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Professional Recognition

The Sydney JD enables you to become a legal practitioner both in Australia and overseas. However, it is important that you recognise that your capacity to practise in a particular state, territory, country and jurisdiction may depend upon you meeting a number of other criteria. The information below is intended as a guide only. The Sydney Law School recommends you check all information with the relevant authority or agency as the information is subject to change.

If you intend to practise in another State or overseas, you must consult the relevant professional body or equivalent to determine whether the Sydney JD is acceptable as a legal qualification. It is not the responsibility of the Sydney Law School to do so.

Please note that the JD was submitted to the Legal Profession Admission Board of NSW and received accreditation in October 2010.

Practising Law in Australia

New South Wales

How do I become a legal practitioner?

In order to become a legal practitioner in New South Wales you satisfy the requirements of the Legal Profession Admission Board.

The study path for entry to the legal profession in NSW begins with undertaking a NSW accredited law degree, such as the Sydney JD. Then, in order to be eligible for admission to practice, it is necessary to complete an accredited program of practical legal training.

The Legal Profession Admission Rules 2005 lists, two schedules of accredited law degrees (Second Schedule) and Practical Legal Training course providers (Fourth Schedule).

Once you have completed your academic study and your Practical Legal Training, and satisfy the English Language Proficiency requirements (if applicable) you may make an application using Form 10. Applications for admission must be accompanied by two character references in Form 3. If you have been admitted in another country and wish to be admitted in New South Wales, please consult our pages for overseas practitioners

In New South Wales, a person is admitted as a Lawyer of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and, once admitted, may practise as either a barrister (obtaining a practising certificate through the New South Wales Bar Association), or as a solicitor and barrister (obtaining a practising certificate through the Law Society of New South Wales).

The requirements for admission as a lawyer in New South Wales are outlined in rules 95 and 96 of the Legal Profession Admission Rules 2005. These rules provide both the academic and practical legal training requirements necessary for admission as a lawyer to the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

Before making an application for admission it is important to familiarise yourself with the forms, and attached instructional information (including application checklist) the admission rules and frequently asked questions. Applicant’s often make errors and omissions that result in missing an application deadline and consequently a desired ceremony.

It is important to note that any admission application that is incorrect or incomplete at the application deadline will not be accepted for the admission ceremony. These applications will be held over to the next ceremony or until the application is complete and correct. Incomplete or incorrect applications lodged at the Board's office and over the counter will not be accepted.

Deadlines for submission of applications are strict, dates are on the form and the Board’s calendar. Late applications will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances and only if the Board has capacity to do so.

Applicants for admission are to lodge original transcript(s) of their academic and practical legal training results. The transcript must state that the applicant is eligible for the law degree or has completed the accredited PLT course. The original transcript(s) will be retained by the Board. Photocopies of any form will not be accepted. Please consult the Board's policy on the lodgement of original documentation.

To be admitted, attendance in the Supreme Court of NSW is compulsory.

Australian graduates who have completed a law degree outside NSW and wish to complete practical legal training within NSW are usually required to have a certificate of completion of academic requirements.

People whose names have been removed from the Roll by order of the Court or disciplinary tribunal should contact the Board if they wish to make an application for re-admission.

Please refer to the Frequently asked questions link on the LPAB website for further information on admission and admission ceremonies.

Legal Profession Admission Board (LPAB)
GPO Box 3980
Sydney NSW 2001
T: + 61 2 9392 0300
F: + 61 2 9392 0315
E:

What is Practical Legal Training (PLT) ?

The College of Law Professional Program is an approved method of practical legal training enabling admission in New South Wales, and all other states and the territories, either directly or through the mutual recognition scheme.

The Professional Program provides vocational legal education centred on a training partnership between the College, students and supervisors in the workplace. For further information contact:

The College of Law
2 Chandos Street
St Leonards NSW 2065
T: + 61 2 9965 7000
F: + 61 2 9436 1265
E:

Law Admissions Consultative Committee (LACC)

The LACC website contains useful information and links on practical legal training, admissions and useful documents for all Australian jurisdictions.

How do I become a solicitor?

A solicitor must meet the same requirements to be admitted as a legal practitioner and obtain the relevant certificate from the Law Society of NSW.

After admission as a legal practitioner, you must complete a further two years of restricted practice and undertake a practice management course approved by the Law Society before you can practise on your own account. For further information contact:

The Law Society of NSW
170 Phillip Street
Sydney NSW 2000
T: + 61 2 9926 0333
F: + 61 2 9231 5809
E:

How do I become a barrister?

