Admission to Legal Practice

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

Process for Admission to Legal Practice

If it is your intention to apply for Admission to Legal 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 or JD) to be sent to the relevant Australian admitting authority.

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

Leading up to your graduation, and prior to release of your final results, you will receive an email from Deakin inviting you to apply for verification documentation to be sent to the relevant  admitting authority pending successful completion of your Law 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  admitting authority (eg the Victorian Legal Admissions Board) you will be applying to.

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) or Juris Doctor (JD) to be forwarded to the relevant admitting authority.

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

Admission to Legal 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 (such as that offered by the Leo Cussen Centre for Law)

The Law Admissions 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.

Academic conduct reports and disclosure requirements

Your admitting authority will require Deakin Law School to provide a certificate stating whether or not we hold a record of any academic misconduct by you (in your Law studies or otherwise).

We will not provide you with a copy of this conduct report.

Information for students who may seek admission in the United States

To be admitted to practice in the United States, it is necessary to apply to 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.

As part of your application process, Deakin Law School may be required to provide additional information. You should request this through Student Central.