Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice - PLT at QUT

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QUT's Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (our Legal Practice Course) prepares law graduates for admission to the practice of law in Queensland. The course satisfies the practical training requirements for admission under Queensland's legal practitioner admission rules.

The course is located at QUT's Garden's Point Campus. We offer the course twice a year in full-time mode and three times a year in part-time (in-practice) mode and part-time (general) mode. Our courses are delivered on-line for the convenience of persons who are working or who otherwise do not wish to study on campus.

Our full-time courses start in January and June each year. Full-time students complete a 6 weeks skills program that includes a 5 day skills attendance school on-campus. They also complete a 14 week 'Office Program" on-campus at QUT's Gardens Point campus and they complete a 4 week placement in a law office, which we arrange. The on-campus full-time course is for persons who want to receive face-to-face support from staff, their peers, and practising legal practitioners. The Office Program is also conducted off-campus (on-line) for students who do not want to study on-campus and who want the flexibility and convenience of online study.

Part time (in-practice)

Our part-time (in-practice) courses start in January, March and June each year. These courses are especially designed for people who are working in approved private, government, in-house or community law offices. We give our in-practice students academic credit for the experience that they acquire in their real-life work places by giving credit for LPP117 Interaction, and LPP118 Placement. Part-time (in-practice students) complete 5 '6TP' teaching periods of study (34 weeks) on-line, which includes 5 attendance days at QUT.

Part time (general)

Our part-time (general) courses start in January March and June each year. These courses are for people who wish to complete the course on a part-time basis but who do not qualify as 'in-practice' students. Part-time (general) students complete 5 '6TP' teaching periods of study (34 weeks) on-line, which includes 6 skills attendance days at QUT. They also complete a 4 week placement in a law office, which we arrange. Part-time (general) students do not have to be working to participate in the program. Part-time (general) may be able to apply for credit for LPP117 or LPP118 based on previous legal work experience.

We are Queensland's longest established course and we have successfully prepared over 3000 law graduates for admission as legal practitioners. Our graduates are usually successful in obtaining jobs after the course and they report a high degree of satisfaction with the course. We believe that within Australia we are a leading practical legal training course in terms of quality, effectiveness and relevance.

Why PLT at QUT?

• Our students learn by working on simulated legal problems and tasks - the type of work that real lawyers do in the real world workplaces. You will draft legal documents, write legal letters and carry out the usual steps in basic property, litigation and commercial transactions and proceedings (among other things). You will be able to use your work and the extensive resources that we provide to you to build up a portfolio of practical know-how that will be a guide and resource for you in the real world of legal practice.
• Our course is driven and shaped by practising lawyers, many of whom are leaders in their fields. At the 5 day 'attendance school' for example, you will receive instruction from leaders on the fields of plain English writing and drafting, negotiation, work management and will drafting. Your advocacy training will be guided by real-life practising barristers. Your legal interviewing lecturer co-authored the book on the topic. Our lecturers offer you an outstanding depth of experience and expertise.
• We take both practice and teaching seriously. Several of our full-time staff have won teaching awards. Our course director has a prestigious Australian Learning and Teaching Council Award for Teaching Excellence for his PLT work.
• We will arrange the required 4 week work placement for you - unless you are eligible for credit because you work in a legal office in private practice, government, the community sector or in-house.
• We publish an employment register to assist you in your search for employment at the end of the course.
• Eligible graduates receive credit into the QUT LLM.