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The Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice provides you with the practical legal training (PLT) that you need for admission to the legal profession.
Develop into a successful lawyer equipped with the knowledge and practical skills you'll need to meet the challenges of legal practice. Get hands-on experience as part of your course with a 4-week placement in a law office.
Our course is driven and shaped by practising lawyers, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Several of our staff have won teaching awards including a prestigious Australian Learning and Teaching Council Award for Teaching Excellence. Students enjoy the support of staff who have practised law as solicitors or barristers.
You can start QUT's Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice with two units of study left in your undergraduate law degree with the permission of the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board. Neither of these can be priestley units. Contact us to find out more about priestley units and obtaining the Board's permission.
Highlights
Our practical legal training (PLT) can help you to develop the capability and confidence you will need to meet the challenges of modern professional practice.
- You have the assurance that we have been providing PLT to LLB graduates like you for nearly 40 years and we use that experience to constantly improve what our programs offer you.
- We are one of the few Australian PLT providers who will find you the law office placement you will need to satisfy course and professional admission requirements.
- If you are working in legal workplace while you are completing our course, or you have recent legal workplace experience, you may be eligible for credit for placement and for our ‘Interaction’ unit – please ask us for details.
- You will have the flexibility of being able to complete your PLT as a full-time online student, a part-time online student or as a full time on-campus student. All our students attend a 5 day attendance school that we run in Brisbane.
- We're Brisbane's only university to offer you practical legal training.
- We are big enough to offer you all the resources of a large modern metropolitan university, but we are not so big that we cannot give you our personal attention.
Highlights
Our practical legal training (PLT) can help you to develop the capability and confidence you will need to meet the challenges of modern professional practice.
- You have the assurance that we have been providing PLT to LLB graduates like you for nearly 40 years and we use that experience to constantly improve what our programs offer you.
- We are one of the few Australian PLT providers who will find you the law office placement you will need to satisfy course and professional admission requirements.
- If you are working in legal workplace while you are completing our course, or you have recent legal workplace experience, you may be eligible for credit for placement and for our ‘Interaction’ unit – please ask us for details.
- We're Brisbane's only university to offer you practical legal training.
- We are big enough to offer you all the resources of a large modern metropolitan university, but we are not so big that we cannot give you our personal attention.
Explore this course
What to expect
You'll learn by working on simulated legal problems and tasks - the type of work that lawyers undertake in real world workplaces:
- draft legal documents
- write legal letters
- carry out the steps in basic property, litigation and commercial transactions and proceedings.
You can study two electives modules from a choice of criminal, administrative, family law practice, wills and estates, planning and environment, employment and industrial relations, consumer law and banking and finance.
We do not have exams. Our assessment reflects the tasks that lawyers do in real-life.Throughout the course you'll build a portfolio of practical know-how – a guide and resource for the real world of legal practice.
We arrange your four-week work placement (unless you are eligible for credit because you work in a legal office in private practice, government, the community sector or in-house).
Our employment register is also available to assist you in your search for end-of-course employment.
Our time management and productivity resources will help you to deal with the challenges of real-life practice.
Flexible delivery
We offer our full-time program on-campus and external (online). We offer part-time programs online. International students may only enrol in full-time courses on campus.
The part-time course consists of five attendance days with the remainder of the course online (LPP117 Interaction and some elective choices involve a one-day attendance requirement either on campus or by video link). If you're already working in a private or government law office you may be eligible to enrol in the part-time (in-practice) mode, and to apply for credit for the work placement unit and LPP117 Interaction.
QUT’s part-time (general) course is for people who wish to study part-time online but who are not working in law offices. The part-time course includes five attendance days with the balance of the course online (although some elective choices and LPP117 Interaction involve a one-day attendance or video link session)
Career outcomes
Career outcomes
Upon completion of practical legal training, graduates can apply for admission to the Australian legal profession and may become eligible to apply for the restricted 'employee' practising certificate (solicitors). To obtain an unrestricted practising certificate (law firm principal), legal practitioners then complete supervised legal practice (two years) and the Law Society Practice Management Course.
Admitted lawyers who wish to practise as barristers in Queensland then complete a bar practice course to obtain the barrister's practising certificate (barristers).
Professional recognition
The course is approved by the Queensland Legal Practitioners Admissions Board as satisfying the practical legal training requirements for admission to the legal profession in Queensland.
Possible careers
- Barrister
- Crown Law Officer
- In-House Lawyer
- Solicitor
Requirements
- Course code
- LP41
- CRICOS code
- 009034F
-
- Gardens Point
- External
-
- 24 weeks full-time
- 34 and 38 weeks part-time
- 24 weeks full-time
-
- January, February, July and August January and July for full-time, on campus; January, February July and August for full-time and part-time external.
- January and July
Academic entry requirements
A completed recognised bachelor degree (or higher award) (or equivalent study in law) which is approved for admission to the Australian legal profession; or
Currently studying for such a degree, award or equivalent with no more than two units to complete by the date the course commences and neither of those units is a unit commonly known as the "Priestly 11"; and
You have the permission of the Queensland Legal Practitioners Admissions Board to commence the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice while you complete those units.
