Practical Legal Training (PLT)
Welcome to Australia’s Leading PLT Program
One Program. Three Learning Modes.
OnlineAvailable Nationally | BlendedVIC, WA, ACT, QLD, SA | OnsiteVIC |
Duration20 Weeks Learning ModeSelf-paced online program
| Duration20 Weeks Learning ModeSelf-paced online program
| Duration20 Weeks Learning Mode2 days per week onsite Immersive Workshops10 days onsite learning |
OnlineAvailable nationally | BlendedVIC, WA, ACT, QLD, SA |
Duration30 Weeks Learning ModeSelf-paced online program Immersive Workshops10 days via video conferencing | Duration30 Weeks Learning ModeSelf-paced online program Immersive Workshops10 days onsite learning |
What you’ll learn & how
Watch this short video to understand more.
Discover more about our PLT
This is how it works:
Throughout each rotation, you will be supported by a mentor, who is a practising lawyer, providing personalised coaching to help you develop the skills and values necessary for reflective practice. In addition to mentoring you, they’ll also serve as your supervising lawyer during the rotations. In this role they will guide you through each client file, offering hands-on experience and insights.
While completing your PLT at Leo Cussen, you’ll progress through rotations that simulate the experience of a graduate in a law firm. Here’s a brief overview of each rotation:
Induction: This rotation helps you transition from university to legal work. You’ll be introduced to the key skills you’ll need to develop as a new lawyer, become familiar with the course structure, the pathway to admission, and the legal profession you’re about to join.
Transactions: In this rotation, you will handle client files in the Property Law and Commercial and Corporate practice areas, gaining hands-on experience in these essential fields.
Specialist: Here, you’ll choose two practice areas to specialise in. Options include:
- Administrative Law
- Banking & Finance
- Consumer Law
- Criminal Law
- Employment Law
- Family Law
- Planning & Environment (VIC, NSW, QLD only)
- Wills & Estates
Disputes: During this rotation, you’ll work in our simulated law practice environment acting for a business navigating a disputed agreement, get experience appearing in court and represent your client at a negotiation. It’s just like real work but in a learning setting.
Profession Ready: This final rotation is where you draw together all your skills, ready to commence your legal career.
Each rotation is crafted to build on your skills and provide a comprehensive understanding of various aspects of legal practice.
In Blended, Online and Onsite programs, you will participate in three key ‘Immersives’ throughout the program. Each immersive is a multi-day, face-to-face learning block where you will interact with mentors and fellow graduates. These immersive sessions occur during the Induction, Specialist, and Profession Ready rotations.
For the Blended and Onsite programs, these immersives are conducted in person at the designated locations. For the Online program, immersives are held virtually via video conferencing.
Why Choose Leo Cussen?
Our Mentors
J.D, BDSc, GradCert (Arts), Cert IV TAE Australian Legal Practitioner
BSc, JD, GDLP, Australian Legal Practitioner
LLB, LLM, PgDip, GDLP Australian Legal Practitioner
LLB, BSc, GDipArts(Crim) Australian Legal Practitioner
LLB, BA, GDLP Australian Legal Practitioner
BA, LLB, MBus
BJuris, LLB, Australian Legal Practitioner
BJuris, LLB, Australian Legal Practitioner
BA, LLB, Dip Acting
BComm, LLB, LLM
MBA, Cert IV TAE Australian Legal Practitioner Accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructor
Australian Legal Practitioner
LLB (Hons), GDLP
BComm (Hons), LLB (Hons)
Australian Legal Practitioner
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Testimonials
For more than 50 years Leo Cussen has been delivering quality legal education. We’ve built a reputation of excellence and we’re proud to see our grads go on to achieve great things. Here’s what some of them said about PLT at Leo Cussen.
Get the skills and confidence you need to start a career in law with Leo Cussen's Practical Legal Training programs available throughout Australia.
Kickstart your legal career confidently through Leo Cussen’s Practical Legal Training (PLT) program, available to aspiring lawyers across Australia. As a leading national provider of Practical Legal Training, Leo Cussen will give you the essential skills and knowledge to succeed in the legal profession, no matter where you are.
Our complete PLT program connects what you learn in school with real-world legal work. Led by experienced legal professionals, you’ll do practical exercises, work on real case studies, and practice simulations to get ready for the challenges of the legal field.
Leo Cussen’s Practical Legal Training (PLT) program offers flexible study options. You can choose to study full-time or part-time, either onsite or online. This flexibility allows you to balance your studies with other commitments, making starting your legal career in any part of Australia easier.
