Admission as a Lawyer in Queensland: Process, Forms and Suitability Guide
Admission as a lawyer in Queensland is the final step in your journey to becoming a legal practitioner. After completing your law degree and practical legal training, you must apply to the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board and satisfy the Supreme Court that you meet both the eligibility and suitability requirements.
The process can feel overwhelming, particularly if you have suitability matters to disclose. Below, we explain how admission as a lawyer in Queensland works, what documents you need to prepare, and the key issues to be aware of.
Who Assesses Applications to Get Admitted as a Lawyer in Queensland?
Legal Practitioners Admissions Board (Queensland)
In Queensland, the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board assesses each application for admission as a legal practitioner.
The Board is responsible for reviewing your application material and making recommendations to the Supreme Court of Queensland on your eligibility and suitability for admission to the legal profession.
Queensland Law Society (QLS Admission Kit and Guidance)
The Queensland Law Society (QLS) provides further information about the role of the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board on its website. QLS has also published an admission kit to assist applicants in navigating the process.
It is very important that you read the admission kit, form instructions, and relevant guidelines carefully.
Getting across all the material can feel overwhelming, especially if you have not worked with court forms before. It can be even more difficult to navigate if you have any eligibility or suitability matters that require disclosure.
Overview of the Admission Process in Queensland
To be admitted as a lawyer in Queensland, you must satisfy:
- Eligibility requirements, and
- Suitability requirements (fit and proper person)
Below is a detailed explanation of both.
Eligibility Requirements to Get Admitted as a Lawyer in Queensland
To qualify for admission to the legal profession in Queensland, you must:
-
complete the approved academic qualifications, and
-
successfully finish the required practical legal training.
Most applicants meet these requirements without difficulty, especially if they completed both their law degree and practical legal training in Queensland.
If you studied overseas, even partially, contact the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board early. The Board can confirm whether you need to complete additional Australian law subjects before you apply.
English language requirements
Your eligibility for admission also depends on whether you have sufficient knowledge of written and spoken English to engage in legal practice.
If you completed your primary and secondary schooling in Australia, proving English language proficiency is generally straightforward.
If you completed your education outside Australia, you can satisfy the English language requirement through alternative proficiency pathways.
Governing legislation
The eligibility criteria is governed by section 30 of the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld).
We encourage you to contact us to discuss any eligibility concerns you may have.
Suitability for Admission (Fit and Proper Person)
One of the most important aspects of admission as a lawyer in Queensland is proving your suitability to practise. For many applicants, the biggest hurdle is demonstrating suitability for admission.
Your suitability depends on whether you are a fit and proper person to join the legal profession.
The Supreme Court examines each suitability matter and the surrounding circumstances to decide whether you meet that standard.
What counts as a suitability matter?
Suitability matters are set out in section 9 of the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld) and will be discussed further in a separate article.
For the purpose of this article, suitability matters may include (but are not limited to):
- good fame and character concerns
- criminal record
- traffic record
- tax debts or SPER debts
- late lodgements of taxation
- academic misconduct
- bankruptcy
- academic or work-related disciplinary history
- involvement in litigation, and so on.
Full disclosure is essential
This is where many applicants become unstuck.
From the outset, it is critical that you disclose all suitability matters, and that your disclosure is:
- complete
- fulsome
- frank
If you do not disclose, or do not comprehensively disclose, your suitability matters, your lack of candour may delay or deny your admission.
Importantly, the Board requires you to disclose all documents in your power and possession that are relevant to each suitability matter.
Please contact us if you have any suitability matters before lodging your application material with the Board.
Important Notice About Accuracy
This article was correct as at the time of publication (January 2026). You should check the QLS admissions kit to confirm whether there have been any changes.
Documents Required for Admission in Queensland
QLS provides extensive information about the admission process. While helpful, it can be an overwhelming amount of material to digest.
As a practical overview, the admissions process generally requires the following documents and steps.
Key forms, tasks and deadlines
| Document / Task | Further Information | Due Date |
| Form 1: Originating Application | Must be filed in the Supreme Court, stamped with the Court’s seal, then served on the Board. | 42 days before admission sitting |
| Form 9: Notice of Intention to Apply for Admission as a Legal Practitioner | Must be filed and displayed in the Supreme Court registry, then served on the Board. Your Form 9 will comprise your advertisement in the Queensland Law Reporter so all details must be correct. | 42 days before admission sitting |
| Form 15: English Language Proficiency Statement | Does not require court filing but needs to be served on the Board. Accompanying statutory declaration and supporting documents may be required depending on your educational history. | 42 days before admission sitting |
| Form 7: Statement of Eligibility and Suitability for Admission | All eligibility and suitability disclosures must be made fulsomely in this form and accompanied by supporting material. It is very important you comprehensively set out your suitability matters in this form as more information cannot be added to the affidavit of compliance at a later date. Does not require filing, just service on the Board at this stage. | 42 days before admission sitting |
| Form 8: Certificate of Suitability | Three forms are required to be signed by your referees. Referees must be non-relatives who have known you for 2+ years and are aware of your suitability matters. Forms must then be served on the Board. | 42 days before admission sitting |
| Advertisement in the Queensland Law Reporter | Your Form 9 will comprise the wording for your QLR advertisement. It must be published prior to the due date of your affidavit of compliance so you can exhibit confirmation of the advertisement. | 21 days before admission sitting |
| Payment of Board’s fee | Must be paid prior to the due date of your affidavit of compliance so you can exhibit confirmation of payment. | 21 days before admission sitting |
| Affidavit of Compliance | Exhibits all forms and supporting material previously served on the Board, plus confirmation of the Board’s fee and QLR advertisement. Importantly, your eligibility and suitability matters disclosed in Form 7 must be reiterated in your affidavit. You cannot disclose any additional issues in your affidavit. Must be filed and served on the Board. | 21 days before admission sitting |
What Happens After You Lodge Your Admission Material?
Once your material is lodged, the Board will consider your application and, depending on your circumstances, may:
- issue a Certificate of Recommendation, or
- issue a Qualified Certificate of Recommendation, or
- suggest that you adjourn your application so further information and material can be obtained.
Qualified Certificates and Court Submissions
If a Qualified Certificate of Recommendation is rendered, you will need to arrange for written submissions to be filed in the Supreme Court regarding your eligibility and/or suitability matters.
The Board expects that a lawyer will draft the submissions, and whoever drafts the submissions will move your admission.
How We Can Help
We can assist you with suitability matters and we strongly recommend you obtain advice early, because:
- you must comprehensively disclose all potential issues in your Form 7, and
- disclosure gaps cannot be fixed later by adding new matters in the Affidavit of Compliance.
We are often engaged to assist with:
- Form 7
- Affidavit of Compliance
- written submissions (if required)
Please contact us to discuss your admission application and any potential concerns you may have.