GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN LEGAL OPERATIONS
- 2 subjects
- $4,150 per subject
- FEE-HELP eligible
- Approx 6 months
- 4 intakes per year: Feb, May, Aug, Nov
ELEVATE YOUR STRATEGIC IMPACT IN LEGAL OPERATIONS
The role of a legal operations professional is crucial. You’ll act as a trusted, integrated business guardian for your organisation, implementing sweeping changes to drive your team forward. This course equips you to enhance your team's performance and legal efficiency comprehensively.
With a Graduate Certificate in Legal Operations, you'll learn to optimise your organisation's legal framework by integrating strategic planning, financial management, and data analytics. You’ll also have the flexibility to tailor your learning by choosing to focus on areas such as information governance among other critical subjects.
To complete this award, you must choose:
- LB11 - Legal Operations
- 1 elective subject in Legal Business Management
Plan your studies
Looking to plan your postgraduate program?
- Use the tool below to explore subjects by practice area and intake date.
- Prefer to review offline? Download the full PDF for a complete overview of all your options.
HOW TO ENROL
Follow these steps to complete your enrolment in a postgraduate program.
- Choose your first subject
We recommend enrolling in one subject per intake. Enrolling in two subjects may require up to 25 hours of study per week. - Gather your documents
- Academic Records
You’ll need to submit an official academic transcript: graduation certificate (please refer to the prerequisites section, which contains entry requirements for this program). - Recognition of prior learning (if applicable)
Submit any relevant postgraduate certificates or qualifications if applying for RPL. - Proof of name change (if applicable)
If your name has changed, provide certified proof. - Unique student identifier (USI)
A USI is required by the Australian Government for all students (except offshore international students). Create or find your USI here.
- Academic Records
- Payment or financial assistance
Have your payment details or tax file number (TFN) ready if applying for FEE-HELP through the Commonwealth Government FEE-HELP scheme. - Submit your enrolment
Once ready, complete and submit your online enrolment.
Need help?
For assistance, contact Customer and Student Engagement at 1300 506 402 or email postgrad@collaw.edu.au
RE-ENROLMENTS
Re-enrolling for your next subject is simple!
Once you've enrolled in your chosen Award program, re-enrolling for the next subject is easy. Simply follow these steps:
- Choose your next subject.
- Log in to the customer portal.
- Complete the re-enrolment form and select your payment option.
FEES & FEE-HELP
Here’s what you need to know:
- The fee per subject in 2026 is $4,150 (no GST applies)
- Our fees are reviewed annually and may vary during your enrolment
- You need to pay your fees in full at the time of enrolment each semester.
- We accept EFT and credit card.
StudyAssist FEE-Help
- If you’re an Australian citizen, NZ citizen or you hold a permanent humanitarian visa, you may be able to defer payment through the Australian Government StudyAssist FEE-HELP scheme. Learn more about FEE-Help or visit the Australian Government StudyAssist FEE-HELP scheme website.
Good news! There’s no need to pay for your entire qualification upfront. Instead, you can pay as you learn – subject by subject. Which means, you can start off small by building your own Graduate Certificate, or Graduate Diploma, and then progress to a Master of Laws later, if you choose.
Please refer to our Policy Index - 1.3.11 Withdrawal policy.
Kay Smith Scholarship
The Kay Smith Scholarship honours one of the longest serving and most respected people of The College of Law. It is designed to support the education aspirations of outstanding law graduates and young lawyers. Learn more.
PREREQUISITES
The award programs (Master of Legal Business, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificates) are open to all professionals working in the legal services industry, including those who may not have a law degree.
As there are specific enrolment requirements that need to be verified before you continue, we ask that you book a call with our Customer and Student Engagement team.
Requirements:
- An undergraduate law degree, or
- Any undergraduate degree plus at least 1 year relevant work experience in the legal services industry*, or
- At least 5 years' relevant work experience in the legal services industry*.
* Applicants will be considered on a case by case basis and must submit a personal statement and supporting documentation that covers:
- work experience and current work environment (duration and type);
- relevance of the work experience to the course;
- evidence as to why that work experience demonstrates equivalence with an undergraduate degree;
- evidence of professional certificates/short courses and capacity to learn, research and be assessed at the requisite level.
