About the Unpaid Practical Legal Training (PLT) Agreement Template for Australian Law Firm

If your Australian law firm is hosting a Practical Legal Training (PLT) student for their required unpaid work experience placement(sometimes called a PLT Placement), you need a legally sound agreement that reflects the rules of the Fair Work Act and PLT providers such as the College of Law.

Our Unpaid PLT Work Experience Agreement Template is designed specifically for law firms in Australia to set clear expectations and protect your business when taking on a PLT student. It includes all the key clauses law firms need to:

• Comply with Fair Work’s rules for vocational placements

• Meet the supervision and ethical standards under the Legal Profession Uniform Law

• Clarify the educational and observational nature of the placement

• Set boundaries on the use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Lexis+ AI

• Protect client confidentiality and intellectual property

• Include supervisor details (as required by most PLT providers)

It also covers risk, conflict of interest disclosures, professional indemnity coverage (where applicable), and confirms that the PLT student is not an employee.

✅ Perfect for: Small to mid-sized Australian law firms
✅ Designed by: Lawyers and legal publishers at Ready to Boss Legal
✅ Format: Microsoft Word – easy to customise
✅ Jurisdiction: Compliant with Australian law and relevant PLT training guidelines

Whether you're hosting your first PLT student or streamlining your internship compliance processes, this agreement gives you peace of mind and a professional starting point.

The Unpaid Practical Legal Training (PLT) Work Experience Agreement Template includes specific clauses setting out the responsibilities and obligations of the PLT student, the nature of the PLT arrangement and the term of the arrangement, noting this should only be for the term required by the PLT training provider necessary to ensure the practical training components of the diploma or degree have been met.

This template:

• should be provided to each PLT student to read and sign before they start their PLT placement;

• requires you to fill in the details in red text to complete it, including your business name and ABN, the state or territory in which you live and details of the PLT Student and PLT Placement; and

• is a general template drafted for Australian laws and does not incorporate any specific arrangements.

 Note that:

• Fair Work Australia has strict rules around vocational internships (this is what the PLT Placement falls under) and in providing this template we do not give advice on the suitability of your business for an unpaid internship or vocational internship. You can see those rules at this link: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/starting-employment/unpaid-work/work-experience-and-internships

• The Practical Legal Training Rules will apply: https://www.collaw.edu.au/?audience=LawGraduatePLT#tab-0000-0000-7995-2 in particular note that the PLT student must have training in the delivery of legal services, require supervision by an appropriate supervisor and can do the placement in one or multiple placements. You should find and/ or ask the PLT student to furnish you with the Work Experience Rules published by the relevant training provider to ensure these terms are being met. You may also require a training plan and the supervising lawyer may need to meet specific requirements around experience, good standing and capacity to provide adequate supervision.

• If the PLT Student provides work for your law firm that is productive beyond mere observation and training, they should be paid. You can place an unpaid PLT student if the work that they are providing as part of their placement is not productive or is solely observation and training. You will need to keep an eye on this as their placement progress.

• You may be required to contribute to the PLT Student’s assessment and provide feedback to the PLT Provider on their progress and performance, you should factor this into your commitment to allow the placement.

• As a law firm, you have a responsibility to ensure that PLT students are exposed to and understand the highest standards of professional conduct and ethical behaviour, as outlined in the Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules 2015 (or appropriate rules in your jurisdiction).

•   It is suggested you have policies in procedures in place for all PLT Students and staff in your law firm.📎 Don't forget – we also have a Law Firm Policy Handbook to help you manage PLT students and junior staff.If you have any questions, please get in touch with us to discuss customised amendments via bossteam@readytobosslegal.com

Disclaimer

Ready to Boss Legal is a legal publisher. We are not a law firm and you acknowledge that by purchasing, downloading and customising this template, Ready to Boss Legal is not acting as your lawyer or providing you with legal advice. This template is legal information only and should not substitute for or constitute professional legal advice. We recommend you consult with a lawyer for legal advice, noting Ready to Boss Legal is a legal publisher and not a law firm.

All copyright in this document belongs exclusively to Ready to Boss Legal. We grant you a one use non-exclusive, royalty-free, revocable license to use this document for the purposes of using it in your business or for personal use. However, this document may not be copied, given to a third party, re-sold, reproduced, transmitted electronically or otherwise used in any way in whole or in part for the purpose of commercial gain by you for any purpose that may amount to competition with Ready to Boss Legal.