Sydney Law School (informally Sydney Law or SLS) is the

law school A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for b ...

at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

Australia's Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

oldest university. Sydney Law School began a full program of legal instruction in 1890 following the appointment of its first dean, having offered legal examinations since 1855. The law school has produced many leaders in law and politics, including six

Prime Ministers A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but rat ...

, four Federal Opposition Leaders, two

Governors-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

, eleven Federal Attorneys-General, and 20 out of 56

justices ''Justice'' (abbreviation: ame ''J.'' and other variations) is an honorific style and title traditionally used to describe a jurist who is currently serving or has served on a supreme court or some equal position. In some countries, a justice ma ...

of the High Court (plus five from the broader University)—more than any other law school in Australia. The school has also produced 24

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international Postgraduate education, postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Esta ...

s and several Gates Scholars. In 2010, the School replaced its graduate-entry

Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

(LL.B.) degree with the

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

(J.D.) degree. The LL.B. degree remains as part of an undergraduate

double degree Joint degrees are academic qualifications awarded through integrated curricula often jointly coordinated and delivered by multiple higher education institutions, sometimes across different countries. Graduates may receive a single qualification ...

program. Today, it has approximately 1,700 LL.B. and J.D. students, 1,500 postgraduate coursework students, and 100 postgraduate research students. There are now 24

chairs A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. It may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or Upholstery, upholstered ...

, including the

Challis Professor The Challis Professorship are professorships at the University of Sydney named in honour of John Henry Challis, an Anglo-Australian merchant, landowner and philanthropist, whose bequests to the University of Sydney allowed for their establishmen ...

s of Law, Jurisprudence and International Law.

History

The law school was inaugurated in 1855 and established by the
Act to Incorporate and Endow the University of Sydney 1850 (NSW)
' and an 1855 University Senate by-law, becoming the third faculty (after the

Faculty of Arts A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...

and

Sydney Medical School The University of Sydney School of Medicine, also known as Sydney Medical School (SMS) is the graduate medical school of the University of Sydney. Established in 1856, it is the first medical school in Australia. In 2018, Sydney Medical School j ...

) of the University of Sydney. The Faculty of Law commenced its work in 1859, primarily as a body of assessment and examination rather than teaching. In 1890, the first chair was appointed to the faculty and a full legal academic programme commenced at the Faculty. Prior to 2011, Sydney Law School was the sole school under the Faculty of Law, under the College of Arts and Humanities, one of the three constituent colleges of the university. As part of a re-organisation of faculty organisation, in 2011 the Faculty of Law was renamed Sydney Law School, adopting the better-known name of its sole school.

Reputation and Student Achievements

Sydney Law School is widely regarded as being one of Australia's top law schools. In 2022,

QS World University Rankings The ''QS World University Rankings'' is a portfolio of comparative college and university rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm. Its first and earliest edition was published in collaboration with '' Times ...

ranked the law school 16th in the world (3rd nationally, 2nd in Sydney, 4th in Asia-Pacific). In 2016, the

Social Science Research Network The Social Science Research Network (SSRN) is an open access research platform that functions as a repository for sharing early-stage research and the rapid dissemination of scholarly research in the social sciences, humanities, life sciences, ...

ranked the law school as first in Australia and fifth in the world in the number of downloads of academic papers which have been uploaded to its website. Sydney Law School has won the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition on a record six occasions: in 1996, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2021.

NICA Ranking

The NICA rankings evaluate law schools based on their performance in moot court competitions. The rankings consider two factors: the weight of the competitions, determined by the number of participating law schools, and the advancement of teams within these competitions. The system provides a straightforward comparison of law schools' performance in moot courts. Sydney Law School is consistently a top performer in international moot court competitions, obtaining an average world ranking of 80th and an average Australian ranking of 4th.

Campus

Former St. James Campus

The law school building on Phillip Street in the centre of Sydney's legal and business district was the home of the Sydney Law School until early 2009. While the faculty is now located in the New Law School building on the main Camperdown campus of the university, some classes and other functions continued to be hosted on the St. James campus until 2015, and students could still submit assignments there. As of 1 July 2015, the building is no longer owned by the university, and the law school's CBD operations have been relocated to 133 Castlereagh Street, Sydney. The former St. James campus is bounded by Elizabeth,

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

, and Phillip Streets and is opposite the

Supreme Court of New South Wales The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian States and territories of Australia, State of New South Wales. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil law (common law), civil matters, and hears ...

