selfhelp

On 28/01/2019 at 16:23, LawyerAbroad said:

Brilliant. Congrats on getting it all together. It's an effort!

 

I didn't use any particular email, just the online portal for submission of questions ... https://www.une.edu.au/askune

On 27/03/2019 at 16:40, KC24 said:

Hi selfhelp, just wondering if you'd heard back from the admissions board (and which admissions board you applied to)?

Now that our visa application has been submitted (we went the spouse visa route), time to get the ball rolling with this! I've managed to track down all my course outlines (some more detailed than others) and I've drafted a detailed statement going through each of the 11 academic subjects. I see that the Uniform Principles require that if you're looking for any exemptions you need documentary evidence which is "corroborated by evidence from the applicant's employer, or other persons with whom the applicant has been associated with in practice".

What did you/LawyerAbroad do for this? I can get a supporting statement from former colleagues at my previous two firms, but obviously my current employer isn't yet aware of my plans. My former managing partner would be the best person to speak to both my experience and ability (if that's what they're even corroborating) but unfortunately my husband still works at that firm and I don't want to cause any issues for him while we wait for our visa (which could be up to 2 years away from being granted).

Thanks!

Hi all!

Sorry for the late response, been knee deep in trial preparations over the last month! I thought I would share the good news that I have FINALLY received a response from the LPAB. I had some issues with receiving a hardcopy of their letter which was issued all the way in February. They resorted to sending me a copy of the letter through e-mail. I've unfortunately missed the first trimester intake at UNE because of this. For anyone submitting an application now, I've been informed that one of the board's assessor is extremely ill at the moment and there is a backlog of applications waiting to be assessed.

Thanks to Lawyer Abroad's detailed account of how he went about with his application, I will only need to sit for 5 academic papers (from other forums I've read that I've gotten off pretty lightly with 5 modules) :- 

1) Administrative Law
2) Constitutional Law
3) Civil Dispute Resolution
4) Ethics
5) Evidence

It really does pay off putting in as much material as you can in support of your application for exemptions. Its a ton of effort but it will be worth it! 

To answer your question KC24, my current employers were kind enough to write a lengthy supporting statement. I have been very lucky that my employers have been very encouraging and supportive through this process. I think what helped in corroborating my experience and ability as well was annexing a copy of all the judgments in which I have litigated over the years. I hope this helps! 

Hi LawyerAbroad,

Since my last post on here two months ago, I’ve submitted my qualifications for assessment and am still waiting to hear back from the admissions board. Should be hearing back any day now, I will keep everyone updated!

Following your post I managed to trace some course outline materials from my undergraduate days. Wasn’t able to find much since I’m no longer in the UK and obtaining further materials from the university I studied at would probably take too long. Doesn’t help either that I had sold my textbooks after graduation! Thank goodness for colleagues and friends who had kept some of their course materials. 

Im still in the midst of drafting my statements for each subject I’m seeking exemption for in the practical training, which I will submit sometime at the beginning of February. Fingers crossed I’ll be exempted from a reasonableness number of subjects. My only concern is the volume of work and studies while I am working a full time job. I have a number of trials coming up this year and I’m hoping I’ll be able to juggle distance learning and work at the same time.

Ive written a few emails to UNE to find out about their exam centers. As I’m currently residing in Asia, I’m concerned that I may need to travel abroad to take the exams. I wonder if I am able to take the exams online. How were you able to get quick responses from the university? Would you mind sharing the email address if you have a particular person you wrote to?

Hi Lawyer Abroad! 

Thank you for such an informative post. I have been called to the Bar in the UK and have been in practice for 5 years now. I've been looking into re-qualifying in Australia and I'm still at very preliminary stages at the moment.

I'm having trouble deciding on which state/territory I should apply to for admission. If i commit and apply to a particular state/territory does that later on limit my practice within that particular state/territory? Or is this purely to pick and choose the court in which I will be later on called if I am successful in my exams? 

Also, how did you find distance learning whilst maintaining a full time job as a barrister (I'm assuming that you continued to work) Did you find the exam/course challenging or was it relatively manageable to complete within the timeframe that you did?