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Law Conversion in Queensland -Please Help !


MissHosking

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Hello everyone !

Quick background: I am 22 , I am in final year BCOM LLB (5 year degree) in SA at NMMU (Port Elizabeth), I have no work experience, I am wanting to be admitted in Queensland as a solicitor. I only have the green mamba ( SA passport )

I am aware of the massive costs involved , my parents and my sister who lives in Brisbane as a permanent resident are helping me out with finances.

So its clear that step 1 is get your degree assessed at the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board -Queensland which will tell me I have to take some subjects to recognize my South African LLB qualification. Those subjects are always: Equity, Federal State and Constitutional law, Property and maybe Administrative law and Torts.

After I have done the conversion and my PLT I intend to apply for permanent residence through the skills list or state sponsored option.

However....

After months of research I am still stuck and desperately need the answers to the following questions, any one out there that can help ?

1) the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board -Queensland (LPAB) said that I cannot get my degree assessed even provisionally until I have finished my qualification. Is there anyone who knows already what 'extra subjects' I may be required to do besides the 4 above has anyone ever been required to do torts ?

2)Several Universities seem to offer the modules I need as non-award subjects and as part of a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice . I still don't understand what this means? Does it mean that the non award subjects will allow me to be recognized to be admitted as a solicitor?

3)If I do non award subjects can I use the non- award visa even though it is counting towards a eventual qualification?

4)Any tips on how to do this in the fastest way possible ?

5)Any realistic options for funding ?

Really any advice at all actually :)

Thanks !!

Edited by MissHosking
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Hi Ms Hoskin

I assume you are dealing with the LPAB here in Sydney.

You have to do form 16(academic subject exemption) and form 17 (practical subjects exemption) applications to the LPAB. To do this you have to submit your academic syllabus from the University you have done your studies at with the 2 forms from the LPAB site.You pay about $250 per application.

Then you have to study the courses. You can do them whilst in South Africa. They usually give you 2 years to study and get admitted. The academic ones that you do through UNE are semesterised but the College of Law for the practicle subjects are done on your own with the computer-no actual lectures. The academic subjects are Constitutional Law, Equity and Trusts and Property Law 2. The practical subjects are Trust and Office Accounting and Prof Responsibility. Sometimes they require Administrative law(academic) and also property law(practicle).

When you have done all the courses you have to send form 16 again with proof of passing the courses they said you should do and pay again. They send you a letter to that effect that you can now be admitted.Then if they are satisfied you can apply to be admitted as a lawyer NSW under the correct format. If you are admitted in South Africa you would do Form 11. Form 11 application costs $500.00 at the moment. The prices increase every year.

Don't forget that if they give you a lot of courses to do you can always apply for them to reconsider and put up more proof that you should be exempted from more courses.This would depend on your experience. The subjects above are the courses you have to do and you will not be exempted from them. When you apply for admission you have to get a letter from the Law Society saying you are admitted etc, etc. You have to fly to NSW to be admitted. Thereafter you go to the LPAB offices and apply for your letter. With that letter you can start the visa process.

Let me know if there is anything else I can help with.

Good luck

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Hi again

You do the subjects on line but when you register with the University , like UNE, you have to send them the letter from the LPAB. That is the only way they will let you register for a few subjects only. That is what is meant by non award. I am not sure how you would register without the letter but I am sure you can inquire at the university.

You also might have a lot more practical subjects to do as you don't have much legal experience.

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Miss Hoskin,

All what Izzy said is accurate and she has explained it pretty well.

It is most likely you will be prescribed the four subjects that Izzy mentioned. However, since you do not have any practical experience- they may also prescribe that you do tprofessional conduct as a subject as well in your academic part of the conversion as well as you needing to do it in your Practical qualifications.

In fact- if memory serves me correct- they usually ask you to motivate fully on your experience levels and knowledge levels in terms of form 16. You will have to send them any documentation you feel neccessary which will enable them to assess you and exempt you but as a standard recourse they usually prescribe the four subjects mentioned by Izzy as well as Professional conduct due to your lack of legal practical experience.

Good luck and please if you need any assistance further, do not hesitate to get in touch.

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Miss Hosking

The responses above are accurate, but relate to admission in NSW. If I were you I would rather follow that path, as the LPAB in NSW usually requires only those subjects Izzy sets out. The Queensland requirements are more difficult to meet and more often than not, they require more subjects than NSW. Also it is only a formality to get admitted in Queensland once you are admitted in NSW.

You would only be able to do the application for exemption after you have completed your LLB. However nothing stops you from trying to do a few of the required subjects this year already, although you might have left it too late to enrol, but I am not sure. I would contact the University of New England asap.

Good luck!

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Wow thank you so much everyone ! It amazing that people who do not know you are willing to give such detailed and helpful responses.

As (Judge) indicated I am wanted to settle in Queensland. How ever his response is very interesting. If Queensland has much stricter requirements.. I may look at NSW as an option in which case the above responses will be very relevant.

What is the 'formality' you speak of to get accepted in Queensland if you are admitted in NSW?

I was told by 3 universities in Queensland that they required the form from LPAB stating I was required to do subjects A.B.C.D...etc before I was allowed to enroll in those subjects as non award subjects. Unfortunately obviously I can only get that form once I have graduated.

Regarding doing more subjects , as I would be living with my sister in Brisbane and also required to do 6 months PLT training too if it was one or 2 more I don't think I would mind too much. The application in Brisbane is $106 dollars , in case anyone is interested.

@(Judge) How is practicing in Queensland? Are you enjoying the environment ?

Thanks again everyone !

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Yep, i suspect that it will be the same for law as teaching and other professions i have come across,

Your degree needs to be assessed, and they wont touch it or even discuss it with you until you have finished it, full stop.

I suspect that it is to prevent them from having to spend a lot of time as career counselors

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My understanding is that all the law societies now apply the same rules across the States, as there were a number of people getting admitted in NSW and then getting reciprocal standing in another State where the person was really practicing.

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  • 3 years later...

If you are admitted as an Attorney in South Africa, did your articles and have done courses in both Legal Practical Training (PLT) and Practice Management Training (PMT) would that exempt you from any practical legal training in Western Australia should you wish to be admitted as an Attorney in Western Australia? Can you then only do the Australian online bridging course from South Africa, and after completion of this online course will it be sufficient for admission as an Attorney in Australia? 

 

How quickly can you finish this online distance bridging course (ie conversion program from South African Law to Australian Law)?

Edited by Steffi
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