LEGAL PRACTICE MANAGEMENT COURSE NSW
READY TO BECOME A PRINCIPAL, OPEN YOUR OWN PRACTICE OR STEP INTO A LEADERSHIP ROLE?
If you have Condition 3 on your NSW practising certificate, you’ll need to complete an approved Legal Practice Management Course (LPMC).
Our LPMC will help you meet this requirement, with three streams to suit different practice settings: private practice, in-house legal practice or the community legal sector.
Just as importantly, we’ll ensure you’re fully prepared for that next step. You’ll gain the knowledge, commercial awareness and confidence to manage everything from people and finances to compliance and risk.
Ready to get started?
WHY NSW LAWYERS CHOOSE THE COLLEGE OF LAW
The College has been helping NSW lawyers prepare to become a principal in law practice for over 25 years.
As an accredited LPMC provider recognised by the Law Society of New South Wales, our course satisfies the Condition 3 course requirement – and equips you with the skills to lead a successful practice.
LPMC NSW REQUIREMENTS: UNDERSTANDING CONDITION 3
The requirements for becoming a principal vary across Australia.
In New South Wales, solicitors with Condition 3 on their practising certificate must complete an approved Practice Management Course before they can become principal of a law practice.
To meet this requirement, you'll need to:
- Complete an approved Practice Management Course with a recognised provider
- Meet the required standard of assessment
- Have your course provider notify the Law Society of New South Wales
If you're also moving to a principal practising certificate category, you may need to apply separately for a variation to your practising certificate.
The College of Law guides you through each step, making the transition as smooth as possible.
CHOOSE THE STREAM THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU
The College of Law offers three NSW LPMC streams for different practice contexts.
This means you can learn alongside lawyers working in similar practice settings while focusing on the issues most relevant to your career.
Partners and Sole Practitioners
Whether you're planning to open your own firm, purchase an existing practice or become a partner, this stream prepares you for the commercial, operational and compliance responsibilities of running a legal practice in NSW.
- Effective supervision
- Trust accounting and financial management
- Technology and innovation
- Business development and marketing
Corporate and Government In-House Lawyers
This stream is designed for lawyers working in-house for corporations or government who want to be the solicitor on record for their organisation.
- Oversight of the in-house legal function
- Finances: budgets and balance sheets
- Legal risk management
- Developing an ethical business structure
Not-For-Profit and Community Legal Centre Supervising Practitioners
This stream is for lawyers looking to become the supervising legal practitioner of a community legal centre (CLC) or similar not-for-profit organisation.
- Management challenges for CLC lawyers
- Finances: budgets and balance sheets
- Dealing with difficult clients
- Insurance, risk and work management
Working in the NSW community legal sector? Save 20% on this stream with code CLC20226 at checkout.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Book your course now or if you’re looking for inspiration, see how other lawyers leveraged their learnings in LPMC for their career.
News
‘I knew I could do it better – so I enrolled in the LPMC’ – Philip Coates
Philip Coates is one half of Brisbane-based firm Coates Davey Solicitors. With considerable marketing and business experience, Philip had an advantage when he and his business partner opened the firm. But he knew he needed the law savvy to back him up. He signed up to the College of Law’s LPMC – and assumed the role of Principal Lawyer of his own firm not one year later. Here is Philip's story
COURSE STRUCTURE
The LPMC NSW is designed to be completed alongside practice. Your learning journey is divided into four stages.
First, you'll complete a set of interactive online activities through the College's learning portal. These introduce the core pillars of legal practice management, including:
- Trust accounting
- Financial management
- Professional standards and ethics
- Risk management
- Practice operations
Completion of the preliminary activities is required to successfully complete the course.
Next, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to real-world challenges you’re likely to face as a principal.
Over three days, you’ll work through realistic scenarios from each of the core subject areas with experienced practitioners.
From there, you’ll complete two assessments to demonstrate your understanding of the course material:
- Trust accounting short answer questions
- Short answer questions for all other subject areas
Assessment details and deadlines will be provided in your course materials.
