About the New Lawyers Program
The New Lawyers Program (NLP) is a structured two-year professional development pathway for early-career lawyers which runs annually.
Starting in February 2026, successful applicants will undertake three, eight-month placements. They will gain hands-on experience in various areas of law, and work directly with clients who need support the most.
It can be a great way to fast-track your career with broad legal experience and strong mentors, and the lifestyle can be fantastic!
Key program features:
- Comprehensive induction and training – equip yourself with the skills and knowledge to thrive in public interest law.
- Diverse practice areas – rotate through placements in criminal law, civil justice, family law, and access to justice services.
- Regional experience – option to relocate for a stable regional experience that offers fast-tracked development, building resilience and adaptability.
- Ongoing role – transition into a permanent lawyer position at our organisation after program completion.
Information sessions – book now
Our NLP 2026 Information Sessions provide an overview of the program, including all the information you need to complete your application.
Held online via Zoom, you will also hear from lawyers who have completed the NLP, and discuss the daily work of our different legal practice areas.
We will run two information sessions:
- Wednesday 15 October, 4:30 pm to 6 pm
- Monday 20 October, 12 pm to 1:30 pm.
Reserve your place by registering through Humantix.
Choosing the right placement for you
The 2026 NLP has 12 positions available.
Each pathway consists of three rotations and is linked to a home directorate. This is where you'll be placed permanently after completing the program.
Applicants are asked to rank their top three preferred placement pathways as part of their application.
How placement pathways are assigned
We know that everyone’s lives, interests and responsibilities are different, and you want to know what you’ll learn, and what we’ll require of you.
We have 14 possible placement pathway options for 2026, with a mix of targeted practice and generalist practice pathways. These include three potential places at our outer regional offices.
By including your placement pathway preferences in your application, we can ensure that any employment offer for the NLP will match your skills and interests, including the location requirements.
If you’re only interested in one placement pathway option, you can list that pathway at all three preferences.
To promote our placement pathways that some might be considered less popular, offers will be made based on a combination of candidates’ pathway preference and performance throughout the recruitment process.
How offers will be made
Offers will be made to the candidate with the highest performance in our order of merit, and who expressed a high preference for that pathway.
How to increase the chances of getting an offer
Preferencing one of the less popular pathways may increase your chances of securing an offer.
Also if you don’t mind where you are placed, or what area of law you are assigned, we have an ‘anywhere ‘ option you can choose.
Placement pathway options for the 2026 intake
Targeted practice area placement pathways
Placement pathways one to eight offer a development pathway towards a specific legal practice area.
They offer a range of experiences and development areas that contribute to a balanced but more specialised practice.
These (mostly) have centralised locations for lawyers who are unable to relocate for the program.
One – Criminal Law (Melbourne CBD and Western Suburbs)
Start in civil justice (mental health and disability law, CBD), then move to criminal law, family violence and youth law in Sunshine and Wyndham, finishing in therapeutic justice (CBD).
Two – Criminal Law (Melbourne CBD and Wimmera region)
Rotate from summary crime (Melbourne CBD) to criminal law and family violence in Horsham, then to indictable crime (CBD). Note: If required, accommodation will be provided in Horsham for the regional placement.
Three – Criminal Law, youth crime focus (Melbourne CBD and Loddon-Campaspe or Central Highlands region)
Begin in summary crime (Melbourne CBD), shift to child protection in Bendigo or Ballarat, and finish in youth crime (CBD). Note: If required, accommodation will be provided in Bendigo or Ballarat for this regional placement.
Four – Criminal Law (Western Suburbs, Melbourne CBD and South Coast region)
Experience criminal law at Sunshine and Wyndham, then either summary crime or therapeutic justice (Melbourne CBD), before a final placement in crime and family violence in Warrnambool. Note: If required, accommodation will be provided in Warrnambool for this regional placement.
Five – Family, Youth and Children’s Law, Child Protection (Melbourne CBD and metropolitan Melbourne)
Work across child protection (Melbourne CBD), family law (Melbourne CBD and metropolitan Melbourne), and youth crime (Melbourne CBD and metropolitan Melbourne).
Six – Family, Youth and Children’s Law, Family Law (Melbourne CBD and metropolitan Melbourne)
Rotate through family law (Melbourne CBD), child support (Melbourne CBD), and child protection (Melbourne CBD and metropolitan Melbourne).
Seven – Civil Justice Law (Melbourne CBD and outer-eastern suburbs)
Develop expertise in equality law (Melbourne CBD), move to civil practice at the Ringwood office, and complete with economic and social rights (Melbourne CBD).
Eight – Access to Justice, Legal Help and Civil (Melbourne CBD and Westernport region)
Begin with civil justice (economic and social rights, Melbourne CBD), rotate to criminal law and family violence at our Dandenong office, and finish in Legal Help (Melbourne CBD).
Generalist placement pathways
Placement pathway options nine to 14 offer a broad range of hands-on experience in our busy Metropolitan Melbourne and/or outer regional service delivery offices.
These generalist pathways provide experience in each of our core legal practice areas. They offer significant breadth and depth which is a favourable and unique advantage to working in a location-based front-line service delivery office.
These pathways support you to become a well-rounded legal aid lawyer. They also offer an opportunity to try-out an area of law if you’re not sure of your preferred practice area, and would like experience in a wide range of matters.
Nine – Metro North (Metropolitan Melbourne and Northern Victoria)
Rotate through criminal law in Ringwood, civil law in Broadmeadows, and family law at the Bendigo or Ringwood offices.
Ten – Metro South-West (Barwon region, western suburbs, and Central Highlands region)
Work across family law in Geelong, civil law in Sunshine/Wyndham, and crime in Ballarat.
