Practical Legal Training (PLT) is an important step for every law graduate to take before they can begin working in the legal field. While it may seem like a daunting experience, PLT students receive continuous support during the course in order to properly prepare them for their future careers. This blog will explore the many ways in which PLT students will be supported in the course.
While a legal degree gives you an understanding of the law, PLT gives you the necessary skills and experience to apply all the knowledge you acquired to real-world scenarios. PLT should therefore be viewed as an exciting stage in the beginning of your legal career, one where you are certainly not alone.
One of the greatest supports given to students at Leo Cussen is the designated mentor to guide you on your file work. All the mentors at Leo Cussen are lawyers, not lecturers, and they will guide you through the course in the same way you would be guided by a supportive senior lawyer in your first job.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PLT is now delivered completely online. Leo Cussen delivers PLT through video teleconferencing platforms (like Zoom), where students are able to see their teachers and interact with their classmates. Students are able to engage in online polls, participate in webinar discussions, and even collaborate with other students in small groups, all without needing to leave home.
PLT students are therefore able to interact with their trainers and mentors almost as easily as if they were in a classroom together, in order to ensure that their PLT course gives them a rich and fulfilling learning experience and readies them for their first job as a lawyer. All the materials that students need for their course are provided online, and if students have any questions or need IT support a, their mentors are easily contactable and our IT team can help to sort out any computer-related issues.
Students receive a weekly schedule outlining the activities they will need to participate in and work they need to complete, so they can prepare in advance. Students will also have regular, 1-on-1 meetings with their mentors, so that any and all questions and concerns can be answered swiftly.
Students also complete a work placement component which gives them even more hands-on experience. Due to the increased need to work remotely at this time, both the Legal Practice Board of WA and the Victorian Legal Admissions Board (VLAB) have authorised Leo Cussen to deliver the work placement module entirely online if students prefer. Students can then apply online for admission to their state’s AdmittingAuthority at the end of the course, without having to wait for in-person admission ceremonies.
Leo Cussen is acutely aware that the current pandemic has made PLT more challenging, yet we are committed to ensuring that PLT students can complete the course as quickly and smoothly as possible without delay or disruption.
