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What are the opportunities for students
Clerkships Programs
Opportunities are available for Clerkships in each office.
| Office | When | Duration | Who |
| Adelaide | Summer Clerkships | 4 or 6 weeks | Penultimate & final year students |
| Adelaide | Winter Clerkships | 3 weeks | 2nd & 3rd year students |
| Melbourne | Summer Clerkships | 4 weeks | Penultimate students |
| Sydney | Summer Clerkships | 6 weeks | Penultimate students |
Where possible, you will be placed in your preferred area of practice. You will be appointed in this area for the duration of your clerkship, as we feel this ensures continuous development, supervision and an opportunity to integrate into a group. However, there will in most circumstances, be opportunities for you to assist with work across other practice areas if desired.
Graduate Development Program - Adelaide and Sydney
Once you have completed a clerkship with us you will have the opportunity to apply for a position in our year long Graduate Development Program. During the program you will work across two of our key practice areas, completing two, six month rotations.
If you are unsure which area of law you wish to specialise in, our program can help. You will be given the opportunity to nominate two to three practice groups that you would like to experience and we will do our best to ensure your program is tailored to incorporate your choices. One rotation will ideally be completed in a litigation based practice area. At the end of each rotation, you and your supervising partner will review your performance.
Trainee Solicitor Program - Melbourne
The Trainee Solicitor Program in our Melbourne office provides trainee solicitors the opportunity to experience up to four practice areas across the firm over a period of 12 months. Completion of a Clerkship is not a pre-requisite for applying for a position in the 2011 Trainee Solicitor Program.
What will you be doing?
The work you undertake as a clerk, graduate or trainee will largely depend on the practice group you are assigned to.
However, certain core responsibilities are common to all placements, including:
• General research such as due diligence, sourcing case examples, recent legislative changes and their impact on clients
• Drafting letters of advice, minutes, contracts or court documents
• Discovery/due diligence
• Conflict searches
• Interviewing clients/witnesses
• Specific research tasks relating to procedural questions, which arise out of litigious matters
• Attendance at a variety of internal and client meetings and court hearings.
What’s in it for you?
A clerkship, graduate or trainee solicitor placement at Thomson Playford Cutlers will assist you in developing skills to take through your career. Besides gaining invaluable experience, there’s also the added bonus of competitive remuneration and support for practical legal training.
Some placements are just a month long, others a whole year, but they all offer a really worthwhile experience. We want you to enjoy your time with us, but we also want to give you a realistic and stretching introduction to the legal profession, so from day one you’ll be working hard on interesting matters and will start to learn the skills you need to flourish in the world of law.
Please apply by going to the "Career Opportunities" page where all our current vacancies are listed.
Application dates are as follows:
| Program | Applications dates |
| Melbourne 2011 Trainee Solicitor Program | 10/01/10 - 05/02/10 |
| Adelaide 2010 Winter Clerkships | 12/03/10 - 16/04/10 |
| Melbourne 2010/2011 Summer Clerkships | 07/06/10 - 05/07/10 |
| Sydney 2010/2011 Summer Clerkships | 30/06/10 - 30/07/10 |
| Adelaide 2010/2011 Summer Clerkships | 05/07/10 - 27/07/10 |
Adelaide and Sydney Graduate Programs
All of our graduates are selected from our Clerkship Programs which involve a detailed
selection process. Clerks are invited to register their interest in a graduate position with us and then
participate in a formal interview and selection process.
For further information please contact: hr@thomsonplayfordcutlers.com.au
