Associate Degree of Law (Paralegal Studies)

The Associate Degree of Law (Paralegal Studies) at Southern Cross University is a two-year qualification for people who want to work alongside lawyers rather than become one. You study the areas of law that paralegals actually use: legal research and writing, civil procedure, contract, torts, criminal law and evidence, property and commercial law. Alongside the black-letter subjects you learn how to draft pleadings and correspondence, manage files, interview clients, and run the document-heavy side of a matter that keeps a practice moving.

As an Australian associate degree, it sits at Level 6 on the Australian Qualifications Framework, between a diploma and a bachelor degree. You complete units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, usually spread across two semesters a year, with a mid-year intake at some campuses. To graduate you need the total credit points the degree requires, typically made up of core law units plus electives. Many students use the associate degree as a stepping stone: if you later want the full Bachelor of Laws, you can apply for credit for the units you have passed, though how much is granted is assessed case by case.

Teaching is practical. Tutorials and workshops have you working through case scenarios, and assessment leans on research tasks, drafting exercises and problem questions rather than exams alone. Southern Cross has a long association with regional New South Wales and northern New South Wales, and law students there often deal with the kind of legal work that matters in those communities, tenancy, family, consumer and rural issues. Work-integrated learning or a placement unit can be part of the degree, and it is worth checking the current course structure for what is offered and when.

This course suits school leavers who want a legal career without a six-year pathway, career changers moving into the profession from administration or insurance, and people already working in a law firm who want formal recognition. It is also a sensible option if you are not certain about the full LLB yet. English proficiency is required for international applicants, and law sits at the higher end of the university's published IELTS range, confirm the exact score and accepted equivalents on the official page. While you hold a Student visa you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during study periods, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Tuition is listed on the CRICOS register under course code 016182B.

• Paralegal in private law firms, from suburban practices to national firms, working on litigation, conveyancing, family law or commercial matters.
• Legal support officer in state and federal government departments, courts and tribunals.
• Law clerk or legal secretary in barristers' chambers and in-house legal teams.
• Contracts administrator or compliance officer in construction, insurance, banking and local government.
• Conveyancing assistant in property and strata practices.
• Community legal centre worker, supporting solicitors in legal aid and not-for-profit services.
• Pathways into the Bachelor of Laws for students who later decide to qualify as a solicitor or barrister.