You can work in Australia with an Indian law degree, but the roles and pathways depend on whether you want to practice law or work in law-adjacent fields.
1. Practising as a Lawyer in Australia (Directly)
An Indian LLB alone is not enough to practice as a lawyer in Australia.
What you need:
Skills assessment by a state Legal Admissions Board
(e.g., NSW Legal Profession Admission Board)
Complete required Australian law subjects (often 6–12 units)
Practical Legal Training (PLT)
Admission to the Supreme Court of a state
After qualification, job roles:
Solicitor
Barrister (harder path, more experience needed)
Associate in law firms
Graduate lawyer
This path takes time + money but leads to full legal practice rights.
2. Legal & Law-Adjacent Jobs (Most Common Path)
These roles do NOT require Australian admission and are very popular with Indian law graduates.
A. Corporate & Commercial Roles
Legal Analyst
Compliance Officer
Contract Administrator
Risk & Governance Officer
Policy Advisor
Used in:
Corporations
Banks
Fintech companies
Consulting firms (Big 4: Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, EY)
B. Paralegal & Legal Support Roles
Paralegal
Legal Assistant
Case Manager
Litigation Support Officer
Indian law degrees are often accepted
Some employers may ask for local experience or short courses
C. Immigration & Migration Field
Migration Assistant
Migration Consultant (requires OMARA registration)
Case Officer in migration firms
Very popular with Indian nationals due to strong demand.
D. Government & Public Sector (Limited but Possible)
Policy Officer
Compliance Investigator
Regulatory Affairs Officer
Many government roles require PR or citizenship, but not all.
E. Academia & Research
Legal Research Assistant
PhD / Research Scholar
Teaching Assistant (after Australian LLM)
3. After Doing an LLM in Australia 🎓
An Australian LLM significantly improves job prospects.
Opens doors to:
Graduate legal roles
Corporate legal teams
International arbitration firms
In-house counsel pathways (long term)
Specializations with high demand:
Commercial Law
Technology / Cyber Law
International Business Law
Compliance & Regulatory Law
4. Visa Reality Check (Very Important)
Most common visas:
Student visa (subclass 500) → part-time work
Temporary Graduate visa (485) → post-study work
Skilled visas (after experience)
Practising lawyer roles usually require PR or long-term work rights
5. Salary Snapshot (Approximate)
Paralegal / Legal Assistant: AUD 55k–75k
Compliance / Legal Analyst: AUD 70k–100k
Graduate Lawyer: AUD 65k–80k
Experienced Corporate Legal Roles: AUD 100k+
Bottom Line
❤️Yes, Indian law graduates can work in Australia
❤️Most start in paralegal, compliance, or corporate roles
❤️ Full legal practice requires re-qualification
❤️An Australian LLM + local experience is the strongest combo