Our experienced mentors will help you develop important skills for communicating with clients and presenting cases in court. You will also receive support from seasoned legal recruiters to improve your job prospects nationwide.
Leo Cussen has been providing legal education for over 50 years. Graduates consistently feel well-prepared and confident as they start their legal careers. Leo Cussen prepares students for the legal profession throughout Australia.
You will have access to a strong network of successful alums and valuable industry connections by choosing Leo Cussen. This will open up diverse career opportunities for you across the country.
Invest in your future with Leo Cussen’s Practical Legal Training and gain the skills, experience, and confidence to succeed. Enrol today and take the first step towards launching your legal career anywhere in Australia.
FAQ's
Check out some FAQs below to learn more about PLT at Leo Cussen.
Full-time PLT takes 20 weeks plus professional placement.
Part-time PLT takes 30 weeks plus professional placement.
Professional placement runs for 15 days, and there are options to complete this concurrently with your PLT coursework
PLT is generally started after you’ve completed your degree, or in some cases, beforehand, when you only have two elective subjects left to do in your studies. PLT is distinct to Supervised Legal Training (SLT), as PLT consists mainly of coursework plus some work experience in a law firm, whereas SLT consists of supervised workplace training plus additional training through an external provider.
While PLT includes coursework, it is different from a law degree in that each subject is designed to give graduates experience in applying the law in real-life settings, with mentoring from currently practising lawyers and law professionals, rather than simply on a theoretical basis in the classroom.
PLT is compulsory because it is important that law graduates gain more experience in a broad range of subjects related to the law before they start practising. The subjects on offer were created to satisfy the National Competency Standards for Entry-Level Lawyers, as set out by the Legal Profession Uniform Admission Rules 2015 (which can be read here).
At Leo Cussen, graduates can undertake PLT on a full-time or part-time basis, with each course covering 13 subjects, comprising 11 core subjects and two electives:
SKILLS AND VALUES
- Lawyer’s Skills (communication skills, interviewing, letter writing, drafting, negotiation and advocacy)
- Problem Solving (problem analysis, statutory interpretation, practical legal research)
- Trust and Office Accounting
- Work Management and Business Skills (including professional placement, file management and risk management)
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility
- Wellbeing for Lawyers
- CLIP – Client/Lawyer Interviewing Program
- Litigation Practice
- Commercial & Corporate Practice
- Property Practice
- Criminal Law Practice
- Administrative Law Practice
- Family Law Practice
- Consumer Law Practice
- Employment & Industrial Relations Practice
- Planning and Environmental Law Practice
- Wills and Estates Practice
- Banking & Finance
- At the completion of PLT, graduates are awarded a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP), which is a prerequisite for admission to the Australian legal profession. It is important to note that PLT providers need to be accredited by a state’s legal admissions board, to ensure that graduates receive proper training to begin their law career.
For our online courses, there are 8 immersives throughout the course, held via video conference.
For our onsite courses, there are two days of attendance each week for the duration of the course, as well as 10 face-to-face immersive dates.
If you miss any immersive days due to illness or any other extenuating circumstances, we can arrange for you to catch up.
If you need help securing a professional placement, Leo Cussen can organise your placement for you. There is an admin fee of $630 which is built into the course fee, and can be included in FEE-HELP.
PLT is the application of a graduate’s theoretical knowledge acquired during their law degree into a real-world setting through a structured training program. PLT is undertaken after you have completed your law degree, as it allows you to further develop certain skills that will be indispensable when you are working in the legal profession. It is imperative that you have completed all of the requirements of your LLB or JD from an approved law school before beginning PLT.
However, it is possible to begin PLT before you have officially completed your degree, provided you have no more than two elective subjects left to complete. However, you must have completed all of your compulsory ‘Priestley 11’ subjects. Also, if you’re a law student who has a summer school subject or a supplementary exam where the results will not be available until after the course commences, you are eligible to enrol in the PLT and commence your practical legal training. For students wishing to do this, you must make a Concurrent Study Application to the admitting authority in your state ,such as the Victorian Legal Admissions Board or the WA Legal Practice Board for approval to commence PLT before completion of your law degree, and evidence of approval must be provided to the PLT provider before your course begins.
In terms of residency status, international students are eligible to complete their PLT requirements in Australia. If you have graduated in law from an approved Australian university, you will be eligible for either the onsite or online PLT at Leo Cussen depending on your visa type and individual circumstances (although please note that due to current COVID-19 restrictions, all PLT will be conducted online. We will update our website and policies when this restriction changes).
