The majority of law graduate respondents completed their Practical Legal Training (PLT) through the College of Law, with 83% choosing this not-for-profit provider. However, concerns were raised about the high cost of PLT, with the College of Law generating a significant surplus over the past decade. This led to the college reducing its standard PLT tuition fee to $9200, the lowest fee among providers in New South Wales. Despite this, feedback from respondents indicated that PLT was often viewed as a required but unnecessary step in becoming a practicing lawyer.
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) also offer PLT programs, with UTS graduates generally reporting a more positive experience compared to other providers. UTS’s program is described as combining academic rigour with cutting-edge technology to prepare graduates for entry into the legal profession. Meanwhile, UNSW has over 1200 PLT graduates with consistently positive feedback according to a spokesperson. The Legal Profession Admission Board (LPAB) has established a PLT working group led by Court of Appeal Justice Tony Payne to consider reform proposals in response to the feedback received.
College of Law chief executive Neville Carter acknowledged the need for a “rethink” of pre-admission legal training, but emphasized that the survey results should be part of a more comprehensive review. The college’s role is to provide basic, generalist training to prepare law graduates for supervised legal practice. The high cost and perceived lack of necessity of PLT have led to calls for reform in the training process for aspiring lawyers. This is in line with efforts to improve the overall efficacy and relevance of PLT programs in preparing graduates for the legal profession.
While the majority of respondents completed their PLT through the College of Law, concerns about the high cost and perceived necessity of the program have triggered discussions around the need for reform in pre-admission legal training. The existing system was criticized for generating a significant surplus over the past decade, prompting the college to reduce its standard tuition fee in response to concerns raised. However, a more comprehensive review is needed to address the underlying issues and improve the overall effectiveness of PLT programs in preparing graduates for legal practice.
UTS’s PLT program was noted for offering a more positive experience to its graduates, combining academic rigor with cutting-edge technology to equip them for entry into the legal profession. Meanwhile, UNSW has a large number of PLT graduates with consistently positive feedback, according to a university spokesperson. The LPAB has initiated a PLT working group led by Court of Appeal Justice Tony Payne to explore reform proposals in light of the survey feedback. This signals a potential shift towards improving the quality and relevance of PLT programs to better serve aspiring lawyers and the legal profession as a whole.
