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.
Successful applicants undertake three, eight-month placements where they:
- gain hands-on experience in various areas of law
- 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!
If you have any questions please contact our Early Careers Specialist.
Key features of the program
- Comprehensive induction and training: develop the skills and knowledge needed 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: consider the option to relocate to a regional area for a stable regional experience that offers fast-tracked development, helping you resilience and adaptability.
- Ongoing roles: where you can transition into a permanent lawyer position at our organisation.
2027 New Lawyers Program
Information about our next program intake will be updated here.
Placement pathways
Successful applicants with will choose one of the pathways offered in the given year.
In 2026, 14 pathways were available in both targeted and generalist pathways.
Targeted pathways
Areas of law covered in 2026:
- Criminal law: civil justice, family violence, youth law, therapeutic justice, youth crime, child protection, summary crime, indictable crime.
- Family law, youth and children’s law: child protection, family law, youth crime, child support.
- Civil justice: equality law, civil practice, economic and social rights.
- Access to justice, legal help, civil justice: civil justice, criminal law, family violence.
Generalist pathways
Generalist pathways are based in specific areas of Victoria and cover the full range of law areas.
Areas of law covered in 2026:
- Metro North (Metropolitan and Northern Victoria): criminal law, civil law, family law.
- Metro South-West (Barwon region, western suburbs and Central Highlands region): family law, civil law, crime.
- Metro South-East (Metropolitan Melbourne and Gippsland region): family law, criminal law and family violence, civil justice.
- Outer regional, North: family law, civil justice, criminal law.
- Outer regional, South-East: family law, civil justice or children’s law, criminal law.
- Outer regional, South-West: civil justice, criminal law, and family law.
More about generalist pathways
These placements:
- Offer hands-on experience in our busy Metropolitan Melbourne and/or outer regional service delivery offices in each of our core legal practice areas.
- Support you to become a well-rounded legal aid lawyer.
- Are a fantastic opportunity to experience in a wide range of matters.
Our outer regional generalist pathway placements enable you to work consistently with the same team and community throughout the two-year program.
Choosing a pathway
You are asked to rank your top three preferred placement pathways as part of your application.
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.
We know that everyone’s lives, interests and responsibilities are different.
By including your placement pathway preferences in your application, we can ensure that any employment offer for the New Lawyers Program will match your skills and interests. This includes your location preferences.
If you’re only interested in one placement pathway option, you can list that pathway at all three preferences.
How placement pathways are assigned
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.
To ensure our less popular placement pathways are assigned fairly, offers will be made based on a combination of your:
- pathway preference
- performance throughout the recruitment process.
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.
How to increase your chances of getting an offer
Preferencing one of the less popular pathways (such as a pathway in a regional area) 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 in the application.
Opportunities and learning outcomes
New Lawyers Program participants 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 New Lawyers Program by an in-house practice that includes over 60 lawyers who are Law Institute of Victoria accredited specialists(opens in a new window).
Learning outcomes
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.
You must be a new lawyer (1 year or less experience in a role requiring a practising certificate) admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria or eligible for admission in Victoria under the mutual recognition principle who:
- have an interest in the social justice sector and can adapt to regular change
- have the ability to act as an advocate and deliver legal advice and casework
- have life experience
- are community-minded
- have strong communication and people skills
- are resilient and able to deal with complex legal work that is distressing and emotionally demanding
- understand the complex needs of our clients and the underlying systemic issues
- are excited to learn and develop your legal and advocacy skills.
- As many of our placements are in regional areas or areas with limited public transport, it’s also important you have your own personal transport.
Explore our related pages
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