The Legal Profession Admission Board is the statutory authority responsible for the admission of lawyers in New South Wales. It was formerly two separate boards; the Barristers Admission Board and the Solicitors Admission Board. The Legal Profession Act 1993 introduced common admission for both branches of the profession resulting in the merger of the two boards.
The board has responsibility for accrediting academic and practical legal training courses leading to admission as a lawyer. The board is also tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that candidates for admission are of good character. In addition to accrediting University courses, the board also conducts examinations leading to a Diploma in Law. The board's Diploma is the equivalent of an accredited law degree and satisfies the academic requirements for admission to the profession. This course is the oldest law course in Australia, dating back to 1848.[1]