How to become a lawyer in Australia: you complete a law degree (an LLB or a Juris Doctor), finish Practical Legal Training, get admitted as a lawyer by the Supreme Court of your state or territory and then work under supervision on a restricted practising certificate. The usual timeline is at least five years of study and professional practice.
Australia has one of the clearest paths to legal practice in the English-speaking world, but it runs through state and territory bodies, and the details differ depending on where you plan to work and whether your degree is Australian or from overseas. This guide explains how to become a lawyer in Australia step by step: which degrees qualify, what the Priestley 11 subjects are, what Practical Legal Training involves, how admission works, what happens after admission, how overseas-qualified lawyers and international students fit in and which mistakes cost time. The Australian pathway comes from a UNSW career guide last published on 17 September 2026 and a University of Sydney Law School careers page modified on 4 August 2026. The practical training and overseas student facts come from a legal training provider’s page published on 26 June 2026 and modified on 28 September 2026. The overseas lawyer facts come from an Indian legal blog article from October 2020, which is old, and its details may have changed. These are secondary and university sources and they describe New South Wales most closely, so confirm everything with the admitting authority in the state where you want to practise. For visa planning, read our study visa in Australia guide.
What Are the Steps for How to Become a Lawyer in Australia?
There are four main steps: a qualifying law degree, Practical Legal Training, admission to the Supreme Court and supervised practice. The table summarizes them.
| Step | What the sources say |
| Law degree | LLB (five to six years full-time) or JD (three years full-time) |
| Practical Legal Training (PLT) | Required for all law graduates seeking admission |
| Admission | Compliance Certificate, then a Supreme Court ceremony with an oath or affirmation |
| Practising certificate | Restricted at first, with 18 to 24 months of supervised practice for solicitors |
| Ongoing | Continuing professional development each year |
The UNSW guide says it takes at least five years of study and professional practice to become a lawyer. Treat that as a minimum. Your own timeline depends on whether you start with an LLB or a JD, how fast you complete PLT and how quickly you find a supervised position.
Which Law Degree Do You Need?
You need either a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or a Juris Doctor (JD) that covers the core subjects. An LLB suits school leavers, and a JD suits graduates of another discipline.
The UNSW guide says the LLB is an undergraduate double degree taking five to six years full-time and suits high school leavers and people without prior tertiary study. The JD is a postgraduate degree taking three years full-time, with part-time study available, and it requires an undergraduate degree in another discipline or an overseas law degree. Both cover the Priestley 11 core subjects. The University of Sydney page says completing its LLB or JD satisfies the academic requirements to apply for admission as a solicitor in New South Wales, but that other requirements must also be met, and that for other states you must check whether the degree is accepted. Choose a degree from a university whose law program is recognized in the state where you want to practise.
What Are the Priestley 11 Subjects?
They are the 11 core subjects that Australian law degrees must cover for admission. The legal blog lists them as including torts, property, evidence, constitutional law, ethics, equity, contracts, criminal and procedural law, civil dispute resolution, company law and administrative law.
The blog adds that overseas applicants may need to complete subjects equivalent to those Australian applicants study, but it says it does not state which apply to overseas lawyers, so confirm with the authority. If you are choosing a degree, check that the program lists these subjects. Some universities allow you to start PLT early once you finish the core subjects, with approval from the admitting board, according to the UNSW guide.
What Is Practical Legal Training?
Practical Legal Training, or PLT, is the accredited course you complete after your degree to be admitted as a legal practitioner. UNSW offers it as a Graduate Diploma in Legal Professional Practice.
The UNSW guide describes the coursework as a five-day immersive workshop plus 19 weeks online, with Work Experience 1 for 20 days and either Work Experience 2 for 20 days or a practicum. A separate provider, Leo Cussen, says PLT is available onsite, blended or online, and that online PLT can be completed from overseas, full-time or part-time, with the mandatory immersive days held online. It says no IELTS test is required to enrol in PLT, and that a 500 dollar part tuition fee is due to accept an offer, with the balance two weeks before the course starts and instalment plans available. It does not state the program length. Fees at other providers will differ, so compare them.
How Does Admission Work?
After PLT, the admitting board issues a Compliance Certificate for the Supreme Court, and you attend a ceremony to take the oath or affirmation and sign the roll. You then receive a Certificate of Admission.
The UNSW guide describes this for New South Wales through the Legal Profession Admission Board. Other states have their own bodies. The Sydney page lists admitting bodies for Victoria, Queensland, the ACT, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Admission is not only about study: the board also checks that you are a fit and proper person, so disclose any past issues and ask the board what documents it needs.
What Happens After You Are Admitted?
Solicitors start on a restricted practising certificate and complete 18 to 24 months of supervised practice before applying for an unrestricted certificate. Barristers follow a different route.
