Young student studying law books with determination

Become a Lawyer in Australia: 7 Steps Parents Should Know

July 14, 2026

Your teenager comes home and announces they want to be a lawyer. Maybe it's been brewing for years — they've always loved a good argument, or they're passionate about justice. Or maybe it's a brand-new idea and you're not quite sure where to start. Either way, your first question is probably: how long does this actually take, and what does the path look like?

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The honest answer is that becoming a lawyer in Australia takes a minimum of five years, and the road has some specific checkpoints that many families don't know about until they're already in the middle of it. The good news is that the pathway is clear, there are multiple ways to enter it, and starting to understand it now — even if your child is still in secondary school — puts your family well ahead.

The Short Answer: What It Actually Takes

Becoming a lawyer in Australia requires three things done in sequence: a qualifying law degree, a period of Practical Legal Training (PLT), and formal admission to the legal profession by a state or territory admissions authority.

5 yearsthe minimum time it takes to become a lawyer in Australia, combining study and practical training.

That's the skeleton. But the details of each stage matter enormously, and there are choices at every step that will shape the kind of lawyer your child becomes — and how long their journey takes.

Step 1: Finishing Secondary School with the Right Foundations

What your child does in secondary school matters more than most families realise when it comes to preparing for law.

Strong results in English are essential — law is a writing-intensive, reading-heavy profession. Critical thinking, essay writing, and the ability to construct an argument clearly are skills that law schools and law firms both value from day one. Subjects like English, History, and Legal Studies (where offered) are all genuinely useful.

In New South Wales, Legal Studies is offered at Stage 6 (Years 11 and 12) and covers foundational concepts like how laws are made, rights and responsibilities, and the justice system. NSW is also implementing a revised Legal Studies 11–12 Syllabus (2025) to be taught from 2027, with the first HSC examination in 2028 — so students currently in early high school will be among the first to sit it.

Victoria offers similar grounding through subjects like Legal Studies in VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education). While none of these subjects are mandatory for law school entry, they give your child a genuine head start in understanding how the legal world is structured.

ATARs (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) for law degrees at Australian universities are typically competitive, particularly at sandstone universities. Your child doesn't need a perfect score, but they do need solid academic performance across their senior years. Starting good study habits early — and building strong English and reasoning skills — is the best preparation.

Step 2: Completing a Qualifying Law Degree

Once at university, your child will study for a law degree that gives them the academic foundation to practise. There are two common degree structures:

Degree Type	Typical Duration	Entry Point
LLB (Bachelor of Laws)	3–5 years (often combined)	Straight from high school
JD (Juris Doctor)	3 years	After completing another degree

The LLB is the traditional undergraduate law degree, often taken as part of a double degree (Law/Arts, Law/Commerce, Law/Science, and so on). UNSW, for example, offers 20 different double degree combinations for law students — giving your child the chance to pair legal training with another passion or career path.

The JD is a graduate entry degree, designed for students who've already completed an undergraduate degree in another field. This is a common path for career changers and mature-age students.

20the number of double degree combinations available for law students at UNSW, one of Australia's leading law schools.

What must the degree include?

Every degree must include what's known as the Priestley 11 — eleven mandatory foundation subjects that every aspiring Australian lawyer must complete before they can be admitted to practice. These are:

Administrative Law
Civil Procedure
Company Law
Constitutional Law
Contracts
Criminal Law and Procedure
Equity and Trusts
Evidence
Ethics and Professional Conduct
Property Law
Torts

These eleven subjects form the agreed national standard for foundational legal knowledge. A degree without all eleven won't qualify your child for admission, so it's worth checking any degree against this list when comparing universities. The Department of Education's Course Seeker tool lists over 8,500 higher education courses across Australia and is a useful starting point for comparing options.

Step 3: Practical Legal Training — The Bridge to Real Practice

Here's the part many families don't know about until well into the degree: a law degree alone is not enough to practise law in Australia.

Following graduation, your child must complete Practical Legal Training (PLT). This is a separate, mandatory qualification — not an optional add-on — that bridges the gap between academic knowledge and real-world legal work.

The Law Admissions Consultative Committee (LACC) describes it this way: the law degree provides theoretical understanding, while PLT equips graduates with the practical skills they'll need in a real legal environment. Things like drafting legal documents, advising clients, running matters from start to finish, and understanding how law firms actually operate.

PLT can be completed: - Full-time in approximately 15 weeks - Part-time in approximately 30 weeks

Many students do their PLT through institutions like the College of Law or through supervised workplace training programs. Some universities integrate PLT or practical placements into their degree, which can shorten the overall timeline.

15 weekshow long PLT takes if completed full-time, the final practical step before your child can apply for admission.

Step 4: Admission to the Legal Profession

Once the degree and PLT are complete, your child applies to the relevant state or territory admissions authority to be admitted as a lawyer. In Victoria, this is the Victorian Legal Admissions Board.

