The Legal Profession Admission Board of New South Wales (LPAB) has released a discussion paper proposing major reforms to the way law graduates qualify as lawyers, aiming to make entry to the profession cheaper, faster, and more practical.
The paper recommends cutting back the current Practical Legal Training (PLT) program in favour of a shorter, skills-focused course before admission, followed by a stronger emphasis on supervised practice and compulsory continuing professional development (CPD) in the first years of practice.
The LPAB says the present system, based on competency standards developed decades ago, is “no longer fit for purpose”. The findings are based on a survey of the profession carried out in conjunction with the Supreme Court of NSW earlier this year, along with consultation carried out by a specially convened PLT Working Group. These consultations suggest there is consensus among both senior lawyers and new graduates that the most effective learning occurs in the workplace, not in classrooms.
The Chief Justice of NSW, Andrew Bell, has been a vocal advocate for reform. In a statement announcing the release of the discussion paper, Chief Justice Bell said: “The goal of the review is clear and simple: to increase the quality and reduce the cost of PLT. The review process undertaken to date strongly suggests that too much is currently being sought to be achieved under the existing PLT framework with the consequence that too little is achieved in terms of meaningful skills training and education. And the cost of that is largely being borne by young lawyers who are already likely to have accumulated very heavy HECS debts in their university studies.”
Key proposed changes
The discussion paper advocates for an option described as “A shorter pre-admission requirement and greater post-admission requirements for 2-3 years post-admission”. This would involve both interim changes in NSW as well as longer term reforms.
- Three-week face-to-face skills course: From 2026, PLT providers would be required to deliver three weeks of in-person training, that could cover essential skills such as client interviewing, courtroom appearances, confidentiality, drafting, professional etiquette, and even basic tasks like “writing emails” and “answering the phone”.
- Reduced work experience: The mandatory 75 days of supervised work experience would be reduced to 15 days, after feedback that the current requirement is unnecessary, difficult for firms to manage, and open to potential exploitation of unpaid graduates.
- Lower costs: PLT would no longer need to be taught as a graduate diploma under the Australian Qualifications Framework, a shift expected to reduce student costs and remove barriers for those already burdened by expensive law degrees, despite meaning that PLT students could no longer access the FEE-HELP scheme.
- Post-admission training: Newly admitted lawyers could face stricter requirements in their first two years, such as a suggested 15 additional hours of CPD each year and a more rigorous supervision process, including additional responsibilities for supervisors.
The proposed changes would create a model closer to medical internships, with early-career lawyers working under close supervision before gaining full independence. Supervisors would be required to provide supervision reports, training plans, and performance assessments, promoting consistent quality of training across the profession.
The LPAB discussion paper raises concerns that the current PLT framework is a “significant barrier to entry”, especially for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds who cannot afford lengthy programs or unpaid placements. By shortening pre-admission requirements and embedding practical skills into law degrees, the reforms would aim to make the pathway to practice fairer and more accessible.
The LPAB would look to trial the three-week compulsory in-person PLT requirement from 2026 for two years, collecting evidence on its effectiveness before wider rollout. Longer-term reforms — including embedding practical skills in law degrees, rethinking trust account training, and introducing structured post-admission CPD — will be developed further in consultation with the NSW legal profession.
“The preparation of lawyers for the profession can and must be better,” the paper concludes. “The future of the profession depends on it.”
Chief Justice Bell’s statement can be found here, and you can read the full discussion paper here.
