Adelaide University law school nation's second from 1883 and first to admit women; Flinders Law innovates in 1992
Adelaide University law school’s Ligertwood Building has one of Australia’s best law libraries.
The University of Adelaide law school, founded in 1883, was one of the 19th Century pioneers of teaching law as a university discipline in the English tradition. It is Australia’s second oldest law school, after Melbourne University, to teach the LLB degree.
Adelaide University was the first to admit women to study law in Australia and continues to break ground through world-leading research. The state’s other law school at Flinders University also has been an innovator since its start in 1992.
Adelaide University law school’s alumni includes all the 20th/21st centuries’ South Australian chief justices as well as political figures such as Julia Gillard, Julie Bishop, Penny Wong, Jay Weatherill and Christopher Pyne.
The school has collaborated with the legal profession since it was a cooperative between teaching staff and practising members of the profession. An industry advisory board ensuring that teaching is relevant and students get networking opportunities including professional work placements.
Among its significant research, the school has developed far-reaching international law for military uses of outer space. Its role through the South Australian Law Reform Institute has become critical and it’s a national leader in insolvency, taxation, labour and constitutional law.
The Adelaide Law School’s Ligertwood Building, opened in 1967, has one of Australia’s best law libraries and a purpose-built moot court for the 1400-plus students (more than half of them women).
Adelaide University Law Students' Society, founded in 1898, is the second oldest in Australia. Among its many activities was the revue, with Shaun Micallef as one of its most famous stars.
Flinders University’s law school’s first 60 undergraduates were admitted into the bachelor of laws programme in 1992.
In 1999, bachelor of laws and legal practice offered Flinders students a law degree and practical legal training to practise law as a barrister or solicitor. This allowed students to become qualified to practise without paying the upfront fees for the final part of their training.
Flinders Law introduced innovative criminal justice and legal studies majors plus bachelor of justice and society programmes. Its staff were active researchers, many with national or international reputations in their fields.