How to become a solicitor

To practise as a solicitor in Queensland involves four steps:

Admission to the legal profession is required in order to obtain a practicing certificate. A practising certificate is required to practise law in Queensland. Certificates are issued pursuant to s.49 of the Legal Profession Act 2007, and must be renewed annually.

For details on how to proceed if you have qualified overseas, access the below links:

Practitioners admitted to other Australian jurisdictions

You should be aware that admission in Queensland via the Mutual Recognition (Queensland) Act 1992 ('MRA') is NO LONGER REQUIRED as Queensland is part of the national legal profession. Practitioners admitted to practise in any Australian jurisdiction are entitled to apply for a Queensland practising certificate without seeking admission in Queensland based on their admission in another Australian jurisdiction. You can obtain a practising certificate in Queensland from the Queensland Law Society (QLS) (as a solicitor) or Queensland Bar Association (as a barrister). We draw your attention to sections 5 to 8 of the Legal Profession Act 2007.

If you have any queries in relation to practising certificates, please contact Records and Member Services on 1300 367 757 or email records@qls.com.au

However, if you do wish to be admitted in Queensland via the MRA, you may utilise the information within the documents listed in the below header for New Zealand Practitioners.

New Zealand Practitioners

In order to practice in Queensland, practitioners who have been admitted to the High Court of New Zealand must apply for admission in Queensland under the Trans-tasman Mutual Recognition (Queensland) Act 2003 ('TTMRA').

Please note if you choose to seek admission via the TTMRA , the fee payable to the Board is to be paid by cheque, money order or credit/debit card by secure BPoint payment link.  All cheques and money orders should be made payable to the 'Legal Practitioners Admissions Board'. 

Please carefully review the below documentation for detailed information in respect of applications under the Trans-tasman Mutual Recognition (Queensland) Act 2003:

Please complete the Contact Details Form and provide a copy to the Board by email to admissions@qls.com.au. Once received, the Board’s staff will issue a payment link to your email address to arrange payment of the fee.