Canberra Summer Clerkship 2026/27

Maddocks; Canberra; On-site; AUD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid parental leave

Discounted gym memberships

Health insurance

Salary continuance insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Maddocks is offering an 11-week Clerkship program in Canberra for law students to gain hands-on experience. The program includes high-quality training and the chance to work in two practice groups of your choice. To be eligible, candidates must be in their penultimate year of study, an Australian citizen or eligible resident, and able to start on 16 November 2026.

The role fosters a culture of collaboration and inclusiveness, aiming to develop key skills necessary for success in the legal field.

Qualifications

• You must be in the penultimate year of your law degree or JD program.
• You should be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
• You must be able to start the program on 16 November 2026.
• You are expected to complete your degree by December 2027.

Responsibilities

• Participate in high-quality training and learning opportunities.
• Work in two practice groups of your preference.
• Gain real-world experience through client matters.

Skills

Legal research

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Education

Penultimate year of undergraduate law degree or JD program

Job description

Maddocks offers a great place to Do What Matters to you. Byjoining our clerkship program, you will gain first-hand experienceworking on interesting, often high-profile matters, for a range ofclients. We are proud to be recognised as #5 in Law in theAustralian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE) 2025 & 2026 TopIntern Programs and #1 in Law – Top Graduate Employer.

About us

We are a modern Australian law firm with a leading reputation.At Maddocks, we focus on exceptional service, legal excellence andbeing at the forefront of employee experience. We work closely withAustralian and international businesses, organisations andgovernments. Our Canberra practice areas focus on public law andinclude; Corporate & Commercial, Real Estate & Construction,Dispute Resolution & Litigation, Probity and Privacy.

The Program

Our Clerkship program is an 11-week program that offers thefirst step for students seeking Graduate positions.

During the 11-week program you will experience:

• A personalised induction plan with high quality trainingand learning opportunities, developing key skills to succeed asa lawyer
• Working in two practice groups of your preference, withsupport in each rotation from a dedicated buddy andcoordinator

During the clerkship, you will have the opportunity to work insupportive and collaborative teams, alongside Partners and lawyers.You will gain real-world experience through challenging andmeaningful work on active client matters.

Requirements

We welcome applications from students who are:

• In the penultimate year of an undergraduate law degree orthe JD program
• An Australian or New Zealand Citizen or Australianpermanent resident
• Able to commence the program on 16 November 2026
• Expected to complete all academicrequirements of their degree by December 2027

Maddocks Is Simply a Great Place to Do Great Work. We Foster aCulture of Collaboration, Learning and Engagement Where You WillExperience:

• A diverse and inclusive workplace:We havebeen named an employer of Choice for Gender Equality by theWorkforce Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) every year since 2004along with being named a Silver Employer at the AustralianWorkplace Equality Index's 2024 LGBTQ Inclusion Awards. Wepromote diversity internally through our Maddocks GenderEquality Network, Maddocks CALD, Maddocks Disability Inclusionand Maddocks Pride groups.
• Career Development:Learn and developthrough structured learning and development programs at eachstage of your career and study support programs.
• Community involvement:give back to thecommunities in which we operate through our thriving pro bonoand grants programs and staff volunteering initiatives.
• Wellbeing & Benefits:access to up to 20weeks paid parental leave, discounted gym memberships & healthinsurance, salary continuance insurance, Employee AssistanceProgram and parents and carers wellbeing programs.

Our people are our greatest advocates, and we believe this is aresult of our inclusive culture and focus on complex andinteresting work. To be eligible for this role you must be anAustralian citizen or eligible for Australian citizenship due tothe nature of government work.