Perth Vacation Clerkship Program (Nov 2025)

Opportunity details

• Opportunity type : Internship, Clerkship or Placement
• Salary : AUD 80,000 - 85,000 / Year
• Number of vacancies : 30-35
• Application deadline : Apply by 28 Jul 2025

Overview

Discovering the perfect match for your aspirations is crucial when embarking on your legal journey. Our vacation clerkships offer a unique glimpse into life at Herbert Smith Freehills, a global leader in law. You'll experience close mentorship, direct client interaction, and the opportunity to contribute to real-world projects, cases, and deals. Many of our graduates have kick-started their careers through these clerkships, making it an excellent opportunity to propel your career forward.

What we offer

Join us for a part of your summer or winter, and you'll gain a deep understanding of how we meet our clients' needs. Our program provides practical experience as you dive into diverse and complex matters that are both challenging and rewarding. You'll get a comprehensive introduction to the firm, attend informative sessions on each practice group, and have the chance to contribute to our Digital Legal Delivery and Pro Bono & Citizenship teams.

What we’re looking for

At Herbert Smith Freehills, we believe that exceptional graduates possess both technical excellence and a growth mindset. We value individuals who bring their best, are curious, and constantly seek to learn and improve from every experience. These graduates embrace challenges, viewing them as opportunities to stretch their capabilities and achieve outstanding results. We seek proactive individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to make a real impact, fostering strong relationships with clients and colleagues across our global network.

Our inclusive culture

We strive to foster a diverse, innovative culture where high performance, client focus, and highly engaged individuals set us apart. We celebrate the uniqueness of our people, who come from a range of experiences and backgrounds. Our inclusive environment empowers our people to be their authentic selves at work, feeling valued and able to perform at their best. We understand that our future success depends on our people feeling engaged, and we create an agile working environment based on mutual trust and respect, allowing for a sustainable work-life balance.

We are committed to the inclusion of all individuals in our application and interview process, providing tailored accommodations as needed. You can request accommodations at each stage of recruitment or contact your local Graduate Recruitment Consultant for assistance.

Eligibility

Applications are open to students in their penultimate and final year of their law degree. We accept applications from international students in their penultimate or final year of an Australian or New Zealand law degree, provided you have unrestricted legal rights to work in Australia when you commence your clerkship.

Work rights

The opportunity is available to applicants with the following work rights :

Qualifications & requirements

You should have or be completing the following :

Hiring criteria

Why work at Herbert Smith Freehills?

Pros

Learning from the best, supportive environment, flexible work policies, excellent training and development, and a collaborative culture.

Cons

Long hours during big deals, industry-standard work pace, and the fast-paced nature of legal work can be demanding. Opportunities for more social events could be improved.

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