STUDYING LAW

Do you have what it takes to pursue a law degree? Find out in this article!  

Law is defined as a system of rules and regulations developed by the government to manage and handle crime, business agreements and social welfare. For many years, Law has been the go-to field for students who were not academically strong is Science and Mathematics but excelled in remembering facts and public speaking.  

Entry Requirements

Those who are interested in studying law need to have three credit passes in SPM. They must also obtain two principal passes in STPM, A Levels, South Australian Matriculation (SAM) or any other recognised pre-university programmes.  

Overview of Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

A number of higher education institutions offer undergraduate law degree programmes, also known as Bachelor of Laws (LLB). The duration of an LLB can be three or four years depending on whether a professional year is included where students sit for their Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP). The three year LLB programmes require students to sit for the CLP exam externally.   It is compulsory for a recognised law degree to have six core subjects in their module. These core subjects are Law of Contract, Law of Torts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Land Law, and Equity & Trusts. Students must pass all core subjects in order to graduate. Other subjects in a law degree are Legal Method & Systems, Company Law and Intellectual Property Law.   Those who wish to study abroad can enrol in LLBs with twinning programmes. These twinning programmes must be approved by the Ministry of Education and require students to complete to two years of study locally before going overseas.  

Overview of the Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP)

The Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP) is a professional examination that tests whether law degree holders are prepared to practise law professionally. Only individuals with law degrees recognised by the Malaysian Legal Profession Qualifying Board can sit for the CLP. In addition, the CLP is only open to Malaysian citizens. The CLP examinations are held bi-annually in July and October.   The CLP examination consists of five papers which are Civil Procedure, General Paper, Criminal Procedure, Professional Practice and Evidence. All five papers need to be passed to be granted a CLP. Those who fail one subject will be given two more chances to re-sit the paper. Individuals will be given four attempts to sit for the CLP, where one re-sit is equivalent to one attempt. If all four attempts are used up, individuals need to repeat all five papers again.  

Career Prospects

After an individual has been granted a CLP, they have to complete nine to 12 months of chambering, which is an apprenticeship where they gain work experience under the supervision of a working lawyer. Only then may students be called to the bar and be recognised as a qualified lawyer in Malaysia.   Individuals may find employment as litigation lawyers, where they protect the rights of their clients and represent their cases in court. Conveyancer lawyers specialise in legal matters related to real estate and the buying and selling of property. Individuals with undergraduate qualifications in law may also work as paralegals or legal secretaries, assisting lawyers in researching, drafting and documenting legal documents. Alternatively, law graduates can go on to work as journalists, lecturers, diplomats and human resource managers.  

Law is an evergreen sector that is intellectually challenging, dynamic and truly makes an impact on individuals and society as a whole.