Accredited Specialisation

Current and aspiring Accredited Specialists may be interested in the reciprocal credit pathways recently introduced between the Accredited Specialisation Board and some Victorian universities and other Tertiary Institutions.
The Credit Pathways are offered at a Master level both for Accredited Specialists commencing a Master of Laws (LLM) and LLM graduates commencing Accredited Specialisation.

Credit into a Master of Laws (LLM)

College of Law

The College of Law have granted LIV Accredited Specialists in Family Law and Commercial Litigation two units of unspecified credit in a Master of Applied Law (Family Law and Commercial Litigation respectively).

For further information on the Credit Pathway between the LIV Accredited Specialists and the College of Law please contact The College of Law

Deakin University

The School of Law will grant Accredited Specialists a credit of one, and up to two, units of credit towards a Deakin LLM.
For further information on the Credit Pathway between the Deakin University LLM and Accredited Specialisation contact Deakin University.

La Trobe University

The School of Law will grant practitioners who have attained their LIV Specialist Accreditation within the last three years a one subject credit towards an LLM degree.
For further information on the Credit Pathway between the La Trobe University LLM and Accredited Specialisation contact La Trobe University.

Credit into Specialist Accreditation

Reciprocal credit pathways into Accredited Specialisation are also offered to applicants who have completed Master level units or an entire LLM.

Credit into Accredited Specialisation – College of Law Graduates in Master of Applied Law – Family or Commercial Litigation

Graduates from the College of Law Master of Applied Law in Family or Commercial Litigation will be granted exemption from the written examination component of the Accredited Specialisation program in Family Law and Commercial Litigation.

General Credit into Specialist Accreditation

The Accredited Specialisation Board will grant an exemption from a single assessment component to applicants who have successfully completed four LLM units or more in the relevant area of Accredited Specialisation.
Eligibility for the exemption is subject to the following conditions:

• The LLM units must have been completed within the preceding five years of the date of application
• The LLM units completed must assess knowledge that is equivalent in range to the knowledge assessed in the Specialist Accreditation exam
• The LLM units completed must be at a level of complexity and standard of knowledge that is equivalent to that assessed in the Specialist Accreditation exam
• The LLM units completed must contain knowledge that is of equivalent relevance to practice in the Specialist Accreditation exam

Credit Pathways in Tax Law Specialist Accreditation

Applicants for Specialist Accreditation in Tax Law, who have completed a Master of Tax degree, may be exempted from sitting the written examination.
To be eligible, the Master of Tax must have been completed within the preceding five years of the date of application, and either include:

• A minimum of four tax practice related subjects, or
• Coursework, a minimum of half which must be tax practice related as well as a minor thesis in tax, or
• A major thesis pertaining to a tax practice related topic.

Am I eligible for a Credit Pathway?

If you are interested in finding out more about the Credit Pathways between Accredited specialisation and Master of Laws studies, please email special@liv.asn.au or contact the university direct.
Accredited Specialisation recommends you confirm details in writing of your credit eligibility and any dispensation you may be entitled to prior to commencement of the Accredited specialisation assessment program or appropriate LLM studies.

Mutual Recognition

Do you hold Specialist Accreditation in one state and wish to have that accreditation recognised in another state?
The mutual recognition scheme has been developed by the Law Societies in each state to assist practitioners who wish to have their Specialist Accreditation gained in one state recognised in another state. You may be moving interstate or your firm may deal with clients from both states.

A Mutual Recognition Fee is available in Victoria. Recognition in a second state does not have to mean double the fees.
For more information about a Mutual Recognition Fee or to be Accredited in Victoria as your 2nd state please contact our office on (03) 9607 9460  

Conditions for Recognition

The areas of practice in which Specialist Accreditation has been granted fall intro three categories. The Conditions for recognition vary according to the circumstances applicable in each category based on the area of law.

Category 1

Relationship:  Uniformity between the States 
Recognition: Automatic following application to the Board
1.1 A specialist accredited in their home State will automatically be recognised in a second State where the specialist:
(a) provides evidence of current specialist accreditation in their home State in an area of federal jurisdiction; and
(b) makes a written application to the Board in the second State.
1.2 Once the application for mutual recognition is accepted by the Board in the second State, the specialist will be recognised as an accredited specialist in both the home State and the second State and will be governed by the rules of the Schemes in both the home State and the second State relating to that accreditation, including payment of a yearly renewal fee in each State.

1.3 On an ongoing basis, the specialist may elect to continue to renew both accreditations or withdraw from one accreditation and maintain the other.

1.4 The accredited specialist is entitled to advertise that they hold accreditation in both States as long as both accreditations remain current. For example J.Johns, Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law [logo appears] in [home State] and [second State].

Category 2

2.1 In areas of practice with a high degree of similarity (but not uniformity) between the laws and procedures governing practice in both states, a specialist accredited in their home state will be recognised in the second state only after applying to the Board in the second state and demonstrating proficiency in those aspects of practice determined by the Board in the second state.

2.2 In order for a specialist to be eligible to gain recognition in a second State the specialist must:
(a) provide evidence of current specialist accreditation in their home State in an area of practice described in 2.1; and
(b) make a written application to the Board in the second State.

2.3 The relevant advisory committee in the second State will be responsible for recommending to the Board in the second State those aspects of practice in which the specialist must demonstrate proficiency and the method(s) of assessment.

2.4 The specialist must pay a fee as determined by the Board in the second State to cover the expenses of assessment and administration.

2.5 If successful in demonstrating proficiency under the assessment in the second State, the specialist will be recognised as an accredited specialist in both the home State and the second State and will be governed by the rules of the Schemes in both the home State and the second State, including payment of a yearly renewal fee in each State.

2.6 On an ongoing basis, the specialist may elect to continue to renew both accreditations or withdraw from one accreditation and maintain the other.

2.7 The accredited specialist is entitled to advertise that they hold accreditation in both States as long as both accreditations remain current. For example J.Johns, Accredited Specialist in Property Law [logo appears] in [home State] and [second State].

Areas not covered by Mutual Recognition

A.1 In areas of practice with substantial differences between the laws and/or the procedures governing practice in both States, a specialist accredited in their home State must apply to the Board in the second State and satisfactorily complete all the requirements for accreditation in that second State.

A.2 If successful in demonstrating proficiency under the assessment in the second State, the specialist will be recognised as an accredited specialist in both the home State and the second State and will be governed by the rules of the Schemes in both the home State and the second State, including payment of a yearly renewal fee in each State.

A.3 On an ongoing basis, the specialist may elect to continue to renew both accreditations or withdraw from one accreditation and maintain the other.A.4 The accredited specialist is entitled to advertise that they hold accreditation in both States as long as both accreditations remain current. For example J.Johns, Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law [logo appears] in [home State] and [second State].

B.1 If an area of practice is offered in the home State but not the second State, no recognition can be granted in the second State.

Advertising

An Accredited Specialist whose application for recognition in the second state is successful may advertise as, for example, J. Johns, Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law.

Other Accredited Specialists are required to specify the state in which accreditation has been granted if they advertise outside that state, for example, W. Walls, Accredited Specialist in Business Law (Victoria).

The next step

If you require further information or wish to have your interstate qualification recognised within Victoria, please contact the Manager, Accredited Specialisation

Ph: 9607 9460
Email: special@liv.asn.au