You must meet the requirements to be admitted as a legal practitioner and obtain the appropriate certificate from the NSW Bar Association. You must also take a Reading Program, consisting of qualifying examinations, a five-week full time Bar Practice Course and eleven months of reading. For further information contact:

The New South Wales Bar Association
Selborne Chambers
174 Phillip Street
Sydney NSW 2000
T: +61 2 9232 4055
F: +61 2 9221 1149

Victoria

You can practise law in Victoria if you meet the following criteria:

Law Institute of Victoria
470 Bourke Street Melbourne VIC 3000
T: +61 3 9607 9311
F: +61 3 9602 5270

Queensland

You can practise law in Queensland if you meet the following criteria:

Queensland Law Society
179 Ann Street
Brisbane Qld 4000
T: +61 7 3842 5842
F: +61 7 3842 5999
E:

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

ACT Law Society
Level 3, 11 London Circuit
Canberra City ACT 2601
T: +61 2 6247 5700
F: +61 2 6247 3754

South Australia

To be eligible for admission to the Supreme Court of South Australia an applicant must satisfy the academic and practical requirements prescribed in 2004 Legal Practitioners Education and Admission Council (LPEAC) Rule 2.

The academic requirement is a tertiary study of law in Australia completed over a minimum of three years full time (or the part time equivalent) and which includes the Priestley 11 subjects, incorporated in the Sydney JD. The practical requirements for admission requires the completion of a course of study which provides the requisite understanding and competence in the skills, values and practice areas prescribed within the LPEAC Rules. The Law Society Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice is an approved practical legal training course.

Where an application has completed law qualifications interstate and seeks to enrol in the GDLP Course, the applicant must have his/her qualifications formally accredited by the Board of Examiners prior to enrolling in GDLP.

In addition to being eligible for admission an applicant must satisfy the Supreme Court that he or she is of good character s.15(1) Legal Practitioners Act 1981.

The Law Society of South Australia
124 Waymouth Street
Adelaide SA 5000
T: +61 8 8229 0222
F: +61 8 8231 1929

Western Australia

Western Australia Legal Practice Board
5th Floor
Kings Building
533 Hay Street
PERTH WA 6000
T: +61 8 6211 3600
F: +61 8 9325 2743
E:

Northern Territory (NT)

Law Society Northern Territory
Suite 2, Ground Floor, Beagle House
38 Mitchell Street
Darwin NT 0800
T: +61 8 8981 5104
F: +61 8 8941 1623
E:

Practising Law Overseas

The following information provides information on practising in certain countries overseas. The information below is intended as a guide only. The Sydney Law School recommends you check all information with the relevant authority or agency as the information is subject to change.

United States

New York

Admission as an attorney in the United States of America differs from state to state. You can sit the New York Bar Exam if you have a foreign equivalent of an American Bar Association-approved JD such as the Sydney JD.

For further information:

New York State Board of Law Examiners Foreign Legal Education requirements

New York State Board of Law Examiners Request for Evaluation of Foreign Academic Credentials Form

The New York State Board of Law Examiners
Corporate Plaza Building 3
254 Washington Avenue Extension
Albany, New York 12203-5195

California

To practice law in California, you must pass the California Bar Examination and pay annual membership fees to the State Bar of California. The exam is administered by the Committee of Bar Examiners, it is both a test of knowledge of the rules of professional conduct and a screening for moral character.

General applicants for the California Bar Examination must

(A) be graduates of law schools approved by the American Bar Association or accredited by the Committee; or

(B) demonstrate that in accordance with these rules they have
(1) studied law diligently and in good faith for at least four years in a law school registered with the Committee; in a law office; in a judge’s chambers; or by some combination of these methods; or
(2) met the requirements of these rules for legal education in a foreign state or country; and

(C) have passed or established exemption from the First-Year Law Students' Examination.

Rules Regulating Admission to Practice Law in California

The State Bar of California
180 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
E:

Canada

Generally speaking, an applicant seeking practise law in Canada who has obtained a law degree in another country must first obtain a Certificate of Qualification issued by the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA).

He or she may then apply to enrol in the Law Society Admission Program (LSAP). The LSAP consists of nine months of articles and the 10-week Professional Legal Training Course. Upon successful completion of LSAP, the applicant may then be called and admitted in that particular province or jurisdiction.

Application Form for Evaluation of Legal Credentials - National Committee on Accreditation

British Columbia

To be called to the British Columbia bar, you are required to complete a 12-month training program. The Law Society Admission Program (LSAP) consists of nine months of articles, a 10-week Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC) and two qualification examinations.

