Single-unit study
You can study individual units for personal or professional development without having to apply for a full QUT course.
If you successfully complete a unit, you may be eligible for credit if you decide to apply for a degree course in the future.
Units anyone can study
These units don’t have any requirements for previous study or background knowledge.
But if your previous studies were not in English, or were completed in a country where English is not the first language, you will need to demonstrate that you meet our English proficiency requirements when you apply.
Law
Law
LLB101 Introduction to Law
Introduction to Law provides a necessary foundation for legal studies by introducing you to core legal knowledge and the skills of legal reasoning, problem solving, legal writing and research.
LLB104 Contemporary Law and Justice
This unit provides a foundation for the development of your legal oral communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills that will be further developed in later units including LLB203 Constitutional Law, LLB204 Commercial and Personal Property Law, and LLB303 Evidence. A key emphasis of the unit is on the interaction of Australia's first peoples with the Australian legal system and introducing you to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and perspectives of law, which will be further examined in LLB106 Criminal Law, LLB301 Real Property Law, and LLB303 Evidence.
LLB140 Human Rights Law
This unit is a general law elective that provides students with the knowledge and skills to effectively apply human rights. It places equal emphasis on the concepts, institutions and principles that human rights law comprises of, as well as the implementation and research of human rights law. This unit engages with both international human rights law and Australian human rights law as well as substantive human rights issues.
LLB142 Regulation of Business
This elective unit commences the process of educating you in matters of business and commercial law. It is intended to provide an overview of a number of critical areas in the study of business law and regulation. Further, this unit will provide you with theoretical and critical analysis skills. Law graduates are increasingly required to have a strong knowledge base and understanding of business and commerce, and more specifically an understanding of how business operates within the context of the Australian legal system. This unit is intended to provide foundation skills and knowledge that are essential for an understanding of law and regulation as it applies to business.
Units you need background knowledge to study
These units have requirements for previous study or background knowledge. Check the unit’s previous study requirements for details. If you have any questions, contact the unit coordinator for the semester you want to study.
If your previous studies were not in English, or were completed in a country where English is not the first language, you will also need to demonstrate that you meet our English proficiency requirements when you apply.
Law
Law
LLB102 Torts
In this unit, you will apply the skills you are developing in LLB101 Introduction to Law and be introduced to the skills of legal problem solving and legal interviewing and questioning as you look at how the law of torts operates in a real world context. The knowledge and skills that you develop in this unit provide a foundation for more advanced units in later years. The study of torts law is required for admission as a legal practitioner in Australia.
LLB106 Criminal Law
This core unit introduces you to the criminal law of Queensland. Knowledge of criminal law offences and defences/excuses is essential for understanding the type of behaviour that is prohibited by the state. Criminal law content knowledge is required for your admission to legal practice and this unit satisfies the Priestly requirements for criminal law.
LLB107 Statutory Interpretation
This unit introduces the foundational concepts of public law, the institutions of government and the rules and principles of statutory interpretation in Australia. Knowledge and skills relating to statutory interpretation are essential in legal practice. This unit provides a foundation for the development of your skills in statutory interpretation that will be honed further in more advanced units. This unit also develops your skills in legal research, written communication and problem solving that were introduced to you in LLB101 Introduction to Law.
LLB108 Law, Governance and Sustainability
This core unit requires you to consider the law, and your role in it, within a broader global system. Australian lawyers must be aware of, and consider the global implications of their practice, including different legal and regulatory systems that may be relevant to their practice. The fundamental concepts in this unit are taught through the lens of sustainability. You will learn about different levels of governance, the world’s legal systems, and different methods of resolving disputes by critically analysing current and emerging sustainability issues. This unit provides a foundation for several core skills, including oral communication, critical thinking and reflective practice.
LLB150 Behavioural Law and Economics
Law and economics incorporates economic analysis to predict human responses in legal environments. Traditionally, neo-classical economic theories were used to evaluate how rational actors would respond to law. Behavioural law and economics adopts a different approach, as it is based on common human characteristics identified through studies of behaviour. Behavioural economics is used to strengthen the predictive and analytical power of policymakers and economists to determine how people will respond to laws and regulations. In this unit, students will explore how law moderates behaviour, and how behavioural factors can be used to achieve legal outcomes, like deterring undesirable, or encouraging positive, behaviours. Beginning with a study of traditional economic principles and exploring traditional law and economic scholarship, students will gain insights into the differences offered by behavioural law and economics to aid in the development of meaningful legal interventions.
