Vacation Clerkships
About the clerkships
Are you a penultimate-year or final-year law student?
Our vacation Clerkships are a fantastic insight into life at a world-leading commercial firm, offering close mentorship, client experience, and the chance to work on real-world projects, cases and deals. Most of our graduate positions are filled by vacation clerkship students so this is a great chance to get ahead in your career.
What you'll do
 During our immersive clerkship program, y​​​​ou’ll gain hands-on experience within one of our eight practice groups. You’ll contribute to our pro bono practice, work with cutting-edge technology through our innovation projects, and deliver real work for prestigious clients. You’ll also enjoy close graduate and partner mentorship support and a chance to form networks with future colleagues. At the end of your clerkship, you’ll have a chance of being selected for a position in our graduate program.

Hear from our people

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"What stood out most was the genuine investment in my growth. I was given meaningful responsibility, sincere feedback, and the confidence to contribute from day one."
Issy Rushton, Summer Vacation Clerk
Melbourne
“I went into the clerkship program having never worked in a law firm before, and one of the biggest learnings I came away with is that the environment at HSF Kramer is super supportive and allowed me to quickly build confidence in both my work and my interactions with coworkers”. 
Daniel Young, Summer Vacation Clerk
Brisbane

Key dates

Please see below for the application dates for the city you intend to apply to (multiple applications will not be considered). We welcome applications from international penultimate-year and final-year students, providing that you can live and work legally in Australia by the time of your clerkship.

Please only apply to the office where you intend to start your graduate career.

Our vacation clerkships and graduate programs are available in the following cities.
Brisbane Each year we offer 30-35 summer and winter vacation clerkships. Applications for 2026/2027 programs open 13 July 2026 - 7 August 2026; offers are made on 7 October 2026.
Melbourne Each year we offer 65-75 summer and winter vacation clerkships. Applications for 2026/2027 programs open 6 July 2026 - 9 August 2026; offers are made on 15 October 2026.
Perth Each year we offer 30-35 summer and winter vacation clerkships. Applications for 2026/2027 programs open 22 June 2026 - 26 July 2026; offers are made on 11 September 2026.
Sydney Each year we offer 35-40 summer clerkships. Applications for 2026/2027 programs open 10 June 2026 - 12 July 2026; offers are made on 9 September 2026.

Benefits

Graduate mentoring support Navigate the first step of your career with partner and graduate mentoring support
Workshops Attend workshops and presentations covering all our practice areas
Pro bono practice Contribute to our pro bono practice
Technology
 Work with cutting-edge technology through our innovation projects
Network
 Meet and network with people across the firm
Adjustments

As part of our Global Adjustments Commitment, we are committed to the inclusion of all individuals participating in the application and interview process. This includes providing tailored reasonable accommodations to those who require them. You can request accommodations at each stage of the assessment process. If you would prefer to discuss beforehand, please reach out to your local Early Careers team.