Admission to practice law

Deakin Law School is endorsed by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board (VLAB) as meeting the areas of knowledge required for admission to practice in Victoria.

Admission to Practice process for graduating students

If it is your intention to apply for Admission to Practice upon successful completion of your studies, you will require verification documentation (including an academic conduct report, a copy of your academic transcript and a letter from the Head of School confirming you have completed the course requirements for the LLB) to be sent to the Board of Examiners.

Leading up to your graduation, and prior to release of your final results, you will receive an email from buslaw@deakin.edu.au inviting you to apply for verification documentation to be sent to the relevant Admissions Board pending successful completion of your Laws degree. If you would like Deakin to organise this for you please respond to the email by the closing date specified in the email, with your request clearly stating which state  admission board (eg Victoria) you will be applying to.

We will not provide a copy of the conduct report to the student.

You should allow at least 15 working days, following receipt of your academic transcript by the Law School, for your documentation (including an academic conduct report, a copy of your academic transcript and a letter from the Head of School confirming you have completed the course requirements for the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) to be forwarded to the Board of Examiners.

If you have already graduated in a previous year but did not apply for Admission to Practice at the time of graduating, you still can apply by contacting Student Central.

Admission to Practice - practical legal training

Deakin's law courses are designed to satisfy the university component of the requirements to become qualified for admission as an 'Australian lawyer' in Victoria as set by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board. Study may be undertaken on either a full-time or part-time basis.

At present, to qualify for admission as an 'Australian lawyer' in Victoria, university graduates are also required to complete practical legal training (PLT) requirements.

There are two options for completing PLT:

1. Supervised workplace training (SWT) (12 month period) or
2. An approved PLT course

The law admission consultative committee has released a policy that requires admitting authorities to advise all applicants that rely upon a qualification that is more than 5 years old to seek an assessment.

More information on the Victorian Legal Admissions Board website.

Practice notes: Academic conduct reports and disclosure requirements

The Board of Examiners views plagiarism so seriously that it now requires all Victorian law schools to provide a certificate stating whether or not the relevant university holds a record of any academic misconduct by that student (in their law studies or elsewhere).

Information for students who may seek admission in the United States

To be admitted to practice in the United States, it is necessary to satisfy the Board of Legal Examiners (or similar) of the state in which you wish to practice law. Each state has its own rules and requirements for admission to the bar. An Australian law degree may be accepted but some states require the completion of an on-campus LLB, with only a limited number of units having been undertaken online.