For barristers in NSW, the UNSW guide says to complete the NSW Bar Exam, apply for a reader’s practising certificate, complete the Bar Practice Course, practise as a reader under an experienced barrister for at least 12 months and then apply for an unrestricted certificate. Every practising certificate holder must complete continuing professional development each year, with requirements set by each state or territory’s law society. The Sydney page notes that the Law Society of NSW coordinates some graduate programs and summer clerkships, but many employers recruit outside those schemes, so watch employer sites and job boards.
Can International Students Become Lawyers in Australia?
Yes, international students can study law and complete PLT in Australia, but visa rules and admission eligibility need checking. Admission is a separate step from study.
The Leo Cussen page says student visa applicants must enrol in its CRICOS-registered onsite full-time program, that an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment is issued for the visa application and that your visa conditions decide which learning mode you can use. If you hold a student visa while finishing an Australian law degree, you can start PLT and apply for a new student visa using the PLT confirmation. Our study visa in Australia guide explains the student visa steps, and our Australia Awards scholarship guide covers one funded route for students from eligible countries. Whether you can be admitted and work in practice after you graduate depends on the admitting authority and your visa, so ask both.
How Do Overseas-Qualified Lawyers Get Admitted?
You apply to the admitting authority in the state where you want to practise, and it decides which subjects, training or skills you still need. The Leo Cussen page says to approach the authority first.
Depending on the outcome, the provider says you may need to complete the full PLT program, selected single topics or supervised workshops. It says an overseas law degree must be approved by the admitting authority in your state before you apply for any PLT program. The 2020 blog article describes an academic equivalence test, a skills test, a possible waiver of requirements based on substantial experience and an English test with scores of 7.0 in reading and listening, 7.5 in speaking and 8.0 in writing taken within two years before applying. That article is old, so ask your authority for the current English rule. The Leo Cussen page says an IELTS test is not required to enrol in PLT, which is a different matter from admission. For other overseas pathways, see our graduate school abroad guide.
How Much Does It Cost?
The sources we reviewed do not give tuition, PLT, admission or practising certificate fees, except a 500 dollar part tuition fee to accept a PLT offer at one provider. Check each body’s fee page.
Build a budget with four parts: degree tuition, PLT fees, admission and practising certificate fees and living costs. Ask each university for its current international student fees, ask providers for PLT prices and ask the admitting board for its fee schedule. For scholarship preparation, see our motivation letter for scholarship and scholarship documents checklist guides. If you are comparing countries for law study, see our best countries for study abroad guide.
How Do You Spot a Scam When Learning How to Become a Lawyer in Australia?
No agent can guarantee admission as a lawyer or skip PLT. Be careful with offers.
Be careful when a website or agent:
- Promises admission without a recognized degree and PLT.
- Sells a fake PLT certificate.
- Offers a guaranteed graduate job for a fee.
- Asks for PLT fees to a personal account.
- Claims to be an admitting authority without an official address.
Check courses against the state admitting board’s accreditation list.
What Mistakes Cause Problems?
Choosing a degree that is not recognized, skipping the admitting authority and ignoring state differences cause most problems. Check each point first.
- Picking a program without checking that it covers the core subjects.
- Assuming an NSW degree is accepted in every state.
- Starting PLT before an overseas degree is approved.
- Ignoring the supervised practice period after admission.
- Missing the fit and proper person disclosures.
- Relying on a 2020 article for English test scores.
- Ignoring visa conditions when choosing online or onsite PLT.
- Paying an agent for guaranteed admission.
When unsure, ask the admitting authority in writing.
FAQs
How long does it take to become a lawyer in Australia?
At least five years of study and professional practice, according to UNSW. An LLB alone takes five to six years.
What is the Priestley 11?
The 11 core law subjects an Australian law degree must cover for admission, including torts, contracts, evidence and ethics.
What is Practical Legal Training?
An accredited course you complete after your degree, with coursework and work experience, before admission.
Can I complete PLT from overseas?
One provider says online PLT can be completed from abroad, full-time or part-time. Check your admitting authority.
Do overseas lawyers need to retrain?
The admitting authority decides. You may need subjects, PLT, single topics or workshops depending on the outcome.
Do I need IELTS for PLT?
One provider says IELTS is not required to enrol in PLT. Admission rules may differ, so ask the authority.
Conclusion
How to become a lawyer in Australia comes down to a recognized law degree, Practical Legal Training, admission by the Supreme Court and a period of supervised practice. The rules run through state and territory bodies, so decide where you want to practise first, check that your degree and PLT provider are accepted there and ask the admitting authority about overseas qualifications, English tests and fitness requirements. Budget for each stage and confirm every rule with official sources.
