YOUR A–Z GUIDE
TO THE INS AND OUTS OF PLT
THE PERFECT STUDY FIT
PICK YOUR PACE
Get admitted pronto with a 15-week full-time course or balance study and life with a 30-week part-time course.
LEARN ONLINE
Attend just 5 days (or equivalent) of workshops onsite or online (in most states), followed by flexible online learning.
STUDY AT A TIME THAT SUITS YOU
Study when you are most productive. Whether it’s during your lunch break or late at night.
GET STARTED – SOONER
Start and finish your PLT sooner with rolling intakes throughout the year.
THE 3 PILLARS OF YOUR PLT
Launch your legal career with the skills and confidence to begin contributing immediately. Our PLT program is designed with three essential components, which you have up to four years to complete.
COURSEWORK
1
Complete five compulsory subjects and two electives through your chosen study pace:
• Full-time
• Part-time
WORK EXPERIENCE
2
3
Apply your knowledge to everyday problems in a real legal environment.
Choose from three formats:
• 15 days (25 days in WA) • 75 days
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (CPE)
Through six interactive training modules, you’ll sharpen your skills to thrive in the digital age. And discover the value of ongoing professional development.
COMPONENT 1: Coursework
CHOOSE YOUR STUDY SCHEDULE
Get admitted ASAP (if you don’t work full-time). Get the flexibility to study around your life or work commitments.
• 30–35 hours of study per week
• 5 days
• Study online (in most states) or onsite
• 15–20 hours of study per week
• 5 days or 12 evenings
• Study online (in most states) or onsite
YOUR COURSEWORK SUBJECTS
You’ll complete seven subjects as part of your PLT coursework: five compulsory and two electives.
They may look similar to the subjects in your law degree. But they focus on the practice of law rather than substantive law.
Compulsory subjects
Build the skills every lawyer needs to thrive in practice with:
• Lawyer Skills
• Ethics and Professional Responsibility
• Civil Litigation Practice
• Property Law Practice
• Commercial and Corporate Practice
Elective subjects
Plunge into your passion with two of the following:
• Administrative Law Practice
• Criminal Law Practice
• Family Law Practice
• Consumer Law Practice
• Employment and Industrial Law Practice
• Planning and Environmental Law Practice
• Wills and Estates Practice
• Banking and Finance Practice
PRACTICAL LEARNING
Learn like it’s the real thing – with no exams, essays, or lectures. Because you’ve done enough of those already.
In live workshops and through our online Learning Portal, you’ll:
Review simulated cases
Draft Contracts for Sale
Draft Letters of Advice
Interview clients
Draft Statements of Claims and Affidavits
Roleplay courtroom appearances
Roleplay negotiations
Draft Agreements, Leases, Wills, Deeds and more
Learn advocacy skills
Summer clerkships
A placement with Legal Aid
Government policy and planning work of a legal nature
Working in government legal departments
Work Experience
Apply your legal knowledge for the first time through practical work experience.
We know you’re keen to choose your placement. But there are a couple of eligibility criteria the placement
Paralegal work
Be supervised by a legal practitioner who meets the ‘Work Experience Rules’ criteria in your state
Working with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Judge’s associate or tipstaff
Assisting tribunal members
Volunteering at community legal centres
Tax or legal division of chartered accountants
Assisting barristers in chambers
Company in-house legal departments
CHOOSE FROM THREE WORK EXPERIENCE FORMATS
Additional 6-week online program
Additional $1,690 (FEE-HELP available)
Additional 5-week online program No additional program
Additional $1,620 (FEE-HELP available)
No additional fee
1. Complete the Work Experience Application for Approval form
2. Complete the Work Experience Declaration form
3. Ask your supervisor to sign the Work Experience Declaration form. (We recommend you do this as soon as you finish your placement, in case your supervisor leaves the organisation.)
DID YOU KNOW?
Your work experience can be approved retrospectively. It must still comply with the work experience rules – and you must follow steps 1 to 3 above. Learn more
COMPONENT 3: Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
The future of law is changing. But the College of Law can keep you up to speed.
Through six interactive online modules delivered on demand, you’ll master the new tech and business skills that law firms and recruiters are hunting for. And move to the forefront of the tech-driven legal sector.
Legal Tech and Business Skills Series
1. Communicating effectively
2. Developing a commercial mindset
3. Understanding financial information
4. Cyber risk and security in legal practice
5. Applying technology to legal practice
6. Designer and builder program with Josef Legal
DID YOU KNOW?
When you complete your CPE at the College of Law, you’ll walk away with more than just valuable skills for your CV. You’ll also be awarded a Certificate of Legal Tech and Business Skills –making your learning official. Learn more
MANY CLAIM FLEXIBLE STUDY.
THE COLLEGE OF LAW DELIVERS ON IT.
JAYA PRASAD GRADUATE OF THE PLT PROGRAM
SUPPORT
From day one of your PLT program, you’ll be supported by a team of experienced lawyers who’ve walked the walk.