Once you've successfully completed these three steps, the College will notify the Law Society of New South Wales.
The Law Society will then process the removal of Condition 3.
LEARN FROM EXPERIENCED NSW PRACTITIONERS
The LPMC NSW is delivered by leading practitioners who understand the realities of running a legal practice in New South Wales.
They share practical insights drawn from real-world experience in practice management, governance and regulatory compliance.
Glenda Carry
Legal Risk Manager
Lawcover
Josh Quaife
Senior Manager, Accounting & Business Advisory
Findex
Frances Moffitt
Solicitor and Adjunct Lecturer
College of Law
Neil Watt
Principal Solicitor
Neil Watt Consulting
Dr Tahlia Gordon
Strategic Projects Lead, College of Law
Jessica Smith
Director of Risk Consulting at Grant Thornton
Phyllis Peterson
Founder
Your Mediation
HOW THE NSW LPMC PREPARES YOU TO LEAD
The College of Law’s NSW LPMC maps directly to the requirements of Condition 3 and the NSW Law Society LPMC Guidelines. But it also prepares you for the challenges principals face daily in their roles.
Throughout the course, you'll work through real scenarios, apply decision-making frameworks and develop the skills needed to run a compliant legal practice day-to-day.
| NSW REQUIREMENT TO REMOVE CONDITION 3 | HOW THE COLLEGE'S LPMC HELPS YOU MEET IT |
|---|---|
| Complete an approved Practice Management Course |
The College of Law is an accredited provider recognised by the Law Society of New South Wales as satisfying the Condition 3 course requirement. |
| Meet the required standard of assessment |
You’ll complete practical assessments where you can apply what you've learned to real-world situations rather than simply recalling theory. |
| Understand trust money, financial obligations and compliance requirements, such as AML/CTF |
You’ll develop a thorough understanding of trust accounting, financial management and compliance frameworks with dedicated modules and workshops. |
| Ensure proper supervision and practice oversight |
You’ll learn how to manage teams and create governance structures that support quality legal services in different practice settings. |
| Manage professional and regulatory risk |
You’ll learn how to manage teams and create governance structures that support quality legal services in different practice settings. |
| Establish compliant business systems and processes |
You’ll discover management systems, technology and operational frameworks you can apply immediately to support an efficient, well-run legal practice |
START YOUR JOURNEY TO PRINCIPAL PRACTICE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Condition 3 prevents you from becoming principal of a law practice until you successfully complete a practice management course. Once you’ve completed an approved course the Law Society processes removal of the condition.
Choose the stream that best reflects the legal environment you'll be practising in as a principal or supervisor. There are three streams:
- Partners and Sole Practitioners: for lawyers planning to become a sole practitioner or partner in a private practice.
- Corporate and Government In-house Lawyers: for lawyers moving into senior in-house leadership, governance or supervisory roles in corporate or government organisations.
- for lawyers supervising legal work within a community legal centre or similar not-for-profit organisation.
To find the stream that’s right for you, speak to our team.
Yes. If you’re an in-house lawyer working in a corporation or government organisation, you can opt for the Corporate and Government In-House Lawyers stream of the LPMC NSW.
Once you’ve successfully completed the course, The Law Society of New South Wales can process the removal of Condition 3.
No. If you work in the community legal sector in NSW, you'll need to enter the discount code at checkout to receive the 20% discount on the community legal sector stream.
If you're unsure whether you're eligible, contact us.
Once you've successfully completed the LPMC, the College will notify the Law Society of New South Wales on your behalf. The Law Society will then manage the removal of Condition 3.
If you also need a variation to a principal practising certificate category, you'll need to follow the Law Society's practising certificate variation process.
Not necessarily. The LPMC NSW is recognised for principal practice in New South Wales.
If you're planning to practise as a principal in another state or territory, you should check the requirements in that jurisdiction, as recognition arrangements vary.
If you're managing registration across multiple jurisdictions, contact us and we'll help point you in the right direction.