. The building consists of 13 dedicated levels, three of which are underground. Level four is the ground entrance level and housed the assembly hall, a foyer, and some offices; levels one and two housed "Harvard-style" lecture theatres; level three housed a staff car park and other amenities; level five housed University of Sydney Union premises, including the office of the Sydney University Law Society (SULS), until their relocation to the New Law School Building on the Main Campus at Camperdown and

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...

. The Sydney University Law Library and the Faculty of Law's information desk were located on levels seven to ten and twelve, respectively. These facilities have since relocated to level zero to one and level three of the New Law Building, respectively. The building was constructed in 1969 in the

brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...

architectural style. Busts of classical orators and jurists adorn the Phillip Street entrance, while the University of Sydney crest is found on the Elizabeth Street and Phillip Street entrance. The former St. James campus is located near St. James railway station and

Martin Place railway station Martin Place railway station is a heritage-listed underground suburban rail and rapid transit station located on the Eastern Suburbs line, serving the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. Named after Martin Place, it ...

and is serviced by a bus stop outside its entrance on Elizabeth Street.

New Law School building

The University of Sydney New Law Building 2013

Sydney Law School had changed location several times in the past but had always remained in the centre of the city because of the tradition of teaching by practitioners, and for easy access to the courts and members of the profession. However, with the increased number of enrolled students, the campus in the city was no longer sufficient for both staff and students and hence, the faculty proposed to shift the law school to the main campus in Camperdown. Consequently, a new law school was constructed at the main Camperdown campus, adjacent to

Fisher Library The University of Sydney Library is the library system of the University of Sydney. It comprises eight locations across several campuses of the university. Its largest library, Fisher Library, is named after Thomas Fisher, an early benefactor. ...

and on the site of the former Edgeworth David Building. Completed in February 2009, the faculty administration began occupation in mid-February, prior to classes beginning in early March. On 30 April 2009, the New Law School Building was officially opened by Governor-General of Australia Quentin Bryce. Also in attendance were Robert French, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia;

Murray Gleeson Anthony Murray Gleeson (born 30 August 1938) is an Australian former judge who served as the 11th Chief Justice of Australia, in office from 1998 to 2008. Gleeson was born in Wingham, New South Wales, and studied law at the University of Sydn ...

, immediate past Chief Justice of the High Court; Jim Spigelman, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; and

Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as Liberal Party of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party an ...

, then leader of the Federal opposition. Numerous seminars and other sessions were held as part of the building's opening day program. The design and construction of the New Law School Building were each performed by local Australian firms, namely FJMT (

Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp Francis-Jones Carpenter (fjcstudio) is a multi-disciplinary Australian design studio established in 2002 and noted for design excellence and a commitment to enhancing the public realm. fjcstudio has a reputation as an ideas-driven practice "with a ...

) Architects and Baulderstone Pty Ltd, respectively. The building is in the style of late-20th-century International Style architecture and is characterised by its blue tint glass exterior walls.

Academics

The University of Sydney New Law Building Law Library 2013

Programs

The Sydney Law School offers the

professional degree A professional degree, formerly known in the US as a first professional degree, is a degree that prepares someone to work in a particular profession, practice, or industry sector often meeting the academic requirements for licensure or accreditatio ...

s of

(LL.B.) (combined with another bachelor's degree) for undergraduate-entry, and the

(J.D.) for graduate-entry. The law school also offers higher-research degrees, namely the Masters of Criminology by Research, the

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...

by Research, the

Doctor of Juridical Science A Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD; ), or a Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD; ), is a research doctorate degree in law that is equivalent to a Ph.D. degree. In most countries, it is the most advanced law degree that can be earned. Australia ...

, and the

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

in Law. In addition to this, the law school offers postgraduate coursework degrees such as the Master of Laws by coursework, and diplomas and non-degree study in specialist areas of law and government for both law and non-law graduates. Sydney Law School has an arrangement with the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

and the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

under which high-achieving Sydney students who are accepted into a postgraduate law program at Cambridge or Oxford can commence their postgraduate studies in the second last semester of their Sydney law degree, and count those studies towards their Bachelor of Laws degree.

Research centres and institutes

Sydney Law School has a number of associated Research Centres: *Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law (ACCEL) *Centre for Asian and Pacific Law (CAPLUS) *Constitutional Reform Unit *Julius Stone Institute of Jurisprudence *Ross Parsons Centre of Commercial, Corporate and Taxation Law *Sydney Centre for International Law (SCIL) *Sydney Institute of Criminology *Sydney Health Law *Australian Network for Japanese Law (ANJeL)

Publications

Sydney Law School Law publishes several academic journals, including the '' Sydney Law Review'', '' Current Issues in Criminal Justice'', ''Asia Pacific Journal of Environmental Law'', and ''Australian International Law Journal.''

