Baker McKenzie

Think Opportunity, Think Baker McKenzie!

Our summer clerkship program provides you with a genuine insight into life at Baker McKenzie – our work, our people, our development opportunities and our culture.

If you aspire to be an outstanding lawyer, your journey to a world-class commercial legal career begins here. Start with Australia's first global law firm and set yourself on the path to excellence. Kick-start your career with our world-class summer clerkship. Build your technical, legal expertise through our graduate program. Receive outstanding work and mentoring to become an expert in your field, as an associate.

What to expect

At Baker McKenzie, we understand that the transition from university to legal practice can be challenging. We provide our summer clerks with a comprehensive induction program, to help make this transition as smooth as possible. Our program is designed to help you get the most out of your summer clerkship and set yourself up for success. Throughout the clerkship, you will have the chance to:

• build your network within the Firm;
• develop your legal knowledge and skills;
• learn about our practices, clients and Firm structure; 
• hear about our global training and work opportunities; and
• learn about our Pro Bono and Community Service programs and Inclusion, Diversity & Equity initiatives.
  

In Sydney, summer clerkships will commence in November 2026 and conclude in February 2027. Each summer clerk will undertake two rotations. We consult with our clerks prior to commencement to understand the practice areas in which they are interested in gaining experience. We structure our clerks' rotations according to these preferences, where possible.

In Sydney, our key practice groups are:

• Banking & Finance;
• Financial Services;
• Corporate Markets (including Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity and Capital Markets);
• Funds;
• Energy & Infrastructure;
• Commercial (Intellectual Property, Technology, Data and Trade);
• Commercial Real Estate;
• Construction;
• Dispute Resolution;
• Employment & Compensation; and
• Tax.

Most importantly, as a summer clerk, we want you to see what life is like as a graduate and junior lawyer at Baker McKenzie. So, right from the start, you will get involved in real work including drafting correspondence, preparing court/transaction documents, drafting advices/agreements, legal research, document review, attending court/mediations, attending meetings with barristers/witnesses, attending settlements, and preparing client alerts. You will also be exposed to our Australian and international clients through client meetings, phone calls and events. In addition, we give our summer clerks the opportunity to participate in pro bono files and community service initiatives. 

Our summer clerks are guided by a supervising partner and enjoy the extra support of an experienced associate "buddy”. They also work with lawyers of all levels across their teams. We also provide our summer clerks with opportunities to connect with and network with colleagues around the Firm – through various social events with their buddies, our partners and our lawyers.

The majority of our graduate positions are offered to former summer clerks. We also offer our former summer clerks the opportunity to undertake paralegal roles with the Firm.

Application process

Applications open at 9.00 am on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 and close at 11.59 pm on Sunday, 5 July 2026. Offers for the summer clerkship program will be made from 9.00 am on Wednesday, 9 September 2026 and must be accepted or declined by 1.00 pm on Thursday, 10 September 2026.

To be eligible for a 2026/2027 summer clerkship position with Baker McKenzie, you must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia or have the right to work in a full-time role in Australia from November 2026 to February 2027. You must also be enrolled in a law degree or equivalent which will qualify you for admission as a legal practitioner in Australia. At Baker McKenzie, our summer clerkship program is primarily aimed at students in the penultimate year of their law degree. However, final year students are also considered. Graduate offers will be made after the summer clerkship period to those who meet our performance criteria, for commencement in February 2028.

All applications should be addressed to Meg Baker, Talent Management Advisor, and should include a cover letter, as well as details of your work experience, extra-curricular activities, interests and academic results. We do not require you to upload your CV, as the information from your CV is used to respond to the areas above. We also ask you to complete a few questions, particularly as our Firm does not use psychometric or other aptitude testing, group or individual assessments, or one-way video interviews as part of our overall assessment process.

When outlining your work experience, please begin with your most recent role and include the following details for each position:

(a) employer, job title, and start and end dates (including month and year);

(b) a description of your work and responsibilities; and

(c) the number of hours worked per week.

We recommend including up to five roles.