YOUR ENROLMENT SUPPORT
Choosing can be hard. That’s why a College of Law Customer and Student Engagement Advisor can work one-on-one with you to find the right program and guide you through the enrolment process.
YOUR STUDY SUPPORT
Once you’re in, you’ll learn from the best.
Lecturer Mentor
Career advisor Profession
An experienced lawyer will provide you with one-onone feedback. And help keep your learning on track. A seasoned lawyer to provide encouragement –or be a sounding board when you need a hand. A career pro to help you with 12+ months of career planning, job hunting and personal brand building. At College Connect, you’ll connect with top practitioners and receive flash mentoring from industry experts.
YOUR SUPPORT AFTER PLT
After graduation, come join College Connect. You’ll access ongoing support, career advice, networking opportunities, and regularly updated resources.
Learn more
FUTURE-PROOF YOUR LEGAL CAREER
We’re committed to amplifying your learning – and accelerating your career.
Try before you apply with our NewLaw Career Virtual Internships. And keep your skills sharp thanks to the work at our Centre for Legal Innovation.
NEWLAW CAREER VIRTUAL INTERNSHIP
The legal landscape is changing. Stay up to speed with a free NewLaw Career Virtual Internship in five indemand emerging law careers:
1. Legal data analyst
2. Legal operations professional
3. Legal technologist
4. Legal knowledge manager
5. Family law mediator
SHARPEN YOUR LEGALTECH SKILLS
Tech innovations are reshaping how lawyers manage matters – and deliver greater value.
Let the College equip you with the skills and confidence to thrive in the roles of tomorrow. In an Australian first, you’ll also go hands-on with PEXA – the e-conveyancing tool that’s transforming property law.
ENROLMENT REQUIREMENTS
FINISHED YOUR LAW DEGREE?
Congrats! To enrol for PLT, you need to have completed your final exam – and be able to show proof of completion before the program commences.
STARTING PLT EARLY?
The Early Commencement Rule means you can start your PLT while completing university. You must have:
• Completed your Priestley 11 core subjects – with no more than two electives remaining
• Approval from your local admitting authority
FROM OVERSEAS? OR LIVING INTERNATIONALLY?
Overseas and international students with an Australian law degree can undertake any of our PLT programs.
Our online PLT programs don’t require any on-campus attendance. You’ll just need to participate in live online workshops held between 9 am and 5 pm – in the local Australian time zone.
You can also complete any of our blended PLT programs. Make sure your travel documents allow you to study in Australia to attend the five days of onsite workshops.
NEED A VISA?
If you need to obtain or extend your student visa through the College of Law, you must first enrol in our on-campus program in the Sydney CBD, NSW.
During the program, you’ll attend campus from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, for the first week. Then Monday to Wednesday, 9 am to 3.30 pm, for the remainder of the 15week program.
When you apply for the on-campus program, we can provide you with an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment, which will let you obtain an 11-month student visa
LOCATIONS
Learn nearby –and connect with your local legal community – at one of our 15 locations.
The College of Law
Level 4, 570 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Programs also offered in:
• Parramatta
• Wollongong
• Armidale
• Coffs Harbour
NSW ACT
Programs offered at The University of Canberra.
VIC
The College of Law
Level 1, 555 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Programs also offered in:
• Geelong
QLD
The College of Law
Level 5, Wesley House, 140 Ann Street, Brisbane QLD 4000
Programs also offered in:
• Sunshine Coast
WA
The College of Law Ground Floor, Durack Centre, 263 Adelaide Terrace, Perth WA 6000
Programs also offered at:
• Murdoch University
• University of Western Australia
SA Online
Programs offered at Charles Darwin University.
The College of Law Level 9, 19 Grenfell Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Conducted via our online learning portal.
FEES & PAYMENT OPTIONS
UNDERSTANDING YOUR FEES
Your fees will depend on your state, residency status and chosen work experience format. All fees include tuition, resource materials and a hardcopy set of Practice Papers.
Australian citizens and permanent residents, and New Zealand citizens
$10,660 FEE-HELP available
Two ways to pay
1. FEE-HELP
Overseas and international students
$15,380
PLT has academic status as a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice – which means you may be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.
Loans are only available if you are:
• An Australian citizen or hold a permanent humanitarian visa
• Undertaking at least part of your PLT in Australia
You can apply for FEE-HELP when you complete your online enrolment form.
2. Upfront payment
If you are not eligible for FEE-HELP, you must pay the full program fee before you start studying. Payment will be required when you apply to enrol in the coursework component.
READY TO GO?
Step one: Explore
Take a deep dive through our 182 programs – offered throughout the year across 15 locations.
If you need a hand choosing the program for you, give us a call on one of the numbers below.
Step two: Enrol
Found the perfect fit PLT? Great work!
Fill in our online application form, accessible on the PLT webpage It takes less than 15 minutes to complete. Just make sure you do it at least one week before the program start date.
Step three: Accept your place
We’ll email you once your application has been processed and your enrolment is confirmed.
All you need to do then is hit ‘accept’!