Best Private Universities to Study LLB Law in Malaysia
A lawyer is also known as an attorney, solicitor, barrister or advocate and is an individual who has obtained the necessary qualifications to be called to the bar to practice law. Lawyer can act as both advocates and advisors on behalf of their clients.
A lawyer, also known as an “attorney,” “counselor,” solicitor,” “barrister” or “advocate,” is an individual licensed by the state to engage in the practice of law and advise clients on legal matters. Lawyers act as both advocates and advisors on behalf of their clients. As advocates, they represent either the plaintiff (the party filing the lawsuit) or the defendant (the party defending the lawsuit), advancing their client’s case through oral argument and through written documents such as motions and briefs. As advisors, lawyers counsel clients on how the facts of their particular case apply to the law.
It is important for students to choose top private universities in Malaysia with law degrees that are recognised by the Malaysian Bar and the Legal Profession Qualifying Board, Malaysia for purposes of the CLP examinations. In addition, check the entry requirements with the Malaysian Bar to ensure that you qualify. Students after SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels in Malaysia should go for the A-Levels or Australian Matriculation before pursuing the law degree.
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- Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) qualification at Senior Middle 3 level is Accepted to sit for the Certificate in Legal Practice Examination (CLPE) Malaysia
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Study at a Top Private University in Malaysia for Law
Students who love to read, talk, and write should consider law. You like to stand up for others and help people. When you are good in subjects like Sejarah, Moral, English or Biology, you can consider a career in Law.
A few of these skills are exceptional oral and written communication skills, strong analytical skills, the ability to simultaneously balance multiple tasks, leadership skills, able to perform in-depth research, remember facts as well as use the facts in a logical manner.
Top Law Schools in Malaysia
- Taylor’s Law School
- HELP University
- UOWM KDU
- Multimedia University (MMU)
- Brickfields Asia College (BAC)
What do lawyers do in Malaysia?
Although lawyers affect nearly every aspect of society in a range of positions and industries, their basic duties are the same–to represent the needs of their clients in civil and criminal trials. Lawyers can specialize in bankruptcy, international, elder, probate, or environmental law. The growing field of intellectual property is also seeing a growing level of attention from lawyers.
Other than practicing law in the courtroom, lawyers can find jobs in other areas such as:
- Advocates & Solicitors
- LegalSecretary
- Corporate Counsel
- Judiciary
- Arbitrator
- Company Secretary
- Attorney-General’s Chambers
- Forensic Investigator
- Journalist
- Legal Writer & Editor
- Academician
- Politician
Lawyers can also choose to work in other industries
- Education and academic administration
- You can work as a lecturer or marketing staff in the colleges that offer Lawprogrammes. Legal knowledge is also useful in non-teaching positions at universities, work in the law library or admissions.
- Banking and finance
- Lawyers with experience in securities, trusts and estates, tax or banking law, you can venture into the lucrative field of banking and finance. Positions include: risk manager, estate planning advisor, trust officer, financial planner, commercial loans officer and mutual fund administrator.
- Conflict resolution
- Arbitration, mediation and negotiation are growing fields employing individuals with legal backgrounds as arbitrators and mediators. Hospitals, school associations, universities and government agencies all hire professionals with strong communication and dispute resolution skills. Note that mediation positions may not be full-time – mediators tend to be retained on a contract basis to assist with a specific dispute.
- Government and politics
- The federal and provincial governments often hire lawyers as policy analysts to gather and research information, analyze issues in written reports and coordinate the development of strategic policy. Matters involving policy related issues range from health and transportation to education and the environment. Politics is another popular field for lawyers. Positions include speech writer, political fundraiser, campaign manager, lobbyist or even political candidate.
- Human resources
- Companies need talented professionals to recruit new people and oversee their staff. You can work as a hiring coordinator, human resources administrator or training manager. And don’t forget working within the legal profession as a non-lawyer – inside knowledge of the legal industry makes you well suited for a job as a law firm administrator, head of associate recruiting, marketing director or professional development manager.
- Legal consulting
- Some lawyers consult to law firms in law office management, marketing and client development. If you’re tech-savvy, you can put your knowledge about legal software to work as an information technology consultant. With a nursing background, you can work as a legal nurse consultant, reviewing medical records in medical malpractice and personal injury cases, providing advice to the lawyers involved and acting as an expert witness.
