Perks & Benefits

Benefits:

A high performing team provides support and encouragement to all the people connected as part of that team. Culturally, it is important to us that if you are part of the high performing W+K team that you feel supported and valued for your contribution. These are some of the ways we achieve this goal:

• Above-market remuneration
• Incentive rewards for lawyers
• Flexible work arrangements
• Involvement in our Community Footprint Program through pro-bono legal services and CSR initiatives, allowing you to give back
• A generous employee referral program
• Ongoing investment in your career progression and development
• Fantastic and regular social events throughout the year
• Access to health and well-being initiatives, as well as financial and retail benefits.

Flex:

We’re as flexible as you are. We care about client outcomes, quality, business contributions and cultural contributions. If you can make that work by working part-time, working “irregular hours” or working from home – then so can we.

Employment Assistance Program:

The Centre for Corporate Health offers our people voluntary and confidential counselling, access to senior consultant psychologists. Also, the Resilience Box self-care portal provides our people with videos, tutorials, podcasts and other access to further EAP services

The Pathways Program runs for 12 months, commencing in February each year. We don’t do standard clerkships. Aspirational lawyers don’t want to spend their summer printing off reams of documents! Our unique Pathways Program for final year law students is the best way to build your legal skills and commercial acumen. It’s your opportunity to dive into large-scale litigation, be mentored by some of the best minds in the business and kickstart your career with a firm that values behaviours that build relationships, excellence, and a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture.

You’ll join W+K as a Paralegal, working casually during your last semester or final year of your law degree. You’ll support a champion team of lawyers who are tasked with ensuring you develop the necessary skills to put you at the front of the queue for a graduate position. Wotton + Kearney supports and funds all graduates who are completing their Practical Legal Training. They are provided with paid study leave throughout the year, educational fee assistance and individualised support provided from their seniors, buddies, and peers.

Through Pathways we’ll get to know you and do our best to match your interests, under-graduate degree, other work experiences and preferences into the teams you work with during Pathways. You’ll be doing real work for real clients alongside senior lawyers and Partners who are among the best in the business.

If you’re the type of person we’re looking for, you have many options. You might think a clerkship is right for you. And it might be. What we offer is something different but, like a clerkship, it’s a direct path to a graduate offer.

What to expect from us?

When you join us, you’re joining a community that’s much bigger than W+K; it’s a relationship ecosystem of our people, clients, industry groups, professional bodies and the community. 

We are invested in your success. We want you to learn from the best and become the best. 

The way we help make that happen is by:

• Matching the range, variety and complexity of work to your evolving skillset and interests
• Enabling client interaction from the outset
• Setting clear expectations and support to help you meet them
• Ongoing encouragement and practical, timely and actionable feedback
• Educating you on everything from insurance law to skills training to mental health and wellness
• Giving you a “buddy” to help guide you through your first months and beyond
• Providing flexibility about the how, what, when and where of working
• Placing a big emphasis on people being comfortable being themselves at work
• Encouraging you to get involved on community and pro bono initiatives
• Together, we’ll help you build the foundations needed to become a lawyer our clients want on their side

What do we look for?

We look for people that can encompass our firm values. Every day, each of us makes choices about how we act and what we say. Our values serve as a consistent reminder of the high standards we expect of everyone at W+K.

• MAIN GAME: Never being complacent – excellence in the insurance and risk services we provide. We look to develop meaningful and lasting relationships (both internally and externally) and we commit to giving back.
• HAVE EACH OTHERS BACK: We work as a team and invest in one another.
• BE REAL: We’re authentic and we value diversity.

Key Dates

We are members of the Diversity Council of Australia, and Diverse Women in Law.

W+K is a sponsor of Diverse Women in Law. Diverse Women in Law (DWL) is a not-for-profit which aims to empower and support Diverse Women through all stages of their legal studies and career.

Diverse Women are defined as self-identifying women (cis, non-binary and gender diverse) from underrepresented backgrounds (including culturally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander persons, LGBTQI+ persons, living with a disability, are or have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage or with caring responsibilities).

Modern Slavery:

Wotton + Kearney is committed to respecting human rights and addressing modern slavery. In 2018 and 2019, we partnered with International Justice Mission, the largest anti-slavery organisation in the world, to raise awareness about modern slavery amongst our staff, clients, and broader network. The partnership educated us about the scale of modern slavery – there are more than 50 million slaves globally today – and the importance of a business response.

Modern slavery breaches the most fundamental freedoms and human rights of individuals. Wotton + Kearney rejects all forms of modern slavery and recognises that modern slavery is never acceptable in any of its forms.

We have chosen to make a voluntary statement under the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) and to take action to address modern slavery risks in our supply chains and operations.

Pro Bono:

Wotton + Kearney’s  pro bono practice is central to its commitment to access to justice and to reducing inequality. 

W+K has invested in a dedicated pro bono team, including a pro bono partner, special counsel, consultant and community coordinator. The pro bono team is supported by pro bono champions in each Australian office, the broader firm and the resources of our Legalign Global alliance.

Refugee rights is the focus of more than a third of our pro bono program and includes legal representation, advocacy, policy work and law reform through our partnerships with organisations including the Refugee Advice and Casework Service, the Human Rights Law Centre, Refugee Legal and Refugee Council of Australia.

Seniors rights and elder abuse is an increasingly visible area of unmet legal need and an area we are investing in through our partnerships with the Seniors Rights Service NSW and Justice Connect.

Human rights and the rule of law is a growing focus of our work, engaging in advocacy through our pro bono partnerships.

Environment + Sustainability:

We are a reporting member of the Australian Legal Sector Alliance (AusLSA), an industry-led association working collaboratively to promote best practice sustainability commitments and performance across the legal sector. You can access our latest AusLSA report here. We have recently introduced an externally certified Environmental Management System to drive sustainability from within the firm. We have identified our key environmental impacts and developed a detailed plan to address them.

In 2021, W+K was awarded a bronze medal in recognition of sustainability achievement by EcoVadis, the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. We also have an active Environment & Sustainability Committee, which helps drive our environmental initiatives and raise awareness of environmental issues.

W+K is committed to becoming carbon neutral. We are working with an external consultant to assess our carbon footprint with a view to achieving full carbon neutral certification with Climate Active.

Partnering With Indigenous Literacy Foundation

At W+K we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands we live, work and learn on throughout Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Our charity partner from September 2022 through to July 2025 is the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Indigenous Literacy Foundation is an Australian charity which aims to reduce the disadvantage experienced by children in remote Indigenous communities across Australia by lifting literacy levels and instilling a lifelong love of reading. For children in isolated regions, access to books is limited and literacy levels can be much lower than other parts of Australia.

Indigenous Literacy Foundation’s programs focus on publishing Community stories and books in First Languages that help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders children see themselves, their culture and languages reflected in the books they read. Their vision of equity of opportunity for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in remote Australia ties in exceptionally well with our Community Footprint program’s focus on Goal 10 of the UN Sustainable Development Goal: Reducing Inequality.

By partnering with Indigenous Literacy Foundation over the next three years, each of our offices will have the opportunity to fundraise, advocate and support ILF and First Nations Communities.

Local Office Charity Partners

We support our local office charities, Lou’s Place, Launch Housing, Pass It On Clothing and Share the Dignity by regular donations, fundraising and volunteering opportunities all year round. During Homelessness Week we run an additional donation drive and raise awareness of how we can support those at risk or experiencing homelessness.