Master of Employment and Labour Relations Law

Major shifts in laws governing the workplace and labour force in Australia in recent years mean that understanding the regulatory framework pertaining to employment and labour relations practices is more important than ever. Melbourne Law School’s graduate program in employment and labour relations law is ideal for legal practitioners, the public sector, corporate management and human resources/personnel services, trade unions and employer groups. The program caters for legal practitioners as well as non-lawyers with experience and interest in the legal regulation of employment and labour relations. In-depth analysis of recent developments in this complex and evolving area ensures the program remains at the forefront of legal knowledge in this field. The subject Principles of Employment Law is designed to be of particular assistance to students without previous (or recent) legal study in the area.

The graduate programs in labour relations law focus on:

• The identification, use and application of legal principles of Australian labour relations law
• Emerging and contemporary issues in Australian labour relations law
• Technical aspects of Australian labour relations law using historical, theoretical and practical perspectives
• Evaluating and synthesising Australian labour relations law scholarship
• The development of Australian labour relations law in an international (and comparative) context.

Students must complete eight subjects in total.

For students commencing from 2011, Principles of Employment Law is compulsory for students who do not have a law degree from a common law jurisdiction, and for these students it is strongly recommended that this subject be taken before any other Employment and Labour Relations Law subjects.

Principles of Employment Law is recommended for students who have not studied an equivalent subject in their law degree, or who have not done so recently.

Students who do not have a law degree from a common law jurisdiction must complete Fundamentals of the Common Law, as well as at least four subjects from the list of core Employment and Labour Relations Law subjects. The remaining subjects can be taken from the core Employment and Labour Relations Law subjects and the Accredited subjects lists.

Students with a law degree from a common law jurisdiction must complete at least four subjects from the list of core Employment and Labour Relations Law subjects. The remaining subjects can be taken from the core Employment and Labour Relations Law subjects and the Accredited subjects lists.

None

# Offered in 2013

• Alternative Dispute Resolution #
• Bargaining at Work (Formerly Bargaining at Work and Industrial Action) #
• Comparative Law
• Corporate Governance and Directors’ Duties #
• Corporate Social Responsibility and the Law
• Employment Contract Law (Formerly Employment Law) #
• Equality and Discrimination at Work (Formerly Anti-Discrimination Law at Work) #
• Fundamentals of Regulation #
• Fundamentals of the Common Law #
• Human Rights at Work #
• International Economic and Social Rights (formerly Economic and Social Rights in International Law)
• International Employment Law (Formerly International and Comparative Labour Law) #
• International Human Rights Law #
• International Law and Development (Formerly Law and Development) #
• International Sports Employment Law (Formerly International Sports Labour Law)
• Labour Standards under the Fair Work Act (Formerly Regulating Working Conditions) #
• Principles of Employment Law #
• Superannuation Law
• Trade, Human Rights and Development
• Workplace Health and Safety #

None

Available Breadth Tracks

• A degree in a relevant discipline and the equivalent of at least two years of full-time, documented, relevant professional experience; or
• A degree in law leading to admission to legal practice (LLB, JD or equivalent), at honours standard or equivalent; or
• A degree in law leading to admission to legal practice (LLB, JD or equivalent) and the equivalent of at least two years of full-time, documented, relevant professional experience; or
• A degree in a relevant discipline, successful completion of four subjects in a cognate graduate diploma and the equivalent of at least one year of full-time, documented, relevant work experience.

The Melbourne Law Masters welcomes applications from students with disabilities. The inherent academic requirements for study in the Melbourne Law Masters are:

• The ability to attend a minimum of 75% of classes and actively engage in the analysis and critique of complex materials and debate;
• The ability to read, analyse and comprehend complex written legal materials and complex interdisciplinary materials;
• The ability to clearly and independently communicate in writing a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and to critically evaluate these;
• The ability to clearly and independently communicate orally a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and critically evaluate these;
• The ability to work independently and as a part of a group;
• The ability to present orally and in writing legal analysis to a professional standard.

Students who feel their disability will inhibit them from meeting these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit: www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

1. Advanced understanding of the changing knowledge base in the relevant area(s) of law
   The specialist focus of the Melbourne Law Masters, the constant review and renewal of subjects and courses to ensure coverage of recent developments, the range and expertise of instructors from Australia and around the world, and regular advice from MLM advisory boards combine to ensure that courses and subjects reflect emerging knowledge and ideas.
2. Ability to investigate, evaluate, synthesise and apply existing knowledge in the relevant area(s) with creativity and initiative
   Small classes, a discussion-based environment and the emphasis on quality teaching and learning create an environment in which knowledge is exchanged, critically examined and adapted to current circumstances.
3. Well-developed problem solving abilities, characterised by flexibility of approach
   Most subjects approach knowledge by reference to various issues or problems. Students are required to critically analyse problems and identify and develop a range of appropriate solutions through class discussion, individual study and assessment tasks.
4. Advanced competencies in legal research and analysis
   Class preparation and class discussions are designed to enhance these skills, which are tested in all forms of assessment. All graduates of an LLM will have demonstrated, through subject assessment, the ability to use their research skills to plan, develop and execute substantial research-based project(s) and/or piece(s) of scholarship.
5. Capacity to effectively communicate complex legal ideas and theories, orally and in writing, to a variety of audiences
   Classroom discussion and formal presentations provide an opportunity to hone oral communication skills, and written assessment tasks are graded in part on written communication skills.
6. Appreciation of the design, conduct and reporting of original research
   Research papers and other research tasks are expected to attain a degree of creativity, originality and discovery that befits a postgraduate program of the highest quality, and students are encouraged and assisted to publish original work of a high standard in refereed journals.
7. Capacity to manage competing demands on time and ability to work with a high level of autonomy and accountability
   The demanding nature of graduate study requires effective time-management skills from all students and an ability to work independently and be accountable for commitment to study and output, as demonstrated through class attendance, engagement and assessment. The rigour of our programs, whether undertaken part-time or full-time, ensures that all successful graduates have enhanced time-management skills and the ability to work with relative autonomy.
8. Profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, including the ethics of scholarship
   Some subjects have a substantive ethical component. All instructors have a respect for intellectual integrity and are skilled scholars or practitioners in their own right.
9. Appreciation of the way in which knowledge provides a foundation for leadership
   Instructors in the Melbourne Law Masters are leaders in their fields, and many subjects involve visiting academics, exposing students to a wider array of leaders in a range of legal fields. The Law School is committed to the significance of knowledge, which informs all regular programs and a wide range of additional activities.
10. Capacity to value and participate in teamwork
    Small class sizes and an intensive teaching format are valuable in encouraging group dynamics and teamwork.
11. Understanding of the significance and value of knowledge to the wider community
    Law and legal knowledge are a community resource. In some subjects, this perspective is covered explicitly by the syllabus and the manner in which issues are treated in class. In addition, our diverse student body ensures that a range of perspectives on the way law impacts on the community are identified and analysed.
12. Capacity to engage with issues in contemporary society
    Our programs focus on the most up-to-date legal knowledge, analysing current issues and problems through the curriculum design, classroom discussion and assessment tasks. International students are also invited to participate in extracurricular activities to aid understanding of Australian law and legal institutions.
13. Advanced working skills in the use of new technology
    The most advanced IT infrastructure is available to Melbourne Law Masters students in the Law Library, the Moot Court Room, classroom settings and for private study.