CEO Update
Our Commitment to the Profession
I thought it timely to provide a broad update on the College of Law.
For 50 years the College of Law has provided Practical Legal Training (PLT) to the industry and has been unambiguous about its public responsibilities. We are committed to providing the best possible programs at the most accessible price, and place a high value on optimising operational efficiency and effectiveness.
For the first half of the College’s existence, it was wholly funded from public sources. After that time it was directed to establish itself as a long-term viable business capable of funding its own services on business models entirely separate from all forms of public funding.
Across the entire 50 years, in variable forms of funding, the College has provided training to over 100,000 Australian legal professionals including to approximately 5,500 PLT students and 800 students in the Applied Law Masters Program in the past year alone.
International Presence
Whilst Australia will always be our primary focus, we now operate successful businesses in New Zealand, England & Wales and throughout Asia – with each forecast to return an operating surplus this financial year. Aside from delivering important professional training in these markets, our international operations also play an important role promoting the Australian profession in other common law jurisdictions.
Continuous Improvement and Student Feedback
The College maintains a commitment to continuous improvement and, to this end, we regularly survey our students and staff. Our national 2024 student completion survey results reflect an overwhelmingly positive sentiment amongst those who interacted with our organisation, albeit with further room for improvement. Headline results include:
- Positive overall learning experience - 78%
- Satisfaction rate with the course - 79%
- Lecturer quality, feedback and communication - 90%
- Likely to recommend the College - 81%
Further, the Federal Government’s Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) statistics for 2021 – 23 show 91% of College graduates found full-time employment within the first six months after completion. For the period 2022 – 23, 72% of College graduates were positive about their skills development; 76% rated teaching positively; and 73% were happy with teaching facilities and resources.
Finances and Fees
College of Law fees are based on the cost of delivering services, with a broad goal of achieving a 7% -10% surplus from operations to allow us to invest in future initiatives and withstand unexpected economic shocks and unforeseen events, such as COVID. College PLT fees were not increased for two consecutive years during the COVID pandemic.
Fees are reviewed periodically and following the recent consultation and feedback, the Board determined that 2025 PLT fees would be reduced by 14% from 2024 levels.
The College has always been one of the lowest fee providers of Practical Legal Training in Australia, and remains committed to ensuring access to the profession. An important objective of the original establishment of the College was to democratise entry to the profession and that continues to be a core concern of the organisation across all jurisdictions where it works.
Financial Position and Investment in the Profession
The College continues to be in a strong financial position after many years of prudent fiscal management. Whilst the College receives no government or other external funding, we invest heavily in the efficient delivery of services, including a major investment over the past year in enhancing student experience through redesigns of our education programs; and upgrades of our digital resources and student platforms.
During COVID, the College also delivered scholarships and bursaries to the value of approx. $3M.
I am pleased to report the College of Law retains a significant capital reserve, built up over the course of several decades and including the proceeds from the sale of our former headquarters in Chandos Street, St Leonards.
The great majority of the capital reserve fund (55%+) is made up from the proceeds of that sale in 2015 and/or returns on investments since 2016.
This reserve is important, as it provides a platform to fund future capital works; maintain fees at the lower end of the scale (the average PLT fee increase PA is 0.86% over the past decade); withstand shocks such as we experienced with COVID, and ride the bumps of volatile investment markets. A portion of the reserve has always been intended for reinvestment back into the Australian legal profession, and we are working with multiple stakeholders to determine how this can be best implemented.
Engagement with Stakeholders
The College of Law values input from all stakeholders and regularly conducts surveys and interviews with students and staff to gather feedback. This helps us continuously refine our PLT program to meet the evolving needs of the profession. We are open to reviewing the Chief Justice’s survey results and working collaboratively with the Chief Justice and other stakeholders to ensure the best outcomes for the profession.
Looking Ahead
The profession is entitled to have confidence in the College’s principles and in the ongoing capacity of the College organisation to responsibly meet its education and training needs into the future.
Sincerely,
Neville Carter
Chief Executive Officer
College of Law
