UNSW Law Careers Service
UNSW Law offers students an in-house careers service led
by highly experienced staff who have significant knowledge
of the legal careers market. Students can access specialist
advice and extensive networks within the legal profession
and other relevant industries, and can seek assistance in
pursuing the broad variety of job opportunities and career
paths open to our graduates.
Graduate destinations
UNSW Law alumni are among the nation’s most influential
lawyers. They include judges of the Federal Court, Supreme
Court, Family Court and High Court in the Asia-Pacific
region. Some are leaders in top Australian law firms. Many of
our postgraduate students work as barristers, partners in
large law firms, and in-house legal counsel in corporate and
consulting firms. They hold senior positions in government,
NGOs and large corporations.
Local postgraduate internships
Students in any Masters program may enrol in an internship to
acquire the knowledge and skills obtained by witnessing and
experiencing legal processes at work, both in our centres as
well as external organisations beyond the Law School, such
as NGOs, courts and tribunals, charities, arms of
government, legal centres and elsewhere. Working together
with an industry partner and an academic, students can put
their skills and knowledge to practice through advocacy,
research, preparation of legal materials and event
coordination – all skills transferable to future careers.
In addition, postgraduate internships provide students with the
opportunity to undertake project research and writing with a
partner organisation. Some of our partner organisations include:
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Amnesty International
Refugee Advice and Casework Service
Tranby National Indigenous Adult Education and Training
CHOICE
UNSW Legal Office
National Copyright Unit (COAG Education Council)
Law Society of NSW
Inspector of Custodial Services
Office of the NSW Small Business Commissioner
The Postgraduate Internship Program allows students to put
their legal and advocacy skills and knowledge to use and
gain practical experience of the law in action. Through policy,
client work, advocacy and law reform projects, students
strengthen their practical skills in research, writing, problem-
solving, teamwork and independent judgment. Students
usually spend one day each week at their placement
organisation. Students are allocated an individual academic
supervisor and attend program seminars.
For many of our postgraduate students, the work undertaken
by UNSW Law’s highly regarded research centres, institutes
and groups has proved invaluable to their study experience.
The Australian Human Rights Centre, the Cyberspace Law
and Policy Community and the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of
Public Law, among others, provide unique practical
professional opportunities with our postgraduate programs.
Human rights internships
The Human Rights Internship Program offers postgraduate
students the opportunity to undertake project research and
writing in a partner organisation with a focus on the protection
and promotion of human rights. Under the supervision of a
member of the partner organisation and UNSW Law, students
gain valuable experience in research, analysis, writing and
advocacy on aspects of law, policy and practice relating to
human rights. International internships can be undertaken if
arranged by individual students. Recently students have
completed internships at Human Rights Watch (New York)
and with the Hague Conference of Private International Law
(The Hague).
Diverse
With most of our programs open to both law and non-law
graduates, students bring a wealth of experience to the
classroom. For many of our postgraduate students, a real
highlight of their studies is the opportunity to establish new
professional networks and friendships.
Interdisciplinary
A feature of many of our postgraduate programs is the
interdisciplinary opportunities they present. Depending on
your program, you may also be able to select courses from
UNSW Business School, UNSW Arts & Social Sciences,
UNSW Science or UNSW Canberra.
Flexible
Our programs place great emphasis on flexibility, allowing
students to juggle the competing demands of their
professional and personal lives. In addition to running
courses at convenient times and places, we allow students
leave when they require it. We also allow students to move
between programs if they decide another offering suits them
better. And we allow students (with the approval of the
Director) to take courses in other universities’ Masters
courses (in Australia and overseas) and to credit them to the
UNSW program. Finally, we offer a range of opportunities for
international study and engagement: see the ‘International
Opportunities and Engagement’ section (p13).
Convenient
With courses offered in a variety of formats – including weekly
classes, intensive classes, and summer school options –
students have the opportunity to create a study timetable that
supports their existing commitments. In addition, evening
classes held at our Sydney CBD venues allow full-time workers
to undertake postgraduate study with greater convenience.
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