Graduate program

We offer graduate positions across all of our Australian offices. During your graduate programme, you’ll experience three x six month rotations throughout our eight different practice groups, giving you breadth in your knowledge of the law as well as the practical skills that will stay with you for your entire career.

Our graduates are also provided a once in a lifetime opportunity when they complete our International Induction in London with their global counterparts! Experiencing a full week of inspiring key note speakers, networking events and team building activities, you’ll be leveraging our international network right from day one.

By the end of your graduate programme, you will emerge with a clearer understanding of where your talent and interests lie. The experience you’ll have gained – and the networks you’ll have nurtured – will provide a strong foundation for your future career at DLA Piper.

All vacancies for our 2021 and 2022 graduate programme have been filled and as a result, we will not be opening for applications this year.

Secondments

During the Graduate Program, we offer you the opportunity to apply for an international secondment. This usually lasts for six months and gives you the opportunity to work in one of DLA Piper's overseas offices. As well as experiencing life in a different country, you'll develop your legal knowledge in another jurisdiction and grow your professional networks across the firm.

Bangkok

"Bangkok is a great city to live and work in. The office is mostly made up of native Thai lawyers rather than expats, so I was able to experience first-hand how commercial law matters are conducted in the country." – Eleanor Purves, Associate

Hong Kong

"Hong Kong often acts as a hub to coordinate multi-jurisdictional projects, so I worked frequently with other offices in the Asia-Pacific region. The experience was illuminating. I learned a lot about the intricacies of other legal systems." – Liam Blackford

London

"My secondment gave me excellent exposure. I was able to attend lots of client meetings, which is something I really wanted to do. I also loved being in a new environment and business culture. The whole experience was illuminating." – Michelle Wong, Associate

Singapore

"I was drawn to Singapore because it offers opportunities to be involved in deals spanning Asia, Australia and the Middle East. The experience has more than met my expectations. You’d be hard pressed to find a more welcoming, inclusive and motivated team of lawyers." – Ed Moys, Associate

Clerkships

Our paid summer clerkship is designed to give you insight into what DLA Piper is really like.

Our programme starts with an induction. This induction provides an advanced introduction to the legal sector and the firms practice groups. It also builds your professional skills and workplace capability. Throughout the induction there will be opportunities to hear from and network with senior members of the firm.

Once you are inducted you'll have the opportunity to complete work placements in our different practice groups. You'll be given real responsibilities. Whether you're attending a court hearing, contributing to a client meeting or assisting a large corporate transaction, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to reach your potential.

This year we will be recruiting clerks into all of our Australian offices, as follows:

• Brisbane
• Perth
• Melbourne
• Sydney

At the end of the clerkship, participants are assessed for a graduate position.

Application dates for our clerkship programme differ by state. For more information, please refer to the recruitment timetable outlined below.

Other career opportunities

Visit our dedicated careers site to find out more about the culture at DLA Piper and explore current opportunities.