Congratulations on taking the next step to becoming a qualified Australian lawyer!
You’ve enrolled and now you’re wondering, what happens next?
To help prepare you for the start of your PLT, we’ve put together some of the most common questions we receive from law grads just like you.
1. Do I need to do anything else to confirm my enrolment?
We’re pleased to tell you that your spot in the PLT program is secured!
If you have any outstanding documents such as a final transcript, you can get it to us before your first day of PLT. We’ll stay in touch with you to let you know if there’s any other documents we require. You’ll receive a formal confirmation letter from our enrolments team once we have all your documentation.
In the week before your PLT start date, you’ll receive an email inviting you to log in to our Learning Management System, Brightspace. Your early access will help you familiarise yourself with the learning environment and the course content.
2. Do I need to do any preparation or reading before my first day of PLT?
The short answer is ‘no’. Our program is like being a graduate in a best practice national law firm, so you won’t have any pre-reading to do. We’ll welcome you to Leo Cussen on day one, just like you’d be welcomed on your first day in a law firm. You’ll be working on client matters in much the same way as when you commence your legal career, though you’ll have the support and guidance of your mentor and supervising lawyer.
3. What will my first couple of weeks of PLT look like?
As our program simulates a graduate program in a law firm, you’ll take part in five rotations across the program.
You’ll be starting with the Induction Rotation, which includes the first Immersive. This is four days of skills building during which you’ll meet your mentor and your mentor group. You’ll jump straight into client interviewing, negotiating and court room advocacy – you’ll start feeling like a practising lawyer in no time.
The program is easy to navigate and broken down into microlessons, so you’ll be learning as you go, and your focus will be on working through each client matter. While the cases are based on real facts, your clients are all fictitious – so it’s a safe space to learn!
4. What happens with my PLT placement?
Everyone undertaking the PLT program must do a 15-day placement (20 days in WA).
At Leo Cussen, you get two options – you can choose to find your own placement with support, or Leo Cussen can source and organise the placement for you.
If you choose to find your own placement, you will be provided support and guidance from the Leo Cussen careers team who will help you put a plan in place to secure your work experience.
Alternatively, Leo Cussen can organise a placement that aligns with your preferred areas of law, and we provide you with a preference form to help guide the process. We have an extensive network to help you complete your placement. These include relationships with law firms, in-house legal teams, community legal centres and government departments. If you didn’t choose this option when you enrolled, don’t worry, you have until the census date to change your mind.
5. What do I wear to PLT for onsite and immersive sessions?
As the saying goes, dress for the job you want. We wear business attire at Leo Cussen and encourage you to do the same if you’re PLT program is in-person. As a lawyer, you never know when you might need to go to court or attend an important meeting or who you’ll meet along the way.
6. If I have questions or need support before I start, how do I get in touch?
If you have any questions and or need any more information, we’re always here to help. Simply call, email or schedule a chat.
We’re really looking forward to helping you qualify as a confident and competent Australian Lawyer. See you very soon!
