Are you looking to jump start your future in law with on-the-job experience and support at a leading Australian law firm with the strongest social justice brand? Then the Slater and Gordon Graduate Program might just be for you!
Applications for the 2026 Graduate Program have now closed.
Start your legal career with Australia’s leading social justice law firm.
From Slater and Gordon’s humble beginnings helping workers and unions, to our high-profile landmark victories helping our clients, we pride ourselves on our commitment to justice and championing access to justice for all. Our clients are our number one priority.
We offer our people a number of initiatives to ensure that our people have the opportunity to achieve a work/life balance, including shutdown leave, leading parental leave, as well as the suite of Slater and Gordon benefits of discounts with selected providers including health insurance, travel and mobile providers, salary sacrificing arrangement for superannuation and novated car leases.
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values diversity and ensures equal opportunities for all. Slater and Gordon is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or other legally protected attributes.
Graduates will have the opportunity to be part of an 18-month program which includes extensive on-the-job training and support. But being a Graduate at Slater and Gordon is more than what our program includes, it’s about:
- Hitting the ground running by being involved in meaningful work from day one
- Opportunities to attend court, shadow senior team members and attend client meetings
- Seeing firsthand how we champion and guide our clients through their legal challenges
- Being supported every step of the way with your dedicated team of buddies, supervisors and the Graduate team
- Being part of culture that values work/life balance
- Discovering what being a lawyer at Slater and Gordon is all about.
Future Slater and Gordon Graduates will ideally have the following qualifications, experience, skills and attributes:
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree (Law)
- Dual Degree (Science, Commerce, IT, Arts) highly desirable
- Strong academic achievement
Previous Experience:
- Strong customer service experience (particularly in a part time or casual role)
- Any advocacy, social justice or volunteer work experience
- Experience in a community based legal environment is highly desirable
- Previous leadership positions: Student Unions, Societies or Not for Profit organisations
Skills and Attributes:
- Community minded
- Demonstrated capacity to remain calm in difficult or sensitive situations
- Caring, empathetic and compassionate nature
- A strong sense of self awareness and an ability to be resilient by nature
- High emotional intelligence
- A familiarity and interest with the use of technology and contemporary applications
- Ability to be open, adaptable and progressive to change
- Ability to be innovative, agile, creative, and have gritty determination
Slater and Gordon is looking for people from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to represent the clients and communities we work with.
Applications will open on our applications portal on Thursday 7 August and close Wednesday 20 August 2025. Online application will take approximately 10-20 minutes to complete. You will need to upload a cover letter, your CV, referee details and a copy of your academic transcript.
If you are selected for an interview these will take place between Monday 8 September and Friday 19 September 2025.
At Slater and Gordon we understand that everyone is different and so we offer an authentic recruitment experience. Should you require reasonable adjustments throughout your application process or your employment we are here to assist.
The Slater and Gordon Graduate Program Experience
The Slater and Gordon Graduate Program is an 18-month program designed to provide our Graduates with on the ground experience, dedicated support, ongoing development opportunities, as well as forging and maintaining relationships with clients and colleagues.
Following the successful launch of the Graduate Program in 2025, Slater and Gordon Lawyers are thrilled to announce that the 2026 Graduate Program will now be offered in both Victoria and New South Wales.
The Program will include:
- An induction week covering our strategy, history and values, what to expect in the program, systems training, meet and greets and professional development
- Client focussed immersion experience
- Three six-month rotations across different areas of our Practices including Personal Injury, General Law and the Class Actions Client Engagement Team
- Regional spread of offices across Victoria for our Victorian program, allowing for rotations close to home
- Sydney location for our New South Wales program
- Practical Legal Training (PLT) with The College of Law
- Dedicated support team of buddies, mentors, supervisors, as well as the Graduate Team
- Structured ongoing professional development sessions and coaching sessions
- Social events
- Admission and admission celebrations
By working with their supervisors, our Graduates will perform a range of different work including attending court, shadowing senior lawyers, attending client meetings, drafting documents, completing research, and more. We want to ensure our Graduates get a real experience of what being a lawyer at Slater and Gordon is all about – our clients.
