There is plagiarism … and then there is plagiarism: academic misconduct and admission to legal practice

ABSTRACT There is a symbiotic relationship between the legal profession and the tertiary education sector. The law degree itself is symbolic of this close relationship. Standards of the legal profession are reflected in the legal qualifications obtained by law students who wish to practice law. However the clarity of such professional requirements for legal practice become increasingly opaque with respect to plagiarism and entry to the profession. Importantly, it is the admission boards that grapple with how to balance the growth in law student plagiarism and the changing needs of the legal profession. This article exposes widely varying university plagiarism rules and argues that further research is required into whether professional admission boards should provide the “level playing field” for law students who may have fallen foul of university rules.