As part of the PLT, graduates will practice the many tasks that lawyers carry out in legal offices by running cases and files in a simulated law firm setting. This means you will essentially be treated as a first-year lawyer, and given tasks that reflect the real-world of legal practice.
The cases and files you work on will include:
- Property transaction: you will sell or buy residential property
- Commercial transaction: you will sell or buy a business
- Civil Litigation: you will represent a plaintiff or defendant in a breach of contract case
- Criminal Charge: You will defend a client accused of theft
You will also get to choose the following electives:
- Elective one: choose between Administrative law or Family law
- Elective two: choose between Consumer, Employment, Planning/Environment, Wills/Estates, or Banking/Finance law
Through running those matters, you will develop skills in areas such as advocacy, negotiation, drafting and client interviewing – all the key skills that employers look for when hiring graduates
The final stage of PLT involves professional placement in a legal practice, where you will have a further opportunity to improve your legal skills. Once the above have been successfully completed, graduates will be awarded a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP). This allows you to apply for admission through your state’s Admitting Authority, after which you will obtain a practising certificate and complete a period of supervised practice.
As you can see from the above, PLT is a challenging but also thoroughly satisfying experience, which will get you ‘job ready’ for your first role as a lawyer. Leo Cussen is here to ensure that your PLT experience is as rewarding as possible for you.
You can view the Terms and Conditions for Enrolement here.
Are you an international student who is interested in becoming a lawyer in Australia?
Practical Legal Training, or PLT, is an essential step that all law graduates must take in order to practise law in Australia. This blog will explain the requirements for international students who want to undertake PLT in Australia, including guidance on visa rules
PLT, also known as the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, involves applying the knowledge learnt during your law degree to real-world legal situations. PLT needs to be completed before you can practise as a lawyer within Australia, and at the end of the course, graduates undertake a professional placement within a legal office.
So, how do you become a lawyer in Australia if you are an international student? As Leo Cussen has a long history of providing PLT for international students and assisting them with all aspects of the process, we are ideally placed to ensure you enter the legal field fully ready to practise.
For international students, there are several conditions which determine whether you can complete PLT in Australia, such as your visa conditions, where you completed your law degree, and whether you are eligible to complete it in-person or online.
As per Practical Legal Training requirements, if you are on a student visa and have graduated in law from an approved Australian university, you are eligible for the onsite Practical Legal Training at Leo Cussen (although please note that due to current COVID-19 restrictions, all PLT will be conducted online. We will update our website and policies when this restriction changes).
If you are on a student visa, you may be able to study the online course if you are in your final semester of your law degree, provided you have completed all of the 11 core ‘Priestley’ subjects and have no more than 2 electives left to complete. Additionally, if you have recently completed your law degree (depending on the timing of your completion, and the time remaining on your student visa), you may be eligible to complete PLT online.
If you are on a bridging visa or other temporary residence visa with no restrictions on study, then you may study the online course of our Practical Legal Training program. Please ensure that you check with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection as to what conditions there are on your visa. International students will also be given support in order to find a suitable law firm in which they can complete their three-week placement.
Leo Cussen can help support your application for a visa in order to complete PLT in Australia. The first step is to enrol in one of our PLT courses, after which you’ll be issued a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE). The COE can help you to apply for or extend your visa so that you can complete the PLT course in Australia.
International students who enrol in the Leo Cussen PLT also gain access to a range of support services, including referrals to migration lawyers, one on one support from the International Trainee Advisor and a tailored career advice service. International students are also eligible to access flexible payment arrangements for their PLT fees.
If you completed your law degree overseas, then you will first need to have your law qualification assessed by the one the state admitting authorities before you can undertake PLT within Australia, even if you have already been practising law outside Australia. In some cases, you may then be required to complete some or all of a PLT course in Australia.
So, now you know some of the first steps you can take in becoming a lawyer in Australia. For more information, contact us today.
Yes, Leo Cussen is accredited across the nation as a local PLT provider, so completing our program makes you eligible for admission to the legal profession in your state or territory. See below for details of our approval in your specific state or territory:
ACT – Leo Cussen is accredited by the Legal Practitioners Admission Board of the ACT as an authorised local provider of PLT in the Australian Capital Territory.
NSW – Leo Cussen is accredited by the Legal Profession Admission Board of NSW as an authorised local provider of PLT in New South Wales.