- Legal writing, editing and publishing
- A lawyer’s research and writing skills are particularly useful. Several lawyers work as freelance legal writers and editors – contributing articles for legal publications, writing do-it-yourself law books and researching/writing booklets on legal topics like divorce and landlord/tenancy matters for poverty law groups and government-funded organizations. Other one-time lawyers are now legal or business columnists for newspapers and magazines. Still others write content for law firm websites or are full-time editors for bar association newsletters and law, business or accounting publications.
Job Demand for Lawyers in Malaysia
There are 14,300 registered lawyers in Malaysia.
Number of Legal Firms by State in Malaysia
| State | No. of Legal Firms |
| Johor | 680 |
| Kedah | 273 |
| Kelantan | 216 |
| Melaka | 211 |
| Negeri Sembilan | 263 |
| Pahang | 210 |
| Penang | 606 |
| Perak | 421 |
| Perlis | 23 |
| Selangor | 1896 |
| Terengganu | 136 |
| Wilayah Persekutuan | 2009 |
| Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan | 11 |
| Total | 6955 |
Number of Lawyers by State in Malaysia
| State | No. of Lawyers |
| Johor | 1242 |
| Kedah | 467 |
| Kelantan | 374 |
| Melaka | 412 |
| Negeri Sembilan | 433 |
| Others | 286 |
| Pahang | 371 |
| Penang | 1248 |
| Perak | 729 |
| Perlis | 38 |
| Selangor | 3801 |
| Terengganu | 244 |
| Wilayah Persekutuan | 6741 |
| Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan | 12 |
| Total | 16398 |
How do you become a Lawyer in Malaysia?
The 1st step after SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels is to find the right college to study your A-Levels or South Australian Matriculation.
After you obtain at least 2 principals in the A-Levels, you can either go for the law degree i.e. LLB (Hons) from recognised universities such as Taylor’s University or UOWM KDU College or take up the UK Law Degree Transfer Programme at the same universities and study 2 years in Malaysia and go to the UK for your final year.
Upon completing your degree, you may choose to take up the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) in the UK and be called up to the English Bar or choose to come back to Malaysia to sit for a qualifying exam in order to obtain the Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP).
When you complete all the required exams, you will undergo a 9-month training commonly known as chambering or pupilage. This is the period where one is exposed to the working world of law. You can be paid between RM300-RM1000 for this period.
While serving the 9-month pupilage you will still need to sit through some exams conducted by Malaysian Bar and partake in Malaysian Bar legal aid programme before you can be called to the Malaysian Bar to become a qualified lawyer
Four Steps to Become a Lawyer in Malaysia after SPM or O-Levels
- Take a Recognised Pre-University Course. Students after SPM or O-Levels will need at least 5Cs or Credits including English and Maths. The internal Foundation is not recognised for students who want to take the CLP in order to practice. Generally, the A-Levels is the best option for students wanting to pursue a law degree in Malaysia or in the UK.
- Earn a law degree from an approved university. Before enrolling with a university, verify that the LL.B course is an honors program and is approved by the Legal Profession Qualifying Board Malaysia, or by the Malaysia Bar. Failure to graduate from an approved program will preclude you from applying to take the Malaysian Bar examinations. ◦
- Complete a Bar Vocational Course (BVC) or Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP). The BVC is offered in Great Britain and is a popular option for most Malaysians due to its excellent reputation and job prospects. The alternative in Malaysia is the examination known as the Certificate in Legal Practice. Passing either one is mandatory to be called to the Bar. Note that graduates of the University of Malaya or National University of Singapore have already satisfied these requirements and do not need to sit for these examinations.
- Sign up for “chambering.” This is a practical training course that lasts nine months, during which the new graduate is attached to a lawyer, law firm, legal agency or other such program to acquire practical legal skills. It is a nonsalaried position; however, most law firms will provide a basic monthly allowance, and depending on the size of the firm this may range from 300 to 1,000 Malaysian Ringgit. During the training attachment, you will still be required to pass all Malaysian Bar examinations and legal aid programs. Only upon completion of these will the graduate be called to the Bar as a fully-qualified lawyer and allowed to practice independently.
The Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP)
This Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) is one of those qualifications entitling the holder to become a qualified person. The examination is conducted by the Board by virtue of section 5(e) of the Act. Applications to sit for the CLP examinations are open to holders of Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degrees conferred by the universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and certain universities in Australia and New Zealand whose qualifications are not gazetted under section 3 of the Act.
