Internships and job opportunities

At UOW Law, we view professional experience as an integral part of legal education. It allows students to observe the law in action and identify and reflect on the connections and gaps between theory and practice. It allows students to apply and enhance their knowledge and skills and helps them form a sense of professional legal identity and build professional networks.

UOW Law Students professional experience opportunities

Victoria Colvin and student in moot court LLB397/3397: Legal Internship Program
District Court Judges' Program
Law student with Professor Colin Picker Lucy Mentoring Program
SWS Open Night Community Outreach Service Learning (COSL) program

Take a challenge in Law: UOW Mooting

Every year UOW law students participate in mooting competitions, matching their advocacy skills with other law students from around the country.

Discover UOW Mooting
Mooting law

Job opportunities

The main function of the law clerk is to support the lawyers with their work through a variety of support-based and administrative duties. Law clerks will be trained in many different aspects of the law and are a vital part of the ALG team.

Please email cover letter and CV to jbernhorster@alg.com.au

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The Cameron O’Brien Memorial Bursary has been established in the memory of Cameron O’Brien, a Commerce/Law Student from the Sutherland Shire in his 4th year of study at UOW when he died tragically in 2012.

Applications are invited from students who are:

  • Residents of the St George/Sutherland area or former residents who attended primary or high school in the St George/Sutherland area.
  • Enrolled at the University of Wollongong in their 4th year of study in a combined LLB degree program or the LLB program.

The committee will select two successful applicants for the following bursaries:

  1. Cameron O’Brien Memorial Bursary of $3,000
  2. Highly Commended Bursary of $1,000

The successful applicants will be determined on academic merit and personal circumstances. The successful recipient of the Cameron O’Brien Memorial bursary will also be eligible for up to 10 days work experience at law firms in the St George Sutherland area, together with invitations to Regional Law Society dinner meetings and other functions.

APPLICATIONS close on 6 July 2023. Please submit your application to law-internships@uow.edu.au by the closing date.

Download Application details (PDF)

The UOW Law Community Outreach and Service Learning (COSL) program matches students with community organisations and other groups needing assistance, reflecting UOW Law’s commitment to community engagement and access to justice. Students gain valuable experience and a useful addition to their CV’s and professional network while making a worthwhile contribution to the local community. UOW’s key partners in COSL are Volunteering Illawarra, the Illawarra Legal Centre and the Wollongong office of NSW Legal Aid.

 

All volunteer opportunities will be posted below.

 

Grifoni Legal are a boutique firm based in Jannali with a busy practice in commercial litigation, debt recovery, bankruptcy, corporate insolvency and dispute resolution. They are looking to take on a graduate lawyer for a full-time role with an immediate start.

About Grifoni Legal

The role involves:

  • Invoice and retainer management
  • Matter creation and maintenance using online legal practice management software
  • Drafting correspondence and liaising with clients and solicitors of other parties
  • Drafting, collating and filing of court documents
  • Preparation of briefs to Counsel
  • Interviewing witnesses, taking witness statements and drafting affidavits
  • Court attendance
  • Legal research

Recent graduates or students who graduate this year with an interest in practising in these areas are invited to apply.

Applicants should send a short expression of interest letter, CV and enrolment record to:

Mr Anthony Grifoni – anthony@grifonilegal.com.au

Applications close 8 June 2023.

 

Brander Smith McKnight are a busy law firm based in Sutherland. They are happy to accommodate students on unpaid internships during Autumn session for the purpose of LLB 397/3397. The firm is happy to negotiate attendance around study commitments but remember that to qualify for LLB 397/3397, attendance must be at least 2 days/week and the arrangement must be approved by the Law School  before you commence as days cannot be counted retrospectively. 

Interested students should contact Dana Smith at danasmith@branderlaw.com.au and send her a CV, expression of interest and enrolment record. If approved by Brander Smith McKnight, contact  law-internships@uow.edu.au  and advise of the arrangement to start the approval process.

Coutts Lawyers and Conveyancers are an Award-Winning firm with offices in Narellan, Camden, Campbelltown, Parramatta, Hunter Valley, Tahmoor and Wollongong. This Autumn session, they are able to offer a small number of students unpaid internship opportunities around their studies to gain valuable experience and for the purpose of LLB 397/3397 Legal Internship.

The firm is happy to negotiate attendance around study commitments but remember that to qualify for LLB 397/3397, attendance must be at least 2 days/week and the arrangement must be approved by the Law School  before you commence as days cannot be counted retrospectively. If approved by Coutts, contact  law-internships@uow.edu.au  and advise of the arrangement to start the approval process.

Interested students should send an expression of interest/cover letter, CV and copy of enrolment record to Karena Nicholls : karena@couttslegal.com.au

Haille Paine are a long-established firm in Bowral with a busy practice primarily in property, estates and estate planning matters.

The firm is happy to take on a student for work experience around the student’s study programs. This experience would meet the requirements of LLB 3397 Legal Internship (provided it is at least 2 days/week and the experience is registered/approved in advance) and could also be utilized for PLT purposes.

Interested students should send CV and EOI to Mr David Allen: david@haillepaine.com.au 

Kells is seeking a law student to join its commercial law team, based in our Wollongong office on a 2 to 3 day per week basis.

