Welcome to the Law Faculty at the Australian Catholic University (ACU)
The Faculty commenced operation in 2012 and will deliver its teaching programs in 2013 in Melbourne and 2014 in Sydney. It has a nationally and internationally recognized Professoriate, with an established research record, a commitment to conduct research in innovative areas, and linkages to eminent International Law Schools.
Our aim is to take in a small cohort of students each year and to offer them a unique academic learning environment. From our introduction to law, via a specially tailored Law Induction Week, to final year classes - students will have the opportunity to meet and know their teachers and be engaged in the major ethical and legal debates of our communities. ACU students are encouraged not only to study but also to reflect, and through better understanding the world, prepare for lives of leadership and service.
The ACU Law degree is cutting edge. It is designed to produce well-rounded graduates ready for legal practice and a range of professional careers in an increasingly global environment. We offer the core subjects required for admission to practice (the Priestly 11) and require students to complete, as part of the core program, subjects on Competition Law, Consumer Protection Law, International Trade Law, International Human Rights Law, Public and Private International Law, and Comparative Legal Systems as well as two university-wide subjects Our Community and Understanding Self and Society.
One of the hallmarks of the ACU Law degree is the requirement for our students to undertake 80 hours of pro bono work in each year (after their first year). We believe this will provide them with firsthand experience of the legal system while allowing them to contribute to the common good. It will give them a foundation on which to build fulfilling careers in the law and an awareness of the circumstances of their wider community.
We are proud of the Catholic intellectual tradition in which the Faculty operates – to pursue social justice, work for the common good, engage in ethical practice and respect human dignity - and to do so in the context of rigorous academic standards and providing community leadership.
ACU Law will provide a stimulating and supportive learning community. We are committed to providing each student with a legal education in which they can benefit from engaging with academic staff committed to quality teaching; where they can consider legal issues from their broadest intellectual and social dimensions; and where they can contribute to the community through pro bono legal services.
Professor Brian Fitzgerald
Executive Dean, Faculty of Law