This step involves more than submitting paperwork. Admission authorities apply what's called a 'fit and proper person' test. This means assessing your child's character, ethics, and professional conduct — not just their academic credentials.

Applicants must disclose any criminal history, academic misconduct, or other significant conduct before admission. This is taken seriously. Law is a regulated profession with strict character requirements, and admission authorities are genuinely gatekeeping professional integrity, not just ticking boxes.

For most students who have gone through their studies honestly and without serious issues, this step is straightforward. But it's worth your child understanding from an early age that their conduct — both inside and outside university — matters to their long-term career.

Solicitor or Barrister? Two Different Careers

One thing that confuses a lot of families: in Australia, the word 'lawyer' is a general term that covers both solicitors and barristers — and they do quite different jobs.

Role	What They Do	Work Setting
Solicitor	Primary legal advisor; drafts documents, advises clients, manages cases	Law firms, government, in-house legal teams
Barrister	Court advocate; argues cases before judges	Usually independent, briefed by solicitors

Both require exactly the same foundational training — the law degree and PLT. The difference comes after admission. Solicitors typically work directly with clients and manage legal matters from beginning to end. Barristers are specialists in court advocacy, usually working independently and being briefed by solicitors when a matter goes to trial.

Most new lawyers start as solicitors. Becoming a barrister usually involves additional experience and a separate process called reading (a mentored period in a barrister's chambers). Your child doesn't need to decide right away, but understanding the difference early helps them think about which direction suits them.

How Much Does Law School Cost?

Law degrees at Australian universities are typically Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) for eligible domestic students, which means your child won't pay the full cost upfront — they'll repay their HELP (Higher Education Loan Program) debt once they're earning above the repayment threshold.

For a combined law degree lasting five or six years, the total HECS-HELP debt will vary by university and degree structure, but families should expect it to be substantial — often in the range of $40,000–$70,000 or more for the full degree. This is repaid gradually through the tax system once your child is working, so it's manageable, but it's worth understanding before they enrol.

Adding PLT brings additional costs, typically several thousand dollars depending on the provider and whether it's done full-time or part-time.

How Your Child Can Start Preparing Right Now

If your child is in primary or early secondary school, the best thing you can do is build strong foundations in literacy, reading, and analytical thinking. These skills underpin everything in law.

For students in Years 7 to 10, maintaining solid grades across English, Humanities, and any available Legal Studies subjects is the clearest path forward. If your child is sitting selective school entry tests or preparing for senior secondary, strong reasoning and writing skills are exactly what those assessments test — and they're the same skills a law career will demand.

We often see students at RHZ Tutoring who are aiming for competitive university courses like law. Building a strong academic base from early secondary school — and practising under timed, exam conditions — makes a real difference when the pressure is on. Our practice papers cover a wide range of year levels and subjects to help your child build that confidence from the ground up.

📘 Note

If you're in Melbourne's western suburbs and would like a free academic assessment for your child, you can book one at our contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to become a lawyer in Australia?

At minimum, five years — typically three to five years for a qualifying law degree (depending on whether it's a combined degree), plus 15 weeks full-time (or 30 weeks part-time) for Practical Legal Training, followed by the admissions process. For students completing a double degree or a JD after another undergraduate qualification, the timeline is often six or seven years in total.

Can my child become a lawyer without going straight to university from Year 12?

Yes. The JD pathway is specifically designed for graduates who completed another undergraduate degree first. Mature-age and career-change applicants are welcomed by many law schools, and different life experiences are genuinely valued in the profession. Your child doesn't need to decide in Year 12 — though strong results will keep more options open.

What does the 'fit and proper person' test mean for my child?

It means admission to the legal profession isn't just about passing exams — it's about character, honesty, and professional ethics. Applicants must disclose any criminal history, academic misconduct, or significant behavioural issues. This isn't meant to frighten families; for most students, it's a straightforward process. But it does mean that how your child conducts themselves throughout school and university genuinely matters for their career.

What's the difference between a solicitor and a barrister — does my child need to choose now?

They don't need to choose yet. Both roles require the same foundational training. Solicitors work directly with clients and manage legal matters; barristers are court specialists, usually briefed by solicitors. Most new lawyers start as solicitors and decide later whether to move to the bar. Understanding the difference is useful, but there's no decision needed until well into the career.

The path to becoming a lawyer in Australia is demanding — but it's clear, achievable, and genuinely rewarding for the right student. If your child is drawn to law, the most important thing you can do right now is support their English skills, encourage critical thinking, and help them build the academic habits that will carry them through a competitive degree. We're here to help with that groundwork — reach out to the RHZ Tutoring team and let's talk about where your child is now and where they want to go.

Give your child a real head start

RHZ Tutoring's practice papers mirror the real exams and come with full worked answers, so practice actually builds skills — not just last-minute panic.

Browse practice papers →or book a free academic assessment →

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