Melbourne Seasonal Clerkship Program - Pre-register

If you aspire to be an outstanding lawyer, your journey to a world-class commercial legal career begins here. Start with Australia's first global law firm and set yourself on the path to excellence. Kick start your career with our world-class clerkship program. Build your technical and legal expertise through our graduate program. Receive outstanding work and mentoring so you can become an expert in your field, as an associate.

What to expect

At Baker McKenzie, we understand that the transition from university to legal practice can be challenging. We provide our seasonal clerks with a comprehensive induction program, with legal, technical and soft-skills training sessions, to help make this transition as smooth as possible. Our training program is designed to help you get the most out of your clerkship and set you up for success. 

We consult with our clerks before they commence to understand the areas of practice in which they are interested in gaining experience. We structure the clerkship program according to these preferences, where possible.

In Melbourne, our key practice groups are:

• Banking & Finance;
• Corporate Markets (including Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity and Capital Markets);
• Commercial Real Estate;
• Construction;
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation;
• Employment & Industrial Relations;
• Energy Resources Infrastructure & Corporate;
• Funds; and
• IPTech.

Most importantly, as a seasonal clerk, we want you to experience what life is like as a graduate and junior lawyer at Baker McKenzie. So, right from the start, our seasonal clerks get involved in real work. You will be exposed to our Australian and international clients through client meetings, shadowing, research and other everyday activities within your assigned practice group. You will also have the opportunity to participate in pro bono files and community service initiatives. 

Our seasonal clerks work closely with our lawyers, are guided by a supervising partner and enjoy the extra support of an experienced associate "buddy". With the Firm's strong focus on supporting its people to learn, grow and achieve better results, you can expect to be well led, well coached and well mentored. 

You will develop practical and legal skills through our dedicated clerkship program and by attending Firm-wide/practice group sessions. Throughout the clerkship, our partners and associates run professional development sessions. These sessions will give you the chance to (amongst other things):

• build your network within the Firm;
• develop your legal and commercial skills;
• learn about our practices, clients and Firm structure;
• learn about our Pro Bono program, Community Service initiatives and Inclusion & Diversity areas; and
• hear about our global training and work opportunities.

We will also provide you with opportunities to network with colleagues around the Firm – through our 'speed networking' program and various social events with your buddy, our partners and our lawyers.

The majority of our graduate positions are offered to former seasonal clerks. We also offer our former seasonal clerks the opportunity to undertake paralegal roles with the Firm. Should you accept a graduate position with us, you will also be eligible to apply for our unique international clerkship program and the opportunity to work for four weeks in one of our overseas offices.

Application process

All applications should be addressed to Virginia Nettle, Talent Management Consultant, and should include a cover letter, as well as details of your work experience, extra-curricular activities, interests, and academic results. We do not require you to upload your CV, as the information from your CV is used to respond to the areas above. We also ask you to complete two questions, particularly as our Firm does not use psychometric or other testing, group or individual assessments, or one-way video interviews as part of our overall assessment process.

Candidates will attend one interview with a partner and senior lawyer. In our interviews, we want to get to know all about you – your experiences, your interests, your achievements, your strengths and your abilities. We also want to know why you want to work with Baker McKenzie. To that end, our interviews are a mix of 'getting to know you' questions and 'behavioural' questions, so that our interviewers can get to know you and you can make the best possible impression.

Candidates are also allocated a ‘buddy’, to support them throughout the recruitment process. 

Baker McKenzie also invites candidates to an information and networking evening, which is attended by partners and associates - so that you can meet as many people from our Firm as possible. 

To be eligible for a 2024/2025 Summer clerkship position with Baker McKenzie, you must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia or have the right to work in a full-time role in Australia during the clerkship periods set out above. You must also be enrolled in a law degree or equivalent which will qualify you for admission as a legal practitioner in Australia. At Baker McKenzie, our seasonal clerkship program is primarily aimed at students in the penultimate year of their law degree. However, final year applicants are also considered.

For more information on our Melbourne seasonal clerkship recruitment process or program, please contact Virginia Nettle, Talent Management Consultant [email protected]

What qualities do we look for in our clerks?

Baker McKenzie looks for people who genuinely want to work with us and who understand Baker McKenzie's unique offering and position in the market. 

We look for well-rounded, motivated individuals who have a performance mindset and strive to be the best in whatever they do; who are intellectually curious and have sound academics; who display business acumen and are practical in their approach; and who have a global mindset and who are passionately committed to service excellence. We look for people who enjoy a challenge and seek new opportunities; who constantly look for ways to achieve better results while learning and growing; who take proactive ownership and responsibility for their careers. We also look for people who act with integrity, honesty and candour in their dealings, decisions and actions; who express themselves confidently while staying open to new ideas; who seek a friendly, inclusive and diverse culture; and who take seriously our role in making a difference to our local and global communities.

We pride ourselves on our diversity too, and recognise that all of our people have something unique to offer and contribute to the success of the Firm.