Advanced Diploma of Legal Practice

This course will provide you with extensive training in the workings of today's professional legal office.

You will gain essential skills for work as a legal paraprofessional, including how to:

• provide advice on legal services to potential clients
• practise in a legal area of your interest
• manage legal practice operation resources
• interpret legislation
• produce complex legal documents.

You'll also develop a basic understanding in the following areas:

• family law
• property law
• contract law
• commercial law
• criminal law
• conveyancing.

Our experienced teachers will ensure you are job-ready by the time you graduate. You could also go on to further study, as this course can be the first step towards becoming a lawyer.

This course will qualify you to work as a paraprofessional in the legal practice industry. You'll be able to perform legal work on behalf of clients under the supervision of a lawyer. Our graduates find work as law clerks or paralegals in:

• law firms
• government departments
• legal aid organisations
• financial institutions
• corporations
• court registries
• Victoria Police.

You may find employment in the public or private sector. Example job titles include:

• law clerk (litigation debt recovery, property, mortgage recovery)
• legal probate clerk
• conveyance clerk
• corporate law clerk
• family law assistant
• probate/deceased estate law clerk
• compliance officer
• assistant to parliamentary counsel
• Victorian legal aide
• land title officer
• legal assistant/secretary
• legal research assistant
• trainee court registrar
• paralegal.

If you want to begin your pathway to becoming a practising lawyer, this course provides an excellent foundation for further study in law.

The course structure comprises the following core and elective units. These electives have been selected based on industry needs, graduate pathways and/or student and teacher feedback.
To be eligible for the award of 22565VIC Advanced Diploma of Legal Practice, learners must successfully complete a total of twenty one (21) units comprising:
* eleven (11) core units
* ten (10) elective units, consisting of:

• a minimum of four (4) units selected from Group A
• six (6) units from Group B and/or from Group A not already selected

A maximum of four units may be selected from any currently endorsed Training Package or accredited course. Elective units must be relevant to the work environment and the qualification, maintain the integrity of the AQF alignment and contribute to a valid, industry-supported vocational outcome.A Statement of Attainment will be issued for any unit of competency completed if the full qualification is not completed.

Use our credit calculator to find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

You may be able to complete your qualification sooner through formal recognition of your existing skills. This is known as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

To receive RPL, we assess your previous work, education and life experiences against recognised qualifications. Applications for RPL can be made prior to enrolling.

Call us on 1300 TAFE VP (1300 823 387) to discuss RPL options with the course manager.

Before starting your application, please read through the step-by-step VU Polytechnic application process to make sure you have all the necessary documents and information ready to successfully complete your application.

Before applying, you should consider whether you also want to apply for:

• Credit transfer/Recognition of prior learning (RPL): If you have significant experience or studies elsewhere you may be eligible for credit for some units of your course and not have to undertake them.