Students from non-English speaking countries who did not complete their undergraduate degree at an English speaking university must supply an IELTS Certificate. The requisite IELTS standard is at level 8 (writing), 7 (listening), 7.5 (speaking), 7 (reading), and 7.5 overall.
ASSESSMENTS
Your assessments may vary from course to course. However, these are the most common assessments that you will need to complete:
- Oral Assessments
- Written Assessments
- Short writing activities
- Reflection activities
For all student policies refer to our policy index.
LEGAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SUBJECTS
LB00 - Capstone
Intake 2, 4LB3 - Business Strategy: Planning for Success
Intake IntensiveThis subject will explore legal business strategy and provide practical guidance on how to develop a strategic plan for an organisation
This is a core subject for the Master of Legal Business Management award
TOPICS
- Foundations of strategy
- Current state analysis
- Defining a strategy
- Future strategy Implementation
LB5 - Fundamental Legal Technologies
Intake 1TOPICS
- Legal industry disruption
- Building blocks Information processing
- Platforms and blockchain LawTech and RegTech startups
- Risk and governance
LB7 - Workforce of the future
We can’t know what the future will look like. We can use the best of workforce planning to be poised for success.
Learn how to align workforce planning and strategy in an ever-evolving workplace.
Using a wide range of case studies and resources, students will consider the practical challenges of a multi-generational workforce, the paradox of being both profitable today and ready for tomorrow and the different ways to communicate their insights to stakeholders.
TOPICS
- Introduction to workforce planning
- Digital transformation
- Workforce plan
- Change management
LB9 - Innovation
Intake 4TOPICS
- Innovation in the context of legal services
- Legal delivery operating models
- Innovating the delivery of legal services
- Developing an innovative culture and measuring innovation success
- The emergence of legalpreneur
LB11 - Legal Operations
Intake 1TOPICS
- Evolution of legal service delivery
- Core legal operations competencies
- Tools of transformation LegalTech
- Legal delivery as a business: business case and budgeting
- Legal delivery as a business: data analytics, metrics and KPIs
LB12 - Pricing Legal Services
TOPICS
- Client perspectives on pricing
- Law firm perspectives on pricing
- Pricing theories and concepts
- Pricing psychology and behavioural economics
- Alternative fee arrangements
- Putting pricing into practice
LB13 - Financial management for profitability and growth
Intake 2TOPICS
- Understanding financial performance
- Optimising the client book
- Scoping and pricing legal work
- Managing WIP and reducing lock-up
- Budgeting, forecasting and tracking performance
- Staffing and financial growth
LB14 - Leadership
TOPICS
- Introduction to leadership
- Learning to be leaders
- Values, culture and leadership
- Emotional intelligence and leadership
- Leading in disruptive times Inspirational leadership
LB16 - How to Grow Your Professional Practice
Intake 1Understanding the mechanics behind why and how clients buy legal services requires a multi-faceted approach to practice development. Good service providers understand their current and target clients, are skilled at positioning their practice towards clients in their target market, adopt a positive mindset towards marketing and business development, and know how to maximise business development opportunities.
In this subject, students will explore client relationships from both the private practice and in-house perspectives. The focus will be on marketing and business development, and how to develop their practice by building trusted client relationships.
TOPICS
- Case analysis
- How clients make buying decisions
- Develop and prioritise a go-to market strategy
- Optimising market research
- Client service experience
- Practise development plan
LB17 - Leading and Managing People
Intake 3There are many styles of leadership and throughout their career students are likely to come across great leaders and not so great leaders and everything in between.
In this subject students will explore the difference between leadership and management, examine contemporary management theories and review the science behind high-performing teams. Students will develop skills in coaching teams and individuals, taking into account ethical and cultural challenges as well as the complexities of individual, group and intra-group behaviour. In the end students will bring everything students have learned together to create an improvement plan for their organisation.