LLB202 Contract Law
In this unit, you will examine how contract law operates in a contemporary real world context and practise skills of contract interpretation and drafting, and legal problem solving. The knowledge and skills you develop in this unit also provide a foundation for later year units in the course, for example, LLB204 Commercial and Personal Property Law, LLB301 Real Property Law, LLB304 Commercial Remedies, and commercial law electives. An understanding of contract law is a requirement for admission to legal practice in Australia.
LLB203 Constitutional Law
Building on key principles of public law that were introduced in LLB107 Statutory Interpretation, this unit examines the structure, operation and main features of the Commonwealth and State constitutions. The unit considers how the principles of representative and responsible government, federalism, the separation of powers and the rule of law operate in Australia's constitutional system of government. It examines the relationships between the legislature, executive and judiciary in Australia and between the Commonwealth and the States. It also examines the scope of Commonwealth and State legislative power, Commonwealth executive power and the exercise of judicial power by federal and State courts. The unit also explores how the Australian Constitution limits the powers of the Commonwealth and the States. An understanding of constitutional law is required for admission into legal practice in Australia.
LLB204 Commercial and Personal Property Law
The knowledge and skills you develop in this unit provide a foundation for later year units in the course, for example, LLH305 Corporate Law, and electives in the commercial area. The study of the content in this unit is required for admission to legal practice in Australia.
LLB205 Equity and Trusts
This unit builds on LLB202 Contract Law and your studies in other common law units, with a focus on developing your critical analysis and legal writing skills. An understanding of equity and trusts is also required for admission to legal practice.
LLB242 Media Law
One of the main tenets of a democratic society is freedom of speech, including freedom of the press. As a consequence of the persuasive nature of the media, including digital media, the law has imposed a number of checks and balances for the protection of individuals and society. Inevitably these checks and balances come into conflict with freedom of the press. This unit examines the regulation and non-regulation of freedom of speech exercised by the media, including the various limitations imposed by the common law, statute and self-regulation.
LLB243 Family Law
Family law professionals are involved in referring clients to, and representing them in, dispute resolution processes. They also help clients to reach resolution in a way that minimises the conflict experienced by family members, particularly where there are children. They assist clients with their parenting and financial issues and in applications to seek protection from family violence. This unit is important if you are considering working anywhere within the family law system or in general practice. It is a general law elective in the law degree.
LLB246 Workplace Law
Workplace Law will introduce you to the fundamental principles of industrial relations, workplace relations, discrimination, and safety laws. You will learn the legal principles within the broader social, commercial, economic, and political context and so be able to understand relevance and significance of workplace laws in contemporary society and in practical business application.
LLB249 Introduction to Technology Law
Welcome to an Introduction to Technology Law, a course designed to provide you with a foundational understanding of the complex relationship between technology and law. Students will explore the historical context in which law has responded to new and emerging technologies. You will examine how technology impacts various aspects of society and how legal professionals can navigate these challenges. Special emphasis will be placed on the ethical, legal, and regulatory dimensions of technology, including issues related to AI, Big Data, privacy, security, and safety. LLB249 also addresses the complexities of international technology regulation, highlighting the need for innovative legal and regulatory approaches in the face of rapid technological advancements. This unit also serves as a foundational platform for the Law, Technology, and Innovation minor, equipping you with essential knowledge and skills to address technology-related challenges in your legal career.
LLB250 Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
We live in an era where major advances in data-driven technologies and infrastructures are fundamentally changing many aspects of society. How data is collected, combined and stored in large, complex data sets; and subsequently modelled, analysed and used to drive decision-making, is now crucial to many organisations and how they deliver the services we depend on. In this unit, you will explore in two parts the legal and regulatory challenges involving data privacy and cybersecurity. The first centres on how data privacy law provides individual protection in the face of large-scale collection and aggregation of personal information. The second explores cybersecurity requirements that underscore our need to protect data infrastructure, such as essential telecommunications networks. Understanding the application of data privacy and cybersecurity law provides you with insight into how data-driven technologies and infrastructures are governed in different ways, for diverse purposes.