Additional entry information
Applicants with overseas qualifications need to apply to the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board (LPAB) (Queensland) prior to QUT making its assessment. Students need to submit the LPAB letter to QUT.
Closing dates
You should submit your application as soon as possible and by no later than the relevant closing date:
- January start: 14 December
- March start: 14 February
- July start: 14 June
- September start: 14 August
How to apply
Information on how to apply is available on the 'How to apply as a postgraduate coursework student' page.
Minimum academic requirements
Academic entry requirements
Applicants with Australian law qualifications
A completed bachelor degree, higher award or equivalent study in law, which is approved for admission to the Australian legal profession; or
Currently studying for such a degree, award or equivalent with no more than two units to complete by the date the course commences and neither of those units is a unit commonly known as the "Priestly 11"; and
You have the permission of the Queensland Legal Practitioners Admissions Board to commence the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practise while you complete those units.
Applicants with overseas law qualifications
Applicants with law degrees completed overseas will need to have their degree assessed by the Legal Practitioners Admission Board in Queensland. The Board will assess if the degree holder is required to complete any additional undergraduate units prior to admission to this course. This letter should be submitted with your QUT application. For more information on Queensland admission requirements and assessment of overseas qualifications, please refer to the Queensland Law Society website.
Minimum English language requirements
Select the country where you completed your studies to see a guide on meeting QUT’s English language requirements.
Your scores and prior qualifications in English-speaking countries are considered. Approved English-speaking countries are Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, United States of America and Wales.
If your country or qualification is not listed, you can still apply for this course and we will assess your eligibility.
We accept English language proficiency scores from the following tests.
| English Test | Overall | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cambridge English Advanced (CAE)
Test must be taken within 2 years of commencement at QUT. You must provide your Cambridge English Candidate ID and Candidate Secret Number, these are printed on your Cambridge English Confirmation of Entry. |
176 | 169 | 169 | 169 | 169 |
|
IELTS Academic
Test must be taken within 2 years of commencement at QUT. |
6.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
|
Pearson PTE (Academic)
Test must be taken within 2 years of commencement at QUT. Please assign your test to QUT in your Pearson profile. |
58 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
|
TOEFL iBT
Test must be taken within 2 years of commencement at QUT. |
79 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 18 |
Don't have the English language score you need? We can help!
We offer English language programs to improve your English and help you gain entry to this course.
When you apply for this course, we will recommend which English course you should enrol in.
Haven't completed an English language test? We can help!
If you have not completed an English language test, you can sit the IELTS test at our IELTS test centre
Fees
Your actual fees may vary depending on which units you choose. We review fees annually, and they may be subject to increases.
2019
2019: $12,600 (indicative) full course based on seven units
2019
2019: $25,100 (indicative) full course based on seven units
Student Services and Amenities Fee
You may need to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) as part of your course costs.
Scholarships
You can apply for scholarships to help you with study and living costs.
Equity scholarships scheme
A scholarship for low-income students studying in any faculty.
- Scholarship eligibility
- Struggling financially
Practical legal training
‘QUT provided excellent resources and the teaching staff were always happy to answer any questions I had. I was given the support I needed to find a placement in a law firm.’
Choose a PLT with firm connections
‘I chose to study my undergraduate degree at QUT based on the strength of its reputation in both teaching staff and graduate outcomes. I connected with my current employer, Stephens & Tozer, through QUT’s graduate employment register which is circulated for PLT students. I undertook my four week placement with the firm, and was offered a position after the conclusion of the placement period.’
Work placements
'We host practical legal training (PLT) students because we believe we can offer them a well-rounded experience. We can allow students to actually do the work that creates an important springboard into legal practice.'
Landing a dream job
'QUT sourced a placement for me in a Brisbane city law firm. I completed my placement to make sure I filled the requirements for admission and then I was offered a role at the firm.'
Real support
'Returning to study was quite daunting at a mature age. However, I found QUT's facilities and services great. They were always willing to help out and always point me in the right direction when I had a question to ask.'
Practical legal training
‘QUT provided excellent resources and the teaching staff were always happy to answer any questions I had. I was given the support I needed to find a placement in a law firm.’
Choose a PLT with firm connections
‘I chose to study my undergraduate degree at QUT based on the strength of its reputation in both teaching staff and graduate outcomes. I connected with my current employer, Stephens & Tozer, through QUT’s graduate employment register which is circulated for PLT students. I undertook my four week placement with the firm, and was offered a position after the conclusion of the placement period.’
Work placements
'We host practical legal training (PLT) students because we believe we can offer them a well-rounded experience. We can allow students to actually do the work that creates an important springboard into legal practice.'
Landing a dream job
'QUT sourced a placement for me in a Brisbane city law firm. I completed my placement to make sure I filled the requirements for admission and then I was offered a role at the firm.'
Real support
'Returning to study was quite daunting at a mature age. However, I found QUT's facilities and services great. They were always willing to help out and always point me in the right direction when I had a question to ask.'
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