When should I apply for clerkships and graduate positions?

Short answer: In NSW, apply for graduate positions in March/April in your final year of study. Apply for clerkships in June/July of your penultimate year.

Long answer: There are a variety of positions available to apply for year round, particularly if you are open to working in other states. I have listed a few below, but this is just a small amount of what is actually on offer. If you do your own investigating, you will be surprised how many opportunities there are.  

Month	Positions likely to open
January	Victoria County Court – Associate positions Graduate and junior lawyer position NSW ODPP – Legal Development Program Graduate position SA Crown Solicitors – Paralegal Pool Paralegal position
February	Look out for graduate positions for immediate start. At this time of the year, some graduates may pull out of programs, leaving positions open. Firms will generally only advertise on their own website, so look at Career pages of the firms you are interested in.
March	Legal Aid Victoria New Lawyers Program Admitted lawyers with up to two years post admission experience Graduate programs at Sydney mid-tier firms commencing the following year including: -Landers & Rogers -Piper Alderman -TressCox Lawyers Some mid-tier firms use CV Mail, which simplifies the process of applying for several firms. CV Mail also lists firms that are accepting applications. Australian Government Solicitors Graduate Program Graduate position Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Graduate position Attorney General’s Department Graduate Program Graduate position
April
May
June	Summer clerkship programs for most firms in Sydney Summer Clerk position WA ODPP Articled Clerk program Graduate position
July	Office of Public Prosecutions Victoria – Legal Traineeship Program Graduate position
August	Graduate program at Mills Oakley Lawyers (Sydney) Summer clerkship positions in Victoria open around this time. The Victorian system is different to NSW in that law students will generally do two summer clerkships at different firms. The clerkships generally run for 4 weeks which is much shorter than the clerkship programs in NSW.
September	Summer Clerkships at Mills Oakley Lawyers (Sydney)
October	NSW Police Accelerated Prosecutors Recruitment Program Graduates and Lawyers Administrative Appeals Tribunal Melbourne recruitment of Associates/Legal Administrative Assistants Graduate position
November	SA Crown Solicitors Graduate Pool Graduate position Aboriginal Legal Services NSW Junior Lawyer position (advertised as needs arise)
December	NSW Office of Environment and Heritage – legal graduate program Graduate position Fair Work Building & Construction Graduate Program Graduate position Commonwealth ODPP Graduate Program Graduate position

Tips:

1. If you are looking to work at commercial law firms, check their careers page often for openings. Many law firms do not use recruitment agencies or advertise externally, so the only way you can find these jobs is to frequently visit the firm’s careers pages.
2. You would be surprised how many jobs are advertised on Linked In. Even some entry level legal jobs. Make sure your profile strength is at “All-Star” level. Your Linked In profile is more important than you think. Many online job applications now make you link your profile directly to your application. Your resume will be cross referenced with your Linked In page, so make sure they are consistent.
3. Beyond Law always has a few current jobs listed, and they are targeted at graduates and junior level lawyers, so you will be qualified to apply for most of them. See https://beyondlaw.com.au/job-hub.
4. For careers in social justice for students and new lawyers you cannot go past Social Justice Opportunities. See http://www.sjopps.net.au/sjopps/home.asp#latest.