LLB301 Real Property Law
Real Property Law is a core unit in the law degree. It is required for admission to legal practice in Australia. Real property law is a significant part of legal practice in government departments, in-house positions, general practice and specialised law firms. Being able to learn and apply the foundations of real property will enable your understanding and application in other specialist areas of law, for example, family law, environmental law, corporations law, bankruptcy law and succession law (wills and estates).
LLB303 Evidence
Evidence is a core unit in the law degree. Knowledge of the rules of evidence and of the procedures by which it must be tendered and dealt with in court is necessary for the conduct of litigation as either a barrister or a solicitor and for admission to practice. This unit builds upon your study of criminal procedure in LLB106 Criminal Law.
LLB304 Commercial Remedies
In this unit, you will learn the law of remedies, including remedies available under the common law, equity and statute. This understanding is necessary for any legal practitioner and will equip you with the necessary knowledge to support common commercial practice and assist with the effective resolution of real-world commercial disputes.
LLB306 Civil Dispute Resolution
In this unit, you will study the rules of civil procedure and alternative dispute resolution in the Queensland State courts. This includes jurisdiction, the initiation and service of process, the definition of issues through pleadings, judgment and enforcement. An understanding of civil dispute resolution is required for admission to legal practice. This core unit draws on the knowledge that you have gained throughout your degree including contract law, torts, statutory interpretation and dispute resolution skills.
LLB340 Banking and Finance Law
This unit examines the key common law and statutory principles regulating banking and finance practice in Australia. An understanding of the principles of banking and finance law will assist you to gain a more complete grasp of the legal system, particularly in a commercial context. Knowledge of the law as it applies to business and consumer banking provides the opportunity to develop your skills in a range of legal areas, as well as providing a solid foundation for those interested in working in this area of law and practice.
LLB344 Intellectual Property Law
Intellectual property law is the umbrella term that encompasses the legal rights and responsibilities of creators and users of intangible goods. This subject provides you with the ability to identify issues and apply the law in the key areas of intellectual property law, including copyright and related rights, patents, trademarks, designs, and confidential information. By developing a broad understanding of these key areas of law, you will become familiar with the main structure of intellectual property law as a basis for providing advice in practice. Importantly, since this area of law is in a continual and rapid state of development, this subject is also designed to enable you to identify competing policy interests and evaluate potential changes to intellectual property law in a connected society.
LLB346 Succession Law
Our legal system is premised on the right of individuals to own private property. Succession deals with the legal consequences of death on a person's property, planning for death and incapacity. It also addresses what happens if a person dies without a will, as well as how estates are administered. Succession has links to other important areas of law, namely equity and trusts, property law and family law. Succession is an evolving area of legal practice. Family provision actions are increasing as more people challenge will dispositions or inheritance by way of intestacy on the grounds of inadequate provision. Estate planning is becoming a major area of practice. The notion of what comprises the 'estate' at death is a developing area, with some inter vivos transactions being set aside as unconscionable bargains. With its links to real property, equity, trusts and family law, Succession will assist you to see the connection between different areas of law.
LLB347 Taxation Law
Taxation law is a fundamental part of general commercial practice. Therefore, knowledge of taxation legislation and its commercial application to the business environment is required. Awareness of the incidence of Commonwealth taxes, including income tax, capital gains tax and fringe benefits tax, is essential in order to give advice in relation to commercial and domestic transactions. In addition to this knowledge of the taxation issues surrounding superannuation, companies, partnerships and trusts is essential for any aspiring tax professional.
LLB352 Smart Contracts and Blockchain Governance
Smart contracts represent challenges in emerging technology. Smart contracts raise questions of how traditional areas of law (such as contract law) are challenged by emerging technologies and the underlying technology of blockchain forces engagement with broader questions of law, regulation and governance. The growing need to convert law into computer code requires using traditional legal skills in new and innovative ways. In this unit you will further develop the skills to explore ideas of code and law as raised by smart contracts and blockchain. These are skills that future lawyers will need to know as emerging technology becomes more embedded in legal practice. Please note - coding experience or skills are not required for this unit.
