Faculty of Law
Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice Your Pathway to Legal Practice ONLINE
ONLINE
Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice Your Pathway to Admission as a Legal Practitioner
5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD EXPERIENCE THE BOND DIFFERENCE 1 2 3
FULLY ONLINE Self paced and online for convenience. The five day GDLP Learning Intensive is a combination of online learning and on-campus.
LEGAL PLACEMENTS TO SUIT YOU
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Trainees have the option to complete a short legal placement or a longer placement.
OUTSTANDING PERSONALISED SUPPORT Trainees are supported in sourcing a law placement in their preferred practice area in addition to being mentored and taught by legal practitioners with extensive industry experience.
YOUR BRIDGE TO PRACTICE Bond’s Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP) trainees receive the benefit of being personally instructed by real world legal practitioners including practising solicitors, barristers, accredited specialists and members of the judiciary, all of whom deliver content in their area of expertise.
VALUE FOR MONEY The program is competitively priced nationally.
WORLD-CLASS ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM The Faculty of Law has partnered with Wiley Education Services to develop an interactive and collaborative online learning platform of exceptional quality for trainees.
Admission to Legal Practice The Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP) will provide you with the professional legal training necessary to work as a lawyer. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS The GDLP is offered to trainees who have completed a Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor program at an approved Australian institution (or equivalent). BENEFITS OF COMPLETION A person who wishes to practise as a lawyer, must complete practical legal training. The GDLP is a structured program which provides supervised legal training, based on the Australian Professional Legal Education Council (APLEC) Competency Standards for entry level lawyers.
Leslie Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
I enjoyed the interactive online learning modules. The GDLP provides access to online modules for two years post-graduation. This provides a wealth of reference materials in the early career phase.
Successful completion of the GDLP will enable trainees to apply for admission to legal practice in Australia (subject to satisfaction of additional requirements in South Australia or the Northern Territory). You may be able to start your GDLP earlier if you have completed your Priestley 11 subjects and have two electives remaining in your Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor degree. If so, you will need to seek the approval of the Legal Practitioners Admission Board (LPAB)
Program Structure of the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
COMPULSORY COMPONENTS
The GDLP program is fully online providing the flexibility to Trainees to study either full-time or part-time. The program commences with a compulsory five-day learning intensive.
GDLP Intensive (5 days) Compulsory coursework subjects: • Civil Litigation Practice • Commercial and Corporate Law Practice • Financial and Ethical Responsibilities • Property Law Practice Compulsory placement subjects: • Law Placement 1 (30 days) • Transition to Practices
ELECTIVE COMPONENTS
Note: Recognised Prior Recognition (RPR) can be gained by approval and reduce Law Placement 1 to 15 days.
Students can choose to complete EITHER: • Four elective coursework subjects OR • Two elective coursework subjects and a second 30-day placement
Elective coursework subjects: • Banking and Finance Practice • Criminal Law Practice • Family Law Practice • Wills and Estates Practice Elective placement subject: • Law Placement 2 (30 days) Note: all elective coursework subjects are delivered online.
ASSESSMENTS All assessment tasks in the GDLP are practical and designed to prepare you for practice. There are no formal exams.
PROGRAM DATES 2022/2023 2022/2023
START OF PROGRAM
May 2022
16 May, 2022
September 2022
12 September, 2022
January 2023
16 January, 2023
May 2023
15 May, 2023
September 2023
11 September, 2023
The GDLP is offered every semester, with intakes in January, May and September. Applications into the program are accepted throughout the year.
Yanan Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice | Alumna
The highlights of my Bond experience have been the wellstructured learning, the practical experience from the placement and the exposure to industry experts.
Coursework Trainees must complete all four compulsory coursework subjects and either two or four elective coursework subjects (depending upon the duration of their placement). The compulsory Learning Intensive is an important part of the coursework component as it is designed to provide trainees with the necessary legal skills and values for the completion of the program. The week includes a variety of guest presenters and professional workshops.
Workshops include: • Interviewing Clients • Lawyers Skills • Negotiating Settlements and Agreements • Preparing Your Resume • Problem Solving • Representing a Client in a Legal Forum • Resilience and Wellbeing • Work Management and Business Skills
Placement The Law Placement subjects provide trainees with an insight into legal practice. During their placement(s), trainees will be under the guidance of a legal practitioner, utilising the skills that they learn in the coursework subjects. Trainees choose between enrolling in Law Placement 1 and completing a 30-day placement, or enrolling in Law Placement 1 and Law Placement 2 and completing a 60-day placement. In the subject ‘Transition to Practice’, trainees reflect upon and critically evaluate those aspects of legal practice that they have observed and / or participated in during their periods of placement. Trainees will be supported in sourcing a placement in their preferred area of practice by a Bond Career Development Centre Specialist.
RECOGNITION OF PRIOR PLACEMENTS Trainees may apply for up to 45 days of Recognition of Prior Placement (RPP). Trainees wishing to apply for recognition of prior placements will need to obtain the necessary approvals from the Program Director. Prior placement experience may include: • Volunteering in an approved Community Legal Centre • Working in a law firm as a paralegal • Working with a Barrister • Working with an In-House Lawyer
Hannah Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice | Alumna
As promised, the Faculty helped me to obtain a terrific placement with a great general law firm and I have now gained full-time employment with this firm. I would recommend Bond’s GDLP program to any law graduate.
International Students International students who have completed an Australian law degree are eligible to enrol in the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. For further information, please contact the Office of Future Students at 1800 074 074 or email us at bond.edu.au/enquire.
Law graduates who hold an international law degree should contact the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board (LPAB) at admissions@qls.com.au.
