LAW CLERKSHIPS IN AUSTRALIA
If you’re beginning to explore your options for legal experience, clerkships are probably one of the first things you’ve come across. They can sound a bit mysterious at first - deadlines, interviews, testing - but once you understand the steps, it all becomes much clearer.
This article breaks down the process, deadlines and benefits of legal clerkships and how they can help you land a graduate role.
WHAT IS A CLERKSHIP
A legal clerkship (often called a summer or winter clerkship or law clerkship) is a 4-10 week, structured work placement for law students. Clerkships usually run during the university break and give you hands-on experience inside a law firm, government legal team, or corporate legal department.
Think of a clerkship as a “trial run” of lawyering: you work alongside practising lawyers, tackle tasks that resemble junior lawyer work, and get a feel for whether that environment suits you.
For many firms in Australia, clerkships are the main pathway to graduate programs. A strong clerkship can lead directly to a graduate job offer — which is why understanding the clerkship process early is so important.
WHAT WORK DO YOU DO IN A LEGAL CLERKSHIP
Every firm structures its program differently, but most clerkships include a mix of:
- Legal research: analysing cases, summarising issues, preparing notes
- Drafting: letters, memos, file notes or sections of advice
- Client exposure: sitting in on meetings, calls or court appearances
- Rotations: spending time in different practice groups
- Group tasks: hypothetical exercises or projects with other clerks
- Training: workshops, presentations and learning sessions
- Networking: morning teas, clerk events and casual chats with lawyers
You’re usually paired with a buddy (often a graduate) and a supervising solicitor, so you always have someone to check in with.
WHO CAN APPLY FOR A LAW CLERKSHIP
Eligibility varies by firm and state, but most Australian law firms recruit:
- Penultimate-year students (most common), and sometimes
- Final-year students
If you’re not sure whether you qualify, check each firm’s website carefully, many clearly list who can apply.
WHICH FIRMS OFFER CLERKSHIPS IN AUSTRALIA?
Most commercial, national and top-tier law firms run structured clerkship programs. Government departments and in-house teams may offer similar short-term placements, though they often use different recruitment timelines.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of organisations who offer clerkships:
| ORGANISATIONS | ORGANISATIONS |
|---|---|
| Allens | HopgoodGanim Lawyers |
| Ashurst | HWL Ebsworth |
| Baker McKenzie | Johnson Winter & Slattery |
| Clayton Utz | K&L Gates |
| Corrs Chambers Westgarth | King & Wood Mallesons |
| DLA Piper | Maddocks |
| Gadens | Mills Oakley |
| Gilbert & Tobin | MinterEllison |
| Hall & Willcox | Norton Rose Fulbright |
| Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer |
WHEN DO LAW CLERKSHIP APPLICATIONS OPEN IN AUSTRALIA?
Most clerkship applications in Australia open mid-year, particularly in NSW, VIC, WA and QLD. Several states have a formal “clerkship recruitment scheme” that sets standard open and close dates.
Helpful links:
WHAT IS THE CLERKSHIP RECRUITMENT PROCESS LIKE?
Although each firm’s process looks slightly different, most follow these stages:
Your first step is submitting an online application through the firm’s portal. This usually includes:
- A tailored cover letter
- Your resume
- An academic transcript
- Short-answer questions about your interests, skills, values or career goals
Some firms also ask for extracurricular examples, work experience summaries, or written responses to scenario-based questions.
If your written application is shortlisted, you may be invited to a:
- Phone interview,
- Pre-recorded video interview, or
- Live online interview
These typically explore your motivation, communication skills, teamwork experience and interest in the firm’s practice areas.
Many large firms use psychometric assessments as part of the clerkship process. These may include:
- Cognitive ability tests
- Personality questionnaires
- Situational judgement tasks
- Work-style assessments
They're not designed to “trick” you, they simply help firms understand how you work, learn and interact.
Some firms run group-based sessions (in person or online) that include:
- Group activities
- Case studies
- Written exercises
- Problem-solving tasks
- Team activities
- Short interviews with lawyers or HR
Assessment centres test how you collaborate, communicate and handle pressure, qualities that matter in legal practice.
If you progress, you’re invited to a formal interview with partners, senior associates or HR. These interviews often include:
- Behavioural questions (“Tell us about a time you…”)
- Questions about your studies and work experience
- Commercial awareness questions
- Discussions about your career plans
- An opportunity to ask questions about the firm
Many firms also include informal chats or clerk events so you can get a feel for the culture.
Before making an offer, some firms contact your professional or academic referees.
If you’re successful, firms make clerkship offers on standardised dates in states that run co-ordinated recruitment schemes (e.g., NSW, VIC, WA).
If you receive multiple offers, you usually have a set timeframe to decide.
Once you accept, you’ll receive onboarding details, induction information, and your rotation.
CLERKSHIPS ARE LIMITED, BUT YOUR OPTIONS AREN'T
Clerkships offer great experience, but they’re only one pathway into the profession. Thousands of students become lawyers every year without ever doing a clerkship.
There are plenty of other ways to build your skills, get legal experience and stand out to employers, including:
- Paralegal or legal assistant roles
- Community legal centre volunteering
- Government and regulator internships
- In-house legal experience
- Research assistant roles
- Judge’s associateships
- PLT work experience placements
- Smaller firms that hire directly throughout the year
These pathways can be just as valuable, and in some cases, even better suited to your interests and personality.
IT'S OKAY IF CLERKSHIP SEASON DOESN'T GO HOW YOU EXPECTED
Maybe you apply and don’t get interviews.
Maybe you get interviews but not an offer.
Maybe you decide halfway through that commercial firms aren’t actually for you.
All of these outcomes are normal.
Your legal career is a marathon, not a moment. A clerkship is one opportunity, not the opportunity.
WHAT REALLY MATTERS LONG-TERM
Employers look for curiosity, work ethic, communication skills, initiative and a genuine interest in the law. You can show these in many different ways, not just in a clerkship.
Students who miss out often go on to secure:
- PLT placements in great firms
- Graduate roles through year-round recruitment
- Fantastic jobs in legal teams that don’t even run clerkships
- Government and in-house opportunities
- Career paths they didn’t even know existed when they started law school
So yes, clerkships can be helpful, but they don’t define your future. You still have plenty of time, options, and ways to become the lawyer you want to be.
ARE LEGAL CLERKSHIPS WORTH IT?
Legal clerkships are one of the most well-known pathways into graduate roles in Australia, but they’re not the only one. Whether you’re aiming for a commercial firm or simply curious about legal practice, understanding the process early will help you feel more prepared and more confident when applications open.
GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT STEP?
If you’re thinking ahead to becoming a lawyer, you’ll also want to understand Practical Legal Training (PLT), the final stage of your legal education before admission.