LLB353 Governing Artificial Intelligence
This unit examines the regulation and governance of artificial intelligence (AI). As AI has become increasingly embedded in business, government and society, difficult legal, ethical and policy questions have arisen regarding its governance. Understanding the risks, issues and opportunities raised by AI is of growing importance to many areas of legal practice, industry and society more generally. The unit will survey key theories, approaches, and tools shaping the governance of AI. It will consider the intersection between AI, ethics, and the law through case studies across diverse areas, including culture, politics, employment, health, housing, and the environment. The unit will explore the application of existing bodies of law to the development and use of AI, and the implementation of sui generis principles and governance regimes. The unit will explore future law reform and emerging regulatory models for addressing the evolving challenges posed by AI technologies.
LLB460 Competition Moots A
Mooting is a fundamental element of legal education. As a student mooter at QUT, you have the opportunity, because of the number of national and international competitions that the QUT Law School is invited to participate in, to take your skills to the national and international arena and experience mooting at the highest level. Each international and national moot that you participate in requires significant preparation and attention to detail. This unit is one of a number of work integrated learning units designed to provide you with the experience of using and developing your legal knowledge and skills. Mooting will provide you with an authentic learning experience with direct application in real world legal environments. Through this experience you should be better placed for a smooth transition to the workplace. In order to enrol in this unit, you must have been selected to represent QUT in a moot competition which attracts academic credit.
LLB461 Competition Moots B
Mooting is a fundamental element of legal education. As a student mooter at QUT, you have the opportunity, because of the number of national and international competitions that the QUT Law School is invited to participate in, to take your skills to the national and international arena and experience mooting at the highest level. Each international and national moot that you participate in requires significant preparation and attention to detail. This unit is one of a number of work integrated learning units designed to provide you with the experience of using and developing your legal knowledge and skills. Mooting will provide you with an authentic learning experience with direct application in real world legal environments. Through this experience you should be better placed for a smooth transition to the workplace. In order to enrol in this unit, you must have been selected to represent QUT in a moot competition which attracts academic credit.
LLB463 Legal Placement
This unit will enable you to experience the real world application and development of your legal knowledge and skills through participation in a domestic legal placement. You will work alone or with a small group of students to respond to real world legal issues at a community legal centre, not-for-profit organisation, law firm or company. You will undertake legal research, draft reports, prepare presentations, and/or undertake other legal tasks under supervision. This unit affords you an authentic learning context to undertake legal work in the real world. Through this experience you should develop skills to be better placed for career planning and transition to the workplace. You will need to enrol in this unit in order to apply for a project. However, your enrolment does not guarantee that you will be allocated to a QUT-organised project, or that you will be able to undertake this unit.
LLB464 International Legal Placement
The final year elective 'International Legal Placement' will prepare you to transition into the workforce by providing you with the opportunity to work on a real-world legal issue. QUT partners with a number of international organisations to identify contemporary legal issues impacting the international community. During the semester, you will apply your legal knowledge and skills by completing a QUT-organised project with one these organisations. Students enrolled in in-person projects will travel abroad to present their work. Your enrolment in this unit does not guarantee that you will be selected for a project. If you are not selected for a project, you will be unable to undertake this unit.
LLB467 Law, Innovation and Technology Industry Project
This WIL unit provides you with a real world opportunity to work with industry partners to apply your legal knowledge in the context of legal technology. During the first phase of this unit, you will take part in a series of workshops to further develop your understanding of the relationship between technology and law. In phase two, you will be briefed by an industry partner and then produce a technological solution to a legal problem in a group. You will create your solution under supervision from an industry mentor and ultimately present this deliverable. The expectation is that this will be client-ready and add real value to how your industry partner delivers legal services.
LLH201 Legal Research
In this unit, you will develop problem-solving and research skills and apply them to ill-defined problems. You will also have the opportunity to reflect on your career goals and strategically build your skills to enhance your employability. You will then have the opportunity to reflect on and expand your research skills in LLH402 Legal Research Project and your career goals in LLH403 Legal Industry Capstone Project.