Credit Towards a Master of Laws (LLM) Upon completion of the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, trainees have the option to enrol in a Master of Laws (LLM). The Bond LLM is a postgraduate law qualification that provides flexibility and choice with a wide range of specialist areas, meaning trainees can design their LLM to suit their area of interest and needs. Upon successful completion of the Bond GDLP program, trainees will receive credit for two of the eight subjects in the Bond LLM program.
Specialisations in the LLM include: • Canadian Law and Practice • Corporate and Commercial Law Practice • Dispute Resolution • Family Dispute Resolution • International Business and Finance Law • International Commercial Law and Dispute Resolution (online) Other Masters options include: • Master of Laws in Commercial Law • Master of Laws in Enterprise Governance • Master of Laws in International Commercial Law (online) • Master of Laws in Family Dispute Resolution
FEE-HELP Your university degree is one of the most important investments you will make in your lifetime. As with all investments, you must consider the rate of return for both your short-term career opportunities and long-term lifetime earnings. With FEE-HELP the benefits of a Bond University degree are available to everyone, subject to eligibility.
The Faculty of Law’s GDLP and LLM programs are FEE-HELP accredited, allowing domestic students to apply for interest free loans through the Australian Government. Visit goingtouni.gov.au for details. Alumni Loyalty Discount The Bond University Alumni Loyalty Discount is available for both on-line and on-campus programs, subject to eligibility.
Fees PROGRAM Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (Online)
DOMESTIC 2022
INTERNATIONAL 2022
$10,440
$11,256
Tuition fees are subject to change on an annual basis and will be charged at the appropriate fee for the year of enrolment. Visit bond.edu.au/fees for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions REGISTRATION AND ENROLMENT When can I register my interest in the program? You may register your interest in the GDLP at any time. Contact the Office of Future Students on 1800 074 074 or complete an Inquiry form and a Bond representative will contact you. When can I apply? You can apply any time before or after completion of your law degree, by completing an application form on the Bond website. Most students apply in the last semester of their LLB or JD degree. Can I start GDLP before I complete my LLB or JD? It is possible to start the GDLP if you have completed and passed all the compulsory subjects in your Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Juris Doctor (JD) and you only have a maximum of two law or general elective subjects outstanding. Concurrent enrolment is subject to approval from the Faculty of Law and the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board (LPAB) or its equivalent in the State or Territory in which you intend to be admitted. https://www.qls.com.au/Legal-Practitioners-Admission-Board How long is the program? If you are enrolled in the GDLP full-time, the coursework can be completed in as little as 15 weeks. The entire program, including both coursework and placement can usually be completed in two semesters. Students with prior legal experience may accelerate their completion. The program is offered online. What are the components of the GDLP? The program consists of the following components: 1.
2.
Compulsory Component - this includes: • GDLP Intensive + Four (4) compulsory coursework subjects • Law Placement + Transition to Practice Elective Component - you can choose either: • Four (4) elective coursework subjects; or • Two elective coursework subjects plus an additional Law Placement
Can I complete GDLP Part-time? You can elect to study the GDLP Online Program part-time. What is the cost? See the Fees section on the previous page. Is there a discount for Bond students? Yes, there is a 10% discount available to Bond alumni, subject to eligibility. Is FEE-HELP available? Yes, The GDLP and LLM programs are FEE-HELP accredited, allowing domestic students to apply for interest free loans through the Australian Government. Visit goingtouni.gov.au for details. Can I gain credit towards the Master of Laws (LLM) degree? On completion of the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, you have the option to study a Bond Master of Laws and will receive credit for two of the eight subjects in the LLM. When do I have to pay the fees? Enrolment is conditional on payment of fees, so all fees for the semester must be paid before the program commences each semester. We strongly recommend that you pay your GDLP fees as early as possible and at least one week before the program commences. There are many ways you can pay your fees.
How do I apply for GDLP? To apply, follow these steps: 1. Fill out an application form on the Bond website. 2. Receive a Letter of Offer from the Admissions team. 3. Accept your offer via the applications portal and pay the required fees or lodge your Fee-Help application (Log in at student-bond.studylink.com using the email and password used to create your application.)
PROGRAM CONTENT Do I have to attend campus? Trainees attend campus during the Learning Intensive in their first semester. What are the assessments like? There are no formal written exams. Assessments are practical and designed to prepare trainees for practice. How is the program graded? Trainees are assessed as either competent or not yet competent (in which case you will be asked to resubmit an assessment piece after receiving feedback from the GDLP academic team).
LAW PLACEMENT Can I work in a law office and count this toward placement/s? Work experience in a law office undertaken in the two years prior to commencement of GDLP may be recognised. Does Bond help me find a law placement? Yes, there is a dedicated Specialist in Bond’s Career Development Centre who will assist you in sourcing a placement in your preferred area of practice. Can I arrange my own placement? You may arrange your own placement, however you will need to obtain approval from the GDLP Program Director to ensure your placement meets the subject requirements. Once enrolled, you will need to submit the relevant form for approval.
Office of Future Students Bond University Gold Coast Queensland 4229 Australia Toll free: 1800 074 074 Phone: 5595 2222 bond.edu.au/enquire bond.edu.au/gdlp
CRICOS Provider Code 00017B TEQSA Provider ID PRV12072
MB10437
The information published in this document is correct at the time of printing (June 2021). However, all programs are subject to review by the Academic Senate of the University and the University reserves the right to change its program offerings and subjects without notice. The information published in this document is intended as a guide and persons considering an offer of enrolment should contact the relevant Faculty to see if any changes have been made before deciding to accept their offer.