Prerequisites

The Legal Profession Uniform Law (External link) ("the Law") provides the prerequisites for the issue of a compliance certificate for admission to the Supreme Court of Victoria.

The Legal Profession Uniform Admission Rules 2015 (External link)("the Rules") set out the academic qualifications and practical legal training prerequisites for admission

The Victorian Legal Admissions Board ("the Board") provides for the operation of the Rules.

A person is eligible for admission only if:

  • they have appropriate academic qualifications and practical legal training, whether obtained in Australia or elsewhere; and

  • they are a fit and proper person to be admitted to the Australian legal profession.

1. Tertiary Qualification

The specified academic qualifications prerequisite is successfully completing a tertiary academic course in Australia which:

  • includes the equivalent of at least 3 years full-time study of law,

  • is accredited by the Board, and

  • the Board determines will provide for a student to acquire and demonstrate appropriate understanding and competence in each element of the academic areas of knowledge set out in Schedule 1, or otherwise determined by the Admissions Committee after consulting each of the Boards.

Persons wishing to be admitted as an Australian lawyer must complete a course of study under Part 2 of the Rules or acquiring an exemption under s18 of the Uniform Law.

The compulsory Priestley 11 subjects are:

  • Administrative Law

  • Civil Dispute Resolution

  • Company Law

  • Contracts

  • Criminal Law and Procedure

  • Ethics and Professional Responsibility

  • Equity (including Trusts)

  • Evidence

  • Federal and State Constitutional law

  • Property

  • Torts

In the State of Victoria, eight universities have been approved by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board to provide academic law courses. These institution offer a course of study in either LLB (undergraduate law degree) or postgraduate JD (Juris Doctor) which satisfies the Board's academic requirement for admission. 

LLB

LLB

JD

LLB

JD

LLB

JD

LLB

JD

Dual Award LLB & Leo Cussen Centre for Law

JD

LLB

A full list of approved Priestley Subjects in Victoria 2012-2024 is available.

Academic institutions approved by other Australian jurisdictions that provide a course which satisfies the academic requirements for admission in that jurisdiction are also approved academic institutions for the purpose of the Admission Rules.

2. Legal Training

Once a person has completed an approved academic course, which includes all 11 Priestley subjects they must complete practical legal training.

The specified practical legal training prerequisite is acquiring and demonstrating an appropriate understanding and competence in each element of the skills, values and practice areas:

  • set out in Schedule 2 of the Rules, or

  • otherwise determined by the Admissions Committee after consulting each of the Boards.

The requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing either:

  • a practical legal training course conducted by a practical legal training provider accredited by the Board, or

  • supervised legal training in a workplace for a period of not less than 12 months, under a training plan approved by the Board, which the Board determines adequately provides for the trainee to satisfy the requirements of the Rules.

Practical Legal Training Course

The Practical Legal Training requirements for admission to the legal profession may be satisfied by completing an approved PLT course. At present there are four approved PLT providers active in Victoria. 

Swinburne University of Technology (External link) - Dual Award LLB & Leo Cussen Centre for Law

Learn more about a practical legal training course with an Australian law degree.  

Learn more about a practical legal training course with a foreign law degree. 

Supervised Legal Training

Supervised legal training is a minimum 12 month period of supervised training under an eligible supervisor during which the trainee must acquire an appropriate understanding of and competence in each elements of the skills, values and practice areas set out in Schedule 2 of the Rules.

You should read the Guide for Applicants Supervised Legal Training in full before you start your traineeship. 

Many competencies can be completed within supervised legal training but Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Lawyer's Skills and the Risk Management element of Work Management and Business Skills must be completed through an approved practical legal training provider or another provider approved by the Board. An employer may seek approval to provide training in these areas and that approval will be ongoing. See Approval as a training provider.

Some employers may not be able to adequately provide training in any of the optional areas. In this case, an employer may apply to the Board for approval to provide training in an alternative optional practice area. Once an employer has been approved to provide training in an alternative optional practice area that approval will be ongoing. See Approval to provide training in an alternative optional practice area.

The trainee must also file a statutory declaration seeking dispensation to allow variation to Rule 27(b) to undertake a course of instruction in an alternative optional practice area. See Dispensation for variation to alternative optional practice area

It is not possible to commence supervised legal training until the academic qualification set out in Rule 5 (1) has been completed. It is, however, possible to commence supervised legal training prior to graduation.

Your supervised legal training and application for a compliance certificate will be considered in accordance with the provisions set out in the Uniform Law.

Supervised legal training approvals must be sought via the online client portal.  The first three steps should be undertaken within one month of commencing a supervised legal traineeship.

  1. Employer's statutory declaration to be submitted to the Board for approval.  

  2. Once the Employer's Statutory Declaration is uploaded, the next step in the portal will be the completion of an online training plan.

  3. In order for the Board to approve the commencement of your supervised legal training, evidence must be obtained that   the necessary academic qualifications set out in Rule 5(1) have been acquired. This is undertaken by arranging for an academic transcript to be sent directly to the Board from the academic institution.  

Learn more about supervised legal training with an Australian law degree.  

Learn more about supervised legal training with a foreign law degree. 

 

Fit and Proper Person

It is necessary for a person to satisfy the Board that they are of good fame and character and a fit and proper person.  

An applicant for admission must disclose details of any matters which might be relevant to the Board's consideration of whether or not he or she is a fit and proper person to be admitted to the Australian legal profession.

An applicant must also disclose any matters which a reasonable applicant would consider that the Board might regard as not being favourable to them when considering whether or not the applicant is a fit and proper person to be admitted to the Australian legal profession.

In determining what matter should be disclosed you must read the LACC Disclosure Guidelines for Applicants for Admission to the Legal Profession.

 

Readmission

For more information on readmission as a lawyer, please contact VLAB.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Do I need to be admitted in Victoria if I have been admitted in another State?

Once you have been admitted in any state or Territory in Australia, it is not necessary to be admitted again in another state or Territory.

If you wish to practise in Victoria, you are required to hold a Victorian practising certificate.  This is issued and managed by the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner.

Further information can be found on the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner website (External link) (External link).

 

How can I apply for Admission?
 

All applications for admission must be made on the VLAB website via the VLAB online application portal (External link).

If you are unsure of which application category you fall under please email vlab@justice.vic.gov.au (External link) for advice before proceeding.

The online application portal will assist you to:

  • make application for a compliance certificate;
  • save and edit your application as often as you wish;
  • guide you through the requirements of the admission process;
  • view the status of your application; and
  • receive emails about the progress of your application
 

When should I commence an application for a compliance certificate?

It is recommended that you commence your application a minimum of 3 months prior to your intended admission date.