A law degree, through the subjects that are compulsory for admission, provides the core knowledge of substantive law required by the whole profession.

However, there are certain core skills that are required by the whole profession. These core skills are not taught to everyone on the degree course. They are taught on the compulsory pre-admission training course.

On admission to the Bar, practitioners join a profession that enjoys a monopoly – namely, the right to represent others for reward in the courts, and they become officers of the court with certain duties to the court and the public, including duties of competency in practice.

It is in the public interest to ensure that everyone who is entitled to exercise that monopoly and/or enjoy the status of an officer of the court has been compulsorily and adequately trained in the requisite skills.

It is a prerequisite for enrolment on the PLSC that you are eligible for the award of an LLB degree. The relevant university advises the Institute on your eligibility.

If you are completing an LLB (Honours) degree, a conjoint LLB or a combined LLB and wish to enrol for the PLSC, you must have completed law credits equivalent to an LLB (so that if you withdrew from your current course of study you would be eligible for the award of an LLB degree).

If you have overseas qualifications, you may have to meet requirements specified by either the New Zealand Law Society or the NZ Council of Legal Education before you are eligible to attend the course. (For further information, see Requirements for Admission to the Bar)

Before you choose, you might like to:

• read the information available at Is online learning for me? (also available under the About menu)
• undertake the Online Learning Compatibility Test available there.

From the information at these links, you will see that choosing is not simply a matter of seeking convenience. In fact, those who would choose the online course because they expect to fit the coursework in around busy personal schedules and busy work commitments may be disappointed.

It does take an experienced student, who is in tune with their learning styles, and realistic in their understanding of how they can balance work, personal and study commitments to know whether a particular online course will suit them or not, and the Professionals course is no exception.

Sometimes trainees will find that their circumstances change, and their initial choice of course format may no longer suit them

Because the Institute offers the course in two formats, it may be possible to accommodate a switch from the full time course (Professionals Onsite) to the part distance course (Professionals Online) or vice versa.

If you have enrolled with the Institute and, at any stage during your course, you wish to switch to the other course format, you should contact your instructor to discuss your options.