How to become a lawyer in Australia

The pathway is easier to understand when you separate the four stages: your law qualification, Practical Legal Training, admission and the practising certificate required before legal practice.

Check your PLT eligibility Apply for PLT

Law graduate progressing towards admission to legal practice

1. Law qualificationComplete the approved academic stage

2. PLTComplete practical legal training

3. AdmissionApply through the relevant admitting authority

4. Practising certificateRequired before engaging in legal practice

The pathway has four distinct stages

Degree. PLT. Admission. Practising certificate.

Complete an approved law qualification, finish Practical Legal Training, apply for admission through the admitting authority in your chosen state or territory, then obtain the appropriate practising certificate before you begin legal practice.

A law degree is the academic foundation. PLT develops practical competence. Admission places you on the roll of lawyers. A practising certificate is the separate authority that permits legal practice.

Complete a law qualification

Finish an accredited LLB, JD or other approved academic pathway covering the prescribed areas of legal knowledge.

Complete Practical Legal Training

Develop practical competence through legal tasks, professional responsibility, practice skills and workplace experience.

Apply for admission

Satisfy the academic, practical training, disclosure and fitness requirements for your chosen jurisdiction.

Obtain a practising certificate

After admission, apply to the relevant regulator before undertaking legal practice.

What each stage actually does

Keeping the stages separate makes the pathway much easier to plan.

Law qualification

Provides the academic foundation for admission. Most applicants complete an accredited Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor. Overseas qualifications should be assessed by the relevant admitting authority before you choose further study or PLT.

Practical Legal Training

Develops entry-level professional competence through realistic legal work. At IOLT, the coursework is online and the course runs for 24 weeks with 20 days of workplace experience.

Admission

The relevant admitting authority assesses whether you have satisfied the required academic, practical training, disclosure and fitness requirements before the Supreme Court admission process.

Practising certificate

Admission and permission to practise are different. After admission, you apply for the appropriate practising certificate if you intend to engage in legal practice.

Where IOLT fits in the pathway

IOLT provides the Practical Legal Training stage for eligible law graduates.

The IOLT course runs for 24 weeks, is delivered online and includes 20 days of workplace experience. Students complete practical legal tasks rather than a traditional final written examination.

Plan each milestone separately.Your university completion date, PLT start, PLT completion, admission deadline and practising certificate application are different steps. Treating them as separate dates helps avoid unnecessary delay.

Useful next guides

Use these pages to understand the stages in more detail.

What is Practical Legal Training? → How long does becoming a lawyer take? → Admission vs practising certificate →

Frequently asked questions

Can I become a lawyer without a law degree?

You need an approved academic qualification for admission. Some jurisdictions may recognise another approved academic pathway. Check the admitting authority in the jurisdiction where you plan to apply.

Is PLT part of a law degree?

PLT is usually completed after the academic qualification. A limited early commencement pathway may apply in some circumstances where the relevant approval is obtained first.

Am I a lawyer as soon as I finish PLT?

No. PLT satisfies the practical training stage. You must still complete the admission process and be admitted by the Supreme Court.

Can I practise immediately after admission?

You need the appropriate practising certificate before engaging in legal practice. New practitioners may also be subject to supervised legal practice requirements.

Ready for the PLT stage?

Check your eligibility, then submit your application when you are ready to begin Practical Legal Training.

Apply for PLT

This guide provides general information and is not legal advice. Admission and practising requirements are controlled by the relevant authority and may change.