Students and graduates

Your graduate year

Your graduate training will comprise of at least two six-month rotations in different practice areas. During each rotation, you’ll work alongside a partner and our lawyers and actively contribute to the day-to-day work of that team – working on transactions and cases, taking real responsibility and gaining plenty of client exposure.

When you start as a graduate with us, you’ll attend a dedicated training program to introduce you to core legal and commercial knowledge and skills which will form the essential building blocks for your career. In addition to formal induction training and team-based learning, you’ll benefit from a wide variety of ongoing training to fine-tune your commercial acumen.

Your development is key and you’ll receive training and support in a variety of ways, including mentoring and practice-specific courses. Colleagues in every part of the firm will be on hand to help you and you’ll enjoy a good balance between support and supervision and being given the freedom to work independently.

You’ll also complete your Practical Legal Training (PLT) to ensure you meet your admission to practice requirements in either NSW or WA.  Your PLT will be completed through the College of Law (NSW and WA) and we will support you throughout the program, providing financial and study break assistance above our standard policy.

During our summer clerkship program you will gain practical experience working alongside Allen & Overy lawyers on real deals and matters. 

In addition to your legal work you will attend training sessions and presentations aimed at broadening your understanding of our business and helping you to develop the skills you need to be a successful commercial lawyer. Recent summer clerks have worked on a client pitch project, an interactive deal walk-through and a mock transaction. But it’s not all about work. Our summer clerkship program features numerous opportunities to meet and socialise with other Allen & Overy people – both in the office and outside.

Just as our summer clerkship program is a good way to get to know us, it is a good way for us to get to know you. During your time with us we gather feedback on all our clerks, and many go on to secure a graduate offer and start their legal career with us.

Sydney

Previously, our Sydney summer clerks have been able to spend time in one of our Asia Pacific offices during the ten-week program. This provides a greater understanding of our global network and a taste of future opportunities at Allen & Overy, if a global secondment or  transfer within our network is of interest to you.

Applications for our Sydney summer clerkship program open in June each year.

Our ten-week Program is designed for penultimate year law students.

2023 key dates

• Applications open on 5 June 2023
• Applications close on 9 July 2023
• Interviews commence in the first week of August 2023
• Offers* made on 13 September 2023

Summer Clerkship program

• 27 November 2023 to 2 February 2024

*Offers will be made from 13 September 2023. All offers must be accepted or declined by 5pm on 14 September 2023.

Perth

Our three week program is designed for penultimate year law students.

2022 key dates 

• Applications open on 27 June 2022
• Applications close on 31 July 2022
• Review and interview period from 1 August to 9 September 2022
• Offers** made on 16 September 2022

Summer Clerkship program

• 16 January to 3 February 2023

** Offers will be made from 9am on 16 September 2022 and will be open for four hours.

We’re actively recruiting from New Zealand and will be on campus at the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington in April of each year.

New Zealand students follow the same path as those from Australia i.e. apply to us for a summer clerkship in your penultimate year with a view to joining our graduate program upon graduation.

If you are already a NZ qualified lawyer, you can be admitted to practice in all states and territories of Australia under the Trans-Tasman mutual recognition scheme which offers a fast track admission process. NZ qualified lawyers should visit our experienced lawyers pages for opportunities as a qualified lawyer in Australia.

The Banking practice works at the heart of the world’s financial markets, supporting global corporate and financial institutions on a full range of domestic and cross-border banking transactions.

International Capital Markets, Debt Capital Markets, Project Finance and Asset Finance are some of our practice areas. Typical assignments include transactions for clients requiring debt funding – clients that need loans in order to fund their general corporate activities or to make purchases of other companies or assets.

Work in the Banking practice includes drafting loan documentation and general transaction management, preparing board minutes for a company wanting to borrow, coordinating documents, possibly from other jurisdictions, and liaising with lawyers in those jurisdictions.

The Corporate practice advises clients on acquisitions of other businesses, disposals of their own business and raising finance in the equity markets, and provides a wide range of general corporate advice.

Our Lawyers in the Corporate practice work in teams, but each lawyer also has an area of specialism, for example, public takeovers, or in a sector such as energy and resources. So, on the acquisition of a company in the energy field, a general corporate lawyer may run the matter, but he or she will call on the expertise of the energy specialist as well as other specialists around the firm.

Mergers & Acquisitions, Energy and Resources, Tax, Anti-trust/Competition, Infrastructure, Funds, Equity Capital Markets, Private Equity and Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) are some of the teams that sit within the Corporate practice and our clients include publicly listed or private companies, companies owned by financial institutions and private equity sponsors.

The Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice provides specialist advice and representation to clients around the world on litigation, arbitration and regulatory matters, as well as risk management.