LLH206 Administrative Law
This unit examines the manner in which the executive branch of government is legally accountable, particularly in its dealings with individuals. The unit builds on key principles studied in LLB203 Constitutional Law concerning the structure and operation of our federal system of government, in order to focus on judicial and extra-judicial means of reviewing administrative action. An understanding of administrative law is required for admission into legal practice in Australia.
LLH302 Ethics and the Legal Profession
This unit is a core unit in the law degree and is required for admission to legal practice in Australia. It builds on the legal research and critical analysis skills developed in LLB104 Contemporary Law and Justice and LLH201 Legal Research.
LLH305 Corporate Law
Corporate Law is designed to provide you with knowledge and understanding of the key legal principles and policy issues relevant to registered companies. This unit is a compulsory area of study in the law degree and is required for admission as a legal practitioner.
LLH403 Legal Industry Capstone Project
LLH403 is a work-integrated learning unit that prepares students to transition from university to professional work. This final-year capstone unit will enable you to apply the research skills developed in LLH402 to a real-world legal problem. QUT works with industry partners to identify the complex contemporary legal problems Australians are facing. You will apply your legal knowledge and research skills by completing a research project that presents a solution to one of these problems. You will further develop your reflective writing skills by critically reflecting on the challenges you faced while completing your research project. Whether you see your future in a law firm, community legal centre, law reform commission, government department, or elsewhere, you will require the ability to apply your legal knowledge in real-world contexts; recognise opportunities to create solutions in the workplace; and reflect on feedback, experience and career development.
LLH470 Commercial Contracts in Practice
An advanced knowledge of contract law principles and their interaction with principles of equity and property law within the Australian context is crucial for all lawyers involved in negotiating, reviewing and drafting commercial agreements. The unit draws upon the fundamental principles of contract, equity and property studied earlier in your degree to examine at an advanced level the interaction of these principles in the context of common commercial transactions, including sales, leases and share sale agreements. Relevant regulatory provisions are also examined where applicable. The unit provides an opportunity for you to gain an enhanced understanding of the common practical issues related to the negotiation, drafting and interpretation of common clauses in commercial agreements, as well as the use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) tools in this context.
LLH471 Health Law and Practice
In this honours elective unit, you will apply the skills of communication, legal reasoning, critical and creative thinking, and research project management developed throughout the degree and consolidated in LLH401 Legal Research Capstone. You will also develop advanced knowledge in relation to health care law, building on the knowledge from LLB102 Torts. The relationship between the provider of health services and the patient has, in recent times, become more complex and there is consequently a significantly growing field of related legal scholarship and litigation.
LLH472 Public International Law
As Australian legal practitioners can increasingly expect to work within a global context, an understanding of this area of law is important for all practitioners. A good understanding of public international law is also essential for anyone wishing to work with an international organisation. As an advanced law elective, Public International Law will develop advanced knowledge of how international law is created and develops, and how it is applied by governments, legislatures, courts and international agencies.
LLH475 Theories of Law
This unit advances your understanding and appreciation of the philosophical and theoretical foundations of the law. These notions guide the development of the policies underlying law, and inform changes to law through legislative and judicial action. This advanced elective is placed in the final year of the course as it builds on your existing attributes, skills and substantive knowledge, and develops these to a higher level.
LLH476 Competition Law
The rationale for this advanced law elective unit is to provide an overview of those provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) that regulate anti-competitive conduct and advanced knowledge of the rules regulating anti-competitive conduct .
LLH479 Research Thesis Extension
This unit will develop students' independent research and writing skills. It is for students considering a future career conducting research and managing research projects in public, community and private enterprises. The unit culminates with the production of a 10 000 word thesis. Completion of the thesis (and award of a 1 or 2A Honours) will be a strong basis for a competitive entry and scholarship application into Australian and overseas PhD programs. This unit builds upon the research and writing skills and experiences in the earlier honours courses, by applying the knowledge and experience to a supervised research project. Research topics will be nominated by supervisors. You will need to enrol in this unit in order to apply for a research project. However, your enrolment does not guarantee that you will be allocated to a research project and will be able to undertake this unit. Projects will be allocated by the end of week 1.
