Update:

On 10 March 2022, there was a joint statement released from the University of Tasmania and Centre for Legal Studies announcing that a meeting was held, where it was decided that the delivery of the course will continue in semester 1 2023. While this is excellent, there is a need to keep decision makers accountable with regard to the future of legal education in Tasmania.

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University of Tasmania is intending on closing the Centre for Legal Studies which is where the Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice is taught.

UTAS instead plans to offer an online course twice a year that is “more accessible” to Tasmanians. However, as any graduate from the course knows, online options for legal practice already exist through interstate courses.

The Tasmanian Legal Practice Course is arguably the best course in the country. This is because of the smaller cohort, the content being taught by practicing lawyers, and because trainees appear before members of the judiciary in the Magistrates Court and Supreme Court of Tasmania to complete advocacy exercises. 

The opportunities that the face to face course offers often include placement in Tasmanian law firms for the work experience component required to complete the course and employment opportunities which are usually directly advertised to the Centre for Legal Studies. Such opportunities include prestigious Judge’s Associateships

This move by UTAS is shocking, has largely occurred without any consultation, and ought to be called out for what it is… Destroying opportunities for Tasmanian law students. 

***PLEASE NOTE DONATIONS GO TO CHANGE.ORG - MY INTENTION IS JUST TO RAISE AWARENESS AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON***