Clerkship programs
HWL Ebsworth’s Clerkship Program is structured to present you with hands-on experiences and training to develop your legal skills and knowledge whilst offering the chance to network with a range of practitioners throughout the firm. You will be exposed to a broad range of work within your designated Practice Group, and we will have the opportunity to get to know you on both a personal and professional level.
Upon the commencement of your Clerkship, you will be paired with a Supervising Partner and a Mentor who will guide, support and develop you throughout your placement and deliver comprehensive feedback at the conclusion of your time with the firm. You will participate in a customised induction program that will assist in familiarising you with our systems, processes and values and you will be welcomed as a valued member of our national team.
LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
We recognise the importance of gaining exposure to a broad range of legal activities at this early stage of your legal career. Our Clerkship Program has been developed to offer this by providing you with direct involvement in actual client matters, as well as technical and practice management training sessions.
Operational activities may include attending external and/or client meetings, drafting a piece of advice and/or agreement, assisting with due diligence, attending settlements, research tasks and attending Court. Other training areas and practice management workshops may focus on client management, negotiation skills and technical skills, and will be accompanied by career information sessions.
At HWL Ebsworth we believe that a healthy balance between work and personal life is crucial. During your Clerkship, you will experience what it is like to be an employee of HWL Ebsworth, and you will have the opportunity to attend a variety of social and networking events hosted by the firm.
- At the time of applying, you are in your penultimate year of study (finish your degree in 2026) except for Adelaide who are final year students
- You are studying Law at an Australian university
- You are an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident (only Australian Citizens will be accepted in Canberra)
Important dates
HWLE follows the Uniform Clerkship Scheme Guide.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Monday 7 July (9am) | Applications Open |
| Friday 1 August (5pm) | Applications Close |
| Monday 15 September (9am | Offers can be made |
| Thursday 18 September (11am) | Offers must be accepted or declined |
| 24 November - 19 December 2025 | Summer Clerkship |
For any Clerkship Program queries, please contact adelaide.applications@hwle.com.au.
HWL Ebsworth recruits in line with the Queensland Law Society recruitment guidelines.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Monday 14 July 2025 | Applications open |
| Friday 8 August 2025 (5pm) | Applications close |
| Wednesday 8 October 2025 | Offers can be made |
| Thursday 9 October 2025 (5pm) | Offers must be accepted or declined |
| 24 November - 19 December 2025 | Summer Clerkship |
| June - July 2026 | Winter Clerkship |
For any Clerkship queries, please email Brisbane.Applications@hwle.com.au.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 11 June 2025 (9am) | Applications Open |
| Sunday 13 July 2025 (11:59pm) | Applications Close |
| Wednesday 10 September 2025 (9am) | Offers can be made |
| Thursday 11 September 2025 (1pm) | Offers must be accepted or declined |
| November - December 2025 | Summer Clerkship |
For any Clerkship queries, please email canberra.applications@hwle.com.au
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| TBA | Applications Open |
| TBA | Applications Close |
| TBA | Offers can be made |
| TBA | Offers must be accepted or declined |
| TBA | Summer Clerkship |
For any Clerkship queries, please email npeters@hwle.com.au
HWL Ebsworth recruits in line with the Law Institute of Victoria Guidelines.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Monday 7 July 2025 (9am) | Applications open |
| Sunday 10 August 2025 (11:59pm) | Applications close |
| Thursday 16 October 2025 (10am) | Offers can be made |
| Friday 17 October 2025 (10am) | Offers must be accepted or declined |
| 24 November - 19 December 2025 | Summer Clerkship |
| June - July 2026 | Winter Clerkship |
For any Clerkship queries, please email clerkapplications@hwle.com.au
HWLE follows the Blackstone Society Guidelines.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Monday 23 June 2025(9am) | Applications open |
| Sunday 27 July 2025 (11:59pm) | Applications close |
| Friday 12 September 2025 (9am) | Offers can be made |
| Friday 12 September 2025 (1pm) | Offers must be accepted or declined |
| 24 November - 19 December 2025 | Summer Clerkship |
| June - July 2026 | Winter Clerkship |
For any Clerkship queries, please contact perth.applications@hwle.com.au
HWL Ebsworth follows the Law Society of NSW Guidelines.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 11 June 2025 (9am) | Applications open |
| Sunday 13 July 2025 (11:59pm) | Applications close |
| Wednesday 10 September 2025 (9am) | Offers can be made |
| Thursday 11 September 2025 (1pm) | Offers must be accepted or declined |
| 24 November 2025 - 13 February 2026 | Summer Clerkship |
For any Clerkship queries, please email NSWClerkship@hwle.com.au
Graduate Programs
Throughout our Graduate Program you will be provided with an opportunity to gain exposure to key practice areas across the firm, including a variety of transactional and litigious work, to assist you in determining your direction post Admission.