New Admissions – The Law Society of British Columbia

The Law Society of British Columbia

845 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 4Z9 Canada

Ontario

The academic requirements for applying and entering the Lawyer Licensing Process are as follows:

  • Graduation from a common law program offered by a university in Canada approved by Convocation.
    Upon successful completion of the approved law program, the candidate will receive a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or a Juris Doctor (J.D.). In most law schools the minimum length of the program is three academic years.
    or
  • Received a Certificate of Qualification issued by the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA), which has been appointed by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and the Committee of Canadian Law Deans.

If you have acquired a degree in law or other equivalent qualifications in law outside of Canada, you may apply for advanced standing to an approved law program at a university in Canada. Each application is evaluated on an individual basis and each university decides what, if any, advanced standing may be given.
Applicants to the Licensing Process who successfully complete all the requirements and become eligible to apply for a call to the Bar of Ontario, are no longer required to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.

Career Map for Internationally Trained Lawyers

The Law Society of Upper Canada

Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5H 2N6
E:

United Kingdom

England and Wales

A person who wishes to be admitted to the roll of solicitors in England and Wales is required to complete the following stages of training:
(i) The academic stage of training
(ii) The vocational stage of training, which comprises
a) a recognised Legal Practice Course
b) two years' service under a training contract
c) a Professional Skills Course

The academic stage of training may be completed by one of several different routes, but all students are required to enrol as a student member of the SRA and obtain a certificate of completion of the academic stage of training before they may commence a Legal Practice Course. To obtain a certificate of completion of the academic stage of training, the applicant must have either
(i) graduated with a qualifying law degree within the last seven years, or
(ii) passed a Common Professional Examination within the last seven years, or
(iii) obtained a recognised Graduate Diploma in Law within the last seven years, or
(iv) obtained a certificate of exemption from the Common Professional Examination.

Notes on Applications for Certificate of Exemption from the Common Professional Examination

Solicitors Regulation Authority
Ipsley Court, Berrington Close,
Redditch, B98 0TD

The Law Society of England and Wales
The Law Society's Hall
113 Chancery Lane
London WC2A 1PL

Scotland

To practise law in Scotland, you need an undergraduate law degree, a Diploma in Legal Practice and completion of a two year apprenticeship together with the Professional Competence Course.

Law Society of Scotland
26 Drumsheugh Gardens
Edinburgh EH3 7YR
E: lawscot@lawscot.org.uk

Singapore

Individuals who wish to be admitted to the Singapore Bar must:
(i) Meet all the requirements of being a “qualified person” as defined in the Legal Profession Act read together with the Legal Profession (Qualified Persons) Rules; and

(ii) Fulfil the other admission requirements set out in Section 12(1) of the Legal Profession Act:
(a) You have attained the age of 21 years;

(b) You are of good character;

(c) You have satisfactorily served the practice training period applicable to you, and have, during that period, received such supervised training in relation to the practice of Singapore law as may be prescribed by the Board of Legal Education;

(d) You have attended and satisfactorily completed such courses of instruction as may be prescribed by the Board of Legal Education;

(e) You have passed such examinations as may be prescribed by the Board of Legal Education; and

(f) You have kept such dining terms as may be prescribed by the Board of Legal Education.

Under the Legal Profession (Qualified Persons) Rules, the “qualified person” requirements generally include having read an approved law degree as a “full-time internal candidate” for at least 3 years at an approved university (i.e. a university that is listed in the First, Third, Fourth or Fifth Schedules to the Legal Profession (Qualified Persons) Rules.

Therefore individuals who did not read their law degree at one of the approved universities are generally not eligible for admission to the Singapore Bar.

List of Approved Universities – Singapore Ministry of Law

Singapore Ministry of Law
The Treasury, 100 High Street
#08-02, Singapore 179434

The Law Society of Singapore
39 South Bridge Road
Singapore 058673
E:

Hong Kong

Admission to the practice of law in Hong Kong requires a law degree and the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL), taught at Hong Kong University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the City University of Hong Kong.

To be eligible for admission to the PCLL, all students have to demonstrate competence in 11 Core Subjects.

These are:

  • Contract
  • Civil Procedure
  • Tort
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Constitutional Law
  • Evidence
  • Criminal Law
  • Business Associations
  • Land Law
  • Commercial Law
  • Equity

Graduates who hold law degree from a university, other than one of the three universities offering such degrees in Hong Kong, or other recognised law qualification, acceptable to the PCLL providers may be able to demonstrate competence in these 11 Core Subjects when such have been completed as follows:

(a) as part of their non-Hong Kong common law qualification; and / or
(b) as a visiting “internal” student in one of the three universities awarding LLB and / or JD degrees
in Hong Kong and passing the requisite examination; and / or
(c) by passing the relevant subject in the Hong Kong Conversion Examination for PCLL Admission.

Admission & Registration – Law Society of Hong Kong

Law Society of Hong Kong
3/F, Wing On House
71 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong
E: