Work-integrated learning opportunities

Griffith Law School runs annual Meet the Profession Networking Events in Brisbane and the Gold Coast where students can network with representatives from key organisations including:

• 18 Inns
• 8 Petrie Terrace Chambers
• Allens
• Ashkan Tai Lawyers
• Ashurst
• Bamberry Lawyers
• Bar Association of Queensland
• Barry Nilsson Lawyers
• BE Employment Law
• Behlau Murakami Grant
• BGM Legal
• BlueKey Lawyers
• Brisbane Family Law Centre
• CALM - Cultural Advocacy & Legal
• Carson Chambers
• Carter Newell
• Caxton Legal Centre
• Colin Biggers Paisley
• College of Law
• Cooper Grace Ward
• Crime and Corruption Commission
• Director of Public Prosecutions
• DSL Law
• Environmental Defenders Office
• Federal Court of Australia
• Feeney Family Law
• Gadens
• Gilmore Lawyers
• Gold Coast Community Legal Centre
• Herbert Smith Freehills
• Honan Family Law
• Hopgood Ganim Lawyers
• Iconic Legal
• JAG
• K&L Gates
• Lander & Rogers
• Lee Lawyers
• Legal Aid Queensland
• Leo Cussen
• McLaughlin Lawyers
• MinterEllison
• North Quarter Land Chambers
• Nyst Legal
• Oden Legal
• OWNit Conveyancing
• Parole Board Qld
• Passage Migration Consulting
• Pharmacis Canning Lawyers
• Potts Lawyers
• Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion
• Queensland Parliament
• Refugee and Immigration Legal Service
• Shand Taylor Lawyers
• Shine Lawyers
• Small Myers Hughes
• Southport Magistrates Court
• Stone Group Lawyers
• Supreme Court Library Qld
• Ten Heads Immigration Consultants
• United Federation of Volunteer for Refugees Action
• Vered Turner Lawyers
• Walker Pender Group Lawyers
• Workplace Solutions
• Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific

Griffith Law School runs various seminars throughout the year to assist with career development. These include guest speakers from the profession and career advisors from Griffith University. We recommend you attend these events whenever possible as there are many opportunities to ask questions about specific career paths. Recordings and examples of topics are listed below:

• Courts Panel
• From Law School to Lawyer
• Criminal Law Panel
• 2020 Gold Coast Meet the Profession
• Working in Corporate/Finance/Commercial Law
• Finding the Right Fit
• Alternative Career Pathways
• Family Law
• Leveraging your LinkedIn

The Griffith Careers and Employment Service offers a range of resources to assist with your career planning, applying for a job, finding a job and improving your employability. You can also book a one-on-one appointment with a Career Development Consultant who can help you to understand your career options and help you transition to graduate employment. Find out more on their website here.

We offer some great online virtual placements with leading law firms and community legal centres, in partnership with our provider, Forage, which you can complete at your own pace.

Forage

Forage -  Develop skills without boundaries

Prosple is an Australian leading graduate recruitment specialist.  There is a designated Law Careers Advice section for Law Students.

On offer between January – July (apply in July 1 year prior)

Law firms offer clerkship programs throughout the year with varying application dates.

Details of the application dates for clerkship programs can be found on the Queensland Law Society (QLS) website.

Applications open each year in early March and close mid-April and all firms participating in the program use the same recruitment deadlines.

Firms participating in the clerkship process are listed on the QLS website and on the firm’s websites. It is highly recommended to complete a clerkship if you wish to work at one of the larger law firms following graduation.

On offer during January / February / March – many organisations also commence recruitment for graduate programs for the following year.

Internship programs outside of law firms – visit websites below to look for opportunities and apply directly to the organisation.

Organisations which are not law firms also offer various graduate and internship programs which Law students are eligible for. Examples include government, NGOs, large consulting firms such as Price Waterhouse Coopers, BDO and banks.

You can source these directly from the organisation or from websites such as LinkedIn, Seek, BeyondLaw, CareerHub, Queensland Government graduate portal and Lawyers weekly.

The Queensland Government also offer internship programs in several departments.

Useful information regarding legal clerkships and internships can also be found on the following websites:

Law and Legal Clerkships and Internships in Queensland

Law Internships in Brisbane

Mastering the Clerkship Application

Clerkship Interview Survival Guide

On offer for Trimester 1 and Trimester 2

My Community Legal is based at Robina, Gold Coast and accepts student volunteers each trimester. Griffith Law School coordinates the application process, so look out for a call for applications via Learning@Griffith or the Griffith Law School Facebook page, usually 1 or 2 months before the trimester commences.

