Practical legal training (PLT) is an essential requirement for admission as a lawyer in Australia.

What is UNSW’s practical legal training? 

UNSW’s PLT program is the Graduate Diploma in Legal Professional Practice (GDLPP). The GDLPP offers a distinctive, practice-ready program for law graduates intending to seek admission to the legal profession. The GDLPP incorporates a combination of coursework and practical experience. It is designed to develop both practical skills and proficiency in the day-to-day practice of law and to ensure graduates not only satisfy but surpass the competency standards for entry-level lawyers.

Why a practical legal training program at UNSW? 

  • Complete your PLT at the law school ranked 14th law school in the world*.
  • Our PLT program is developed with a diverse range of subject matter experts from a cross-section of the profession.
  • We offer students a flexible, predominantly digital pathway to practice allowing students to access content on a wide range of devices and ‘learn on the go’.
  • We prioritise student engagement based on a practitioner mentor model.
  • Students can apply to undertake unique workplace experience opportunities in the Faculty’s clinics and centres, including Kingsford Legal Centre (KLC), Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS), Youth Law Australia (YLA). Placement opportunities are being expanded to include other organisations and firms.
  • The Practicum provides opportunities to acquire additional specialised experience, skills and knowledge with the guidance of UNSW. It also supports students who find it difficult to accrue enough work experience to complete the program.
  • Current UNSW Law students can complete their PLT while finishing their degree at the same institution and using the same (and familiar) institutional systems.
  • Upskilling - we have listened to feedback from the profession on the importance of upskilling law graduates as they transition into legal practice. The UNSW PLT program is the only PLT program to incorporate legal project management into the core PLT curriculum.
     

*QS World Rankings 2020

  

Intakes: 

February (Term 1) and September (Term 3). The coursework begins with 5 days of compulsory face-to-face workshops during O-Week. Applications for Term 1 2021 are now open.

Program code:

5213

Entry requirements: 

You will need:

A Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or a Juris Doctor (JD), or an equivalent qualification, from an Australian university or tertiary institution.

We do not look at your Weighted Average Mark (WAM) or GPA for admission to the UNSW GDLPP.

Early start:

In New South Wales, it is possible to commence your PLT earlier if you have completed all prescribed (‘Priestley 11’) core courses/subjects and have no more than 12 UOC/2 electives to complete in your LLB/ JD or equivalent qualification.

For UNSW students: approval of early commencement in the GDLPP and verification of remaining electives requires:

  1. Application for a Progression Check
  2. Completion of an Early PLT Request form
  3. Submission of early start request form to the LPAB
  4. Completion of online application for he UNSW PLT Program (GDLPP) attaching early start approval from the LPAB

For non-UNSW students: please follow the process identified by your institution (for steps 1 and 2) and then follow steps 3 and 4 above. 

Qualification:

UNSW Graduate Diploma in Legal Professional Practice (GDLPP)

How to apply:

UNSW Apply Online 

Program fees:

UNSW PLT Program fees are not required upfront but are paid progressively with each course fee payable on the relevant census date. FEE-HELP is available for eligible students. 

Choose your applicant type to view the relevant fees information for this program.
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Download Brochure:

UNSW PLT Brochure

Equity Scholarships:

Please visit the scholarships website for details.

PLT Workplace Experience Forms

Students undertaking or planning to undertake the Graduate Diploma in Legal Professional Practice (GDLPP) at UNSW can apply for retrospective recognition of placement for Workplace Experience 2 (PLTX2020) and five days of placement for Workplace Experience 1 (PLTX1300).

What you should do if planning to undertake workplace experience before starting the coursework

1.     Read Student Declaration – Part A so you are aware of the requirements. Keep a copy and fill in the details as you know them.

2.     Give your placement supervisor a copy of the Supervisor Declaration for their review at the end of your placement.

3.     It’s a good idea to read the Student Declaration – Part B so that you know the expected outcomes of your placement.

4.     After your placement finishes, submit completed and signed forms to plt@unsw.edu.au:

·       Application Form – Recognition of Placement

·       Student Declaration – Part A

·       Student Declaration – Part B

·       Supervisor Declaration

5.     The application will be assessed by the PLT Workplace Experience committee and you will be notified of the outcome.

6.     Upload all signed documents and the approval notification into the relevant Workplace Experience course document folder (only possible when enrolled in the course).

What you should do if you have already undertaken workplace experience

1.     Ask your placement supervisor to complete the Supervisor Declaration. (If you have a similar declaration from another institution, this will be accepted in 2020.)

2.     Complete Student Declaration – Part A and Student Declaration – Part B.

3.     Submit completed and signed forms to plt@unsw.edu.au:

·       Application Form – Recognition of Placement

·       Student Declaration – Part A

·       Student Declaration – Part B

·       Supervisor Declaration

4.     The application will be assessed by the PLT Workplace Experience committee and you will be notified of the outcome.

5.     Upload all signed documents and the approval notification into the relevant Workplace Experience course document folder (only possible when enrolled in the course).

  
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