Training New Lawyers : Reflections and Future Directions for Training Victorian Lawyers

This chapter comments and reflects on a report released by the Victorian Attorney-General in September 2006 reviewing legal education in Victoria that relates to pre-admission training for graduates seeking to enter legal practice. It seeks to explain the necessity for the formulation of objectives and outcomes for pre-admission training in order to meet the changing needs of the community and the legal profession. In this respect it draws on the Victorian Law Institute's articled clerk survey and other training initiatives in other jurisdictions which have been established to meet competency standards. The main objective is to explain how the proposed changes that come into effect from 2008 will impact on key stakeholders: law firms, practical legal training (PLT) providers and students and to express the view that the recommendations should be regarded as a positive step forward in the training of legal professionals. Recognising that employers may not immediately embrace the new system of training, the authors focus on the benefits for employers and students alike