Graduate Lawyer (Mar 2025)

DISCOVER. DEVELOP. THRIVE. The K&L Gates Experience.

Applications for our 2025 Graduate Program are now open for our Brisbane office!

In our 12 month Graduate Program you will have the opportunity to complete three rotations within the following practice areas:

• Corporate
• Finance (includes Asset & Corporate Finance and Restructuring & Insolvency)
• Labour, Employment & Workplace Safety
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution
• Real Estate (includes Agribusiness, Construction & Infrastructure and Planning & Environment)

We truly believe that working together is better. Your supervisor and buddy will help you settle in and you will work closely with the partners, special counsel, senior associates and lawyers in your team throughout your graduate year. You will be provided with opportunities to build strong relationships, both within your team and the wider firm network. We provide and encourage a collaborative environment in which you can develop and thrive. 

Professional development is provided throughout your graduate year.  It begins on your first day with a comprehensive induction program and continues throughout the graduate program, enabling you to learn important skills that will lay the foundation for your legal career.

As a graduate you will have the opportunity to be involved in social activities, learning and development sessions, firm celebrations and other activities such as our regular pro-bono, community and charitable activities.

Not only will you get to experience what it is like to work in a global commercial law firm first hand, you will have the chance to enjoy the culture we are known for.  There will also be opportunities to join in on some of the work we do to create an inclusive, diverse and supportive working environment through events such as those held by our Diversity Committee, Indigenous Engagement Committee and Women in the Profession Committee.

What do we look for in a graduate?

K&L Gates is about more than practising law or making a living. It’s about building something amazing—creating a legacy for you, the firm, our clients and the communities we serve.

We look to recruit well-rounded and talented people and we provide the opportunities and support for them to achieve their best.  It sounds simple, and to us it is. Our aim is to develop commercially oriented and entrepreneurial lawyers.  Solid academic results are important but to be a future lawyer in our firm you need to demonstrate talent and skill in a variety of areas. 

We are looking for friendly, diverse and resilient individuals who care about their colleagues and achieving results as a team.  You will have an innate enthusiasm for delivering exceptional service and most importantly, have a strong work ethic.  

About K&L Gates

The firm’s Australian operations provide vast knowledge of the Australian legal marketplace across a wide spectrum of industries.  With lawyers located in four established offices in Australia’s leading financial and commercial centres and possessing substantial experience.

At K&L Gates, we foster an inclusive and collaborative environment across our fully integrated global platform that enables us to diligently combine the knowledge and expertise of our people to create teams that provide exceptional client solutions. We marry process with vision, success with dedication, method with passion, and innovation with creativity. The outcome: The K&L Gates Experience.

Located across five continents, we represent a broad array of leading global corporations in every major industry, capital markets participants, and ambitious middle-market and emerging growth companies. We also serve public sector entities, educational institutions, philanthropic organisations, and individuals. Our lawyers counsel clients on their most sophisticated legal challenges in all areas of corporate and regulatory law as well as litigation.

We are leaders in legal issues relating to industries critical to the economies of both the developed and developing worlds—technology, manufacturing, energy, transportation, telecommunications, financial services, and life sciences, among others.

Please visit the Careers section of our website or our Facebook pages for further information.

How do I apply?

Applications should be submitted online by clicking the 'Apply' button. As part of your application, you will be asked to upload a copy of your academic transcript.  We will also ask for a cover letter, and for you to provide answers to set questions before providing us with details about your work experience, education and extra-curricular activities.

To be eligible to apply, you will be ready to commence as a Graduate in March 2025. 

Successful applicants for interview will be notified by telephone or email.

Applications close Monday, 15 July at 9.00am.

K&L Gates is an equal opportunity employer and promotes the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of those with a disability. We welcome applications from people who have an indigenous and/or culturally and linguistically diverse background.

Stay safe when applying on-line and be aware of jobs and employment related scams via scamwatch.gov.au