You will immediately become an important member of our team, assisting in a range of areas including drafting, court attendances, client interaction and legal research. You will have an opportunity to practice in different technical and industry groups, develop an understanding of the vital importance of client relationship management, and undergo internal and external professional development activities to assist you in enriching your legal knowledge.
After a detailed induction into the firm, you will be allocated a Supervising Partner and a Mentor in each of your rotations. They will offer advice and coaching, identify potential areas of development and, most importantly, facilitate your growth throughout the Program.
We strongly recognise the importance of your early career experiences as foundation of your future legal career, and we ensure that you regularly receive constructive feedback from partners and solicitors in relation to the work performed. To assist you in the development of your career, we offer continuous professional development to enhance your skills and knowledge.
HWLE will also fund the prescribed training necessary for admission in your state. This will be the Practical Legal Training course through College of Law in NSW, WA, SA and ACT, the Supervised Legal Training program through College of Law in QLD and VIC and Tasmanian Legal Training through the Centre for Legal Studies in TAS.
- At the time of applying, you are in your final year of study (finish your degree in 2025) or are within 2 years of finishing your studies
- You are studying/studied Law at an Australian university
- You are an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident (only Australian Citizens will be accepted in Canberra)
Important dates
Adelaide Graduate Program roles are primarily filled through our clerkship program.
For any Graduate Program queries, please contact adelaide.applications@hwle.com.au.
Brisbane Graduate Program roles are primarily filled through our clerkship program.
For any Graduate queries, please email Brisbane.Applications@hwle.com.au.
Canberra Graduate Program roles are primarily filled through our clerkship program.
For any Graduate queries, please email canberra.applications@hwle.com.au
The graduate program is 12 months and rotate on a needs basis.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| TBA | Market applications open |
| TBA | Market applications close |
| TBA | Market offers can be made |
| TBA | Market offers must be accepted or declined |
For any Graduate queries, please email npeters@hwle.com.au
HWLE follows the Law Institute of Victoria's guidelines.
The graduate program is 12 months, consisting of x3 4-month rotations.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 5 August 2025 (10am) | Priority offers made |
| Wednesday 6 August 2025 (12pm) | Priority offers must be accepted or declined |
| Thursday 7 August 2025 (10am) | Market applications open |
| Wednesday 20 August 2025 (11:59pm) | Market applications close |
| Tuesday 30 September 2025 (10am) | Market offers can be made |
| Wednesday 1 October 2025 (10am) | Market offers must be accepted or declined |
For any Graduate queries, please email hrapplications@hwle.com.au
HWLE follows the Blackstone Society Guidelines.
The graduate program is 12 months, consisting of x2 6-month rotations.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Friday 18 July 2025 (9am) | Priority offers made |
| Friday 18 July 2025 (1pm) | Priority offers must be accepted or declined |
| TBA | Market applications open |
| TBA | Market applications close |
| TBA | Market offers can be made |
| TBA | Offers must be accepted or declined |
For any Graduate Program queries, please contact perth.applications@hwle.com.au
HWLE follows the Law Society of NSW's guidelines.
