OLD National Graduate Program - Legal stream - Pre register

We want the future leaders of the Australian Public Service - graduates who are bold, have big ideas and are forward thinkers.   

We're looking for a wide range of people to join us and we're committed to providing an inclusive workplace. We value our staff for their unique qualities, ideas and perspectives.  

For our legal stream, we're looking for people with qualifications in either:  

• Bachelor of Laws; or   
• Juris Doctor.  

You must also have:   

• Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, or a commitment to complete the qualification and gain admission as a Legal Practitioner; and  
• Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 60 or above.  

You can apply to both our legal and generalist streams if you have either of the above degrees. If you’re assessed as suitable for both streams we’ll try to match you in the legal stream first. Once you start in the legal stream you’ll continue there for the duration of the program.  

Range of work  

Services Australia has one of the largest in-house legal teams in the Commonwealth. We help to support the delivery of essential national government services, such as social security, Medicare and child support payments. The Legal Services Division consists of over 90 dedicated lawyers who operate over a range of specialised practice areas in offices across Australia. These areas include:  

• in-house legal advice related to our payments and services  
• commercial law and employment law  
• privacy, Freedom of Information (FOI) and compensation claims  
• litigation, including advocacy and Administrative Appeals Tribunal reviews.  

As a graduate within the legal stream, you’ll complete three rotations across different business areas within the Legal Services Division. The legal stream pathway is designed to give you a broad knowledge of the legal issues faced by both Services Australia and the Australian Public Service. We also support graduates to complete their Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice or equivalent and to obtain admission as an Australian Lawyer. 

Legal stream graduates are based in Canberra for the duration of the program. 

What you'll get  

We offer:  

• a competitive salary, ranging between $63,760 - $71,063 depending on your qualification level  
• employer superannuation contributions of 15.4%  
• progression to an APS5 classification at successful completion of the program  
• a variety of leave options, including 4 weeks of annual leave  
• flexible working arrangements to assist you to maintain your work-life balance  
• a range of development opportunities to shape your career in the Australian Public Service.  

Why you should work for us  

We make government services simple so people can get on with their lives.   

Every hour of every day in Australia, people in need turn to the Australian Government for help. In those moments, our agency responds.  

Our work spans social security and healthcare, in addition to disaster relief, assistance to farmers and specialised services for vulnerable communities.   

We’ve touched the lives of every Australian in recent years, supporting the community through the pandemic and multiple natural disasters.  

We're an agency that helps people and we're committed to progress, constantly moving forward to deliver services that are simple, helpful, respectful and transparent.   

Eligibility  

To be eligible for the role, you must:  

• be an Australian citizen on 17 April 2023  
• have completed or due to complete an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, recognised in Australia, within 5 years prior to program commencement.  

Inclusivity  

We're committed to providing a work environment that values inclusion and diversity and supports all staff to reach their full potential. We have a range of workplace diversity and inclusion strategies, policies and initiatives in place to achieve this.  

We’re a Gold Status Employer, as recognised by the Australian Workplace Equality Index for our LGBTI+ workplace inclusion. The Diversity Council Australia (DCA) has awarded the agency inclusive employer status for the last 2 years.   

Our program includes an Affirmative Measure to help employ Indigenous Australians. You can apply to our program using this measure, through the Australian Public Service Commission's Indigenous Graduate Pathway.   

We also have an Affirmative Measure for Australians with disability. Our team would be happy to talk with you about any reasonable adjustment you require.