2022 Graduate Program - Industrial Relations Legal Stream

Industrial Relations Legal Stream:

Industrial Relations (IR) legal stream offers career opportunities for talented and motivated law graduates.
As an IR graduate lawyer, you will be in the full range of work undertaken by our legal teams, including in the areas of

• government and administrative law
• legislation development (including drafting of legislative instruments) and litigation
• workplace relations law
• workers' compensation and work health and safety law

You will provide legal advice and services (including in relation to the development of legislation and the conduct of litigation) across the range of the department's responsibilities.

During your graduate program you will also participate in development activities including a major project, where you will have an opportunity to present to the department, including our senior executives. You will also contribute to a range of cultural and social activities including a high profile speaker series and fundraising initiatives. You will receive support from supervisors and access to learning and development activities, including the opportunity to complete further study.

To be eligible for the IR legal stream you must:

• You must have completed a minimum of a Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor and be eligible to enrol in a practical legal training course that leads to admission in Australia, be eligible to be admitted in Australia, or be admitted to practice in Australia.
• You must have completed your qualifications within the four year period between December 2017 to December 2021.
• You must have achieved a distinction average or above at the time of applying, for the relevant qualifications (law degree) completed in the last four years.

All IR legal positions are based in Canberra. Financial assistance may be offered where you are relocating from your home state.

More About Us:

The Attorney-General's Department (AGD) delivers programs and policies to maintain and improve Australia's law and justice framework, and to facilitate jobs growth through policies that promote fair, productive, flexible and safe workplaces. Through the Australian Government Solicitor, we provide legal services to the Commonwealth, including legal advice and representation. We are the central policy and coordinating element of the Attorney-General's Portfolio, structured into five groups:

• Australian Government Solicitor
• Enabling Services
• Integrity and International
• Industrial Relations
• Legal Services and Families

We value different views, experiences and backgrounds and want to reflect the diversity of the Australian community in our workforce. We recognise that diversity will help develop our staff, our culture, and our business in fulfilling our mission of achieving a just and secure society.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for engaged and highly capable graduates who:

• have strong academic results
• think critically and are curious
• respond positively to change and feedback, demonstrating flexibility and resilience
• build relationships with clients, stakeholders and peers
• research to find solutions to challenges and apply creativity
• bring and share diverse perspectives
• apply sound judgment
• communicate and engage professionally with people.

In return, you will be supported to become a well-rounded policy and program officer, practising economist or a legal professional with sound skills, knowledge and experience in an area of law.

Our graduate program offers the chance to experience a range of challenging and exciting opportunities to help develop your career in one of our streams:

• policy and program
• legal practice (Australian Government Solicitor)
• economics
• industrial relations legal

We also run Affirmative Measures bulk recruitment processes for the following streams:

• Affirmative Measures Indigenous:
  • Policy and Program
  • Legal Practice (Australian Government Solicitor)
• Affirmative Measures Disability:
  • Policy and Program