FAQs

1. What is Practical Legal Training (PLT)?

Practical Legal Training (PLT) is the skills-based training you complete after your LLB or JD so you can be admitted as a lawyer in Australia. It focuses on real-world legal work—interviewing clients, drafting documents, managing files, problem-solving, and understanding ethics—rather than academic theory.

At IOLT, PLT is offered as a structured six-month program that combines online coursework with supervised workplace experience.

2. How is the IOLT PLT program structured?

IOLT’s PLT has two main components:

  • Coursework – 450 hours
    Skills-based online learning with live workshops and interactive matters in a “Virtual Law Firm”, where you draft, advise and file like a junior solicitor.

  • Workplace Experience – 450 hours
    Supervised legal work in an approved setting such as a law firm, in-house legal team, government department, community legal centre, court or tribunal.

In total, you complete 900 hours (450 + 450) aligned with national PLT competency standards.

3. How long does the PLT take and how flexible is it?

The IOLT PLT is designed to be completed in six months. The course is calibrated for busy graduates so you can balance coursework and workplace experience at the same time.

A common pace for the workplace component is around two full days per week or four half-days per week across the six months.

There are no fixed intakes – once your application is approved and you enrol, you can start anytime and follow a clear weekly cadence.

4. Is the IOLT PLT really 100% online?

Yes. IOLT’s PLT is delivered 100% online, with modern platforms, self-paced coursework, live workshops, and structured check-ins and support.

You can complete your training from anywhere in Australia (or overseas if your visa conditions allow), which makes it especially attractive for students working, caring for family, or living in regional and rural communities.

5. How much does the IOLT PLT cost? Are there instalments?

IOLT promotes one clear price: $6,000 for the full PLT program.

You can either:

  • Pay upfront, or

  • Use a simple four-instalment plan over your six-month program.

There is no separate “international student” pricing — international students studying their LLB/JD in Australia pay the same PLT fee as domestic students.

6. Who is eligible to enrol in IOLT’s PLT?

You’re generally eligible if you:

  • Have completed an approved law degree (LLB or JD) that leads to admission, or

  • Are in your final semester and meet the early-start criteria set by the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia (LPBWA) (see next question).

  • IOLT checks your eligibility during the application process and may ask for ID and academic records such as your transcript.

7. Can I start PLT before finishing my law degree?

Sometimes, yes – but there are strict rules.

In Western Australia, you may apply to start PLT early if the LPBWA approves it in writing. Typically, you must:

  • Have no more than two academic subjects remaining

  • Ensure those remaining subjects are not Priestley 11 core subjects

  • Be enrolled in those remaining subjects when PLT begins

  • Obtain prior permission from the admitting authority (Legal Practice Board of WA)

Early-start applications usually include a statutory declaration, proof that all 11 prescribed academic subjects are completed, details of remaining electives, and your proposed PLT start and finish dates. Your university normally sends an official transcript directly to the Board.

If you don’t meet these conditions, you’ll normally have to wait until your degree is complete before you begin PLT.

8. Is IOLT an approved PLT provider?

Yes. The Legal Practice Board of Western Australia lists the Institute of Legal Training PLT Course as one of the approved practical legal training options for admission in WA.

Completing an approved PLT course is one of the key requirements for admission as a lawyer in Western Australia.

9. What will I learn in the IOLT PLT?

The IOLT PLT is mapped to the national PLT competencies for entry-level lawyers. You’ll develop:

  • Core skills and values – interviewing, advising, drafting, negotiation, advocacy, problem-solving, work management, trust and office accounting, and ethics/professional responsibility

  • Key practice areas – Civil Litigation, Commercial and Corporate Practice, Property Law Practice, plus Administrative Law and Wills & Estates so you’re more “admission-ready” across a broader range of matters.

Assessments are designed around real-world tasks rather than exams, so you practise exactly the kind of work junior lawyers handle.

10. What counts as Workplace Experience?

Workplace Experience must involve authentic supervised legal work under the guidance of an admitted lawyer. This typically includes:

  • Client contact

  • Legal research

  • Drafting and file work

  • Advocacy preparation and related tasks

You can complete Workplace Experience in settings such as:

  • Private law firms

  • In-house legal teams

  • Government departments or agencies

  • Community legal centres

  • Courts and tribunals

IOLT checks the quality of your experience and superviser arrangements to ensure they meet admission requirements.

11. Can my existing legal work count towards PLT?

Yes. IOLT can recognise up to 300 hours of prior eligible legal work towards the 450-hour workplace experience requirement.

This can significantly reduce the amount of new placement time you need to complete, provided your past experience:

  • Involved genuine legal tasks (not purely admin)

  • Was supervised by an admitted lawyer

  • Falls within the required competency areas

IOLT uses a dedicated Recognition of Prior Workplace Experience process and form to assess your claim.

12. Do you help students find PLT placements? What about regional and rural students?

IOLT is very focused on regional, rural and remote Australia. They are building a network of partner law firms and community legal centres to make PLT placements easier, especially outside major cities.