Complete your Practical Legal
Training at Adelaide Law School.
Graduate Diploma of
Legal Practice (GDLP)
Adelaide Law School
The Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (GDLP) at Adelaide Law School offers convenience, establishes connections and prepares you for your legal career. Practical legal training is a compulsory requirement to be admitted as a barrister or solicitor in Australia.
The University of Adelaide, in partnership with the Law Society of South Australia, offers a GDLP designed to accommodate the needs of local, interstate and international law graduates who wish to train for the legal profession. We take your training seriously and our program provides the following:
> Practical legal training – The GDLP is designed and taught by South Australian judges, barristers and solicitors to ensure that you develop invaluable practical skills.
> Flexible delivery – Many students study for the GDLP while balancing work and family commitments. We offer flexible learning options with lectures delivered online. Course seminars are held during the day, evening and weekends, with resources and assessments available online.
Although the GDLP can be completed in 6 months, students can also take up to 3 years to complete the program. You have the option to take as little as 1 course at a time.
> Don’t wait until you graduate – The GDLP may be commenced concurrently with your undergraduate studies (subject to conditions).
> Direct local admission - Admitted as a barrister and solicitor to practice in South Australia – once admitted, you can easily apply for a practising certificate in other States and Territories without seeking further admission.
> Individual Assessment - Although some group collaboration is included in the program, there are no group assessments. All marks are gained on an individual basis.
> There are no exams! - All assessments are available online and are focussed on practical ‘real-world’ legal situations.
> Networking while you learn –
Completing the GDLP at the Adelaide Law School allows you to build relationships within the South Australian legal profession. This is a significant opportunity especially if you plan to work in South Australia. Don’t underestimate the importance of
connections with your peers, it can lead to ongoing professional relationships.
> Legal Practice Placements - The program includes a 6 week (or 225 hours) Legal Practice Placement that we can help you secure. This vital experience will give you the skills and confidence to enter the legal profession. Take advantage of our professional contacts to secure a placement in line with your career aspirations in one of the many firms we have developed relationships with. You will also receive access to the Adelaide Law School and Law Society’s employment register.
> Practise your advocacy skills – Why should you wait until it really matters and your client is depending on you?
Our students get to practise their advocacy skills in the District Court. They make submissions to, and obtain feedback from leading judges, barristers and solicitors. This unique opportunity has been the highlight of the program for many students, providing them with invaluable experience.
> Continuing Professional Development (CPD) - Completion of 10 hours of CPD is a requirement of the program. Students can attend most Law Society CPD events free of charge while doing their GDLP at Adelaide Law School.
> FEE-HELP- Financial assistance may be available to pay your fees.
For information about teaching dates, fees and the application process, please visit:
ua.edu.au/law/gdlp
If you want to practise law in Australia you need to complete recognised practical legal training. The Adelaide Law School GDLP program is designed to give you the practical skills required to become a competent legal practitioner.
The main components of the program are:
> The program can be completed in 6 months or take up to 3 years.
> There are 2 intakes – commencing January (summer) and July (winter).
> The program begins with an evening induction session. This is also available online.
> The GDLP consists of 5 core courses and 2 electives. The first core course ‘Foundations’ includes seminars and lectures run over a 4 week period and must be completed before commencing any other GDLP courses. All other courses are run over a two week period.
> Lectures are delivered online. Seminars have compulsory attendance but are scheduled at a range of times during the day, evening and weekend.
> Complete 6 weeks (225 hours) of legal practice placement. Recent relevant work experience may be used to reduce your required placement by up to 75 hours.
> Attend a Risk Management Seminar (after completing all compulsory courses).
> Attend 10 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminars.
Program information
Network while you learn
Build relationships with legal professionals and
potential future employers while working with South
Australian judges, barristers and solicitors.
Connections with
the profession
We have developed many relationships with the profession that our students can take advantage of. Some of the legal practice placement providers for the GDLP include:
> The Legal Services Commission
> The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
> Cowell Clarke Commercial Lawyers
> Camatta Lempens
Success is often determined by access to great mentors. You will have the opportunity to meet leading legal practitioners at induction and throughout the course.
Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
The six week placement was one of the
major highlights of the GDLP. The chance
to gain hands on experience from leading
practitioners in South Australia is a money
can’t buy opportunity to learn the essential
skills which will remain with me for my entire
legal career.
Sam Hooper GDLP Student
Where else can you access Judges, QC’s
and Barristers who are all so approachable?
Emmanuel Njuguna GDLP Student
GDLP students completing their six week
placement at Pace Lawyers gain relevant,
‘hands-on’ experience of life in a busy legal
practice, whether they’re drafting contracts or
applications, spending time in court or sitting in
on client appointments. At Pace Lawyers we
make our own coffees, our students are too busy
training to be lawyers!
Julia Adlem Senior Associate Lawyer, Pace Lawyers (GDLP Placement Partner)
The main highlight was the Advocacy Day.
There must have been hundreds of years’ worth of
collective legal experience between the facilitators
and it was an amazing opportunity to present in a
real court setting before receiving feedback from
eminent barristers and Judges from the District and
Supreme Courts. It was fantastic to have ‘free reign’
of a court room and view proceedings from all
different angles.
For further enquiries
The University of AdelaideSA 5005 Australia
Telephone: +61 8 8410 5865 Email: gdlpenquiries@adelaide.edu.au
ua.edu.au/law/gdlp facebook.com/uniofadelaide twitter.com/uniofadelaide youtube.com/universityofadelaide
DISCLAIMER: The information in this publication is current as at the date of printing and is subject to change. You can find updated information on our website at adelaide.edu.au
With the aim of continual improvement the University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the degrees, diplomas, certificates and courses on offer. As a result the specific programs and courses available will change from time to time. Please refer to adelaide.edu.au
for the most up to date information or contact us on 1800 061 459. The University of Adelaide assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information provided by third parties. CRICOS 00123M © The University of Adelaide. Published October 2013
