Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice

Name: Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
Author: Queensland University of Technology

Highlights

Our practical legal training (PLT) can help you to develop the capability and confidence you will need to meet the challenges of professional practice.

You have the assurance that we have been providing PLT to LLB graduates like you for 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.

Highlights

Our practical legal training (PLT) can help you to develop the capability and confidence you will need to meet the challenges of professional practice.

You have the assurance that we have been providing PLT to LLB graduates like you for 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.

Why choose this course?

The Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice provides you with the practical legal training (PLT) that you need for admission to the legal profession in Australia.

The course will equip you with the knowledge and practical skills you'll need to meet the challenges of modern real-life legal practice. Learn by doing the tasks that lawyers do in real life, with the support of staff who have practised law as solicitors or barristers.

Get hands-on experience as part of your course with a 4-week placement in a law office.

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.

Explore this course

What to expect Career outcomes Details and units Requirements Fees Scholarships

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 property, litigation and commercial transactions and proceedings.

You can study two elective 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 and our time management and productivity resources will help you to deal with the challenges of real-life 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.

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

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) once you have gained employment in a law firm. 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 exams and the 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

Delivery

On-campus or external

Campus

Gardens Point

Campus

Gardens Point

Duration: 24 weeks full-time; 34 and 38 weeks part-time

Duration: 24 weeks full-time

Entry: 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.

Entry: January and July

Deferment: You can't defer your offer in this course. You must start in the semester you apply for.

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

How to apply

Information on how to apply is available on the 'How to apply as a postgraduate coursework student' page.

Deferment

You can't defer your offer in this course. You must start in the semester you apply for.

More about deferring your offer

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

You have the permission of the Queensland Legal Practitioners Admissions Board to commence the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice while you complete those units.

Applicants with overseas law qualifications

A recognised completed bachelor degree, higher award or equivalent study in law, which is approved for admission to the Australian legal profession.

Applicants with law degrees completed overseas will need to have their degree assessed by the Legal Practitioners Admission Board (LPAB) in Queensland before applying to QUT. Please refer to the instructions on the Queensland Law Society website.

The LPAB will assess your qualification and provide you a letter outlining the law undergraduate/Priestly 11 units you must study prior to commencing LP41 Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. You must include this letter with your application to study at QUT.

International students wishing to study in Australia, will receive a package offer with U096 International Transfer Year or U084 International Transfer Semester depending on the number of units the LPAB has identified you must study.

Priestley 11 units	QUT Equivalent subjects
Criminal Law and Procedure	Criminal Law (LLB106)
Torts	Torts (LLB102)
Contracts (Need both QUT units)	Contract Law (LLB202) and Commercial Remedies (LLB304)
Property (need both QUT units)	Real Property Law (LLB301) and Commercial and Personal Property Law (LLB204)
Equity	Equity and Trusts (LLB205)
Company Law	Corporate Law (LLH305)
Administrative Law	Administrative Law (LLH206)
State and Federal Constitutional Law	Constitutional Law (LLB203)
Civil Procedure	Civil Procedure (LLB306)
Evidence	Evidence (LLB303)
Ethics and Professional Responsibility	Ethics and the Legal Profession (LLH302)

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 Advanced English Score 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 fees

2019: Either $12,600 (indicative) full course based on seven units (we do not charge you for our placement unit) or $10,800 if you are eligible for advanced standing for our Interaction unit based on your past or current work place experience

2019 fees

2019: Either $25,100 (indicative) full course based on seven units (we do not charge you for our placement unit) or $21,500 if you are eligible for advanced standing for our Interaction unit based on your past or current work place experience

Student services and amenities fees

You may need to pay student services and amenities (SA) fees as part of your course costs.

Find out more about postgraduate course fees

FEE-HELP: loans to help you pay your course fees

You may not have to pay anything upfront if you're eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.

Find out more about government loans

Scholarships

You can apply for scholarships to help you with study and living costs.

Browse all scholarships

Equity scholarships scheme

A scholarship for low-income students studying in any faculty.

Scholarship eligibility: Struggling financially

You may also be eligible for

Centerlink payments

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.’

Meghan De Pinto-Smith

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.’

Scott Vanderwolf

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.'

Will Sit, Hodgson Lawyers

Watch video

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.'

Ryan Nattrass, practical legal training graduate

Watch video

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.'

David Garrett

Watch video

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.’

Meghan De Pinto-Smith

Choose a PLT with firm connections

Scott Vanderwolf

Work placements

Will Sit, Hodgson Lawyers

Watch video

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.'

Ryan Nattrass, practical legal training graduate

Watch video