TOPICS
- Human 101
- High performance legal workforces
- Facilitating optimal performance
- Ethical and cultural challenges
START DATES
| Aug Intake 3 | Nov Intake 4 | Feb Intake 1 | May Intake 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| START DATE | 10 Aug 2026 | 09 Nov 2026 | 08 Feb 2027 | 10 May 2027 |
| CENSUS | 26 Aug 2026 | 02 Dec 2026 | 24 Feb 2027 | 26 May 2027 |
| END DATE | 30 Oct 2026 | 05 Feb 2027 | 30 Apr 2027 | 30 Jul 2027 |
| Subject | Start Date | Census | End Date | Workshop Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDR5 - Virtual Simulated Practice | 07 Sep 2026 | 17 Sep 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 |
Intake 2, 2026 |
| DRP3 - Advocacy | 21 Sep 2026 | 30 Sep 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 |
15-17 October 2026 |
| FDR2 - Children’s Matters, Family Law and Family Dispute Resolution | 21 Sep 2026 | 30 Sep 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 |
Intake 2, 2026 |
| FDR3 - Advanced Family Dispute Resolution | 02 Nov 2026 | 11 Nov 2026 | 11 Dec 2026 |
Intake 2, 2026 |
| LB3 - Business Strategy: Planning for Success | 02 Nov 2026 | 11 Nov 2026 | 11 Dec 2026 | |
| FDR4 - Case Management in Family Dispute Resolution Capstone | 25 Jan 2027 | 03 Feb 2027 | 05 Mar 2027 |
Intake 1, 2026 Intake 2, 2026 |
| Subject | Start Date | Census | End Date | Workshop Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDR5 - Virtual Simulated Practice | 07 Sep 2026 | 17 Sep 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 |
Intake 2, 2026 |
| FDR2 - Children’s Matters, Family Law and Family Dispute Resolution | 21 Sep 2026 | 30 Sep 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 |
Intake 2, 2026 |
| FDR3 - Advanced Family Dispute Resolution | 02 Nov 2026 | 11 Nov 2026 | 11 Dec 2026 |
Intake 2, 2026 |
| FDR4 - Case Management in Family Dispute Resolution Capstone | 25 Jan 2027 | 03 Feb 2027 | 05 Mar 2027 |
Intake 1, 2026 Intake 2, 2026
|
I'm excited to apply the skills I've learnt to the management and operations of our business. This will help me deliver more efficient services for clients and ongoing success for our practice.
Michelle McCarthy, Practice Manager, Bendigo Legal Master of Legal Business Alumni
I would describe the College of Law as inspiring, innovative, and collegiate.
Krystal Bellamy, LLM Graduate
NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE RIGHT COURSE FOR YOU?
Send us your questions or speak with our team about your goals and to get tailored advice.
PURSUE YOUR PASSION - ADVANCE YOUR EXPERTISE
Discover more
Kay Smith Scholarship
See if you are eligible for the The Kay Smith Scholarship.
Got questions or want to enrol?
Want to talk through your options?
Student success stories
Read how Craig’s postgraduate study accelerated his career by a decade.
Kay Smith Scholarship
If you’re experiencing financial hardship and unable to afford postgraduate study, see if you are eligible for the The Kay Smith Scholarship. This scholarship honours one of the longest serving and most respected people of The College of Law. It is designed to support the education aspirations of outstanding law graduates and young lawyers.
Got questions or want to enrol?
If you have any questions about subjects, awards, intake dates, or anything else related to our postgraduate programs, don't hesitate to reach out. Book a call with one of our Student and Customer Engagement Advisors who are ready to assist you.
Student success stories
Read how Craig’s postgraduate study accelerated his career by a decade and enabled him to become a specialist and eventually started his own firm.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Considering a postgraduate Legal Business Management qualification at the College of Law? These FAQs answer common questions about the Graduate Certificate in Legal Operations, Graduate Certificate in Legal Business Management, Graduate Diploma of Legal Business Management and Master of Legal Business Management, including study time, fees, FEE-HELP, credit, eligibility, subject choices and practical outcomes.
The usual part-time completion times are:
- Graduate Certificate in Legal Operations: approximately six months
- Graduate Certificate in Legal Business Management: approximately six months
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Business Management: approximately one year
- Master of Legal Business Management: approximately two years
These timeframes are based on completing one subject in each available intake.
We recommend allowing around 10 to 12 hours each week for each subject.
Most students complete one subject per intake. Studying two subjects in the same intake may require up to 25 hours of study and reading each week.
There are four postgraduate intakes each year: February, May, August, November.
Not every Legal Business Management subject is offered in every intake. Check the current subject schedule when planning your program.
Yes. The Legal Business Management programs can be completed part-time.
Most students study one subject per intake. This allows you to build your qualification around your work and other commitments.
