Admission to Legal Practice in Australia and New Zealand: PLT, Bar Exam and Becoming a Lawyer

The degree is only the first stage

Earning a recognised law degree (an LLB or JD) completes the academic stage of becoming a lawyer, but it does not make you a lawyer on its own. In both Australia and New Zealand you must also complete a practical stage and then be formally admitted by the relevant authority before you can practise.

The broad pattern is the same in each country — academic qualification, then practical legal training, then admission — but the names of the steps and the bodies that run them differ between Australia's states and territories and New Zealand. This guide is general information about the process, not legal or professional advice. Always confirm the current requirements with the admitting authority for the place where you intend to practise.

Practical Legal Training in Australia

After a recognised law degree, intending Australian lawyers complete Practical Legal Training (PLT). PLT bridges academic study and real practice, covering skills such as drafting, advocacy, ethics and client work, usually combined with a period of workplace experience.

PLT is delivered by approved providers and can be taken through a structured course or, in some jurisdictions, through supervised workplace training. The competency standards for PLT are coordinated nationally by the Law Admissions Consultative Committee (LACC), while the exact PLT requirement is set by each state and territory's admitting authority — so check the rules where you plan to be admitted on the official source.

Admission and practising in Australia

Once your academic and practical requirements are met, you apply for admission to the legal profession through the Supreme Court of the relevant state or territory, on the recommendation of the local admitting authority. Admission makes you a lawyer of that jurisdiction.

To actually work, an admitted lawyer also needs a practising certificate from the relevant law society or bar association. Australia distinguishes between solicitors and barristers; becoming a barrister typically involves further steps such as a bar exam or reading program set by the local bar association. Verify the precise sequence with your jurisdiction's admitting authority on the official source.

• Complete a recognised law degree (academic stage).
• Complete Practical Legal Training (PLT) — course and/or supervised workplace training.
• Apply for admission through the Supreme Court via the local admitting authority.
• Obtain a practising certificate from the relevant law society or bar association.
• For the bar: complete the additional barrister requirements set by the local bar association.

Becoming a lawyer in New Zealand

In New Zealand, the academic subjects required for a qualifying law degree are prescribed by the New Zealand Council of Legal Education. After the degree, you complete a professional legal studies course (the practical stage) before you can be admitted.

You are then admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. To practise, you also need a current practising certificate issued by the New Zealand Law Society. New Zealand has a unified profession — lawyers are admitted as "barristers and solicitors," though in practice a lawyer may work as a barrister sole or as a barrister and solicitor; confirm current details with the New Zealand Council of Legal Education and the New Zealand Law Society on the official source.

International and interstate considerations

If you studied law overseas, an admitting authority will assess whether your qualification and subjects meet local requirements, and may require you to complete additional academic study or training before admission. This assessment is separate from being admitted and differs by jurisdiction.

Within Australia, admission in one state or territory can often be recognised in others, but you should confirm the process for moving between jurisdictions. Because rules and providers change, always verify the current pathway directly with the admitting authority (Australia) or the New Zealand Council of Legal Education before committing.