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The Law Extension Committee was established in 1964 by Resolution of The University of Sydney Senate. Its purpose is to provide courses in Law for students taking the Legal Profession Admission Board's examinations, which lead to the award by the Board of a Diploma in Law. For the purpose of admission to practice, intending law students have the option of taking the Board's Diploma or a law degree from an accredited university are equivalent.

The Legal Profession Admission Board is the admitting authority for the legal profession in New South Wales. Historically, the Board's examinations were the first means of admission to practice in New South Wales. Proliferation of university law courses has changed the landscape of legal education, but the Diploma program has remained popular and accessible, with approximately 1400 students.

Under the administration of the LEC Director, the University employs highly qualified and experienced academic and practitioner teachers. We teach a full law curriculum of twenty five subjects to evening and external students. Two 12-14 week sessions run each year, on the main campus of Sydney University and at its Law School in the central Sydney legal precinct. In addition to weekly lectures, weekend schools and online resources, students in early subjects have access to tutorials and workshops. All students have full borrowing and usage rights at the University's Law School Library. What is particularly distinctive about the course is its combination of professional orientation and academic rigour.

The Law Extension Committee hosted the Australian Client Interviewing and Negotiation Competitions in 2000. Teams representing the LEC have reached the finals in both competitions. In 2004 an LEC team represented Australia in Paris after winning the Australian Negotiation Competition and in 1998 an Australian team comprising two LEC students won the International Negotiation Competition in Los Angeles. LEC students have achieved honorable mention in the Vis Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vienna 2003) and were semi-finalists in the Madhav Rao Scindia International Moot Court Competition (Delhi 2005).