Leo Cussen

Piddington Society

Level 2/8-10 The Esplanade Perth WA 6000

www.leocussen.edu.au

0430 449 116 conrad@pidsoc.org.au

How does your course differ from other PLT courses?

Our commitment to access to justice runs through everything we do. Piddington PLT places new law graduates in community legal centres and the Society directs funds to CLCs. Access to justice is one of the most pressing issues facing our profession, and each year Piddington’s programs facilitate thousands of hours of legal advice for those who otherwise would not receive it and thousands of dollars for community legal centres on the front-line of justice. When we began in 2011, we were focused on improving relations between practitioners. We continue to run social events and all of our professional development is teamed with collegial activities, particularly over cheese and wine. At our events we regularly see junior practitioners talking with some of the most senior. We make sure Piddington events are a place where meaningful professional relationships are madAt the end of every CPD event we host drinks for attendees to engage with each other, especially encouraging graduates and junior lawyers to meet with senior practitioners. The Piddington Society is where professional development, collegiality and advancing justice converge and where junior and senior practitioners meet.

How is the course structured?

The Piddington Society has been providing PLT focused on access to justice, ethics and collegiality since 2016. We initially delivered the Australian National University course. In 2018 our own course was approved by the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia, only the third ever. Piddington PLT is a high-quality, work-ready course which is delivered on a bedrock of justice, ethics and collegiality. Graduates are required to attend in person classes. The first is the week long January intensive. After this are the First-Friday Tutorials held on the First Friday of each month, 8 in total. Lastly is the second week long July Criminal Law Intensive. Some lectures will be provided by judges, silks and senior practitioners, and graduates would have access to a support network throughout the year. Each graduate is guaranteed a work experience placement at a community legal centre (CLC). The course was born out of a recognition that new law grads need pathways to admission and CLCs need finance and human support. Most people completing the course complete hours in CLCs. Piddington PLT is the only course that is designed to support access to justice. The course has removed boxticking exercises and focuses on contemporary skills needed to be a good lawyer. Many assessments are done “on the job” and with reference to access to justice. Piddington PLT is not an extension of law school – it focuses on developing core skills as well as building the support networks necessary to sustain you throughout your career.

When does the course start?

The Course begins midJanuary and concludes in October in time for Admission in November. This Ceremony allows the graduates in your year to be admitted together in the same session. We think it takes some time to transition from being a university student to being a lawyer and Officer of the Court. All PLT courses involve the equivalent of at least 525 hours of programmed training. We think it is best to spread this out over a longer time frame, to allow you to engage and reflect on the material.

How do graduates enrol?

Filling in an application form on our website. 2021 applications will be available in August, EOIs are open now.

What work experiences are students able to choose from?

We support graduates to meet the vocational work-experience requirements in the course by connecting them to community legal centres for volunteer placements. We also have graduates who have separately secured roles as judicial staff or in private firms. Graduates have also completed the course while working and living in regional WA.

Do you provide full time and part time options?

We have one intake per year which runs from JanuaryOctober with admission proposed in November. This involves coursework and workplace experience components, with approximately 16 scheduled face-to-face seminars throughout the year, including two week-long intensives with the remainders completed monthly. Typically, graduates meet in-person monthly.