UNE’s three-year Law degree has received formal recognition from the Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB) of Malaysia, creating new professional pathways for students and strengthening the School’s international standing.
Senior Lecturer Sharl Barathi Marimuthu, who led the submission for recognition, says the decision has very practical benefits for Malaysian students and those with ties to the region.
“Formal recognition by the Malaysian Legal Profession Qualifying Board means that UNE’s three-year law degree is now recognised in Malaysia,” Sharl explains. “In practical terms, Malaysian students who complete the UNE law degree can sit for the Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP), which is similar to Practical Legal Training in Australia. After completing the CLP and their chambering, they are able to enter legal practice in Malaysia.”
After completing the CLP and their chambering, they (students) are able to enter legal practice in Malaysia.
For UNE, the recognition confirms that the Law program meets the academic standards expected for entry to the Malaysian profession.
“This recognition strengthens the international standing of the law program and creates clearer professional pathways for students from Malaysia and the wider region who want to study law in Australia while keeping the option of practising in their home country,” Sharl says.
Image: At the UNE Law School LPQB Malaysia announcement, from left to right: Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Evans, Senior Lecturer Sharl Marimuthu, SABL Executive Dean Sujana Adapa and Professor John Gibson.
Demonstrating quality to the Malaysian LPQB
Sharl led a detailed and collaborative process to secure the LPQB’s approval.
“The recognition process involved preparing a detailed submission to the Malaysian Legal Profession Qualifying Board demonstrating that UNE’s Law program meets the academic standards required for legal practice in Malaysia,” she says.
“This meant carefully mapping our curriculum against the core subjects expected by the Board, providing evidence on how the program is delivered, assessed and governed, and explaining the academic support structures in place for students.”
In the submission, the team highlighted key strengths of UNE’s Law program, including:
- the rigour of the curriculum
- a strong focus on foundational legal knowledge and skills
- the quality of teaching and assessment practices
- robust governance processes that maintain academic standards.
“We also demonstrated how the program prepares graduates with the analytical, research and professional skills expected of law graduates,” Sharl adds. “The process required close collaboration across the School of Law and the University, but it was ultimately about showing that the quality and integrity of UNE’s law degree aligns with international expectations for legal education.”
A regional, online model with international recognition
Sharl says the decision is a powerful endorsement of UNE’s approach to legal education, particularly its support for regional and online learners.
“From my perspective, this recognition is a strong endorsement of the quality of UNE’s legal education,” she says. “It shows that the standards of our curriculum, teaching and assessment are recognised internationally, even though we operate in a regional university and deliver much of our program online.”
This recognition is a strong endorsement of the quality of UNE’s legal education.
UNE has a long history of supporting students who cannot easily relocate to major cities but still seek a high-quality legal education.
“What also stands out is the distinctiveness of our student community,” Sharl notes. “Many of our students balance study with work, family and other commitments, and our teaching approach is designed to support that flexibility while maintaining rigorous academic standards. Recognition by the Malaysian Legal Profession Qualifying Board reflects the strength of that model and confirms that graduates of UNE’s Law program are well prepared for professional pathways both in Australia and internationally.”
New international opportunities for UNE Law graduates
The LPQB recognition opens new doors for current and future UNE Law students.
“This recognition opens up new pathways for UNE Law students who may wish to pursue legal careers beyond Australia,” Sharl explains. “For students with connections to Malaysia, it means that a UNE law degree can now provide a clearer route to legal practice there through the Certificate in Legal Practice and subsequent chambering. That creates greater mobility for graduates who may want to work across jurisdictions or keep their options open internationally.”
The benefits extend beyond Malaysia.
“More broadly, it strengthens UNE Law’s international profile and signals that our graduates are trained to standards recognised beyond Australia,” she says. “This can support opportunities in international law firms, cross-border legal work, government and policy roles and further professional training in different jurisdictions.”
For prospective students from Malaysia and the wider region, the decision confirms UNE as an attractive place to study law while maintaining professional pathways at home.
Building on a new milestone
Sharl sees this recognition as a foundation for deeper international engagement.
“Looking ahead, this recognition gives us a strong foundation to deepen our international engagement,” she says. “One area we are interested in developing further is partnerships with universities and institutions in Malaysia and the broader region. These collaborations could create clearer study pathways, joint learning opportunities and stronger academic connections for our students and staff.”
Looking ahead, this recognition gives us a strong foundation to deepen our international engagement
Curriculum development will continue to focus on ensuring graduates are ready for an increasingly international profession.
“It also encourages us to continue refining the curriculum so that it remains globally relevant while still grounded in the strong foundations of Australian legal education,” Sharl explains. “As legal practice becomes more international, exposing students to comparative legal perspectives and cross-border issues will be increasingly valuable.”
As legal practice becomes more international, exposing students to comparative legal perspectives and cross-border issues will be increasingly valuable.
The LPQB decision also lays the groundwork for further recognition.
“More broadly, this milestone opens the door to exploring future recognition or partnership opportunities in other jurisdictions,” Sharl says. “The goal is to ensure that UNE Law graduates continue to have flexible and meaningful professional pathways, whether they choose to practise in Australia or Malaysia.”
