Admission to practice
Court admission
To practise as a lawyer involves admission to practice by the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory, and then the obtaining of a practising certificate, usually issued by the local legal professional body.
To be admitted as a legal practitioner in Australia a person must complete:
- a tertiary academic course involving 11 areas of legal knowledge specified in the Uniform Admission Rules (eg. a LLB or JD)
- a practical legal training course such as the GDLP
Overseas degrees or courses of study may be recognised by an Australian admitting authority. However, an applicant may be required also to undertake further Australian study, in addition to their foreign qualifications, in order to be admitted to practice.
If you have an overseas law degree, you should contact the relevant admission authority in the state where you plan on being admitted in relation to necessary bridging courses. More information relating to overseas qualifications for admission to practice in Australia can be found by referring to the Uniform Principles for Overseas Applicants.
Provided you meet all requirements as laid out by the relevant admission authorities, completion of the GDLP, together with an LLB or JD allows for direct admission to practice in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, and reciprocal admission in South Australia.
Admission ceremonies in all states and territories are held frequently throughout the year. Information and assistance with respect to admission is available to enrolled students.
Admission website links
Northern Territory Supreme Court
