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About the College of Law
MISSION
The College of Law is the school of professional practice for lawyers in Australia and New Zealand. We are also the largest provider of practice-focused legal education in Australasia.
Our mission is to deliver innovative, practice-focused and flexible education and training to enhance the careers of professionals in the legal services industry.
OUR DIFFERENCE
The College of Law has been at the forefront of practical legal education since 1974. More than 100,000 of our graduates work across all facets of the industry – and we’re one of the most trusted names in legal training in Australia and New Zealand.
But what sets us apart is our focus on the practical side of law and the true relevance of our training.
With over 400 staff across Australia and New Zealand – most of whom are practising lawyers – we work from the profession, for the profession. We also engage a range of legal professionals (including judges, barristers, solicitors and in-house counsels) to contribute to the College through our:
- Boards and subcommittees
- Chapter boards
- Subject advisory committees
- Alumni associations; and
- Our honorary fellowships
We are also one of the few non-universities to achieve status as a Self-Accrediting Authority from the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.
50 YEARS SERVING THE LEGAL PROFESSION
The College of Law occupies a unique place in the legal profession. Most lawyers in Australia and New Zealand today start their career with us, undertaking their practical legal training to prepare for admission to practice. We then support lawyers in their careers through continuing professional development and postgraduate programs such as our LLM in Applied Law. Our aim is to help people succeed as lawyers whatever role they choose to pursue. We want our graduates to be the best they possibly can be and to thrive in the profession. As the legal profession continues to develop we aim to be here to assist in the transition and offer support at every stage of a lawyer's career.
CORPORATE HISTORY
Up until 1 November 2010, the College operated as a private company (College of Law Pty Ltd) and as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Law Society of New South Wales.
Under this old corporate structure, the College property was impressed by certain long-standing education-purpose trusts. Legal uncertainties surrounding the trusts were resolved by Orders made in the Supreme Court of NSW on 7 December 2009 with the support of the Law Society of New South Wales and the NSW Attorney General.
These Orders also enabled transfer of the College’s business to the new College entity – now known as The College of Law Limited, which is a public company limited by guarantee and is regulated by the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission.
The College of Law Limited has 31 Members, each of whom has consented to be a Member in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001. The liability of Members is limited.
KEY EVENT TIMELINE
|
1974 |
The College of Law New South Wales established |
|
2004 |
The College of Law New Zealand established |
|
2004 |
PLT program launched in the ACT |
|
2005 |
The College of Law Queensland established |
|
2005 |
The College of Law Victoria established |
|
2006 |
The College of Law Western Australia established |
|
2008 |
Master of Applied Law Programs launched in Australia |
|
2015 |
The College of Law awarded self-accrediting authority |
|
2015 |
The College of Law South Australia established |
|
2016 |
PLT program launched in Northern Territory |
|
2016 |
The College of Law Asia established |
|
2016 |
Centre for Legal Innovation founded |
|
2018 |
The acquisition of CPD Interactive |
|
2019 |
The College of Legal Practice UK established |
|
2020 |
ACT PLT program accredited by the ACT Legal Practitioners Admissions Board |
OUR REGIONAL COVERAGE
From its beginnings as a single operation in New South Wales, the College now operates in a number of locations across Australasia. Most recently the College has established The College of Legal Practice in the United Kingdom. The College has committed to the profession in each of its jurisdictions by operating from permanent premises in most major centres while offering programmes from regional centres where this is a need.
CENTRE FOR LEGAL INNOVATION
The legal profession constantly faces profound change – affecting how, when and where lawyers practise.
To recognise and embrace this challenge, the College of Law launched the Centre for Legal Innovation in 2016 – a collaborative initiative designed to:
- Act as an incubator for research, discourse and discussion on the impact and practical application of the changes taking place
- Help develop new courses and programs to support the profession
- Better equip lawyers to capitalise on the opportunities created by these changes.
If you would like to learn more about the Centre for Legal Innovation, please visit the Centre's website.