Admissions

For admission into the Combined Law program in 2017, domestic students required an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) or equivalent of 99.5, or an

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the I ...

(IB) score of 43 points. In 2016, the ATAR cut-off was 99.5, with the median ATAR for all students who were accepted for that year being 99.55. Admission to the

by coursework program requires a Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor with a Distinction average to be competitive. Admission to

postgraduate research Postgraduate research represents a formal area of study that is recognized by a university or institute of higher learning. The notion of "postgraduate" refers to studies following a undergraduate degree. Postgraduate research either occurs within ...

programs, such as the

in law, generally requires a master's degree or a bachelor's degree with first or second class honours, as well as the acceptance of a satisfactory research proposal and "satisfactory evidence of skills, knowledge and the ability to pursue and complete the proposed program". This may be demonstrated by successful completion of sustained research, scholarly publications, and sustained research in a professional capacity.

Student organisations

Many student organisations operate in association with the Sydney Law School, to cater to law students. The Sydney University Law Society (SULS), formed in 1902, represents all law students at the university. The Chinese Law Students Society (CLSS), formed in 2004, provides services with a more international outlook.Sydney Law School - Student Societies
/ref> The South East Asian Law Society (SEALS), caters to all students and especially those from South East Asian nations. The Korean Law Students Society at the University of Sydney (KLUS), caters to Korean ethnic students, formed in 1997. The St.

Thomas More Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, theologian, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VII ...

Society, caters to Catholic students. The Sydney University Evangelical Union (SUEU) Law Faculty, caters to Evangelical/Protestant students.

Notable alumni

In its over years of history, the Sydney Law School has produced a prominent group of

alumni Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...

Notable faculty

Deans

#1890–1910: Pitt Cobbett #1910–1942: John Peden #1942–1946: James Williams #1946–1947: Clive Teece (acting) #1947–1973: Keith Shatwell #1974–1977: David Benjafield #1978–1979:

Dyson Heydon John Dyson Heydon (born 1 March 1943) is an Australian former judge and barrister who served on the High Court of Australia from 2003 to 2013 and the New South Wales Court of Appeal from 2000 to 2003, and previously served as Dean of the Sydn ...

#1980–1985: John Mackinolty #1986–1989: Colin Phegan #1990–1992: James Crawford #1992–1993: Alex Ziegert (acting) #1993–1994: Colin Phegan (acting) #1994–1997: David Weisbrot #1998–1999: Ros Atherton (acting) #1999–2002: Jeremy Webber #2002–2007: Ron McCallum #2007–2012:

Gillian Triggs Gillian Doreen Triggs (born 30 October 1945) is an Australian and British public international lawyer, specialising in human rights and trade and commercial law. She is also an academic, barrister, and director. She became widely known in Aust ...

#2012–2013: Greg Tolhurst (acting) #2013–2018:

Joellen Riley Joellen Riley (born 1957) is an Australian labour lawyer and academic and, from 2013 to 2018, was the dean of the Sydney Law School. Early life and earlier education Riley attended the University of Sydney, where she earned a B.A. and M.A. in ...

#2019–2019: Cameron Stewart (acting) #2019–2024: Simon Bronitt #2024-2025: Rita Shackel (acting) #2025-present: Fleur Johns

Notable professors

* James Crawford, former Justice of the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; , CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the only international court that Adjudication, adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on International law, internation ...

(2014–2021), and former Dean and

of International Law. * Ron McCallum, former Blake Dawson Waldron Professor in Industrial Law and Dean *

, current Professor of Labour Law * Ben Saul, current

of International Law *

Julius Stone Julius Stone (7 July 1907 – 3 September 1985) was Challis Professor of Jurisprudence and International Law at the University of Sydney from 1942 to 1972, and thereafter a visiting professor of law at the University of New South Wales and conc ...

, former

of Jurisprudence *

former

of International Law *

George Winterton George Graham Winterton (15 December 1946 – 6 November 2008) was an Australian academic specialising in Australian constitutional law. Winterton taught for 28 years at the University of New South Wales before taking up an appointment of Prof ...

, former Professor of Constitutional Law *

William Gummow William Montague Charles Gummow (born 9 October 1942) is a former Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy. He was appointed to the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong on 8 April 2013 as a non-p ...

, former Justice of the High Court of Australia

References

External links

* {{Authority control Brutalist architecture in Australia International style architecture in Australia

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

Law schools in Australia 1855 establishments in Australia King Street, Sydney