Like all law graduates, CLP graduates must proceed to read in chambers or better known as chambering, which is a form of apprenticeship similar to a pupillage in England. After completing nine (9) months of chambering, the student may finally be called to the bar and become a qualified lawyer. Examinations are normally held around July each year.
Every student is required to sit for five subject papers. The said examination is conducted once a year where candidates are examined on the following subjects:
a. General Paper;
b. Civil Procedure;
c. Criminal Procedure;
d. Evidence;
e. Professional Practice
For holders of Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degrees from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the board has set certain guidelines on qualifications and requirements to qualify to sit for the CLP examinations. The Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) is a course and examination taken by foreign law graduates in order to become a qualified lawyer in Malaysia. The examination is conducted by the Legal Profession Qualifying Board of Malaysia and is governed by the Legal Profession Act 1976. The Board allows degree holders from certain universities in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand to sit for the examination.
If a student fails one paper he or she may be given a conditional pass and be allowed to resit that subject two more times. However, if a student failed in two or more papers, he must sit for the whole examination again in order to obtain the certificate. A student is allowed to sit for the examination four times. The Legal Profession Qualifying Board only sets the examination and does not provide classes to prepare the candidate for the examination.
Entry Requirements by the Legal Profession Qualifying Board as Found in the Malaysian Bar Website
It is very important to check with the Malaysian Bar as to the latest Entry Requirements. If you study Foundation, Diploma or other Pre-University programme not recognised by the Qualifying Board, you may not be allowed to sit for the CLP.
Admission Requirements for the Legal Profession Qualifying Board Malaysia is taken from the Malaysian Bar website. For the latest guidelines, please contact the Legal Profession Qualifying Board Malaysia at:
Tel: (603) – 2691 0054 / (603) – 2691 0080
Fax: (603) – 2691 0142
Guidelines on Qualifications and Requirements for Recognition of holders of Australian and New Zealand Law Degrees to become ‘Qualified Person’ under the Legal Profession Act 1976.
Introduction
All matters pertaining to the qualifications and requirements for admission to the Bar in Malaysia are governed by the provisions under the Legal Profession Act 1976 (the Act). To be eligible for admission, a candidate must satisfy all requirements as are provided in the Act which may be broadly categorised as follows:
- academic requirements
- practical requirements
- formal requirements
As to the academic requirements, this is satisfied if a candidate can show that he/she is a ‘qualified person’ within the meaning of section 3 of the Act. Under the Act, ‘qualified person’ means any person who:
- has passed the final examination leading to the degree of Bachelor of Laws of the University of Malaya, the University of Malaya in Singapore, the University of Singapore or the National University of Singapore;
- is a barrister-at-law of England; or
- in possession of such other qualification as may by notification in the Gazette be declared by the Board to be sufficient to make a person a qualified person for the purposes of the Act.
Such person must then satisfy the practical and formal requirements before he/she may petition for admission.
In exercise of the powers conferred by para (c) above, the Legal Profession Qualifying Board (the Qualifying Board) has declared various qualifications, thus making a holder of any one of those qualifications a qualified person under the Act. Indeed, all law degrees (LL.B) from Australia and New Zealand, which are at present recognised for the purposes of the Act, have gained recognition through various Gazette Notifications made under para (c) above.
For the recognition of Australia and New Zealand law degrees, the approach taken by the Qualifying Board in the past is to determine the university whose LL.B degree is to be recognised and to specify additional requirements to be satisfied before the holder of that LL.B degree is deemed to be a qualified person for purposes of section 3 of the Act. This is then declared by notification in the Gazette.
At present a person who has passed the final examination leading to the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from 14 universities in Australia and 5 universities in New Zealand, as listed in the relevant Gazette Notifications, and who is qualified to gain admission as a barrister or solicitor in New Zealandand in the case of Australia, in the State in which the university is situated, and having passed the requisite subjects prescribed by the respective Barristers/Solicitors Board or its equivalent, is a qualified person for the purposes of section 3 of the Act.
