Bachelor of Laws in Law Victoria University of Wellington

Overview

Law is one of the forces that keeps society functioning. Culture, economy, family ties, and international relationships all exist within a legal framework.

A Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University of Wellington sets you up to practise law in New Zealand, as well as overseas in places like Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Victoria University of Wellington is #1 in New Zealand for law, due to its excellence in teaching, research, and engagement for the subject of law (latest Times Higher Education (THE) 2026 Rankings by Subject).

Learn the fundamentals

Learn skills in communication, problem-solving, research, and independent thinking. Through the LLB, you’ll gain a solid grounding in different aspects of law, including:

• public law—how we control our government
• commercial law—law that supports business and negotiations
• international law—how law supports international relations
• common law—a methodology and way of doing law used in courts in many places around the world
• statute law—how to read and write the law made by an Act of Parliament.

Tikanga Māori as a part of your study

In your Bachelor of Laws, you’ll learn about the development of the two legal systems in Aotearoa New Zealand—tikanga Māori and the general legal system. You’ll learn about how they relate to and influence each other.

You’ll also study Te Tiriti o Waitangi—The Treaty of Waitangi as documents that reflect concepts important to both ways of doing law.

The first year of your legal study will teach you about integrating tikanga Māori and applying it in legal arguments.