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Qualifications & leading Universities

You need a law degree from university and gaining entry is tough with entrance scores usually in the high 90’s. You need to pass your VCE/HSC with English. While various universities have different prerequisites or have flexible entry requirements, the bottom line is a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) is a 5 year full time course. It can be completed on its own or combined with another degree such as commerce, business or arts. More recently a law degree is viewed as an excellent platform to obtain a second degree in a more traditional industry as it opens doors from accounting, firms, government departments, banks and large corporations.

A law degree requires hours of reading, succinct comprehension of material that is often not interesting and full of jargon. You must have great eye for the slightest detail. So you need to be well prepared and go in with your eyes open leaving no stone unturned in finding out what a career in law is really like.

The toughest universities to gain entry to are: the University of Sydney, University of New South Wales and Macquarie University in NSW; Monash University, the University of Melbourne and Victoria University in Melbourne and Griffith University and Queensland University in Queensland, and the University of Adelaide in South Australia.

To become a Barrister in NSW a lawyer must complete three bar exams before taking out a (reader's) practising certificate. On taking out a practising certificate with conditions, the legal practitioner is termed a ‘reader’. The reader embarks on the Reading Programme, which has two major elements, the Bar Practice Course and reading with a tutor.

In Victoria, to become a member of the Bar a practitioner must undertake a nine-month ‘reading’ period.  You must then register with the Victorian Bar and your name is put on a waiting list. You are notified when your name comes up for the training intake. The first three months of this period consists of a course of instruction known as the ‘readers’ course. Once this three-month period is completed, you may sign the Bar Roll. During the next six months you are entitled to accept briefs and to present cases on behalf of clients. For the entire nine-month period you work with an experienced barrister of at least ten years experience.  There are some fees involved in the training. Once the Bar Roll has been signed you may only work as a barrister and generally are not permitted to work as a solicitor.

All other states require a period of 5 to 12 months ‘clerk under articles’ or practical training. Some barristers commence their career as a solicitor and after 2 to 4 years switch to a barrister.

The entry criteria for tertiary institiutions differs from year to year. The above comments are a guide only. To gain specific entry criteria either contact the relevant university or use Hobson's The Good University Guide.

Relevant Universities Colleges & TAFE

Promoting Tertiary Institutions

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