In 1994, the Qualifying Board decided to review the recognition of all qualifications under the Act including the present position of the LL.B degrees from Australia and New Zealand. This review was necessary taking into account the changes that have taken place since those qualifications were first considered and the recent trends and practices in legal education and training of lawyers. The Qualifying Board also felt that it had to specify its own requirements in order to conform to the new Malaysian needs in achieving and maintaining the required standard for admission to the Malaysian Bar and to provide for a uniform criteria for admission.
In March 1995, the Qualifying Board announced a new set of Guidelines for holders of LL.B degrees from universities in the United Kingdom (U.K.) to qualify to enter the Malaysian Certificate in Legal Practice examination (CLP) with the view of admission to the Bar. The Qualifying Board has now decided to introduce new Guidelines on the academic requirements for holders of Australian and New Zealand law degrees which are outlined below:
Guidelines on the New Academic Requirements
These Guidelines shall specify the requirements and criteria before a law degree from Australia and New Zealand is deemed to have satisfied the academic requirements and making a holder of such a law degree a qualified person for the purposes of section 3 of the Act. These new Guidelines are contained in Part One and Part Two.
It should be emphasised that these new Guidelines are applicable only to those who intend to use such law degrees to qualify for admission to the Bar in Malaysia and not to bar any person from acquiring such law degree for other purposes.
These Guidelines are introduced after careful study and discussions since 1994. In particular, they take into account of the following:
- a special report commissioned by the Qualifying Board on law degrees in Australian and New Zealand;
- visits and discussions the Qualifying Board had with the relevant authorities in Australian and New Zealand;
- changes that have taken place in the area of legal education and training of lawyers in Australian, New Zealand and Malaysia; and
- the need to streamline all academic qualifications which are being used for purposes of admission to the Bar in Malaysia.
These Guidelines consist of TWO parts:
- Part One : New academic requirements and criteria to be satisfied before the holder of a law degree is deemed to be a qualified person under the Act.
- Part Two: The qualifying degrees. The list of universities and their respective law programmes recognised by the Qualifying Board.
PART ONE
Academic Requirements
A. Certificate in Legal Practice
A person who has passed the final examination conducted by any of the universities listed in Part Two leading to the degree of Bachelor of Laws after 1 May 1999 is required to sit for and pass the examination for the Malaysian Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) conducted by the Qualifying Board before he/she is deemed to be a qualified person under section 3 of the Legal Profession Act. 1976.
B. New Criteria
In addition to the requirement in (A) above, a candidate with any of the law degrees as are listed in Part Two must satisfy the following criteria as pre-requisites to sit for the CLP examination:
RULES
- Entry requirements
- Duration of the law degree
- Subjects
- Twinning Programmes
- Joint Degrees
- Transfers
- Modes of Study
- Branch Campus
- Mature Student Entry
- Transitional
- Entry requirements
Candidates must have obtained the minimum grades as the entry requirements into the law programmes which are as follows:
1.1 Achievement at the SPM level or its equivalent. All candidates must have obtained a minimum of 3 credit passes at the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or its equivalent which passes must be obtained in the one and the same sitting of the examination.
1.2 Achievement at STPM level or its equivalent
1.2.1 All candidates must have obtained a minimum of 2 principal passes at the Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) or its equivalent which passes must be obtained in the one and same sitting of the examination;
AND
1.2.2 The duration of the STPM course of study or its equivalent SHALL be a minimum of one academic year.
1.3 For the purposes of these Guidelines :
1.3.1 The qualifications which are accepted as equivalent o the SPM are:
a. the ‘O’ levels examination by the various Boards in the United Kingdom
b. the School Certificate examination in Australia, and
c. the School Certificate examination for New Zealand schools, colleges and high schools.
1.3.2 The qualifications which are accepted as equivalent o the STPM are:
a. the ‘A’ levels examination by the various Boards in the United Kingdom,
b. the Australian Matriculation examination,
c. the New Zealand Bursaries examination, and
d. any other qualifications which may be accepted by the Qualifying Board as equivalent to the STPM.
- Duration of the law degree
2.1 The duration for the law degrees SHALL be a minimum of 3 academic years.
2.2 In the case of a full-time study at a university, the law degree which is obtained must be completed within 6 years of initial registration with that university.
