ANNOUNCEMENT

10 December 2025

Introducing: The Mead Model of Legal Education Reform (2025)

Reimagining how Australia prepares its future lawyers

I am proud to share The Mead Model of Legal Education Reform, Training and Admission, a comprehensive redesign of the pathway from university study to professional practice.

This work responds to long-standing issues in the legal training system, including:

• duplication between university degrees and PLT,
  
  

• inequity for mature-aged students and women,
  
  

• governance failures in higher education,
  
  

• the strain of immersive JD programs,
  
  

• mental-health pressures on law students, and
  
  

• the need for clearer, safer and more supported pathways into the profession.

The Mead Model proposes a strengthened and more equitable system that includes:

• a refocused academic degree built on deep doctrinal foundations,
  
  

• a 12-month paid supervised practice year to replace PLT,
  
  

• a short practice-focus qualification,
  
  

• a micro-capstone evaluation,
  
  

• and structured recognition of prior experience for long-serving paralegals and legal professionals.
  
  

This framework was submitted to the NSW Legal Profession Admission Board (LPAB) in 2025 and contributes to ongoing national conversations about legal education, governance, mental health and access to justice.

Three accompanying papers are available:

1. The Mead Model – Full Working Paper (Version 3, 2025)
   
   

2. Governance Failures in Higher Education – Addendum A
   
   

3. Why PLT Reform Cannot Proceed Without Reforming the LLB/JD and Priestley Framework
   
   

These materials form part of my broader portfolio on legal reform, education, governance and the future of the profession.

© 2025 Dianne Mead (also publishes as Dianne Fernan-Mead).
All rights reserved.

Cite This

Mead, Dianne. “Executive Summary Practical Legal Training LPAB NSW 2025 Dianne Mead,” n.d.