Gain a competitive advantage and launch your legal career with Leo Cussen’s new PLT program.
Gain practical legal experience with Australia’s leading Practical Legal Training (PLT) program and enter the legal profession with confidence. Become the Whole Lawyer with personalised mentoring from experienced legal practitioners and industry professionals.
Ready to start your career? Choose Leo Cussen’s PLT program and be the Whole Lawyer.
Find important information about our PLT in each jurisdiction below
Including course dates, who you’ll meet and more
Stand out in the Profession by becoming the Whole Lawyer
Our new PLT program is designed to equip you with the skills employers are looking for.
To be a successful legal practitioner, not only do you need to be technically proficient, but also an intuitive, curious, creative and emotionally intelligent lawyer – the Whole Lawyer.
How to be the Whole Lawyer
Develop the capabilities of the Whole Lawyer – four skills that employers want in new lawyers.
These four capabilities are developed through different and complementary parts of our course.
(1) Technical Capability (TQ)
Technical Capability is developed throughout the PLT course where you will run client matters across a range of practice areas, while being supported by expert legal practitioners.
(2) Human Skills (EQ)
Human skills are developed and appraised through immersive learning with a focus on the people skills required for effective client interaction, negotiation, and advocacy. This includes the option to be seconded as part of your PLT program to work with real clients as a paralegal with Anika Legal.
(3) Character (CQ)
Character is developed through a 20-week full-time or 30-week part-time program of mentoring with a focus on ethics, professionalism, and reflective practice. During this time, you will work closely with your mentor – an experienced lawyer – who will act as a guide through the course and a sounding board as you look to enter the profession.
(4) Adaptability (AQ)
Adaptability is developed through the Leo Justice Lab. The Leo Justice Lab is undertaken by every Leo Cussen graduate. You’ll work in a team to apply your knowledge to a real access-to-justice problem faced by a partner organisation. You’ll be taught and appraised on methods and mindsets for innovation, including legal tech awareness, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving, which you’ll use as you enter the profession.
You can view more on program details here.
Becoming the Whole Lawyer
What to expect at every stage of our PLT program
Technical Capability (TQ) – Rotations
While completing your PLT at Leo Cussen, you’ll progress through five rotations that reflect the experience of a grad in a simulated law firm. The five rotations are:
1. Induction – The Induction rotation gives you time to transition from university into legal work, to settle you into the course and to understand the pathway to admission and the profession you’ll soon join.
2. Transactions – During the Transactions rotation you’ll work on client files in the Property Law and Commercial and Corporate practice areas.
3. Specialist – During the Specialist rotation, you’ll choose two practice areas to specialise in. You can choose two options to complete during your PLT program:
– Administrative (Human Rights) Law Practice
– Banking & Finance
– Consumer Law Practice
– Criminal Law Practice
– Employment Law Practice
– Family Law Practice
– Planning & Environment
– Wills & Estates
4. Disputes – During the Disputes rotation, you’ll work on a client file in the Civil Litigation practice area.
5. Profession Ready – The Profession Ready rotation gives you a chance to focus on your future career as a lawyer, as well as developing skills for advocacy.
Human Skills (EQ) – Immersive Learning
Throughout the PLT program, you’ll participate in immersive learning that develops the people skills you’ll require for the legal profession. Immersive learning takes different forms in each learning mode.
For the Blended and Online courses, you’ll take part in three ‘immersives’ across the PLT program. Each immersive is a multi-day, face-to-face learning block where you’ll interact with your mentor and other grads. These take place during the Induction, Specialist and Profession Ready rotations.
For the blended and onsite programs, these take place onsite, while for the online program, immersives are conducted online via video conferencing.
You can find out more about the immersive attendance dates here.
Character (CQ) – Mentoring
Throughout each rotation you will be guided by your mentor. Your mentor is an experienced lawyer who will provide you with personalised coaching and help develop skills and values for reflective practice. Alongside your mentor, you will also work closely with a supervising lawyer through the Transactions, Specialist and Disputes rotations. The supervising lawyer is a practice area expert who you will work alongside throughout each client file during each rotation.
Adaptability (AQ) – Leo Justice Lab
Across the entire course, you’ll also take part in the Leo Justice Lab. Through Leo Justice Lab, you’ll work in a team to generate real-world policy or technology solutions that help impact justice. You’ll develop skills for the future of law including innovation and collaborative problem-solving. Find out more about the Leo Justice Lab.
Gain Experience with Professional Placement
As part of our PLT program, you’re required to complete a professional placement. Professional placement provides an opportunity to further experience real-life legal work. You’ll get to practice the skills you’ve developed throughout your PLT, and apply them in a real-world setting. You could complete your placement in a law firm, a community legal centre, in the legal office of a government department or in-house.
The professional placement component of our PLT program requires 20 days in WA and 15 days in all other states and territories.
You can take the stress out of finding a professional placement, and have it organised for you for a fee of just $630. This fee can be included as part of FEE-HELP if you’re eligible.
How it all comes together
One Course. Three Learning Modes.
What is your learning style? There are currently three formats available for law grads.
Blended Learning (BL)
Mostly self-paced online, plus 10 days of immersive face-to-face learning onsite.
Get the best of both worlds. Enjoy the flexibility of online training, with some face-to-face learning where you’ll receive instant, in-person feedback from your instructors and socialise with other PLT trainees.
The 10 days of interactive face-to-face learning are mandatory and held on specific dates onsite. To find the attendance dates, check out the course dates.
Online Learning (OL)
Mostly self-paced online, plus 8 days of immersive sessions held via video conferencing.
Giving you the flexibility to work at your own place, online PLT can be completed from any location.
The 8 days of interactive face-to-face learning are mandatory and held on specific dates via Zoom. To find the attendance dates, check out the course dates.
Onsite Learning
Two days per week of onsite structured learning and three days per week of self-paced online, plus 10 days of immersive learning.
Location: 15 William St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Make the most of the opportunity to engage in our simulated legal practice. Attend 10 days of Immersive learning onsite at our Melbourne office, and then continue working collaboratively with other grads, mentors and supervising lawyers on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the program.
Find important information about our PLT in each jurisdiction below
Including course dates, who you’ll meet and more
FAQs
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How long does PLT take?
Leo Cussen’s PLT course can be completed both full-time or part-time.
Full-time PLT will take 20 weeks plus professional placement to complete and part-time PLT takes 30 weeks plus professional placement to complete.
Professional placement runs for 15 days (or 20 days for Western Australia).
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What qualification will I receive after completing PLT?
The course qualifies you with a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP) and eligibility to apply for Admission to the legal profession in any Australian state or territory.
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Are there days that require attendance?
For our blended courses, there are 10 face-to-face immersive days: 4 at the beginning of the course, 3 in the middle and 3 at the end.
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.
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How does Professional Placement work?
The requirement for professional placment is 15 days and can be completed during or after your PLT course (or 20 days for Western Australia).
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.
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Is FEE-HELP available for PLT courses?
Yes. FEE-HELP is available for our PLT courses for eligible graduates.
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