emmakc1977

Hi,

I'm trying to find info on qualifying as a solicitor in Oz. My husband and I already have PR (hubbie's an electrician) but we have yet to emigrate.

I'm a fellow of ILEX and I was going to do the LPC (cost of £10k) here before we emigrated, but to try and finish the extra law papers I had to take to pass the academic stage of training in as short a time possible I asked the Law Society whether I'd still be exempt from the training contract if I stopped working as a fellow and returned to part time secretarial work. To cut a long story short I was told that as long as I'd acheived fellowship I'd be exempt from the training contract. I've since found out this was incorrect and I'd probably have to find a training contract after the LPC which best case means another 3 years here (that's if I could even find a training contract).

Anyway, I've got one more exam to sit (equity and trusts) in three weeks. If I pass I'll have passed:

Land law
Equity & Trusts
Public law
EU law
Criminal law
Tort
Contract
Family law

This is where I get confused. Apparently, I can get these qualifications assessed and knocked off the Australian law degree.

Does anyone know what subjects I'd have to take to get an Australian law degree, how much this would cost and how long it would take?

My second question is how do I qualify as a solicitor once I had the Australian law degree?

I've been looking at this page http://www.careers.liv.asn.au/content.asp?contentid=87 and as far as I can tell after the degree I'd need to either find a traineeship lasting one year (does anyone know how hard these are to get and whether its as hard as the UK to find training contracts) or complete practical legal training at university which is also a year http://www.collaw.edu.au/pp/vic/index.asp

Am I right in thinking that after completing one of these two I'd be a qualified solicitor in Australia?

Finally, the above links relate to Victoria - does anyone know if its the same system throughout the whole of Australia - the reason I ask is that we aren't sure where we are going to live!

Please help - any advice would be greatly received!

Thanks.

Emma

Petals

I do not know about the subjects and you would have to contact the universities about this. Law is one of the most expensive degrees to study here in Australia as its very desirable and there are so many people doing the degree.

Once you achieve the degree you are then required to obtain articles with a solicitor or a year before being admitted. Articles are hard to come with so many law students wanting them. I think things may be changing with this and friend told me that they were going to use Leo Cussen for this that is another expense you would have to pay.

Unless you had residency you would have to pay full fees at uni I suppose but there may be someone else who could help you with that.

Have a look at this web site it may help you.

http://www.cald.asn.au/slia/lawSchoolInfo.asp?id=10

emmakc1977

Thanks for the link. I'm going to get my quals assessed as soon as I get the results from my equity and trusts exam. Then I'll have a chat with the Uni's to see how long and how much it'll cost. I guess until I get this done there's not a lot I can find out.

From the websites I looked at early the second part of qualifying changed in July 2008. Surely it can't be as easy as either doing a traineeship or attending the law programme! Obviously I hope it is as if the traineeships are as hard to get over there are training contracts are here it'll be a nightmare!!

Emma

emmakc1977

Just bumping this to try and get the attention of anyone who knows any answers lol!

Famous 5

It is probably worth searching to see if this has been answered already as I seem to remember reading a similar query a couple of months ago. You're right that the first step is to have your UK academic qualifications assessed by one of the approved bodies, so you will need to get all the paperwork together relating to the modules you have studied and your results.

As I understand it, the rules for the assessment of overseas academic qualifications and experience changed in April 2008 to try to ensure that all jurisdictions in Australia apply uniform standards. I always find the NSW Legal Profession Admission Board website to be very helpful:

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lpab

Sorry I can't help further, but I requalified under the old system.

jimbo3030

Hi

I'm probably not going to be able to be massively helpful, as my circs are slightly different. I'm a UK qualified sol and went through the NSW exemption process to get admitted in Australia.

Each state does/did have different processes (I'm admitted in NSW, but you can get cross-recognised by other states so it's not a significant decision for you to make now, as far as I'm aware). As Famous5 said, the NSW website is the most useful and have FAQs to talk you through whatever your situation is.

As a qualified sol, I had to aply for academic exemptions then sit the relevant exam, then apply for practical exemptions and sit accounts and ethics. None of these exams required attendance during a course - it was just online learning and an exam. All the exams were done through College of Law in Oz, who I found pretty helpful. It might be worth giving them a ring...

I'm not sure if this all applies to you in the same way, but I think a read of the NSW law soc website (it's called LPAB) will give you a good idea of what's required. If you do have to make applciations for exempotiosn, I'm happy to talk you through what I did.

Ta

James

emmakc1977

Thanks for your posts! I've got one more exam to sit (on 23rd of this month) as soon as I get the results I'll get them assessed. As I think i said earlier I was going to take the LPC here but to be honest, if its just a year at Uni and then a year at law school to get qualified over in Oz, I might as well do that. Fingers crossed it will be that easy!! I hope that the change in rules (after July 08) doesn't mean that my ILEX quals will count for nothing. When I looked into it a year or so ago, the ILEX quals could be assessed and knocked off the Australian degree.

