Diploma of Paralegal Practice (L1C)

Overview  2022

Entry Requirements

See entry requirements

Duration

Minimum 1 Year, up to a maximum of 3 Years

Duration

Duration refers to the minimum and maximum amounts of time in which this course can be completed. It will be affected by whether you choose to study full or part time, noting that some programs are only available part time.

Location

Hobart
Semester 1, Semester 2
Launceston
Semester 1, Semester 2
Distance Hobart
Semester 1, Semester 2

This course may not be available to international students. Please see the list of distance courses (i.e. online and taken outside Australia) that are offered to international students

Quality paralegal practice depends on legal reasoning abilities, an understanding of legal problems, and well-developed communication skills.

The Diploma of Paralegal Practice will prepare you for legal support work with foundational knowledge about legal principles and legal systems. You'll learn how to analyse legal policy and consider its implications for practice.

Your studies explore historical and contemporary legal matters, including contentious national and international political issues relating to human rights and environmental law. Assessment tasks will enhance your ability to prepare written advice and develop arguments in response to legal problems. You will graduate with an understanding of ethical practice with essential skills across legal reasoning, research, and effective communication.

This diploma can be studied online and completed in 12-months. Students can also choose to study on-campus at Hobart, Launceston, or Cradle Coast. After graduation, you will have the option to pursue further study with full credit in the Bachelor of Laws.

  • 1 Analyse and interpret legal materials to identify and assess legal problems.
  • 2 Prepare basic legal advice to achieve solutions, using foundational knowledge of law, legal principles and legal systems appropriate to local and transnational contexts.
  • 3 Work collaboratively and independently to inform the resolution of legal and ethical issues that incorporate diverse perspectives.
  • 4 Implement legal research strategies utilising a variety of digital and other resources to inform legal arguments and advice.
  • 5 Articulate persuasive arguments, in written and spoken form, to a range of audiences.
  • Course structure

    The Diploma of Paralegal Practice requires the completion of 100 credit points comprising;

    • 50 credit points of Core units; and
    • 50 credit points of Core Option units.

    Your Core Options should include at least 25 credit points from Group A units, with the remaining credit points coming from additional Group A units or up to a maximum of 25 credit points of Group B units.

    If you are looking to enrol in the Bachelor of Laws after completing the Diploma, you should complete LAW106 Torts as a Core Option unit to ensure a smooth transition into the Bachelor's degree.

    Complete all 50 credit points of Core units

    Public international law permeates most areas of Australian law and it is therefore essential for law graduates to have a solid grounding in the sources and methodology of international law. This unit develops students' understanding of the sources of international…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    This unit is currently unavailable.

    This unit introduces you to an array of legal systems including domestic Australian and indigenous legal systems, civil law systems, the European Union framework and international law systems. You will be encouraged to compare, contrast and critically examine all of…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 1
    LauncestonSemester 2
    Cradle CoastSemester 1
    Cradle CoastSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Strong legal reasoning skills are critical to student learning and performance while at law school and eventually to the quality of your legal practice. More broadly, many employers beyond the legal profession consider the ability to solve problems by identifying…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 1
    LauncestonSemester 2
    Cradle CoastSemester 1
    Cradle CoastSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Become better prepared to understand concepts of ethics, social responsibility and the law and how these shape individual and collective behaviour in modern society. Sustainable inspirational leadership can only evolve from a legitimate, ethical and socially responsible base. Equally, reputations…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    HobartSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Complete 50 credit points of Core Option units
    Complete up to 50 credit points of Core Option units from this list.

    This unit introduces an important area of private law, and examines the historical development and operation of specific Torts including trespass to person, nuisance, negligence, defamation and relevant intersecting laws. It also considers the relationship between various areas of Tort…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    This unit is currently unavailable.

    A unit suitable for both law and non-law students, this unit introduces students to Indigenous people’s experience with the legal system in Australia and selected other jurisdictions (United States, Canada and New Zealand), and the interactions between non-Indigenous and Indigenous…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Law and Social Change considers the role that law and lawyers have played in shaping or influencing some of the major ideas, political events and personalities within society and how these factors have, in turn, influenced law and lawyering. It…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    The ‘blue economy’ of oceans related industries is set for significant expansion in the first half of twenty first century. Australia has one of the largest areas of ocean estate in the world. Tasmania is also are a global centre…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    This unit explores some of Australia’s most challenging environmental controversies, and the legal and policy context in which they arise. It uses a range of topical issues and case studies to introduce students to the framework for national and international…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Complete a maximum of 25 credit points of Core Option units from this list.

