Recruitment process

Each year, we receive around 400 applications for vacation clerkships. Applications are reviewed by HR, a group of partners and lawyers and a shortlist of candidates for first round interviews is compiled. We interview between 150-170 students so the interviews are shorter. 

On arrival for your interview you will spend time with a junior lawyer who can answer any questions you have about working at Minter Ellison.  The interview will be conducted by a partner and either a HR consultant or associate/senior associate/special counsel. Afterwards, you will have a debrief with a HR consultant.

The top 60 candidates are invited to a networking function held at our offices. Partners, senior associates, special counsel and junior lawyers will attend. HR consultants will also be there to introduce you and facilitate discussions relevant to your interests. The purpose is for us to get to know you better and for you to determine whether Minter Ellison is the right fit for you.

Vacation clerkships

Your clerkship will commence with a two day induction to the firm, covering software training, policies and know-how. You will also have a morning tea on your first day with our current graduates to ease you into your clerkship.  You will also attend a series of practice group overviews which are presented by our lawyers and will give you an insight into the various practice groups. You can also attend all training sessions conducted within your practice group, as well as all internal Continuous Legal Education seminars held during your placement.

The clerkship's purpose is to ensure you are integrated into the team and receive a variety of legal work. You will have the opportunity to work closely with partners and lawyers on current matters that will allow you to put into place what you have been studying at university.

Towards the end of the clerkship you will be invited to lunch with the partners - always a popular event - so you can get to know more about them and their practice areas.

Graduate program

On your first day you will attend a team building retreat so you can get to know your fellow graduates. You will then begin a comprehensive induction to become familiar with firm systems, knowledge management (including research skills), how to manage your professional development, risk management and a tour of the courts including Law Library. You will also be introduced to the practical legal training program that will be provided through the College of Law which is a requirement for admission in Western Australia.

At any time you can also take advantage of our firm-wide Learning and Development programs to improve your capabilities in time management, negotiation and presentation skills. We offer specific sessions for junior practitioners which help you gain essential skills and knowledge across all areas of legal practice within the firm.

During each rotation you will have a responsible person (RP), a senior lawyer that will assist with your development. Your RP will provide you with challenging work, regular feedback, mentoring and informal discussions about your progress. Each rotation will include a formal discussion with your RP to ensure that we look at your performance against career guides which contain key performance indicators.

See Career development for more information.

Rotations

Perth office has 10 practice areas: Environment & Planning, Commercial Property, Dispute Resolution, Insolvency, HR&IR, Insurance & Corporate Risk, Energy & Resources, Construction Engineering & Infrastructure, Corporate Advisory and Finance. Vacation clerks and graduates can nominate three to four practice areas and we will make every effort to accommodate those preferences into the rotation programs.

Vacation clerkships consist of one rotation over a three week period for a summer clerkship or a two week period for a winter clerkship.  Graduates complete between two and four six-month rotations.  We advise graduates to complete at least two rotations to gain experience and exposure to litigious and non-litigious areas of law. Graduates can complete a maximum of four rotations before settling in a particular area of practice.

In making rotation preferences it is important to gain an understanding of what the various practice groups do and keep an open mind about where interesting experiences can be gained. For example, you can gain exposure to litigation not only in the Dispute Resolution division, but also in HR&IR and Construction. We also encourage you to consider which groups complement each other – for example, many people who are interested in a career as a Finance lawyer do rotations in Property and/or Tax to gain a greater understanding of how these areas impact on Finance transactions. Or dedicated litigators often benefit from spending time in Energy & resources or Commercial Property where they gain an understanding of how transactions are structured at the front end of a deal. Finally, take the opportunity to speak with partners and other lawyers within the firm about their areas of interest.

What work will I do?

The nature of the work you complete during your clerkship or graduate year will vary depending on which practice group you join. However, broadly speaking the types of tasks you can expect to receive include:

• preparing an initial draft of an advice
• attending client meetings and/or teleconferences
• attending court
• assisting with document management/due diligence
• preparing case chronologies
• researching points of law.

Getting admitted

To become admitted in Western Australia you must complete a recognised law degree and an approved program of practical legal training (PLT).

Graduates will complete PLT provided through the College of Law. PLT is comprised of course work, work experience and Continuing Professional Education (CPE). The 34-week program includes two weeks of onsite training. The work experience component is gained while you complete the coursework. CPE is provided through the firm's Learning & Development programs. Upon completion you are eligible to be admitted as a legal practitioner in Western Australia. Minter Ellison covers the cost of the course and makes all necessary arrangements for your enrolment and application to the Supreme Court of Western Australia.

How to apply

To check your eligibility for clerkships please go to Choosing the right program. Apply for a vacation clerkship or graduate position using our online application form. We cannot accept paper applications.

Vacation clerkship applications - Summer 2010/2011 and Winter 2011	Dates
applications close	Friday 20 August 2010
interviews	Monday 6 September – Friday 17 September 2010
offers made	Wednesday 29 September 2010 (offers held open for 2 hours)
acceptances due	Wednesday 29 September 2010 (offers to be accepted within the 2 hour acceptance period)
clerkship duration	Summer Clerkship One Monday 29 November – Friday 17 December 2010 (3 weeks) Summer Clerkship Two Monday 24 January – Friday 11 February 2011 (3 weeks) Winter Clerkship One - June 2011 (exact dates yet to be confirmed) (2 weeks) Winter Clerkship Two – July 2011 (exact dates yet to be confirmed) (2 weeks)

In Perth, only previous vacation clerks will be considered for graduate positions. Accordingly we do not accept applications for graduate positions in Perth from the general student population. During each of our vacation clerkship programs, our vacation clerks are made aware of the firm's recruitment process for graduate positions.

For more information please read our FAQs and testimonials.