We deal with a variety of disputes, but mostly ones with a commercial aspect, for example, banking disputes, where a bank may have a dispute with a counter party over a contract, a loan agreement or some other financial product. On the corporate side, disputes may include those with service providers or relating to projects, for example, the construction of an energy plant.

Join us and you’ll help to draft pleadings or requests for arbitration, and prepare evidence to be filed and served on the other side. You can also expect to attend court for applications, for example, for freezing orders, to attend meetings with clients and to interview witnesses – potentially in other jurisdictions.

• Social activities including informal staff get-togethers, themed functions and family-based events
• Subsidised gym memberships, personal training sessions and shower facilities (Sydney)
• Access to an onsite gym and shower facilities (Perth)
• On site bike storage
• Sporting activities and participation in corporate challenges
• Annual flu vaccinations and skin checks
• Employee assistance program providing free and confidential counselling to staff and their immediate family
• After-hours meals and taxis

• Salary continuance insurance
• Personal accident and total permanent disability insurance
• Business travel insurance

• Paid parental leave (over and above the government scheme) 
• Flexible working
• Transaction breaks
• Study leave
• Community service & volunteering, religious & cultural, marriage and house-move leave

Academic achievement is essential to make it into the world of law, but don’t forget to make the most of your extra-curricular activities and work experience to show that you are an ambitious, well-rounded candidate.

Creating an application that stands out from the rest of the crowd and sells your skills can be a challenge. In the first instance, make sure that you know exactly what’s required by familiarising yourself with the selection criteria. Communication, teamwork, interpersonal skills and commercial awareness are just some of the skills we look for at Allen & Overy, so prepare some examples to demonstrate your experience of each.

We want to find out what type of person you are, so try to showcase yourself in your application.

We expect academically successful candidates but your application will stand out if you show that you have experienced life outside the library. Volunteering, or joining a society or sporting team, is valuable, especially if you take responsibility for a task, such as managing a budget or project. Try to demonstrate your appetite for responsibility and your capacity to shape events and outcomes.

If you have completed legal, commercial or any other kind of work experience, think about what you have learned and observed. You may, for example, have made a recommendation for improving a process to your manager. Using examples like this on your application and during interviews shows that you have learned from your experience and that you are willing to be asked about it.

At Allen & Overy we recognise that you will be applying to a number of law firms and that can mean a lot of applications. It may appear that each firm wants a similar application, but your individual approach and attention to our firm will help set you apart. It’s worth taking the time to focus on each individual application – it may take longer but the effort will be worth it if you secure an interview. The questions asked by different firms may look similar, but it is unlikely you will be able to use the same answer each time.

Ensure your application is free from spelling and grammatical errors – attention to detail is a fundamental skill for a lawyer – so we expect this to be reflected in your application. We’re not looking for poetry but we are looking for you to be accurate and concise. It’s a good idea to draft, edit and get someone else to read over your application before clicking ‘Submit’.

Your interview is an opportunity to substantiate what you have said about yourself in your application and for us to get to know you better, and vice versa. Naturally, if you’ve come this far you want to impress, so make sure you get the following basics right and remember to be yourself throughout.

Remember to revisit your application before your interview. The interview questions are likely to include details about school and university studies, your interests and achievements, work experience, why you have chosen this career and why you want to work at Allen & Overy. University careers services may offer mock interviews, so book one if you can. Getting feedback on how you come across in an interview scenario from someone you don’t know can be really helpful before the event.

You should expect to be asked questions about topical, commercial or business issues so start reading up on stories in the newspapers or online, and be prepared to discuss your opinions at interview. We want to find out what you think and why you think that way.

Before your interview, ensure you know the dress code, directions and the selection process.

First impressions count, so dress appropriately, smile, maintain eye contact and offer a confident handshake. It’s not simply a case of impressing your interviewer – getting the first bits right will make you feel better and more confident, which will help you in the interview itself. Be confident and self-assured – if you have been invited to an interview, we already think you have potential, so remember this.

An interview is a two-way process, so while you will be expected to do most of the talking in an interview, this is also your opportunity to see whether the firm is right for you. It’s a good idea to prepare a couple of questions to ask at the end of the interview covering issues you genuinely want to learn more about.

We do accept applications from overseas students. However, you must have the right to work in Australia during the summer clerkship period and you must also demonstrate that you are committed to beginning your legal career in Australia.

All applications must be submitted online via our summer clerkship vacancy. Any applications received by other means will not be considered.

We appreciate that not all universities release their results prior to summer clerkship applications opening. You are able to submit your application without your most recent academic transcript. However, we will require a copy before the application closure deadline. We will be unable to assess your application without your academic transcript.

For Perth applications please address your cover letter to Human Resources Manager.

A cover letter is not required for Sydney applications.

We do not have any open days. We take part in a number of university events in Perth and Sydney where you have the opportunity to meet us.