About

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) focuses on supporting people in Australia to have safe, secure and well-paid work with the skills for a sustainable future. DEWR's legal areas provide a career pathway for talented and motivated law graduates. Applications are now open and we want to hear from you. 

Legal graduates are exposed to a wide range of legal work. Areas may include government and administrative law, corporate and commercial law, intellectual property, litigation (including some advocacy work), social security law, information law, workplace relations law, workers’ compensation and work health and safety law, and legislation development (including drafting of legislative instruments).

Requirements

We offer career opportunities for highly talented and motivated law graduates. We are looking for graduates who have:

• completed a Bachelor of Laws from an Australian university or will have completed a Bachelor of Laws from an Australian university by the commencement of the graduate program.
• a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (GDLP) or who are eligible and committed to completing the qualification and gaining admission as a Legal Practitioner. The department supports its legal graduates to complete their GDLP and gain admission if they have not already done so.
• a strong academic record.

Additionally, graduates should:

• have excellent legal and analytical capabilities
• have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills
• have personal drive and enthusiasm
• show initiative and flexibility
• possess leadership qualities.

The Program

The department offers a 10-month graduate program, starting in February each year, and concluding in December of the same year. New and recent graduates with Higher Education (university) qualifications are encouraged to apply. Graduates are engaged at the APS4 classification and on successful completion of the program, advance to the APS5 classfication.Graduates are engaged at the APS4 classification and on successful completion of the program, advance to the APS5 classfication. The program offers formal and on-the-job training, supported by experienced supervisors, and a formal learning and development program.

Throughout the graduate program, you will undertake formal training to equip you with the foundational skills to work in the Australian Public Service. You will have the opportunity to work with and learn from subject matter experts to develop your legal skills. 

The program offers:

• two placements
• on-the-job experience including the opportunity to work and learn from subject matter experts
• undertake two diverse work placements which provide the opportunity to work on a variety of programs and policies developed and implemented by the department
• a formal learning and development program
• various opportunities to be involved in a wide range of networks, social and fundraising events
• a supportive, inclusive, and flexible working environment.

When you join the program, you also get: 

• relocation assistance (if applicable)
• permanent ongoing employment in the Australian Public Service (APS)
• career progression on successful completion of the program
• excellent employment conditions with competitive remuneration, superannuation, and employee entitlements
• an Employee Assistance Program for wellbeing and career support
• a dedicated Graduate Sponsor passionate about seeing you thrive

What our legal graduates do

The Legal Stream provides graduates with the opportunity to rotate through various teams in the Legal and Assurance Division or the Workplace Relations Legal Division. The two divisions are made up of the following branches:

Legal and Assurance Division

• · Program Advice and Corporate Law Branch
• · Commercial and Information Law Branch

Workplace Relations Legal Division

• · Bargaining and Coverage Branch
• · Employment Standards Branch
• · Safety, Compensation and Institutions Branch

How are legal graduates supported within their placement:

Legal graduates will be allocated a supervisor in their team for each rotation. Supervisors work with the graduate on meeting all program requirements (including graduate learning and development activities, and mandatory department training). Legal graduates will also have support from their colleagues who will work collaboratively with them.

Selected lawyers at the APS5-EL1 level will also act as graduate coordinators for the Legal Stream. The graduate coordinators are responsible for managing the Legal Stream and supporting graduates as they progress through the Program. This includes organising orientation sessions, training and development opportunities, social events, managing rotations, and generally liaising with graduates. Graduate coordinators regularly check in with legal graduates and are a point of contact for any questions legal graduates may have about the stream.

Graduates will each be paired with a junior lawyer within the legal practice as a ‘buddy’. The buddy relationship is designed to be an informal point of contact for graduates to have assistance and support from someone within the legal practice for the duration of the program.

Learning and Development

Legal graduates will be supported by the department to complete their Practical Legal Training (PLT) during their graduate year. Subject to approval, the department may provide financial support for legal graduates to undertake their Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and to gain admission as a Legal Practitioner.

Legal graduates will also be provided with foundational government legal training. Through these training sessions, graduates will be introduced to in-house government legal work that will aid the transition from graduate to Government Lawyer. These sessions may be conducted by lawyers from the department’s legal practice or by external lawyers. Legal graduates will also have the opportunity to attend continuing legal education (CLE) sessions, organised by the Legal Divisions or by external legal providers.Additionally legal graduates will undertake foundational training that will equip them with an understanding to to work in government and the Australian Public Service.

Who can apply?

To be eligible for AGGP Legal Stream, you must submit a completed application prior to the closing date and time. Eligibility criteria may also include the following:

• be an Australian Citizen or going to be granted Australian citizenship before you commence and be able to provide evidence of this
• have successfully completed a Bachelor degree or higher within the five years prior to the start date of the Graduate Program. You will be required to provide evidence of completion before the start of the program
• obtain and maintain a valid Australian Government Baseline security clearance
• relocate to Canberra for the commencement of the program if the position requires you to.
• satisfy the relevant medical check (if required for the position).

If you are successful in the process, you will be placed in a merit pool that will be considered by the APS and Commonwealth entities. You will get the opportunity to nominate DEWR as your preferred department. Please note that agencies and departments and will offer different employment conditions and graduate program features.

How to apply?

We work collaboratively with other APS agencies to recruit talented individuals through other specialty graduate and entry level programs. These speciality graduate programs are co-ordinated centrally by Australian Government Graduate Program (AGGP).

Visit the APS Jobs Career Pathways website to find out more or apply. Make sure you nominate the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations as your preferred agency for your chance to join us! 

Secure jobs are vital—driving future economic growth and providing people with certainty. We focus on supporing people in Australia to have safe, secure and well-paid work with the skills for a sustainable future.