WHAT COUNTS AS WORK EXPERIENCE FOR PLT?
WHAT COUNTS AS WORK EXPERIENCE FOR PLT?
Legal work can count toward your Practical Legal Training (PLT) if it meets all the eligibility rules, including supervision, timing, and location.
This includes paid or unpaid roles like clerking, volunteering, interning, or working in-house, as long as the work is legal in nature, helps you build practical legal skills, and is supervised by a lawyer with a current Australian practising certificate.
To be counted, your placement must also comply with PLT work experience requirements around when the work is done and where it takes place. We’ll break those down below.
PLT WORK EXPERIENCE QUICK CHECK
| REQUIREMENT | WHAT TO LOOK FOR |
|---|---|
| Type of work | Legal in nature (e.g. drafting, research, client interaction) |
| Supervision | Supervised by a lawyer with a current Australian practising certificate |
| Skills developed | Builds competencies like legal writing, ethics, communication, problem-solving |
| Location | At least 15 days must be completed in Australia, after your PLT starts |
| Timing | Can be done before, during or after PLT (up to 60 days can be prior to starting) |
| Multiple employers? | Yes — your placement can be split across different employers and time periods |
| Paid or unpaid? | Either. Volunteer roles can count if they meet the criteria |
TYPES OF ROLES THAT CAN QUALIFY
Here are some common roles that usually count:
- Law clerk or paralegal
- Judge’s associate
- Volunteer at a community legal centre
- Legal intern or placement
- Graduate role at a law firm
- In-house legal team assistant
You can do your placement part-time, full-time, paid, or unpaid. It’s the type of work and supervision that matters most.
KEY RULES FOR WORK EXPERIENCE
To meet the official requirements, your placement must:
- Be legal in nature
- Be supervised by a lawyer with a current Australian practising certificate
- Include at least 15 days in Australia, completed after your PLT begins (completed at a minimum of 2 days per week)
COMMON QUESTIONS
Yes! Your PLT work experience doesn’t need to be paid. Volunteering in a qualifying legal role is completely acceptable, as long as it meets the eligibility requirements.
Some roles might feel legal-adjacent but don’t meet the PLT work experience requirements. These usually include:
- Admin work with no legal tasks
- Roles without supervision from a lawyer
- Academic research not tied to legal practice
- Moot court or law competitions (great experience, but not PLT-approved)
When in doubt, ask us before you start — we’re happy to check if your placement qualifies.
Yes, you can!
Your PLT work experience doesn’t need to be completed with one employer or in one continuous block. You can:
- Complete your hours across multiple placements
- Work with different supervisors (as long as each holds a current practising certificate)
- Complete your placement over separate time periods, as long as it fits the eligibility rules
Just make sure each placement meets the core criteria — legal work, lawyer supervision, and skill development — and keep clear records of your hours
CAN I COUNT MY CURRENT OR PAST JOB?
Possibly! You can start accruing work experience up to two years before starting your PLT. But you’ll still need to complete part of it after your PLT program begins.
Here’s how it works:
- If you’re doing the 75-day option, up to 60 days can be completed in the two years before your PLT.
- You must complete at least 15 days after your PLT begins — and these must be done in Australia at a rate of 2+ days per week
- You can also complete work experience during or after your coursework.
HOW DO I CHECK IF MY WORK COUNTS FOR PLT?
Easy! You can submit an Application for Approval of Work Experience to support@collaw.edu.au.
You can even submit this form before you enrol, and we’ll keep a record of it for when you start your PLT.
WORK EXPERIENCE GUIDE FOR STUDENTS
WORK EXPERIENCE IS JUST ONE PART OF PLT
Not sure what else is involved? From coursework to support and study options, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Practical Legal Training.