Eleven – Metro South-East (Metropolitan Melbourne and Gippsland region)
Experience family law in Frankston, criminal law and family violence in Gippsland (based at our Morwell Office, and civil justice law in Dandenong.
Twelve – Outer Regional, North
Be based in one regional northern office (let us know your preference), rotating through family law, civil justice, and criminal law.
Thirteen – Outer Regional, South-East
Work from a single regional base in Morwell or Bairnsdale, with placements in family law, civil justice or children’s law, and criminal law.
Fourteen – Outer Regional, South-West
Stay in one regional South-West office (let us know your preference), developing across civil justice, criminal law, and family law.
Outer regional placement pathways – a unique opportunity
Our outer regional placements (pathways 12-14) can be based at any of our outer regional offices, just tell us your location preference. These will enable you to work consistently with the same team and community throughout the two-year program.
By relocating for the program, you'll gain this brilliant professional development opportunity close to home – our Victorian community benefits and so do you!
These unique experiences offer:
- Broader casework – handle a diverse range of cases with increased responsibility.
- Community impact – work closely with clients and communities, where your advocacy has visible outcomes.
- Mentorship – build strong relationships with senior lawyers and leaders.
- Professional growth – develop resilience and adaptability in new settings.
We strongly encourage applicants to preference an outer regional pathway, as these placements are often career-defining experiences.
Opportunities and learning outcomes
Every NLP participant will have the opportunity to:
- Do regular appearance work in courts and tribunals.
- Complete casework and conduct advice clinics.
- Work with diverse clients daily.
- Get hands-on experience by rotating metropolitan and regional placements at our various offices.
- Learn from expert lawyers.
- Participate in our professional legal education activities.
- Contribute to law reform and community legal education.
You will be supported throughout the NLP by an in-house practice that includes over 60 lawyers who are Law Institute of Victoria accredited specialists(opens in a new window).
You'll build skills in:
- negotiation and alternative dispute resolution
- client communication
- advocacy
- cross-cultural awareness and communication
- mental health first aid
- safe and effective client interaction.
Who we’re looking for
We’re looking for people with amazing potential to grow their careers with us, who:
- Have an interest in the social justice sector and can adapt to regular change. This includes changes to work environments, clients, different practice areas of law and office locations throughout each placement period.
- Can act as an advocate, deliver legal advice and casework. This means undertaking negotiation and dispute resolution on behalf of legal aid clients that come from a diverse range of backgrounds.
- Have life experience. By this we mean that you’ve held a job, are relied on by others, can solve problems and work through setbacks. You’re also learning every day, understand that you’re part of a wider community and will ask for help when you need it.
- Are community-minded. You work with and support others to make the world a better place. You do this even in small ways such as through sport, art, religion, community service, cultural events, hobbies, conservation or other activities. These connect you to others and add ‘uplift’ to the world.
- Have strong communication and people skills. You can connect with people from different backgrounds and cultures. You can explain complex legal matters so that people understand them and can choose their way forward. You’re also able to effectively work with corporate colleagues, lawyers, barristers and external stakeholders and organisations.
- Are resilient and able to deal with complex legal work that can at times be distressing and emotionally demanding. You know that this difficult, but rewarding, work will require you to develop and practice strategies that promote greater resilience, and support your own well-being.
- Understand the complex needs of our clients and the underlying systemic issues that contribute to our clients’ legal issues. You can also explain the important role that external organisations, community and welfare groups play in providing services required by our clients.
- Are excited to learn and develop. You research, analyse and apply different areas of law. You want to continuously develop your legal and advocacy skills through on-the-job learning, seeking feedback from your supervisors and participating in our professional development programs.
- Are new lawyers. You must be admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria or eligible for admission in Victoria under the mutual recognition principle by January 2026. We are only accepting applications from people with less than 12 months’ experience in a legal role. You'll need to have a practicing certificate when you apply and lawyers must hold a valid practising certificate throughout the duration of the program.
- Can access their own personal transport. This is particularly necessary for placements in our regional offices and other metropolitan locations where public transport options are limited or impractical.
We will also prioritise applications from First Nations people, and people with strong connection to regional Victorian communities who wish to work in that regional area.
Key 2026 program dates
Recruitment phase
Applications accepted – 13 to 26 October 2025
Interviews held – 18 to 28 November 2025
Offers made and placement pathways confirmed – 1 to 18 December 2025
Program dates
NLP start date: 23 February 2026:
Placement one start date: 23 February 2026
Placement two start date: 23 October 2026
Placement three start date: 23 June 2027
NLP end date: 22 February 2028
Participants move to a role in their ‘home directorate’: 23 February 2028
Apply now
Launch your legal career with purpose. Apply now and be part of building a fairer Victoria.
To apply, please submit:
- A brief cover letter setting out why you would be a great lawyer as part of the NLP. Your cover letter should also specifically address key selection criteria 2 and 5 noted in the position description.
- Your current resume (including two referees).
- Your top three pathway preferences (or choose Anywhere to increase your chance of receiving an offer, noting this may be for one of our less-popular pathways).
- Your academic transcript, showing completion of your law degree.
- Confirmation of:
- Practical Legal Training completion and
- Practising certificate (or evidence of admission as a lawyer or evidence of enrolment to be admitted by December 2025).
Unfortunately, applications that do not meet all above requirements will not be progressed.
If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or need an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to contact our recruitment team(opens in a new window).
Applications close 11:59 pm Sunday, 26 October 2025.
Alternative opportunities
Our program is incredibly competitive, with only 12 roles available. We therefore encourage you to also consider other legal roles that may be available in our regional offices.
More information
Read the position description included within the job advertisement.
Register to attend an NLP Information Session(opens in a new window)
Read more about our work and practice areas on our website:
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