Becoming A Lawyer > Admissions Requirements

An Overview of Admission Requirements

In Australia, the legal profession is regulated independently by each State and Territory. Applicants will generally apply for admission in the State or Territory in which they intend to practise.

Applicants for admission in Western Australia are referred to Part 4 of the Legal Profession Act 2008 , the Legal Profession (Admission) Rules 2009 and the approved forms .

The following general information is provided as a guide only. Please refer to the legislation, approved forms, the Law Admissions Consultative Committee's Model Admission Rules and Uniform Principles For Assessing Overseas Applicants, for more detailed information.

New Zealand admitted/certificated applicants click here

 

Requirements For Admission
(See Section 21 of the Legal Profession Act 2008 )

To be eligible for admission you must: 
 

1. Have completed approved academic qualifications. 
2. Have completed approved practical legal training (PLT).

You must also apply for admission in accordance with the admission rules and satisfy the Board that you are a fit and proper person to be admitted.

English language testing is also a requirement for admission.

An applicant who completed the final two years of secondary education and their primary academic legal qualification in Australia, New Zealand, England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Canada, South Africa or the United States of America, is exempt from English language testing requirements.

All other applicants must:

• obtain minimum scores of 8.0 for writing, 7.5 for speaking and 7.0 for reading and listening, in the International English Language Testing System Academic Module (IELTS) test, and
• have completed the test within the last two years, or since completing the test has continuously held a practising certificate and been engaged in legal practice in a country where English is the native or first language.

Applicants who do not strictly fit the exemption criteria but who have a proficiency in English equivalent to that required to pass the IELTS test may apply for exemption. The application must be made in the form of a statutory declaration that refers to the applicant's periods of residence, study and employment where English was the primary language, attaches any prior English language testing results, and gives any other grounds relevant to the Board's consideration of whether an exemption should be given. If an application for exemption is not approved, the applicant must satisfy the IELTS requirements prior to admission.

When you apply for admission you are required to lodge an originating motion paper at the Supreme Court of Western Australia at least 2 months prior to your proposed admission date. Within 2 days of filing your motion paper you must lodge a notice of application for admission with the Board. The notice of application for admission requires you to attach documents that the Board needs to determine whether you are eligible and suitable for admission.

Click here for information on the formal process of applying for admission.