The next phase of the ongoing consultations about Practical Legal Training (PLT) is underway, with the Law Admissions Consultative Committee (LACC) and the Legal Services Council’s Admissions Committee launching a national survey seeking feedback from lawyers and graduates on how well PLT prepares graduates for practice.
The review of PLT — the final stage of legal education before admission — is examining the cost, quality and consistency of current programs and whether they continue to meet the needs of the profession.
Shaping the future of PLT
The Admissions Committee, which operates under the Legal Services Council (LSC), and the LACC, a body that reports to the Council of Chief Justices of Australia and New Zealand, are working together to ensure national consistency in admission pathways.
The LSC oversees the operation of the Legal Profession Uniform Law in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia, while the LACC brings together representatives from each jurisdiction to develop nationally consistent admission policies.
In announcing the survey, the Committees said the perspective of the legal profession would be central to the review, particularly in identifying the skills and values that early career lawyers require and when those can best be taught.
Independent research to inform reform
Independent research agency Urbis has been engaged to conduct the survey and analyse responses. The findings will inform proposals for reform to be developed by the LACC and the Admissions Committee in 2026.
Who can take part?
The survey is open to legal practitioners, excluding those in New South Wales, who:
- have completed their PLT in the past 10 years (including supervised legal training or traineeships where available), and/or
- have supervised or managed the work of early career lawyers within their first two years of practice.
Lawyers in New South Wales were the focus of a separate PLT review conducted by the Legal Profession Admission Board earlier this year.
Why it matters
The Committees noted that broad participation from across Australia would make the results more valuable in assessing how effectively PLT prepares new lawyers for practice.
They said the feedback will assist in identifying opportunities to improve national consistency and ensure that PLT remains practical, affordable and relevant.
The Law Society has been participating in the discussions about the future of PLT by providing feedback to the Law Council of Australia and the LACC. Last week, the Young Lawyers Committee resolved to establish a sub-committee to focus on this important review. Keep an eye out in the YLC news for an opportunity to express interest in joining.
The topic of PLT and whether it is still fit for purpose has been a topic of hot debate in Brief, with several articles published recently showcasing an array of views. You can read them below:
The survey is open until Friday, 21 November 2025 and is accessible here.