NT – Leo Cussen’s PLT is accredited in the Northern Territory by the Legal Practitioner Admission Board as a conforming interstate program.
QLD – Leo Cussen is accredited by the Legal Practitioners Admission Board of QLD as an authorised local provider of PLT in Queensland.
SA – Leo Cussen is accredited by the Legal Profession Education and Admission Council as an local authorised provider of PLT in South Australia.
TAS – Leo Cussen’s PLT is accredited in Tasmania by the Board of Legal Education Tasmania as a conforming interstate program.
VIC – Leo Cussen is accredited by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board as an authorised local provider of PLT in Victoria.
WA – Leo Cussen is accredited by the Legal Practice Board of WA as an authorised local provider of PLT in Western Australia.
We’ll book a time for you to talk with one of our team about how our PLT program can set you up for career success.
Before completing a PLT application, check below to see if you’re completed these law prerequisites for the PLT course. You are eligible to commence the Practical Legal Training Course (PLT) if you have completed all the requirements of the LLB or JD from an Australian approved law school.
You may enrol in the course while you are completing your final law degree subjects. Please note when submitting your PLT application enrolment is conditional on you providing evidence that you have completed the requirements of the degree.
A completing law student who has a summer school subject or a supplementary exam where the results will not be available until after the course commences is eligible to submit a PLT application and to commence their practical legal training.
In Victoria, a law student who at the commencement of the course has one or two elective subjects outstanding may be eligible to commence the course. If you are in this position you may enrol. However, you must also make a Concurrent Study Application to your local admitting authority for approval to commence PLT before completion of your law degree.
Evidence of approval must be provided to Leo Cussen before the commencement of the Practical Legal Training Course. If you wish to discuss your particular situation before submitting your PLT application, please contact the PLT Co-ordinator, Michelle O’Connor at pltadmin@leocussen.edu.au.
Residency:
For Blended Learning or Face to Face Learning you must have a residency status permitting you to reside and study in Australia.
International Students on student visas may only be eligible to apply for the Onsite course. International Students on other forms of visa may be eligible to apply for the Online course subject to the conditions of their visa. See International/Overseas Applicants, Course Fees and Selection Criteria and Procedures.
All applicants: please note that as (a) the course amounts to a single unit of study and (b) entrants to the legal profession require currency in legal practice, prior course credit (or Recognition of Prior Learning) is not typically granted.
If you are an Overseas Qualified or Requalifying Lawyer/Legal Practitioner seeking admission, you must first seek guidance/approval from the relevant state admitting authority before applying to the Leo Cussen Practical Legal Training Course.
For important information on our PLT dates, go to our PLT Course Dates page and PLT Course Fees page.
Confirmation of enrolment is subject to:
- The provision of outstanding documentation (refer Application Form); and
- Part Tuition payment of $500 OR Completed Request for FEE-HELP Assistance form
Please note that the applicant will generally be subject to the our withdrawal or deferral fee. However, this policy may be waived by the Director PLT if it is clear that the applicant has promptly notified the Leo Cussen of their situation and their initial enrolment objectively appears to have been made in good faith.
NOTE: An applicant may be permitted to continue in the PLT while completing the final law degree subject. Applicants should contact the Director PLT to discuss this option.
A summary of the Deferral component of the policy is as follows: The applicant must:
- be an ‘eligible deferee’ by having been offered a place in the Centre’s PLT and;
- demonstrate compassionate or compelling circumstances (e.g. illness where a medical certificate states that the eligible deferee/trainee is unable to attend classes, family, travel, economic issues or other matters) and;
- submit a written Deferral Application to the Director PLT.
Applicants for Deferral should note that tuition fees may increase from year to year and they will be liable to pay the fee applicable at the time of enrolment.
Overseas Student deferrals (and suspension or cancellation of enrolments) are made in compliance with Standard 13 of the National Code 2007.
The entire PLT comprises a single unit EFTSL because the PLT is a course that prepares law graduates for admission to the legal profession and eligibility for ‘admission’ is an indissoluble concept. A lawyer is either admitted to the legal profession or not based on their satisfactory completion of the entire complement of Practical Legal Training under the Legal Profession Uniform Admission Rules 2015.
Other study or work is ok, as long as it does not interfere with the recommended time commitment for each PLT course. See Course Structure for more details.
Please contact the Director PLT to discuss any concerns you may have.
Still got questions? You can contact us – we’re here to help!
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