More flexible than your degree ever was. With PLT at College of Law, you are able to choose how and when you want to study. Better yet, you have a range of subjects to choose from as your elective subjects which enable you to be in the driver's seat of your career even before admission.
More flexible than your degree ever was. With PLT at College of Law, you are able to choose how and when you want to study. Better yet, you have a range of subjects to choose from as your elective subjects which enable you to be in the driver's seat of your career even before admission.
More flexible than your degree ever was. With PLT at College of Law, you are able to choose how and when you want to study. Better yet, you have a range of subjects to choose from as your elective subjects which enable you to be in the driver's seat of your career even before admission.
More flexible than your degree ever was. With PLT at College of Law, you are able to choose how and when you want to study. Better yet, you have a range of subjects to choose from as your elective subjects which enable you to be in the driver's seat of your career even before admission.
More flexible than your degree ever was. With PLT at College of Law, you are able to choose how and when you want to study. Better yet, you have a range of subjects to choose from as your elective subjects which enable you to be in the driver's seat of your career even before admission.
More flexible than your degree ever was. With PLT at College of Law, you are able to choose how and when you want to study. Better yet, you have a range of subjects to choose from as your elective subjects which enable you to be in the driver's seat of your career even before admission.
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Now that you’ve completed (or nearly completed) your law degree, you have a strong theoretical understanding of the law.
But you’re not ready to enter the workforce. Not yet.
PLT equips you with the practical, day-to-day skills you need as an entry-level lawyer. You know, the court-appearing, contract-preparing, law-talking kind.
Think of your PLT as the perfect finishing school. A space to practice your skills and build your confidence as an entry-level lawyer who’s ready to soar.
After completing your PLT, you will be awarded a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (GDLP). This means you’ll be eligible to apply for admission as a legal practitioner in your state or territory.
You can start your PLT if you have completed all Priestley 11 core subjects of your law degree – with no more than two electives remaining.
To start your PLT before completing your law degree, you’ll need to seek approval from the admitting authority in your state. Find out more here.
During your studies, you'll gain an understanding of the theory of law and study key areas known as the 'Priestley 11’:
Keep in mind, there may be additional subjects and electives you'll need to complete, based on your university's requirements.
Nope, you don't need your exam results to enrol. Here's when you'll need to provide them:
In the ACT, VIC and WA, you have until the enrolment close date (one week before the course begins).
In NSW, NT and SA, you'll need to provide them by the program census date.
In Queensland, you have until the end of the program to provide your exam results.
Our full-time course is 15 weeks.
Our part-time course is 30 weeks. (This is a good option if you work full time or have other commitments.)
Your PLT begins with mandatory workshops (you choose online or on campus).
You will role-play interviews, negotiations and courtroom appearances under the guidance of lawyers, barristers and judges.
If you work 9-to-5 or lead a busy life during the day, we offer an evening program in NSW, QLD, SA, VIC and WA. Our evening workshops are held after 5.30pm.
There are no traditional written exams here. Our Practical Legal Training (PLT) is all about being hands-on and practical.
After workshops, you'll jump into our interactive Learning Portal where you’ll tackle tasks that feel like real-world scenarios.
To make sure you feel ready to take on the challenges of a legal workplace, you’ll complete a “practice ready review” for each subject. But they’re not your typical test.
Picture a conversation with an evaluator (who is a lawyer), stepping into the shoes of your supervisor. You’ll review the tasks you've completed for a subject and discuss how and why you’ve settled on your conclusions – just like how real matters operate with your supervisor at work.
The practice ready review is all about boosting your confidence, ensuring you're ready to take on the challenges of a legal workplace.
While it's possible, we generally don't recommend it. Full-time study is 30-35 hours per week for 15 weeks with 2-3 tasks due each week.
PLT is your chance to practice skills before entering the workforce, and having enough time for it ensures the best start to your legal career.
The full-time course is fast-paced, and catching up if you fall behind can be challenging.
On the other hand, the part-time course offers a more relaxed pace. It covers the same content over 30 weeks and is perfect for those with work or family commitments.
Keep in mind, you can switch to part-time in the first week if needed.
Yes. In fact, this is quite common – especially in cases where students have completed some work experience as undergraduates.
At the College, you can count up to 60 days of work experience in the two years before starting your PLT.
Practical Legal Training and the Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice are essentially the same thing.
When you finish your PLT, you get a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice qualification. Both are about the training you need after your law degree to become a practicing lawyer.
Sometimes people call it by the course name (Practical Legal Training), and other times the qualification you receive (Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice).
So, whether you hear PLT or GDLP, you're on the right track for your legal journey.
Once you’ve finished your Practical Legal Training, you’re almost a lawyer—but not quite yet! The next step is applying to the admitting authority to become officially admitted.
To be admitted, you’ll need to:
In simpler terms, being a "fit and proper person" means they want to make sure you have a good moral character to interpret, argue, and draft the law.