Realising your career with Slater and Gordon
Life at Slater and Gordon is about more than spending hours working on a computer, it’s about:
- Living the Slater and Gordon values that underpin who we are and the way we work
- Working with likeminded people who are passionate about our clients and fearlessly defend their rights
- Being exposed to varied and interesting work that makes a difference to the lives of our clients
- Opportunity to get involved in Pro Bono work
- A firm with a Learning culture that makes your development the key. With 150+ development sessions held throughout the year on:
- Professional development
- Legal Education
- Systems Training
- Coaching
- Safety Training
- Compliance Training
- Benefits and leave options to ensure your work/life balance
- Dedicated leaders and teams to help guide and support you through your professional development
FAQs
Following the successful launch of the Graduate Program in 2025, Slater and Gordon Lawyers are thrilled to announce that the 2026 Graduate Program will now be offered in both Victoria and New South Wales.
Students who are in their final year of their law degree, or who have recently graduated and who have not yet commenced their Practical Legal Training (PLT) are eligible to apply for the Slater and Gordon Graduate Program.
The Slater and Gordon Graduate Program is only accepting applications for those who will have completed their law degree and received their final academic transcript by February 2026, and who have not yet commenced their Practical Legal Training (PLT). If you do not meet these requirements, you will not be able to apply for the program.
Through the Program, we want to ensure all Graduates complete their PLT together, creating a shared experience, connecting and learning from fellow Graduates. The program’s PLT course will ensure all Graduates are provided the same PLT experience from coursework, subjects, submissions through to work experience requirements for PLT.
If you are due to complete your degree after February 2026, you can then look to apply for the 2027 program – just ensure you don’t start your PLT!
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree (Law)
- Dual Degree (Science, Commerce, IT, Arts) highly desirable
- Strong academic achievement
Previous Experience:
- Strong customer service experience (particularly in a part time or casual role)
- Any advocacy, social justice or volunteer work experience
- Experience in a community based legal environment is highly desirable
- Previous leadership positions: Student Unions, Societies or Not for Profit organisations
Skills and Attributes:
- Community minded
- Demonstrated capacity to remain calm in difficult or sensitive situations
- Caring, empathetic and compassionate nature
- A strong sense of self awareness and an ability to be resilient by nature
- High emotional intelligence
- A familiarity and interest with the use of technology and contemporary applications
- Ability to be open, adaptable and progressive to change
- Ability to be innovative, agile, creative, and have gritty determination
Slater and Gordon is looking for people from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to represent the clients and communities we work with.
Applications for both the Victorian and New South Wales 2026 Program can be completed via our careers page during the application window which opens Thursday 7 August 2025 and closes Wednesday 20 August 2025.
Your application must include a cover letter, your CV including two referee contact details and your academic transcript.
Yes, Slater and Gordon will cover all costs associated with your PLT and will provide study leave to assist you with completion.
The Slater and Gordon Graduate Program will consist of three six-month rotations across the Personal Injury and General Law practices as well Class Actions in the Client Engagement Team.
Rotations will be selected based on practice group availability and workload, as well as Graduate preference.
For our Victorian program, with our office locations across the state, Graduates will have the opportunity to work from of a number of our Victorian offices in addition to the Melbourne office, dependent on rotations. You may be required to travel to other Victorian offices to complete your rotations, in addition to coming to the Melbourne office as part of your induction week and development sessions.
The New South Wales program will see Graduates located in our Sydney office. There may, however, be the option to travel other New South Wales offices to complete your rotation. Graduates will also travel to the Melbourne office as part of your induction week.
In each rotation you will have the opportunity to perform a range of different work depending on the matters you are involved in. You may attend court, shadow senior lawyers, attend client meetings, draft documents, complete research, and more! You will be given the opportunity to support and guide our clients through their matters and experience what being a lawyer at Slater and Gordon is all about.
Throughout the Graduate Program you will be provided support every step of the way – you will have specially designed development sessions, allocated supervisors and buddies in each of your rotations, mentors, support from your whole Practice Group, as well as ongoing support from both the Capability Development and Recruitment Teams.
At the conclusion of the program, Slater and Gordon will, where possible, offer permanent positions to our Graduates. The Recruitment Team will be available to answer any of your queries with regards to employment opportunities across the firm.
This page holds all key information for the program, alternatively please reach out to the Graduate Program team graduateprogram@slatergordon.com.au