If you have excellent communication skills, a positive attitude and good work ethic, we’d love to hear from you!  Your key responsibilities will include:

  • Providing research and administrative support to a small team of lawyers
  • Preparing legal documents and correspondence
  • Communicating with clients

Legal experience (particularly in commercial law and/or conveyancing) will be looked on favourably, but is not essential.

Please send through your resume to Jessica Tate at recruitment@kells.com.au quoting position number “WOL-154”. 

Kovacevic Lawyers are a boutique firm located in Wollongong, specialising in Family Law. They are happy to accommodate a student on an unpaid internship during Autumn 2023 for the purpose of LLB 3397/397. The firm is happy to negotiate attendance around study commitments but remember that to qualify for LLB 3397/397, attendance must be at least 2 days/week and the arrangement must be approved by the Law School before you commence as days cannot be counted retrospectively. 

Interested students should contact Dianna at office@kovaceviclawyers.com.au and send a CV, expression of interest and enrolment record. If approved by the firm, please contact law-internships@uow.edu.au and advise of the arrangement to start the approval process for LLB 3397/397 before you commence.

 

The Honourable Justice Francois Kunc is seeking a tipstaff to commence in late January 2024. The position would be suitable for a final year student.

A Supreme Court tipstaff fulfils the same role as an Associate in the Federal Court and the High Court. Duties include legal research, proof reading and assisting with the preparation of judgments and generally assisting the Judge in the discharge of his duties both in and out of Court. The appointment is for one year.

Applicants should have strong academic results. The position would be of particular interest to excellent students who have an interest in and aptitude for the broad range of matters which fall within the equity jurisdiction, including commercial law in all its manifestations, property law, succession and estates and the like.

The tipstaff will be closely involved in assisting the Judge in his role as General Editor of The Australian Law Journal. The Judge is interested in students whose legal or other studies demonstrate a breadth of intellectual interests and writing ability.

Applications close on Friday, 30 June 2023.

Interested students should send their application, comprising covering letter, curriculum vitae, pdf of official up to date academic transcript, any references and a sample of recent written legal work, to Ms Maggie Hegna, at maggie.hegna@courts.nsw.gov.au and copy the current tipstaff, Mr Matthew Newcombe, who can also assist with questions in relation to the position: matthew.newcombe@courts.nsw.gov.au or (02) 9779 7118.

 

Are you looking for a clerkship, graduate position or work experience? 

LegalVitae connects law students with employers for clerkship and graduate positions.

For more information visit LegalVitae

A full-time Paralegal position in the Planning and Environment Team with Mills Oakley Sydney is open for application.

For further information and/or clarification on the role, please contact Senior Associate, James Oldknow (joldknow@millsoakley.com.au) to discuss prior to submitting an application via the website.

Apply online: Mills Oakley Sydney

Are you interested in helping vulnerable migrants, refugees and asylum seekers? Are you curious about what it is like to work in a community legal centre?

IARC is a Community Legal Centre that works with vulnerable migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. We provide free legal advice and assistance in matters such as protection visas, family visas and visa cancellation. IARC is also involved in policy and law reform and community development, education and advocacy.

Working as a volunteer legal assistant at IARC is an opportunity to build your skills in assisting vulnerable clients, working with interpreters, communicating with the public and file maintenance. Your primary role will be to provide administrative and paralegal assistance to IARC solicitors. You will be responsible for responding to initial enquiries from clients, scheduling appointments, providing legal information and referrals and other administrative tasks. Depending on your experience and interest, you may also become involved in assisting with research, project work and working with clients.

IARC’s office is in Sydney’s CBD. All volunteer legal assistants must commit to working one day per week (normal office hours 9am to 5 pm) for at least six months. Training and supervision is provided.

Selection criteria

We are looking for people who: 

  1. have completed at least two years of a law degree or combined law degree; 
  2. have previous volunteer experience and/or administrative/paralegal experience;
  3. have good oral and written communication skills;
  4. are willing to help where needed, take initiative, problem solve, and are able to juggle competing demands.

This is an unpaid position. Please include your preferred day, when you are available to start, and let us know if you speak a second language.

How to apply 

Apply by forwarding your CV and a cover letter addressing the selection criteria above to Sabina Wynn, Director, at iarcvolunteer@iarc.asn.au or call 02 82340709 to discuss.

There is no closing date for applications and applications will be assessed as they come in. Applicants may be asked to attend an interview.

If you do not address the Selection Criteria, we cannot consider your application. Due to the high volume of applications, only those selected for interviews will be contacted about their application.

UOW's Careers & Employability (formerly Careers Central) has a jobboard. Employers advertise their jobs direct to UOW students. The team there also collates relevant jobs from across the many job seeking sites. In addition to the School of Law’s job & work experience opportunities, check out the latest available positions at UOW Job Board.

Students can also career tools as CareerHub Plus which is an online library specifically designed to improve student, graduate and alumni employability. Explore an extensive range of interactive tools, videos, eLearning and written resources and find a job or work experience.

For more information visit Career resources.

Become a professional provider

UOW Law are seeking organisations across private, public and community sectors to partner with UOW’s School of Law to support our students’ learning and to develop Australia’s future workforce. Partners have the opportunity to build long-term, strategic relationships and add value to their organisation by accessing talented upper year students.

Find out more
Three law students standing in moot court

Have a question?


Contact our Law Internships team