All opportunities will be advertised via Learning@Griffith as they arise, please check that page regularly for the most up to date information on current opportunities. A copy of all new announcements on Learning@Griffith is also emailed to students.

Disrupting Law is a unique 54-hour hackathon for tertiary students focused on finding new opportunities in the legal industry. Disrupting Law allows people to join forces in creating solutions through fast paced, creative and interdisciplinary problem solving. Serving as a platform for idea generation, relationship building and skill progression, participants will be energised and geared up to tackle the next challenge in the legal industry.

Students from a range of faculties and universities come together over a weekend to search for the next best idea to advance legal practice in a novel way. In a process that is deliberately randomised to spark new connections and friendships, student teams are partnered with mentoring law firms.

Students and their law firm mentors will spend 54 hours designing an idea to “disrupt law”.  All teams will pitch to a panel of experienced judges and the public on Sunday evening for a range of opportunities, awards and prizes.

All tertiary students are welcome to participate, no matter their university or degree.  As you must hit the ground running, we particularly encourage those with law and technology backgrounds to apply (but an interest and a measure of enthusiasm will suffice!).

For more information and dates visit their website.

The role of a Judge’s Associate is unique and involves a close working relationship between the Judge and the Associate. The Associate is a personal and confidential aide to the Judge, in and out of court, in connection with all the Judge’s concerns. An Associate must understand, and have the personality and skill to deal with, the demands and restrictions that are particular to judicial life. Some of the main duties of an Associate include:

• conducting legal research
• liaising with court staff, the legal profession, government departments, the press and the public
• ensuring the effective and efficient conduct of the Judge’s court, including arraignments, jury empanelling and taking of verdicts in criminal trials, listing matters, custody of court files and recording orders
• travelling with the Judge on circuit and other court business.

A position as an associate is a rare opportunity to gain insight into the court processes behind the scenes. It is an invaluable experience, particularly for those interested in litigation or a career as a barrister. Associates are generally appointed for one year. You are encouraged to apply if you will have completed a law degree by the time you would be due to commence as an Associate.

For more information and dates visit their website.

There are several opportunities for clerkship applicants to network with law firms recruiting for clerkships. It is strongly advisable to attend the following events if applying for clerkships:

Meet the Profession Networking Events Please see more details at the top of page.

The Queensland Law Society Legal Careers Expo  

The Queensland Law Society holds this free event each year in March and it is great for students in their penultimate or final year of law.

Discover career paths and opportunities by meeting with representatives from leading law firms, community legal centres and organisations in the legal tech space. Hear about their vacation clerkships, graduate placements and life in the law. Chat one-on-one with a HR professional to have your LinkedIn profile or hardcopy CV revamped to best convey your experience, skills and education.

Griffith University Careers Fair Event and networking events

Look out for advertisements via Learning@Griffith or the GLS Facebook page.

The BIG MEET Careers Fair  

This free event is held in March and organised by the Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE).

• Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre.
• Students can register online here.
• This event covers all sectors, not just law, but is great particularly for students studying double degrees and not necessarily fixed on a graduate role in a law firm.

The following organisations have previously attended The Big Meet in Brisbane:

• Anglo American Metallurgical Coal
• Aurizon
• Australian Federal Police
• Australian Internships
• Australian Taxation Office
• Boral
• Brisbane Catholic Education
• Carlton & United Breweries
• Coles
• CSG
• Defence Force Recruiting
• Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women
• Department of Defence
• Department of Home Affairs
• Department of Human Services
• Department of Infrastructure
• Transport, Cities and Regional Development
• Department of Social Services
• Department of the Treasury
• Department of Veterans' Affairs
• DLA Piper
• Downer Group
• ENREACH Education
• FDM Group Australia Pty Ltd
• GHD Pty Ltd
• Grad Australia Pty Ltd.
• Hastings Deering (Australia) Limited
• Jumbo Interactive
• Kraft Heinz
• Linfox
• Mainfreight
• Navitas Professional
• Palladium
• Planit Testing
• Project Everest Ventures
• Queensland Corrective Services
• Queensland Rail
• RACQ
• Reece Group
• RSM Australia Pty Ltd
• Saab Australia Pty Ltd
• Santos Ltd
• The Financial Planning Association of Australia