LLH480 Consumer Law in a Digital Age
This unit examines the key consumer protections that are applicable to all sectors of the economy, and that are implemented through the Competition and Consumer Act (incorporating the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). An understanding of the principles of consumer protection and consumer law will assist you to gain a more complete grasp of the legal system, particularly in a commercial context. This unit expands on the ACL material covered in earlier units, and incorporates a focus on the application of consumer law in a digital environment. Knowledge of consumer law provides an opportunity to develop your skills in a range of legal areas as well as providing a base for those interested in working in this specialised field.
LWN164 Health Care Law and Ethics
The relationship between law and ethics in healthcare is important, as health knowledge and interventions and our understandings of the respective roles, responsibilities and rights of health professionals, health organisations, patients and the state, amongst others, continue to rapidly develop and evolve. This unit explores the relationship between law and ethics to lay the foundations of an understanding of both law and ethics as they relate to healthcare.
Legal practice
LPP110 Lawyers Skills
This unit provides you with opportunities to develop and demonstrate competence in some of the lawyering skills and values identified in the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council’s (APLEC) and the Law Admissions Consultative Committee’s (LACC) have published standards for the pre-admission practical training of Australian legal practitioners. Those standards have been adopted in Queensland as part of the admission rules for the legal profession. This unit focuses on ethics and professionalism, interviewing, negotiation, advocacy and personal well-being.
LPP113 Civil Litigation
This unit provides you with opportunities to develop and demonstrate competence in the area of Civil Litigation as described in the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council's (APLEC) and the Law Admissions Consultative Committee's (LACC) standards for the pre-admission practical training of Australian legal practitioners. Those standards have been adopted in Queensland as part of the admission rules for the legal profession. In this unit you will learn how to institute and run a civil proceedings up to the point of settlement before trial.
LPP114 Commercial
This unit provides you with opportunities to develop and demonstrate competence in the area of corporate and commercial practice as described in the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council's (APLEC) and the Law Admissions Consultative Committee's (LACC) standards for the pre-admission practical training of Australian legal practitioners. Those standards have been adopted in Queensland as part of the admission rules for the legal profession. In this unit you will advise a client on aspects of setting up a proprietary company, draft conditions for a contract for the sale of a business and advised on due diligence and take other steps on behalf of a buyer of a business.
LPP115 Property
This unit provides you with opportunities to develop and demonstrate competence in the Property area of practice as described in the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council's (APLEC) and the Law Admissions Consultative Committee's LACC) standards for the pre-admission practical training of Australian legal practitioners. Those standards have been adopted in Queensland as part of the admission rules for the legal profession. In this unit you will act for the purchaser of a residential property and provide advice on a lease and mortgage and critical forms for those transactions.
LPP116 Electives
In this unit you choose two practice areas from the eight practice areas that the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council (APLEC) and the Law Admissions Consultative Committee (LACC) have designated as the eight 'elective' practice areas for the purpose of admission to the legal profession. People who wish to be admitted to the legal profession in Australia are required to have demonstrated basic competence in two of those eight areas. This unit provides you with an opportunity to explore the two areas of practice that you choose from the eight.
LPP117 Interaction (Professional Capability)
This unit provides you with opportunities to broaden your professional capabilities that will assist you in your future legal career. You will develop these capabilities through the practical application of your legal and procedural knowledge in interviewing, negotiation, file management and other related activities. The capabilities you will develop include professional engagement, effective communication, adapting to change and developing resilience.
LPP118 Placement
In this unit, you complete a placement in a private, government, community, in-house, judicial or other workplace that provides legal services under the supervision of legal practitioner or judicial officer in Australia. The Law Admissions Consultative Committee's (LACC) standards for the pre-admission practical training of Australian legal practitioners, provide that you need to complete a placement in a law office in Australia if you wish to be admitted to the legal profession.Those standards have been adopted in Queensland as part of the admission rules for the legal profession. If you need QUT to find a placement for you, we will find you a placement in the Brisbane metropolitan area. If you want a placement in Queensland outside the Brisbane metropolitan area, we will endeavour to satisfy your request but cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. If you want a placement outside of Queensland, you will need to source your own placement.
LPP119 Career Skills
LPP119 Career Skills will enable us to introduce new content into the course in these areas: The business of practising law Legal Tech Creating a professional identity Advanced legal communication These areas are touched upon in some other course units but are not given the depth of treatment that they require if we are to prepare our students for the modern professional workplace.