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QUT (Queensland University of Technology)

  • 17% international / 83% domestic

Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice

  • Graduate Diploma

Gain practical legal training for admission to the legal profession. Flexible online and on-campus offerings, and a four-week placement with a law firm.

Key details

Degree Type
Graduate Diploma
Duration
24 weeks full-time, 38 weeks part-time
Course Code
009034F
Study Mode
In person
Intake Months
Jan, Mar, Jul, Aug

About this course

Highlights

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.

  • Learn real-world professional knowledge and skills from experienced lawyers.
  • We can source a 4-week placement for you in a law office in the Brisbane metropolitan area or assist you in you finding a placement elsewhere in Australia.
  • You can choose full-time or part-time study modes and online or on-campus (full-time only) study modes.
  • All study modes include a compulsory 5 day face-to-face intensive on-campus at QUT to satisfy professional admission requirements.
Highlights

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.

  • Learn real-world professional knowledge and skills from experienced lawyers.
  • We can source a 4-week placement for you in a law office in the Brisbane metropolitan area or assist you in you finding a placement elsewhere in Australia.
  • You can choose full-time or part-time study modes and online or on-campus (full-time only) study modes.
  • All study modes include a compulsory 5 day face-to-face intensive on-campus at QUT to satisfy professional admission requirements.

Entry requirements

Australian law qualifications
  • A recognised bachelor degree (or higher qualification) in law (or equivalent study) which is approved for admission by the Australian legal profession; or
  • Currently studying for bachelor degree (or higher qualification) in law (or equivalent study) 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"; plus
  • You have the permission of the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board (LPAB) (Queensland) to commence the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice while you complete those units.
Overseas law qualifications
  • A recognised bachelor degree (or higher qualification) in law (or equivalent study); plus
  • You have the permission of the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board (LPAB) (Queensland) to commence the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. You will need to submit the LPAB letter as part of your application. Please refer to the instructions on the Queensland Law Society website.
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 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)

Study locations

Gardens Point

What you will learn

During your PLT you will:

  • develop professional skills such as negotiation and drafting legal documents
  • learn core areas of legal practice and choose disciplines of your choice
  • undertake a 4-week placement at a law office which we can find for you.

Our course delivery includes:

  • professional skills taught over 6 weeks mostly online plus 5 days intensive on campus (or virtually during COVID restrictions)
  • practice areas taught over 13 weeks full-time on campus
  • 4 weeks' work experience at a law office with virtual placement options available if COVID restrictions limit real-life placements (unless you have credit for this component). You must be in Australia when you undertake a real-life or virtual placement to comply with professional admission requirements.

During your PLT you will:

  • develop professional skills such as negotiation and drafting legal documents.
  • learn core areas of legal practice and choose disciplines of your choice.
  • undertake a 4-week placement at a law office which we can find for you in the Brisbane metropolitan area. If you want a placement outside that area we can assist you in finding one but we cannot guarantee we will be able to find one for you.

Our course delivery includes:

  • professional skills taught over 6 weeks mostly online plus 5 days intensive on campus.
  • practice areas taught over 13 weeks full-time on campus.
  • 4 weeks' work experience at a law office (unless you have credit for this component). You must undertake your placement in Australia to comply with professional admission requirements.

Career pathways

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

Course structure

The Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (PLT) consists of 8 units totalling 96 credit points.

Our PLT is structured into 3 components: skills practice areas and a work placement.

1. Skills component

You will learn professional skills such as negotiation drafting and ethics.

Delivery:

  • 6 weeks for all students - mostly online
  • 5-day attendance school (or virtually if COVID-19 restrictions apply).
2. Practice areas component

There are 5 compulsory units. You may be eligible for credit for Interaction if you have recent law office experience. In Electives you choose 2 areas for study from: criminal administrative family law practice wills and estates planning and environment employment and industrial relations consumer law and banking and finance).

Delivery:

  • 13 weeks full-time or 26 weeks part-time (excluding breaks)
  • Full-time or part-time online
  • Full-time on campus (January/ July entries)
3. Placement

We will find a 4-week work placement for you at a law office unless you have credit for your legal work experience. Virtual workplace options may be available if COVID restrictions limit real-life placements. You must be in Australia when you undertake a real-life or virtual placement to comply with professional admission requirements.

The Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (PLT) consists of 8 units totalling 96 credit points.

Our PLT is structured into 3 components: skills practice areas and a work placement

1. Skills component

You will learn professional skills such as negotiation drafting and ethics.

Delivery:

  • 6 weeks for all students - mostly online
  • 5-day attendance school (or virtually if COVID-19 restrictions apply)
2. Practice areas component

There are 5 compulsory units. You may be eligible for credit for Interaction if you have recent law office experience. In Electives you choose 2 areas for study from: criminal administrative family law practice wills and estates planning and environment employment and industrial relations consumer law and banking and finance).

Delivery:

  • Full-time on campus (January/ July entries)
3. Placement

We will find a 4-week work placement for you at a law office unless you have credit for your legal work experience. Virtual workplace options may be available if COVID restrictions limit real-life placements. You must be in Australia when you undertake a real-life or virtual placement to comply with professional admission requirements.

Graduate outcomes

Graduate satisfaction and employment outcomes for Law & Paralegal Studies courses at QUT (Queensland University of Technology).
89.4%
Overall satisfaction
81.1%
Skill scale
81.2%
Teaching scale
80.1%
Employed full-time
$75k
Average salary