Industrial training/professional practice

Admission to legal practice in Australia

Admission to the Supreme Court of NSW to practise as a lawyer in New South Wales is based upon the successful completion of an accredited legal qualification and an accredited course of practical legal training (PLT). The UTS Bachelor of Laws (C10124) (LLB) and Juris Doctor (C04236) (JD) are approved degrees for the purposes of admission to practise as a legal practitioner in Australia.

Practical legal training

The Faculty of Law's PLT program is accredited by the Legal Profession Admission Board of the Supreme Court of NSW (LPAB). The faculty was the first university to offer an accredited PLT program in Sydney. The program comprises six academic subjects (36 credit points) and a practical experience work placement. It can be undertaken within three UTS: Law courses:

• the Bachelor of Laws (C10124) (see note below) and combined undergraduate law courses
• the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (C07075), which is available to Bachelor of Laws graduates or holders of the LPAB/SAB diploma qualification
• the Juris Doctor (C04236), which is offered to students who have a bachelor's degree in an area other than law and who wish to attain a legal qualification.

Note: Students who began before 2008 have the option of completing four of the seven PLT subjects within their undergraduate law degree. The other three PLT subjects must be completed concurrently within the Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice (C11128) or, with UTS: Law approval, students may undertake these subjects as part of the law option component of their degree. Students who take either of these options must be in their final semesters of study in their law degree, and students in combined degrees must have completed a minimum of 48 credit points of their studies in the non-law discipline prior to enrolling in the PLT program.

Practical experience

A compulsory and integral part of the PLT program is completion of 75411 Practical Experience work placement. Students must undertake an approved 16 weeks of full-time, or equivalent part-time, work placement. Further information regarding completion requirements is available from the Practical Experience Guidelines and Rules at:

International law graduates

Students who have been admitted to practise as a legal practitioner in a country outside Australia should have their legal qualification assessed by the Legal Profession Admission Board. UTS: Law offers two courses to allow legal practitioners from a common law background to meet the LPAB requirements to practise law in Australia. Depending on the number of subjects required by the LPAB, candidates need to complete one of the following courses:

• Graduate Certificate in Australian Law (C11211) requires the completion of four set subjects (30 credit points) and subject substitution is available for one subject only where it is approved. This course particularly suits lawyers from Canada, USA and UK.
• Graduate Diploma in Australian Law (C07073) is designed specifically to meet the requirements of the LPAB assessment. The course is designed for subject choices to be tailored to meet the needs of individual students in line with the LPAB requirements.

To qualify as a legal practitioner in New South Wales the above courses need to be followed by enrolment in the PLT component, which may be completed at UTS by enrolment in the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (C07075). Students from a non-common law background may be required to enrol in a mix of all of the above courses or may need to enrol in the Juris Doctor (C04236), depending on the number of subjects required by the LPAB. International lawyers who have received LPAB assessment of their law qualification and would like to receive a study plan which best suits their needs from courses offered by UTS: Law are invited to send a scanned copy of the assessment to the Haymarket Student Centre at:

Bar exams

Students who wish to pursue a career as a barrister can find information about education, training and professional development from the NSW Bar Association at:

Application and admission

International candidates who wish to enrol in one of the above courses will find information about the application process and due dates for application at: Information about fees for international students is available at: Local students lodge applications via UAC. Information about application is available at: Admission to postgraduate law courses is available twice a year in Autumn and Spring semesters.

Law postgraduate information evening

Prior to each semester UTS: Law holds a postgraduate information session that provides a good opportunity for potential candidates to

• receive further information about postgraduate courses
• ask any questions
• seek advice from senior academic and administrative staff.

Sessions are held in May for entry in Spring semester and in September/October for the following Autumn semester. Information and registration is available from UTS: Law prior to each information session at:

Graduate employment scheme and summer clerkship program

UTS: Law participates in the graduate employment scheme and summer clerkship program in conjunction with the major Sydney law firms and government departments. The employment interview scheme was devised in 1980 and is available to penultimate and final-year law students who are interested in working in one of the large law firms or government organisations. Students who participate develop a greater understanding of employment opportunities and legal experience while adding detail to their curriculum vitaes. UTS: Law, in conjunction with the UTS careers service and UTS Law Students' Society, organise a range of support services for interested students within application timelines each year (April/May for the graduate employment scheme; July/August for the summer clerkship program). Further information on support services, conditions of participation and closing dates are available at:

 

Further Information

Practical Legal Training Presentation (PDF, 196k, 17 pages)

Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice (C11128) application form (PDF, 80k, 2 pages)
to be lodged at the Haymarket Student Centre