Qualifying to Practice Law

Generally, to be admitted as a lawyer in Australia you must complete a:

Tertiary academic program involving 11 areas of legal knowledge (Priestley 11) specified in the Admission Rules;
Practical legal training program (PLT) Eg. Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (GDLP). The GDLP allows you to be ready for admission to practice; and
Satisfy character requirements of being a ‘fit and proper person’.

Each jurisdiction may have specific requirements so make sure you check with the Admitting Authority in the State/Territory in which you plan to seek admission to legal practice;

PLT providers include:

The College of Law
Leo Cussen Centre for Law
Flinders University
Bond University
University of Technology, Sydney
Queensland University of Technology;
Law Society of South Australia Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (This program is offered with Adelaide University);
University of Tasmania

Steps to apply for admission to legal practice

Contacting the admitting authority

Once you completed your PLT course, you can apply directly to the State/Territory you want to practice in. Each State and Territory has their own application process so you should visit each website for full details:

New South Wales - Legal Profession Admission Board
Australian Capital Territory - Admissions, ACT Supreme Court
Queensland - Admission Board, Queensland Law Society
Victoria - Victorian Legal Admissions Board
Western Australia - Legal Practice Board of Western Australia
South Australia - Law Society of South Australia
Northern Territory - Law Society NT
Tasmania - Legal Profession Board of Tasmania

If you require a Completion Letter/Deans Certificate/Priestley Letter or Student Conduct Report from us as part of your application, please complete this form.

You may also need to include a copy of your official transcript. The Canberra School of Law cannot provide this. You will need to order a copy through the Student Centre.

What is a letter of completion?

The Canberra Law School is required to provide a Letter of Completion also referred to as a Dean’s Certificate, which is used by Admitting Authorities as evidence of satisfactory completion of professional legal training. This Certificate verifies that you have completed the Priestley 11.

When to apply for a letter of completion

Also referred to as a Dean’s Certificate, the online application for a letter of completion must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the last day for filing documents. Do not wait until you have completed all your courses to submit this form.

Special registration requirements

If you require any additional course completion details for special registration (i.e. meeting industry, legislative or professional body requirements), please submit your request for the relevant information through AskCLS. We will then be able to discuss with you whether the University can confirm the appropriate details to meet any special requirements for your circumstances.

Proof that you have graduated from UC

If you require proof that you have graduated from the University of Canberra or a letter from UC confirming the topic of the degree you completed, you can get this information by contacting the UC Degree Verification team.

AskCLS