Department of Home Affairs - Summer Clerkship Program 2023-24

The Department of Home Affairs invites you to apply for their Summer Clerk Program for 12 weeks over the 2023-24 summer break between 20 November 2023 and 9 February 2024. The program provides an opportunity for up to 20 law students to gain valuable experience working in a large and dynamic in-house government legal practice. Practice areas include litigation, migration & citizenship law, customs, trade or national security law and legislative change or development.

The Department offers many benefits as a place of employment, including:

• Be part of something bigger – contribute to building a secure Australia that is prosperous, open and united

• Flexible work arrangements and value of work-life balance

• Join a dynamic, connected and innovative team of professionals that is at the forefront of legal issues

• Grow your career and develop your legal skills

• Receive competitive remuneration at the APS2 level

• Be your authentic self – a range of workplace initiatives that support staff in balancing their work-life commitments, diversity networks that provide a platform for staff to come together and connect, and providing a safe and healthy work environment that offers wellbeing programs and services.

• Clerks will be provided the opportunity to attend professional development seminars and other activities to extend their understanding of the Department and broaden their networks.

• If available at your university and arranged by the clerk, you may receive course credit 

Clerks will be placed in a range of areas across the Legal Group, which may include litigation, migration & citizenship law, customs, trade or national security law and legislative change or development. Participants may be exposed to court proceedings and associated procedures such as discovery, management of the Department’s large litigation caseload, legal research, legal advice, the migration and citizenship framework, instrument drafting and more.

Subject to operational requirements, upon completion of the Summer Clerkship, clerks may be offered continued employment with the Department working as a legal officer or as a paralegal around students’ university commitments (usually 2 or 3 days per week). 

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for the program candidates must:

• Be an Australian Citizen

• Be in their penultimate or final year of law school (undergraduate or juris doctor)

• Be willing to obtain and maintain a Baseline AGSVA security clearance (funded by the Department)

• Be willing to obtain and maintain an Employment Suitability Clearance (ESC) (funded by the Department) 

Additionally, we are seeking candidates who can:

• Adapt to and learn new systems 

• Perform tasks efficiently, including administrative requirements

• Uphold record-keeping obligations, and other departmental policies

• Be present for the entire 11 weeks of the clerkship in the ACT. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications will open on 10 July 2023 and will close at 11.59pm on Thursday 27 July 2023. To apply, please email the following documents to [email protected]:

• A copy of your CV (no more than 2 pages, including references);

• A copy of your most recent Statement of Results/Academic Transcript; and

• A one-page response telling us about yourself and why you would like to be part of our Summer clerkship program. 

Please ensure your pitch is concise and sufficiently linked to the Department’s functions, and has a clear direction or position on the chosen issue. 

Applications will be assessed on the papers (no interview) and successful candidates will be contacted within the subsequent weeks.   

If you would like more information about the Home Affairs Summer Clerkship 2023-24, please call Sharika Patel on 02 8862 6659.