The Law School Now and Then: From 1928 to the Juris Doctor

When the University of Western Australia was established in 1913, it had no Law School. The only way at that time in which lawyers could qualify for admission to practice was by undergoing a period of practical training - service of five years in articles with a practising lawyer. As early as 1920, the Professorial Board resolved to recommend the establishment of a Faculty of Law, and agreement was reached with the Barristers' Board (as the authority regulating the legal profession in Western Australia was then called), under which students would complete a four year LLB and would then be qualified for admission to practise after service of three years in articles, instead of the usual five. But implementation of this plan was delayed, because it was thought to be too expensive. For the first time, but certainly not for the last, financial problems stood in the way of progressing the development of legal education.