Bachelor of Laws

Assessed by Lawyers & Judges

Lawyers and judges will be involved in teaching and assessing your law assignments and will provide you with valuable feedback. This sort of contact with the profession will stand you in good stead when you come to apply for a full-time job.

Practical experience

At Waikato, you’ll get to practice skills you need to succeed in the profession – whether it’s interviewing a client, making a case in court, negotiating a settlement for a client, or drafting a required contract to perfect a merger.

You’ll analyse how law operates in local, national and global contexts and learn to consider the business practices of financial markets, corporations, national and local government, trusts and iwi.

Internships

There are plenty of opportunities for you to apply your practical experience to real-life problems. From your second year onward in the law degree, you’ll have the opportunity to gain work experience at the Hamilton District Community Law Centre, Police Prosecution Office, Defence Office, several city and regional councils, law firms and other organisations. You’ll also be eligible for the National Summer Clerking Employment Programme.

Direct entry

Our students do not require a special invitation to progress into 2nd year of their law degree. Our selection process takes place at the application stage. If you are accepted into the Bachelor of Laws and you obtain the required passing grades each year, you'll gain automatic entry into the following years until the time you graduate.

New, multi-million dollar building

In 2016 the Faculty of Law moved into the new multi-million dollar building. The new facilities were purpose-built to meet the needs of our students. Our state-of-the-art Moot Court will enable you to record your practicing mooting or negotiation for self-review and assessment.

Taught by New Zealand’s leading legal advisors

The Bachelor of Laws is taught by some of New Zealand’s leading scholars, who advise governments, businesses and non-governmental organisations.

The classes are small and are typically offered in seminar-style discussions. We have an open door policy, so you will have plenty of opportunities to talk to our staff. Find out more about our lecturers' areas of expertise.

Individualised, ongoing support

The Faculty's five dynamic law student associations: Pacific Law Student Association, Te Whakahiapo (Māori Student Association), Waikato Law Student Associations, Women in Law Association and the Asian Law Students Association play an important role of fostering great collegial relationships between students and offer plenty of social and learning opportunities.

Our Mentoring Programme will provide extra support.  Our Mentors are law students in their senior years of study. They will provide guidance in your studies, help you to navigate through the transition period from school or previous employment to university study as well as advise you on other services and opportunities available to you on campus.

Helpful administrative staff are also able to provide you with personalised advice on study options and assist you with your degree planning. Make a booking to talk to our staff or if you have questions about how to apply.

Accredited by the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand

Waikato's Faculty of Law is the only law school in New Zealand accredited by the Arbitrators’ and Meditators’ Institute of New Zealand. This means that you will automatically become a member of this professional organisation and can specialise to practice in this growing area of law.

Practicing Law in New Zealand

The Waikato Bachelor of Laws degree is approved by the New Zealand Council of Legal Education (NZCLE). So, after graduating with your degree, you’ll be eligible to complete the Professional Legal Studies (PLS) course to be admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor to practice law in New Zealand. The Professional Legal Studies course can be completed at the Institute of Legal Studies (IPLS) or the College of Law New Zealand.

Find out more about what is required to become a New Zealand lawyer.

Personalise your law degree with a second major

The Bachelor of Laws degree requires you to choose law as a major subject. However, you can choose to take a second major in almost any other undergraduate subject offered at the University of Waikato, such as Computer Science or Human Resource Management. Talk to our friendly student advisors to tailor your law degree to your interests.

You can study a broad range of optional law papers including:

• Advocacy
• Competition law
• Corporate securities and finance
• Employment law
• Environmental law
• Family law
• Human rights
• Intellectual property
• International trade
• Law and information technology
• Māori land law
• Mediation
• Natural resources law
• Public international law
• The Treaty of Waitangi in contemporary Aotearoa / New Zealand

View the full list of optional law papers.