- Subjects
3.1 The law degree SHALL contain a minimum of 12 substantive law subjects,
3.2 The 12 law subjects, SHALL include the following 6 core- subjects:
a. Law of Contract
b. Law of Torts
c. Constitutional Law
d. Criminal Law
e. Land Law, and
f. Equity and Trusts
3.3 Each of the core-subjects as in (3.2) above, SHALL be studied for the duration of one academic year
3.4 Candidates must have passed all the core-subjects mentioned in (3.2) above.
- Twinning Programmes
If the law degree is conducted through twinning or other collaborative arrangements between universities in Australia and New Zealand and local colleges in Malaysia, such programmes must satisfy the following criteria:
4.1 The twinning arrangement SHALL consist of the maximum of 2 academic years of study in Malaysia followed by a minimum of one academic year of study in Australia or New Zealand.
4.2 The curriculum and coverage of the 2 academic years of study in Malaysia SHALL be the same as that conducted and covered internally by that Australian or New Zealand university which is the partner in that twinning arrangement and SHALL be validated annually and supervised by the same Australian or New Zealand university.
4.3 The 2 academic years course of study in Malaysia under a twinning arrangement and the local colleges conducting such programmes must be approved by the Ministry of Education of Malaysia or any body established by statute for that purpose.
- Joint Degrees
Where two or more different and distinct disciplines or branches of learning are combined and studied in one degree programme, that degree is a joint degree for the purposes of these Guidelines.
Such joint degrees are recognised under these Guidelines only if the duration is extended to 5 years or more.
- Transfers
6.1 A law degree from any university is not recognised under these Guidelines if a holder of that degree was in the first instance a failed student from another law school who had obtained transfer to that university from which he graduates with a law degree and who was not required to commence the course afresh.
6.2 Where a student has failed a part of his course or obtained only a conditional pass in any university and subsequently transfers his studies to another university where he is provided credit for any part of the course which he has passed and is allowed to proceed to the next year of study without being required to pass the complete examination diet of the equivalent year that he failed or was referred in his original university, his final law degree is NOT accepted under these Guidelines. This does not include a failed student who commences his course afresh at a different university after failure at his original university and thereafter successfully completes his course and awarded a degree.
- Modes of Study
A law degree is accepted only if it involves full-time study either wholly at a university in Australia and New Zealandor partly at a local college in Malaysia and partly at a university in Australia and New Zealand under a twinning arrangement as in (4) above.
- Branch Campus
A law degree which is acquired from any university through its branch campus located in Malaysia or elsewhere SHALL be given the same treatment as though it is granted by the parent university in Australia or New Zealand. - Mature Student Entry
IN LIMITED CASES, mature students may be admitted to pursue a law degree. Such students :
9.1 shall have a minimum of 3 credits passes at SPM level or its equivalent, AND
9.2 shall possess a minimum of 5 years of proven working experience in the related field, AND
9.3 must be declared as suitable and proficient to follow the law programme by a special panel comprising of officials of the admitting university in concurrence with the Qualifying Board.
- Transitional
Rules 1 to 9 above shall NOT apply to a candidate who has joined any of the universities listed in Part Twofor the law degree programme before 1 May 1999.
PART TWO
Qualifying Degrees
The Qualifying Board hereby declares that effective 1 May 1999, only the universities and their respective law degrees as listed below are recognised as qualifying degrees enabling the holders of the law degrees to sit for the CLP examination for purposes of Part One of these Guidelines and with the view of admission to the Bar in Malaysia:
Australia
- Australian National University – LL.B.
- University of Sydney – LL.B.
- University of Adelaide – LL.B.
- Monash University – LL.B.
- University of Melbourne – LL.B.
- University of Western Australia – LL.B.
- Macquaire University – LL.B.
- University of New South Wales – LL.B.
- University of Queensland – LL.B.
- University of Tasmania – LL.B.
- University of Technology, Sydney – LL.B.
- Bond University, Queensland – LL.B.
- Murdoch University – LL.B.
- Queensland University of Technology – LL.B.
New Zealand - University of Auckland – LL.B.
- University of Canterbury – LL.B.
- Victoria University of Wellington – LL.B.
- University of Otago – LL.B.
- University of Waikato – LL.B.
The above list shall be reviewed from time to time and the Qualifying Board may add to or vary the list if it considers necessary to do so. Fresh applications for recognition may also be considered by the Qualifying Board from universities not included in the list.
These Guidelines were issued by the Qualifying Board on 30 April 1998.
Top Private Universities & Colleges in Malaysia 