in a US jurisdiction should contact the regulatory body of that jurisdiction or refer to the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements.
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In order to practise as a lawyer in Australia you will need to undertake Practical Legal Training (PLT) for 6-12 months with a PLT provider or supervised workplace training, usually in the form of a one-year traineeship with a law firm after completing the Melbourne JD.
A candidate then has to be admitted to practise by the Supreme Court of an Australian state or territory, and then obtain a practising certificate, generally issued by the local legal professional body.
There are visas available for international students who graduate from an Australian institution to live, work and study in Australia for between two and four years.
For further information visit immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
Study the Melbourne JD
Studying in Australia
You must be accepted and enrolled into a program before you can apply for a student visa to study in Australia. There are visas available that allow students to travel in and out of Australia and work up to 40 hours every two weeks once your course starts. Visa applications can be done entirely online.
To comply with student visa requirements set by the Australian Department of Home Affairs, international students must arrange visa-length Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), which you must maintain while studying in Australia. You are usually required to arrange and purchase this at the same time as accepting your course offer. The University can arrange visa-length OSHC on your behalf with Bupa, the University’s preferred provider.
Moving to Melbourne
The University is approximately a 15-minute walk from the centre of Melbourne, a city renowned for its exciting and vibrant cultural, social, food and sporting life. Melbourne is consistently voted as one of the world's most liveable cities and was recently crowned as the best city in the world for 2026.^^ With friendly locals and a thriving multicultural community, you will feel instantly at home here.
^^Timeout world best cities ranking 2026
Study with us at Melbourne Law School
Melbourne Law School is a leader and innovator in legal education, and a vibrant place of learning that values ideas, excellence and intellectual exchange.