An Australian practising certificate granted in NSW is subject to conditions imposed by or under legal profession legislation. You may hold only one Australian practising certificate and the category which you hold will be determined by the nature of your intended practice. Section 47(1) of the Uniform Law specifies the categories of practising certificate which the Law Society may issue. These categories are:

Principal of a law practice: The holder is authorised to engage in legal practice as a principal of a law practice* and also as an employee of a law practice, corporate legal practitioner or government legal practitioner and also as a volunteer at a community legal service, or otherwise on a pro bono basis**.

Employee of a law practice: The holder is authorised to engage in legal practice as an employee of a law practice and also as a corporate legal practitioner or government legal practitioner and also as a volunteer at a community legal service, or otherwise on a pro bono basis**.

Corporate legal practitioner: The holder is authorised to engage in legal practice as a corporate legal practitioner or government legal practitioner and also as a volunteer at a community legal service, or otherwise on a pro bono basis**.

Government legal practitioner: The holder is authorised to engage in legal practice as a government legal practitioner or corporate legal practitioner and also as a volunteer at a community legal service, or otherwise on a pro bono basis**.

Volunteer: The holder is authorised to engage in legal practice both as a volunteer at a community legal service and otherwise on a pro bono basis, only**.

*The holder may not engage in legal practice as a sole practitioner or sole principal of an incorporated or unincorporated legal practice or a community legal service if the holder's practising certificate is subject to Condition 2 (supervised legal practice) or a discretionary condition requiring supervision.

**Discretionary conditions imposed by the Law Society's Council may prohibit, restrict or regulate the provision of legal services by an Australian legal practitioner at community legal services or otherwise on a pro bono basis.