We also ask that you upload your transcripts, for all of your degrees and universities, in a single document. Please ensure there is no password protection.

Successful candidates will attend two interviews and will also be invited to an information and networking event, which will be attended by partners and associates so that you can meet as many people from our Firm as possible.

For more information about our Sydney summer clerkship program, please contact Meg Baker, Talent Management Advisor, at meg.baker@bakermckenzie.com or on +61 2 8922 5320

What do we look for in our clerks?

Baker McKenzie looks for people who:

• genuinely want to work with us and understand our unique offering and position in the market
• are well-rounded (i.e. through extra-curriculars/leadership), motivated, have a performance mindset and strive to be the best in whatever they do
• are intellectually curious, think innovatively and have sound academics
• display business acumen and are practical in their approach
• have a global mindset and are passionately committed to service excellence
• enjoy a challenge and seek new opportunities
• constantly look for ways to achieve better results while learning and growing
• take proactive ownership/responsibility for their careers
• act with integrity, honesty and candour in their dealings, decisions and actions
• express themselves confidently while staying open to new ideas
• demonstrate adaptability and resilience
• seek a friendly, inclusive and diverse culture
• take seriously our role in making a difference to our local and global communities.

We pride ourselves on our diversity too, and recognise that all of our people have something unique to offer and contribute to the success of the Firm. 

To find out more about life as a clerk and graduate at Baker McKenzie, visit our Prosple pages: Baker McKenzie Graduate Stories | Prosple Australia.

At Baker McKenzie, we are different in the way we think, work and behave. The first local, truly global law firm in Australia, we commenced operations in Sydney in 1964, in Melbourne in 1982 and in Brisbane in 2014. With our breadth of experience in the local market and global connectivity, we are the law firm of choice for Australian and multinational companies. We have 6,500 lawyers globally who work seamlessly together – across practice groups, sectors and markets – to provide our clients with the connected perspectives, integrated solutions and seamless guidance they need to succeed in an increasingly interconnected global market.

Baker McKenzie Australia can offer you access to complex, market-leading matters working with some of the world's best legal minds – people who know the law and who understand business. We have an unrivalled ability to provide training and secondment opportunities across our global network. Locally, we have an inclusive culture of learning, coaching and opportunity where you will work as part of teams on matters that often cross borders. We value people who think ahead and get noticed.

At Baker McKenzie, our flat structure means you will have direct exposure to our clients, responsibility for meaningful involvement across a broad range of matters, and opportunities for progression. You will also regularly work with our extensive network of global colleagues and clients.

Our benefits

• Financial: competitive remuneration package, generous bonus scheme, salary continuance insurance, life insurance, salary sacrifice options, employee discounts, referral rewards, and travel insurance for you and your immediate family.
• Learning & development opportunities: client and international office secondments, and regional and global development programs.
• Flexibility: hybrid and flexible working arrangements to balance your work and lifestyle.
• Leave: 26 weeks' paid parental leave for parents/carers (with no minimum service) with access to an external coaching service, ability to purchase additional annual leave, flexible public holidays and volunteer leave.
• Health & wellbeing programs: Employee Assistance Program including confidential counselling and wellbeing and financial coaching for you and your immediate family, flu vaccinations and discounted health insurance.

Inclusion, Diversity & Equity

Baker McKenzie is committed to providing a diverse, inclusive and equitable culture for all its employees, with equal opportunity for all to progress and have a meaningful career with our Firm. As part of our inclusive culture, we welcome applications from people of all genders (including if you identify as transgender or gender diverse), sexual orientations, abilities, cultural backgrounds, as well as First Nations peoples and people with caring responsibilities, neurodivergent lived experiences and disabilities. We want all applicants to be given the best possible opportunity to succeed in our recruitment processes, so invite you to let us know of any reasonable adjustments you require to equitably participate in our recruitment processes or in performing the requirements of a role at Baker McKenzie.

We appreciate that everyone's needs are different. Please contact us so that we can work with you to best support you in our recruitment processes. We are happy to share accommodations we've made in the past and are keen to work with you personally, to set you up for success.