Concurrent Enrolment in the Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (‘GDLP’) at the Australian National University Legal Workshop
Under the rules of the Legal Workshop, students may apply to enrol in the GDLP provided they ‘… have completed at least 2 years (or equivalent) of your LLB degree’ and have ‘… a letter from the Sub-Dean of your institution indicating that there is no objection to you applying for concurrent enrolment in the GDLP.’[1]
At UNE the position of Course Co-ordinator is equivalent to, and replaces, the position of Sub Dean.
Because of the external/part time nature of our degree, it is often hard to say whether people are in the second year of their degree. The law degree requires 144 credit points over 3 years full time study (or equivalent). We will confirm that you have completed at least 2 years of the LLB when you have completed not less than 96 credit points of law units.
We have no objection to students enrolling in the GDLP provided that:
- They are in the last semester of the LLB;
- They are not overenrolled (ie doing more than 2 units if part time, 4 units if full time); and
- Their academic record suggests that they will be able to manage the workload.
In the past, students have sought special consideration or alternative assessment due to conflicts between the assessment in the GDLP and the LLB, for example where examinations are scheduled for the same time.
We will only ‘not object’ to concurrent enrolment on condition that you consider completion of your LLB as the first step in admission and therefore as your first priority. Accordingly, you must understand that if you do chose to enrol in the GDLP before you complete your LLB, you do so entirely at your own risk. UNE will not accept your enrolment in the GDLP as excusing any failure to attend any examination, or submit any assessment item. Should there be a conflict between an assessment item at UNE and ANU, for example should assignments be due or examinations scheduled for the same time, then we expect you to attend to your UNE commitments as your first priority. We will not consider that commitments to the GDLP warrant:
- Granting an extension on due dates for assignments;
- Granting permission to sit a special examination;
- Granting permission to submit alternative assessment for any unit; or
- Granting special consideration.
By expressing that we have ‘no objection’ we are not guaranteeing in any way that you will in fact complete your LLB when you anticipate or that you will be eligible to graduate at any particular time. We are not ‘approving’ your application or endorsing concurrent enrolment.
Michael Eburn
Law Awards Co-ordinator
28 May 2005
[1] <http://law.anu.edu.au/legalworkshop/pconcurrent.asp> at 25 May 2005.