Apply for Specialist Accreditation

To be eligible to apply to undertake a Specialist Accreditation Program at the Queensland Law Society, you must satisfy the following requirements:

• be a full member of Queensland Law Society or for persons engaged in legal practice as a government legal officer, be an Associate member of the Society.
• hold a current practising certificate in Australia or be engaged in legal practice as a government legal officer engaged in government work.
• have been engaged in legal practice as a solicitor (i.e. not including pre-admission experience) or as a government legal officer on a full-time basis for a minimum of five (5) consecutive years (or equivalent experience) by 1 January in the year of the relevant program.
• in each of the three years immediately preceding the year of the relevant program, whether working full-time or part-time, have practised in the area of law for which accreditation is sought for not less than 25 per cent of full-time practice.
• satisfy the Board that you possess a sufficient level of Queensland jurisdiction specific experience (if required for your area of practice).

The Board may consider discretionary applications by applicants who due to parental leave or other extenuating circumstances:

• cannot meet the consecutive nature of the five-year full-time requirement. Please note: solicitors with less than five years full-time (or equivalent experience) post admission experience are not eligible to apply for Specialist Accreditation.
• cannot meet the requirement that the three years of practice experience in the area of accreditation be in the three years immediately preceding the year of the relevant program.