Yes. You can enrol in a single subject without committing to a full award qualification.
StudyAssist FEE-HELP is not available for standalone subjects.
Assessments vary between subjects. Common assessment types include:
- Written assessments
- Oral assessments
- Short writing activities
- Reflective activities
Assessments are designed to help you apply your learning to practical legal business challenges.
The fee for each postgraduate subject in 2026 is $4,150. No GST applies.
Fees are reviewed annually and may change during your enrolment.
No. You enrol and pay one subject at a time.
This allows you to spread the cost of your qualification across each intake rather than paying the full program fee upfront. Payment options include electronic funds transfer and credit card.
Eligible students may be able to defer their subject fees through the Australian Government’s StudyAssist FEE-HELP scheme.
Eligibility depends on your citizenship, residency status and individual circumstances. Check the current StudyAssist requirements before enrolling.
You may be able to apply for recognition of prior learning if you have completed relevant postgraduate study or another recognised qualification.
You will need to provide supporting academic documents when applying. Credit is assessed under the College’s Credit for Prior Learning Policy.
Applicants who have completed a Legal Practice Management Course with the College of Law may be eligible for one subject of specified credit. Credit is subject to the applicable recognition of prior learning requirements and individual assessment.
Practising lawyers may be entitled to claim up to 10 CPD units for successfully completing a postgraduate subject. You may still need to complete specific mandatory CPD categories. Check the requirements in your state or territory.
Different limits apply in Western Australia. WA students may claim up to six units for an intensive subject with a compulsory workshop or four units for another subject.
No. Legal Business Management award programs are open to lawyers and other professionals working in the legal services industry.
You may be eligible if you have:
- An undergraduate law degree
- Any undergraduate degree plus at least one year of relevant work experience in the legal services industry
- At least five years of relevant work experience in the legal services industry
Applicants relying on professional experience are assessed individually and must provide a personal statement and supporting documents.
There are four award options:
- Graduate Certificate in Legal Operations: two subjects
- Graduate Certificate in Legal Business Management: two subjects
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Business Management: four subjects
- Master of Legal Business Management: eight subjects
The right option will depend on the depth of knowledge you want to develop and the time you want to commit to study.
The right option depends on how much time you want to commit and how deeply you want to build your expertise. A Graduate Certificate may suit you if you want a shorter, focused qualification. The Graduate Diploma may suit you if you want broader capability across legal business management. The Master may suit you if you want a more substantial qualification and deeper expertise across the business of law.
The Graduate Certificate in Legal Operations is more focused. It is designed for people who want to build practical capability in how legal work is delivered, managed and improved. It includes Legal Operations as the core subject, plus one Legal Business Management elective.
The Graduate Certificate in Legal Business Management is broader. It allows you to choose two Legal Business Management elective subjects based on your interests, role and career goals.
You will build practical skills in legal operations, including how legal services are delivered, measured and improved. This may include process improvement, legal technology, data and metrics, service design, stakeholder management and change in legal teams. The aim is to help you contribute to more efficient, effective and client-focused legal service delivery.
The Graduate Diploma of Legal Business Management consists of four elective subjects from the Legal Business Management subject area.
This allows you to tailor the qualification to your role, interests and professional goals.
Students completing the Master of Laws (Applied Law) can choose up to two Legal Business Management subjects as electives to complement their program.
Legal Business Management cannot be selected as a second major within the Master of Laws (Applied Law).
The Master of Legal Business Management consists of:
- Business Strategy
- Six Legal Business Management elective subjects
- The Legal Business Management Capstone
The Capstone brings together the knowledge and skills developed across the program. You will apply your learning to a complex, multidisciplinary legal business challenge and develop a strategic plan.
It can help you build practical capability in how legal services are managed, delivered and improved. Depending on the subjects you choose, you can apply your learning to areas such as legal operations, strategy, pricing, financial management, technology, leadership, service delivery and business development.
Depending on the subjects you select, you can build practical skills in areas such as:
- Legal operations and service delivery
- Business strategy
- Legal technology
- Innovation and change
- Pricing legal services
- Financial management
- Leadership and people management
- Workforce planning
- Marketing and business development
- Data, metrics and performance management
The subjects focus on practical skills you can apply within a law firm, in-house legal team or other legal services organisation.
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
Sign up to keep up to date with latest news, programs, events and career tips.