I can't wait to get over to Australia! No idea where we are going to live, but will probably be somewhere in NSW or in Melbourne - depending on where my family end up (my brother, cousin and parents are also making the move). Roll on next year!

CEAR

Hi

I hope this post helps.

First question: subjects needed. In Australia there are the Priestley Eleven, 11 subjects that are compulsory. They can be seen at:
http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlin.../lra_admission

In WA the land law studied includes native title and I am aware of overseas law grads having to redo property law. However, this may not affect NSW or Vic as much as WA and Qld.

Also in NSW a unit in legal ethics is required for admission to practice board.

If you are a permanent resident then units will be about $1250 - $1750 each with commonwealth support. If international student probably double them.

For a degree you need so many points depending on the uni. However, if it is just by units, generally about 20 should do it. The Priestley Eleven + anything the uni may regard as compulsory (such as legal theory) + a unit that covers legal research requirements + electives to make up the residual.

Second question: the options are articles of clerkship for a year, which are very competitive or practical legal training (PLT). PLT is available in some unis or the college of law. College of law website sets out minimum requirements for admission - coursework and study, practical workplace experience, and some continuing professional development seminars.

I think it is theoretically possible to be eligible for admission through the college of law in 30 weeks full-time. But it costs and you won't get paid.

Articles are longer, but you will get paid as an articled clerk ($40K - $55K depending on firm / city). Articles are the same as the supervised workplace training, but outside Vic.

Third question: as far as I know, the system after graduation is generally fairly standard throughout the states / territories, maybe slight differences such as the legal ethics requirement in NSW. And Vic have just announced that a requirement for admission is academic integrity - so any disciplinary action at uni for cheating etc will prevent admission. This is thought to be an action that other practice boards will follow.

Although you want to be a solicitor, barristers have different requirements similar to the UK. However, this is excepted in WA where practitioners are admitted as solicitors and barristers to the court.

Best of luck

Chris

Cooperclan

Hi, there is some information on the UK College of Law website about Australian conversion courses for Solicitors. As I understand it you have to have both the acadamic UK qualification (ILEX or CPE/GDL law papers) plus the LPC to be able to apply for any exemptions in Oz for admission.

This link may be useful as it also provides information on the Uniform assessment principles applied to all non-Australian law practitioners http://www.collaw.edu.au/cla/ACL.asp

drageamon

Hey everyone!!

How hard is it to find out this information!

What I am after if possible please is clarification of what academic subjects anyone who requalified into NSW had to do? James I think this might be something you can help with?

My understanding is it could be constitutional, administrative and property? I was really hoping for complete academic exemptions......anyone had that?

Re the practical training option I understand that it is just professional responsibility and then trusts and office accounts which can be done through the college of law - is this right?

I have a law degree from the UK.

Many thanks everyone!!

x

ionlydrinkchampagne

Having completed my GDL and LPC in the UK (and not completed a training contract) I decided to get qualified in Australia (NSW). Please note and learn from my mistakes....the process for UK educated people have changed - as I found out half way through my journey.

I initially thought that as I had done the GDL and LPC I would only need to do the Constitutional Law module which I had been told over the phone by the Legal Professional Admission Board (LPAB) in early 2008. Therefore I undertook this unit and the Aus version of the LPC (which you can do via distance learning and for practicals in London through CoL - note there is a 15 week practical experience component that I was able to do this at the firm I was working at) and then in August of 2008 submitted my application for academic exemptions.

What a shock I got when I received the results of my academic exemptions that only the Consitiutional Law course was exempted. I had to take the additional subjects of Civil Procedure, Evidence, Ethics, Property, Administration Law and Corporate Law. As it turns out the rules for the assessment of overseas legal education was changed in NSW in April 2008 when they adopted the uniform assessment rules (the rules are now posted on the LPAB website).

Having already invested time and money into this route I took unpaid leave from my work to cram in as many of the subjects as I could over the Aus summer-school period and completed the rest via distance learning (University of New England and Southern Cross University). I was lucky I was a permenant resident in Aus otherwise the overseas student fees would have been astronomical.

Anyway, my point is that since the uniform assessment rules have been introduced it is more difficult for those educated in UK to qualify in NSW. I would suggest calling the LPAB for a general discussion first if you are contemplating this route (they can't give specific advice re your circumstances and you will need to submit your application for academic exemptions plus the approx AUD$600 fee!).

Of course if you are already admitted in a jurisdiction (ie UK) the process is much easier.

Hope this is helpful.