Merits/Opinions on Bond University Law?

[Callista]

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Hello everyone
I have been lurking for awhile and would now love to hear all of your opinions. I am a Canadian student who has her B.A. in History. I have recently been accepted into the J.D. (Juris Doctorate) program at Bond University.

I realize it's a private university and thus expensive but in terms of cost, it would be the same for me to attend any Australian school because I'm an international student so that's not really a consideration. I am drawn to Bond because they have a term that starts in September and also because they have a two year program available.

I have seen a lot of mentioning Sydney, Melbourne, etc. but almost no mention of Bond anywhere on here. I am strongly considering attending Bond but don't know anything about its reputation in Australia -- would I be able to easily obtain a job with my Bond degree, whether in a small or large firm? Is it well thought of amongst lawyers in general? Are there any drawbacks?

I would appreciate any advic and opinions that you guys can give me!

Thanks.

[RogueAcademic]

Bond University is a quiet achiever, mostly because of its private status. Being a private university means it's able to draw in the most expensive (and by inference the 'best') lecturers, and the students are regarded as composed of many rich elite with local and international student status. In saying that, the quality of teaching at Bond is very high and its academic programs are well regarded. Note that you asked for an opinion and that is what I'm giving you, take it for what it is.

Incidently if you're looking for a two year Australian JD program, The University of Melbourne also offers the same thing, and it has a more recognised reputation. Monash University also offers a JD but it is spread over 2.5 years.

[guertinj]

Hey! I am in the same exact boat right now, did you ever end up going? If so what was it like. I'm really struggling at the moment as I am American but I have lived on the Goldie for the past two years. I really want to go to Bond but I've never heard a good thing about it. Generally I hear about how students there pay to get a degree, and that the degree is not viewed well by potential employers. With that said, most of my mates go to Griffith, so I'm unsure of where to really place these opinions as I'm unsure if they are legit or if they come from some sort of rivalry. For me as an American, the degree is not priced too differently than the other schools in the country and it is the same price or cheaper than a lot of the schools in America.

I'm attracted to Bond for several reasons. The Goldie is my home now and I'd like to permanently live here, and Griffith doesn't offer a law program that really accomodates the fact that I've already worked my butt off for four years getting a BA in the US. Bond won against Yale at the ICC, they've got some good professors, and the program is run in trimesters so it's done faster. Bond also has a lot of connections to the USA, so if in the future I decided to immigrate back, there is some familiarity in the USA with their programs.

My real concern here is the validity of the Gold Coast, seemingly majority, opinion of Bond and how that will affect my future in Australia in terms of employability. Is this negative opinion only prevelant amongst non-bond students in this part of the country? Or does it actually hold some clout? I am trying to figure out the success of the graduates and where they are currently working, and the oppurtunities I will get while undertaking my degree.

If I just went by my online research I would never question Bond as a school, but I'm far too familiar with disparaging comments and have been forced to really question its reputation nationally. I am also familiar with its lack of acknowledgement when it comes to university rankings -but question the weight that holds when it comes to employment.

I wish I knew students who had completed the JD, but if you or anyone else reading this can dispell some of the myths and clear up the confusion that'd be awesome. If the reputation is so bad that I should consider another region of the country, I'm fine with that. If it's just misinformed opinion I'm fine witht that too. It's a lot of money to go to school, and it is my future I must consider....so any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

[ninjapuppet]

I know a few people in the medical profession, dont tend to view the Bond Medical school very highly and a relatively high proportion of graduates had problems getting into their preferred choice hospitals in Brisbane during internship year.

However, I am sure the law school is different. The few ppl i know that did law there really enjoyed it especially the city itself. My friend did law there and managed to get into a top tier law firm in sydney afterwards. read the good university guides, and search the net. I'm sure you'll find more info


Rankings of Australian Universities

Australian Law School Rankings

[twistedtigers]

This will probably just add more confusion to the mix, but if you're wanting to study law on a trimester system, Deakin University has just gone to trimesters this year. They also have a brilliant distance program, so you don't have to be living in Victoria to complete your degree - you audio stream all lectures and library materials are sent to you and the uni's expense.

As to it's reputation, I'm not so sure. I do know it appears to be if you want snob value you need to go to Uni of Melbourne, Uni of WA, etc - but there are plenty of employable lawyers who have streamed from other unis. Possibly its your grades you should really focus on?

[dste6]

guetinij, in the current economic climate, I don't think you should be focusing on whether the name of the university will get you a job or not. Down in Melbourne atm, I know that students at both top-tier law schools are having a hard time finding clerkships and graduate positions that they want in the private sector. I imagine the situation would be even more dire in smaller centers of Australia.

In short, the employers are not going to be focused on your school, they're going to be looking at you. If your confident of the quality of the academics, cohort, and extra-curricular activities at Bond then there is little reason why you shouldn't go there. In the end, what will get you a job is a good transcript and a fat CV (internships, mooting, involvement).

On a side note, rankings are a tricky thing, because they are based on research output of the university. They don't directly reflect the relative quality of a professional degree or employability of it's graduates, so I believe following rankings is largely useless. That said, research output can attract quality academics and correlate with endowment of the school; meaning better teaching and facilities.

Normally I'd say you'd be fine at any Go8 univeristy, and would advice against going to a non-Go8 university, because field leaders don't usually reside there. However, this may not apply to Bond (for a professional degree), if it's private status attracts quality academics and affords good facilities.

Moral of the story: If you can get into a Go8 law school, do that. If you can't, but really want to do law, go Bond and don't sweat it.