Frequently Asked Questions - Student Registration

If you wish to enrol as a new student in the Diploma-in-Law you must register as a Student-at-Law by no later than 1 March or 1 September each year to be eligible to enrol in the following term.   

Late applications may be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Please submit a new student enquiry  detailing the extenuating circumstances that lead to you being unable to register by the deadline. 

Sign up for your student portal (STEMS) account on the LPAB website.

This will take approximately 20 minutes to complete

You will need a private email address. This will serve as your username, which cannot be changed during your studies with the LPAB. Please use an appropriate email address, i.e., not a workplace, temporary or shared email address. 

Step 1: You will receive three separate emails with verification passcodes. This is required to meet the high security standards of Department of Communities and Justice accounts. 

Step 2: Log-in to the STEMS portal via the log-in screen. We suggest you add the log-in page to your bookmarks for easy access.  

Step 3: Apply to register as a student-at-law by selecting ‘Registration’ from the home screen.  There is a one-off registration fee of $340 that will be payable on STEMS as part of the application process. 

Step 4: Once you have completed the registration process, the LPAB team will assess your registration and you will be notified of the outcome via email.

To be eligible to register as a student you must satisfy the criteria of one of the entry categories as required by the Legal Profession Admission Rules 2005.

A list of the categories and documentation required can be found here.

Note: If you are applying for Entry under category 29 (i) please refer to the Department of Education website for further information. 

To register as a student you will need: 

• To sign up to the portal you must provide at least 100 points of identification. Different types of documents are worth varying points as detailed here.
• You must provide proof that you meet the requirements for the entry category you are applying under. A list of entry categories and the corresponding required documents can be found here.
• You will need to provide a passport-style photograph of yourself, such as a clear image showing your full face.
• If you reside overseas you will need either the  Request for exemption to Rule 29(1) – Australian Residency Declaration Form or Remote Study from Overseas Declaration. 

Incomplete or incorrect documentation may delay the assessment and approval of your application. Please ensure all required documents are accurate and submitted in full to avoid processing delays.

If you have undertaken, but not completed, academic studies in an Australian accredited course or undertaken, within Australia, law-related studies outside an Australian accredited law course you will need to apply to the LPAB for an assessment of these qualifications. 

You can apply for an assessment of your existing academic qualifications by submitting Form A3 and paying the associated $370 fee. The assessment process takes up to 12 weeks. 

You will only be able to enrol in subjects in order until you have received the outcome of your application i.e. in your first semester you must enrol in 01 Foundations of Law to start. 

Participation in the course from overseas is only permitted if you have received a direction letter under Rule 11 of the Uniform Rules (overseas legal qualification assessment).

Please see the 'Remote Study from Overseas Declaration' for more information. You will need to attach the completed declaration to your student registration case on STEMS. 

As provided under Rule 29(1), all other students must be residents of Australia in order to be eligible to register as a student.

Students studying the Diploma are not eligible for student visas.

The Board's Diploma course is not accredited or registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), and therefore students studying the Diploma are not eligible for student visas.

A list of CRICOS approved providers and courses is available at www.cricos.deewr.gov.au. For further information regarding visas, please contact the Department of Home Affairs.

LPAB staff are unable to assist or provide advice regarding visas and it is a students responsibility to ensure they are complying with the conditions of their visa.