Johnson Winter Slattery
Melbourne Seasonal Clerkship Programme (Nov 2025)
Melbourne
Opportunity details
- Internship, Clerkship or Placement
- AUD 75,000 - 80,000 / Year
- 12-15 vacancies
- Apply by 11 Aug 2025
- Start date 24 Nov 2025
A BETTER PLACE TO WORK
As a seasonal clerk at Johnson Winter Slattery, you will:
- participate in a four-week clerkship program in one of the firm's annual intakes
- gain exposure to complex legal issues while working with leading lawyers across our national network – our high level of senior lawyer engagement will give you more opportunity to shape your career and step up
- work across all practice areas with no fixed rotations, giving you more freedom to choose your work and pursue your professional interests.
- get hands-on experience, working on market leading work
- learn from a structured training program tailored for you
- contribute to our pro bono practice
- develop your skills in a supportive environment
- gain mentoring support – from partners and lawyers
Who we are
Johnson Winter Slattery is a leading independent Australian law firm.
We advise major corporations, funds and governments on their most challenging transactions and disputes.
We are a firm of more than 450 people, including 85+ partners, located in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane and Perth.
Join us!
If you are enthusiastic, driven to succeed and want to continually develop your skills, you'll fit right in.
We are looking for clerks who have not only excelled academically, but have great communications skills, thrive in a collaborative environment and want to deliver legal advice to create the best outcomes for our clients.
There are no barriers to your success with us.
The Seasonal Clerkship Program is open to students studying a relevant law degree who are either in their penultimate or final year.
Students must have full working rights through Australian/New Zealand - citizenship or permanent residency.
Written applications should include a covering letter, CV and current official academic transcript. They should be addressed to Wilma Lewis, Senior People & Development Consultant.
We are committed to promoting a workplace that is diverse and inclusive. We encourage the best people - regardless of race, religion, or belief if any, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, or age - to fulfil their professional aspirations with us. In particular we would welcome applications from First Nations candidates.
Johnson Winter Slattery pays respect to Elders past and present of our nation’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We honour the deep spiritual, cultural and customary connections of Traditional Owners to the Australian landscape, including Australia’s waterways, land, and sea country.
Hiring criteria
- No experience required
- Australian Citizen +more
- Law, Legal Studies & Justice
- Bachelor or higher
Reviews
Part of core team managing a large commercial dispute, drafting, considering, meeting with counsel.
As a graduate at JWS your graduate day-to-day responsibilities include legal research, drafting advice, performing due diligence or discovery tasks and general matter management work.
My daily responsibilities differ but I'm being given work I know I can handle. Some of the tasks are a bit menial to complete but overall it hasn't been anything overtly challenging yet.
About the employer
Johnson Winter Slattery
4.4
100 - 500 employees
Law
Johnson Winter Slattery is an independent Australian law firm that advises major corporations, funds, and governments on their most challenging matters.
Pros and cons of working at Johnson Winter Slattery
Pros
You are given the opportunity to try many different areas of law without being confined to a specific team.
I like that there is a true non-siloed approach for graduates so that you can experience all practice areas. Despite being a mid-sized firm we do a lot of what would be considered "top-tier" work for interesting and multinational clients. There is a very hands-on approach here and I am able to have direct access to senior practitioners. The hours are good.
Flexible and understanding culture, great people, diverse and engaging work
We don't do rotations so you're able to work in a variety of different areas and can ask to work on specific things you are interested in. Everyone is lovely to work with and are very accommodating and flexible.
Cons
Sometimes it is difficult to get consistent and ongoing work.
The non-siloed approach comes with its challenges in managing different commitments across different practice groups as well as searching out your own work. If you have a can-do attitude and good time management skills you can overcome these challenges.