The Australian College of Applied Professions (ACAP) and the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) are filling a critical gap in the PLT curriculum with an exclusive new Government Law Practice elective available from October 2024.
According to the 2022 National Profile of Solicitors 13% of Australian lawyers work in government, and the sector has been growing at the fastest rate of any legal area for over a decade
Despite this, PLT providers have overlooked preparing graduate lawyers for a career in government until now. The ACAP PLT is the only PLT to offer an elective in government law practice.
Why develop an elective specifically for government legal practice?
The tailored elective has been developed in response to industry feedback that government legal practice has distinctive elements that are overlooked in standard PLT courses, and the elective is designed to provide specific training and preparation for government legal practice.
Adam May, course leader of the ACAP Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice and Australian legal practitioner said, “ACAP and the LIV came together to develop the Government Law Practice elective because we know that there are new lawyers who are specifically looking at government service, or who want to understand how government legal practice differs from private practice. Traditional PLTs provide students with very little exposure outside of private practice.”
How was the elective designed?
Kellie Hamilton, the LIV’s General Manager of Member Knowledge and Learning, said the elective has been meticulously designed in collaboration with key government employer members of the Law Institute.
"We put together an advisory group of government lawyers from a broad range of areas and asked them how they thought entry-level lawyers would be best prepared for government law practice," she said.
Government legal practice is a discrete and attractive area of practice for many new lawyers and the Government Law Practice elective was developed through consultation with members of the LIV who work in government, which means that it’s directly informed by what employers are looking for in candidates.
The elective will cover crucial aspects of government law, including the nature of government legal work, implementing outcomes, advising and representing government employers, and relevant procedures and ethics. Students will also benefit from hands-on interview training.
“Students will experience what it is like to be a government lawyer by engaging in simulated ‘real life’ work experience action tasks,” Adam said. “The elective will provide students with the capabilities required for entrance into the area of government law so that they will feel confident to enter the practice area.”
How will it benefit students?
Lawyers who completed their PLT with ACAP said the new elective would benefit students like them.
Anya Ristic completed the ACAP PLT last year and is now working with the Parliament of Victoria.
“If you want ongoing support and people that genuinely care about seeing you do well, ACAP is the way to go,” she said.
“I have just secured a new role as an advisor for a parliamentary secretary and member of parliament. I believe this elective would be excellent for any students like me who are interested in exploring the world of law and politics.”
Graduate Sarah Spivak works in the Legal and Industrial Unit at the Community and Public Sector Union, which represents government employees.
“The ACAP GDLP course was an incredible experience. The course has a strong focus on practical skills and professional engagement and as a result, I have come away with a better understanding of the legal sector,” she said.
“My current work with government employees would benefit from the insights and experience offered in this new Government Law Practice elective.”
Supporting students on their legal career pathways
Kellie said the new elective was a demonstration of the LIV’s commitment to informing students and graduates about alternative career pathways in the law.
“We hope that the new elective, combined with the 10 hours of professional engagement, both unique to the ACAP PLT, will open the eyes of students to the full legal ecosystem and the terrific opportunities available to them in government, private practice, legal assistance, legal policy and in-house legal work,” she said. “By doing so, we’re building strength, adaptability and community across the legal profession.”
This new elective represents ACAP and the LIV’s commitment to preparing students for the evolving legal landscape.
“The ACAP PLT in partnership with the LIV fully supports students to find careers that best suit them, prepares them to their full potential, and ultimately helps them to have justifiable confidence to enter the legal profession,” Adam said.
