Graduate Diploma in Legal Professional Practice

Practical Legal Training (PLT) is an essential step for law graduates to enter the legal profession. UNSW's PLT program is the Graduate Diploma in Legal Professional Practice (GDLPP). It combines coursework and practical experience to develop skills and proficiency in the day-to-day practice of law.

The program covers the skills and values required to be a legal practitioner in Australia. You’ll graduate from the program confident that you can complete essential tasks required of legal professionals in areas such as:

• Litigation and Transactional Law (Property, Commercial and Corporate)
• Administrative Law
• Banking and Finance
• Criminal Law
• Family Law
• Employment and Industrial Relations
• Consumer Law Practice

You'll also complete a total of 40 days of work experience as part of the program, which offers placement opportunities with UNSW partners, including legal centres and clinics.

View the full program structure under the What will I study? tab.

A Progressive Approach
The UNSW PLT course incorporates best-practice emergent educational technologies and flexible delivery modes to help you balance PLT with work and personal commitments.

Engaged Learning
Study from anywhere in Australia or the world in a supportive learning environment that prioritises student experience. You’ll receive mentoring from our practitioners who’ll support you as you transition into legal practice.

Exclusive Career Support
Graduate career-ready with UNSW Law & Justice’s in-house careers service, dedicated to our students and alumni. The service includes one-on-one counselling sessions, a jobs board and a range of resources, presentations and workshops to maximise your employability.

Workplace Experience
UNSW PLT offers unique opportunities to apply, test and reflect on your skills and knowledge through professional placements. You can experience interacting with different clients in a range of settings, including at UNSW in-house clinics (e.g. Kingsford Legal Centre (KLC)), community legal centres (e.g. Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) and Youth Law Australia) and firms.

Practicum
Students have the option to complete a practicum to strengthen their professional development through a combination of placements, simulated workplaces, technical learning spaces, law-related projects, continuing legal education and structured reflective practice.

Candidates for the GDLPP are required to have completed an accredited academic qualification in law. Accepted qualifications include:

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree
• Juris Doctor degree
• other qualifications considered equivalent from an Australian university or tertiary institution

Applicants with academic qualifications from a jurisdiction outside Australia need to have the qualifications assessed by the Legal Profession Admission Board (NSW) before applying to undertake Practical Legal Training (PLT). Please refer to the Legal Profession Admission Board (LPAB) website for more information.

Prospective international students will require a visa other than a student visa (e.g. a temporary graduate visa) to be eligible to apply to this program. We advise international students to seek independent immigration advice about their visa options.

Early Start of PLT
It’s possible to start your PLT during your law degree if you've completed all prescribed (‘Priestley 11’) core courses and have no more than 12 Units of Credit (UOC)/2 electives left to complete in your LLB/JD or equivalent qualification.

For UNSW students, approval of early commencement in the GDLPP and verification of remaining electives requires:

1. Application for a Progression Check
2. Completion of an Early PLT Request form
3. Submission of early start request form to the LPAB
4. Completion of online application for the UNSW PLT Program (GDLPP) attaching early start approval from the LPAB

For non-UNSW students, please follow the process identified by your institution for steps 1 and 2 and then complete steps 3 and 4 above.

Recognition of Prior Learning/Advanced Standing
Advanced standing for previous learning may be granted for up to 12 Units of Credit (UOC) for practical legal training courses completed at a recognised equivalent higher education provider.