To prove it, you'll have to let them know if you have any criminal, academic or general misconduct history. Make sure you check the specific rules in your state's admissions authority before moving forward.
When you finally get the green light, get ready to attend an admission ceremony where you'll officially become a lawyer. It’s a chance to celebrate with your friends, family, and colleagues – it's a big achievement!
You can transfer between PLT programs. If you transfer or defer after the census date, a fee will apply.
When enrolling, be realistic about the time you can commit to studying and select a program that offers the pace that best fits your lifestyle.
Part-time: A flexible option that allows you to set your own schedule, committing your 15-17 hours per week to the times that work best for you.
Full-time: For those who are able to commit to full-time study. Full-time immersive courses are 30-35 hours per week.
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You can start your PLT once you’ve completed all Priestley 11 core subjects of your law degree and have no more than two electives left.
If you want to begin your PLT before finishing your degree, you’ll need approval from the admitting authority in your state. Find out how here.
In the Australian Capital Territory, except in rare circumstances, you cannot start your PLT until you’ve completed your degree.
No, you don't need your exam results to enrol. Here's when you'll need to provide them:
You can enrol in the course up until the Monday before it starts, which is one week before the course begins.
After you submit, you'll get an email acknowledgment. If we need more information, we'll contact you.
Expect your enrolment confirmation in 5-10 business days.
International students studying outside of Australia are not required to have a USI.
To complete the enrolment form, simply:
You can pay by:
Keep in mind, non-FEE-HELP students must pay the full fee when enrolling. If you use FEE-HELP, no upfront payment is needed, and you can split payments between FEE-HELP, self-funding, or employer contributions.
Yes. FEE-HELP (a student loan provided by the Federal Government) is available for eligible students. You can use FEE-HELP to pay all or part of your tuition fees.
Yes, you can complete your PLT in any state, no matter where you obtained your law degree.
It's a good idea to consider doing your PLT in the state where you want to practise as a lawyer though, as the coursework is designed to match that specific jurisdiction’s requirements. However, you still have the option to be admitted as a lawyer in any state, except for South Australia and Tasmania, as they have unique requirements.
For South Australia and Tasmania, there are special rules in place. Please reach out to our Customer Engagement Team for more details.
Once you've become a lawyer, you can also seek admission in other Australian states or territories either through the Mutual Recognition Scheme or by applying directly.
Your PLT begins with mandatory workshops (you choose online or on campus).
You will role-play interviews, negotiations and courtroom appearances under the guidance of lawyers, barristers and judges.
If you work 9 to 5 or lead a busy life during the day, we offer an evening program in NSW, QLD, SA, VIC and WA. Our evening workshops are held after 5.30 pm.
Work experience undertaken before you begin your PLT program can count towards some – but not all – of your PLT work experience.
All students need to complete 15 days of work experience after beginning their PLT program.
If you’re completing the 75-days work experience option, then the remaining 60 days work experience can be undertaken in the 2 years prior to starting your PLT program.
To count towards your PLT, your work experience must:
You can find out if your work experience can count towards your PLT by submitting an Application for Approval Form to support@collaw.edu.au
This form can be submitted before you enrol at the College of Law, and we’ll keep a record of your work experience.
Getting your work experience approved is a straightforward process that involves six simple steps.
You don't even need to be a College student to have your work experience recorded for future use in your PLT journey.
Here are the five steps to follow:
If you need to extend or obtain your student visa through the College of Law, you are required to complete our on-campus program in the Sydney CBD, NSW (CRICOS course code 069734C).
During the program you will attend campus on Monday to Friday 9 to 5pm for the first week and Monday to Wednesday 9.00am to 3.30pm for the remainder of the 15-week program.
When you apply for the on-campus program, we can provide you with an eCOE, which will allow you to apply for an an 11-month student visa.
To keep your student visa, you’ll need to follow some rules, including attendance, progress, transfers, and assessments. It’s important to attend all your classes and meet the College’s academic standards. If these requirements aren’t met, your visa could be shortened or even cancelled.
Overseas students with an Australian law degree can undertake any of the PLT programs. Our online PLT programs don’t require any on campus attendance. You will only need to participate in live online workshops held between 9am to 5pm, in the local Australian time zone.
You can also complete any of our blended PLT programs. You will need to make sure that your travel documents allow you to study in Australia to attend the five days of onsite workshops.
To become a lawyer in Australia with an overseas law degree, you'll need to have your qualifications evaluated by the admitting authority in the specific state or territory where you want to practice.
Depending on their assessment, you may have to complete the entire PLT program or just specific subjects within it. We provide individual PLT subjects for students who are required by the admitting authorities to take certain PLT subjects while being exempt from others.
Yes, we offer single PLT subjects for overseas solicitors and others who are required by an admitting authority to complete some subjects of the PLT program.
You will need to have your law qualifications assessed by the admitting authority in the state or territory you wish to practice in before enrolling in the subjects.