The graduate program is 12 months, consisting of x2 6-month rotations.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Thursday 20 February 2025 (9am) | Priority offers made |
| Friday 21 February 2025 (1pm) | Priority offers must be accepted or declined |
| Monday 24 February 2025 (9am) | Market applications open |
| Sunday 6 April 2025 (11:59pm) | Market applications close |
| Wednesday 4 June 2025 (9am) | Market offers can be made |
| Thursday 5 June 2025 (1pm) | Market offers must be accepted or declined |
Applications have now closed.
For any Graduate queries, please email NSWGraduate@hwle.com.au.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
STAGE 1: APPLICATION
To apply for a Clerkship or Graduate program, you will be required to complete the online Application Form. Please attach a copy of your academic transcript and CV along with any additional supporting documentation that you would like us to consider. You will also be asked to answer several short-response questions. The information provided will allow us to obtain an overview of your skills, your previous experiences and your suitability for the Clerkship/Graduate Program.
Stage 2: Application Screening
Our Talent team will review your application against several predefined selection criteria to allow each applicant the opportunity to be assessed equally and objectively.
Stage 3: Information & Assessment Centre
This will encompass both individual and group-based activities designed to assess your analytical, problem-solving, communication and leadership skills, and will run for approximately three hours. You will have the opportunity to meet with partners, solicitors and previous Clerks/Graduates of the firm.
Stage 4: Interview
This stage will involve an individual interview with the selection panel to enable a final consideration of your knowledge and cultural alignment with HWL Ebsworth.
Stage 5: Offer
Successful candidates will be notified by our Talent team. Upon acceptance of a verbal offer, a written offer will be provided to the successful candidate.
practice groups
Note: not all groups take clerks/grads every year
- Banking & Finance
- Construction & Infrastructure
- Corporate & Commercial
- Insurance (General)
- Insurance (Statutory Classes)
- Litigation
- Property
- Workplace Relations & Safety
- Banking & Finance
- Construction & Infrastructure
- Corporate & Commercial
- Health
- Insurance (General)
- Insurance (Statutory Classes)
- Litigation
- Planning, Environment & Government
- Transport
- Property
- Banking & Finance
- Commonwealth Government
- Corporate & Commercial
- Insurance (General)
- Insurance (Statutory Classes)
- Litigation
- Property
- Workplace Relations & Safety
- Banking & Finance
- Corporate & Commercial
- Insurance (General)
- Insurance (Statutory Classes)
- Property
- Corporate & Commercial
- Health
- Insurance (Statutory Classes)
- Litigation
- Workplace Relations & Safety
- Banking & Finance
- Commonwealth Government
- Construction & Infrastructure
- Corporate & Commercial
- Health
- Insurance (General)
- Insurance (Statutory Classes)
- Litigation
- Property
- Workplace Relations & Safety
- Banking & Finance
- Construction & Infrastructure
- Corporate & Commercial
- Insurance (Statutory Classes)
- Litigation
- Property
- Workplace Relations & Safety
Sydney
- Banking & Finance
- Commonwealth Government
- Construction & Infrastructure
- Corporate & Commercial
- Health
- Insurance (General)
- Insurance (Statutory Classes)
- Litigation
- Planning, Environment & Government
- Property
- Transport
- Workplace Relations & Safety
Norwest
- Coporate & Commercial
- Litigation
- Property
Current as of January 2025
Accessibility
HWL Ebsworth strives to create an inclusive environment where our people want and feel comfortable to bring their entire selves to work. Varied perspectives contribute to our collective success so whatever your background, we'd love to hear from you and encourage you to apply. If you have any accessibility requirements that will enable you to participate equitably in our recruitment process, please reach out to your relevant HR contact for a confidential discussion.