    In this unit you will focus on sociological approaches to crime and the criminal justice system with the objective of understanding research and debates about: (i) the criminal justice system (police, courts, corrections); (ii) patterns of crime (measuring crime victims…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    This is a foundational unit in Criminology. You will focus on criminological approaches to understanding crime and criminalisation. The unit will introduce various categories of crime (e.g. property crime and violent crime) and debates about what counts as crime and…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    LauncestonSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    We live in an uncertain and challenging era where global issues increasingly affect ourlocal daily lives. Forty years of uneven globalisation has been accompanied by the rise ofcorporations, regional and international institutions, and international nongovernmentalagencies. As important influencers of decision-making,…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    This unit is designed to enable students to contextualise justice in practice. The unit provides students with an opportunity to understand the challenges of being a justice practitioner and taking responsibility for ensuring that a just outcome is achieved. Upon…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    In this unit students will investigate different approaches to justice. The unit introduces students to theorists such (Plato, Socrates, Kant, Hobbes Locke, and Rawls) Through a justice discourse students will consider the nature and characteristics of justice. Students will also…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Entry requirements

    Domestic Applicants who have recently completed secondary education
    This course uses ATAR and equivalent ranks as part of the admission process.

    -Applicants are ranked by ATAR and offers made based on the number of places available. Applicants who have recently completed senior secondary studies but have not received an ATAR may still be eligible for admission.

    Domestic Applicants with higher education study

    • Partially completed an undergraduate course at Diploma level or higher (or equivalent). Applicants must have completed at least two units of study (equivalent to 25 UTAS credit points). If an applicant has failed any units the application may be subject to further review before an offer is made; or
    • Completed the UTAS University Preparation Program (or an equivalent qualification offered by an Australian University).

    Domestic applicants with VET / TAFE study
    To be eligible for an offer, applicants must have completed a Certificate IV (or equivalent) in any discipline.

    Domestic Applications on the basis of work or life experience
    If you have not successfully completed senior secondary, tertiary or TAFE/VET study, but have relevant work and life experience you can complete a personal competency statement. You may be eligible for an offer if you have work and life experiences that demonstrate a capacity to succeed in this course.

    Special consideration
    If your ability to access or participate in education has been affected by circumstances beyond your control, you can apply for special consideration as part of your application. We will consider a range of factors for special consideration, including economic hardship, a serious medical condition or disability.

    We can only approve applications for special consideration where we are confident that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in your studies. If your application is not approved, the UTAS admissions team will work with you to find the best alternative pathway to your chosen course. Special consideration is not available for international applicants.

    International applicants
    Admissions and application information for international applicants, including English language requirements, is available from the International Future Students site. You can also enquire online to check your eligibility.

    The Diploma in Paralegal Practice articulates into L3C Bachelor of Laws with full credit.

    Those students who plan to progress to the Bachelor of Laws are strongly advised to complete LAW106 Torts as a Core Option to allow completion of the Bachelor of Laws within the shortest completion time of 2.5 years if studying full-time.

    Detailed admissions information and advice for all undergraduate courses, including comprehensive, course-level student profiles, is available from UTAS Admissions.

    Fees & scholarships

    Domestic students

    Options for this course

    Cost shouldn’t get in the way of you studying.

    If you’re a domestic student, you may be eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place in this course. This means your fees will be subsidised by the Australian Government. You’ll only need to pay the student contribution amount for each unit you study within the course.

    You may also be able to defer payment of the student contribution amount by accessing a HECS-HELP loan from the Government. If eligible, you’ll only have to pay your tuition fees once you start earning above a specific amount.

    Further information is available at Scholarships, fees and costs.

    Student contribution

    Student contribution amounts are charged for each unit of study. This means that how much you’ll pay will depend on which units you choose. Find out more about student contribution amounts.

    Further information

    Detailed fee information for domestic students is available at Scholarships, fees and costs, including additional information in relation to the compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).

    Scholarships

    For information on general scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit the scholarships website.

    How can we help?

    Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.

    Domestic
    13 8827 (13 UTAS)
    International
    +61 3 6226 6200
    Email
    Course.Info@utas.edu.au
    Online
    Online enquiries

    Next steps