A future in law is diverse—just like you. There’s no substitute for experience. Securing work experience is a crucial step in starting your career; and work experience can be accessed by various means. Explore some potential pathways below.
Clerkship
Clerkships are holiday work experience programs that many firms offer to law students. Clerkships can run anywhere from two to 12 weeks and are usually open to students in the second last year of their law degree. To see a list of exhibiting firms and their clerkship program information, click here.
Community Legal Centres
Community Legal Centres (CLCs) regularly take on law students as volunteers to assist with tasks including legal research and interviewing clients. CLCs offer a hands-on experience, and student volunteers get to see the law in action and assist those in need.
Social Justice
Gain practical experience and help the disadvantaged by volunteering. Social Justice Opportunities (SJOpps) is a resource for law students and new lawyers seeking a career in social justice. This popular website contains a variety of job listings for volunteer positions, internships, part-time and full-time roles. These are updated weekly and shared on the SJOpps Facebook and Twitter feeds.
Law student societies and faculties
Law school societies, associations and faculties often list local volunteer opportunities for students to gain valuable work experience and engage with the profession.
Research assistance
If you enjoy legal research, ask around for research assistant roles with a barrister, or with an academic at your university – it’s a great way to gain an in-depth understanding of a particular legal area.
Internships
A range of other organisations also offer internships to law students. Depending on your interests, opportunities are available with the Australian Law Reform Commission, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Commonwealth and State Government departments, large accounting firms, major corporations, and more.
Government
Explore the opportunities available for work experience, vacation employment and industry placement within the Queensland State Government and federal government.