FAQs for Law Students and Graduates

What should I include in my online application?
Your online application should include a concise cover letter, details of your paid and volunteer work, extra-curricular activities and a copy of your academic transcript.

You will also be asked to provide some short answer responses to specific questions regarding your experiences. These could be legal related experiences or other.

What should I include in my cover letter?
Your cover letter is a great opportunity for you to showcase your personality, and demonstrate your motivations for wanting to be a seasonal clerk at K&L Gates. Your cover letter should summarise your career experiences and give a high-level overview of your skills and character. Keep your cover letter brief and under 300 words. The online application form will ask you specific questions that will provide us with the information we are looking for when assessing your suitability for a clerkship at K&L Gates. 

What should I expect in an interview?
Your interviews will be with a partner, special counsel or senior associate as well as a member of our HR team. The interview provides you with an opportunity to learn more about us, and for us to learn more about you. We will draw on your academic, work and life experience. Interviews are held in our local office, in a relaxed and friendly manner.

What are the eligibility criteria to apply for a clerkship?
Typically clerkships are offered to students who are in their penultimate year of study. You must also have the right to work in Australia. We recruit clerks on the basis that they will be able to commence a graduate program the following year.

What type of training can I expect to receive during the clerkship program?
In conjunction with on-the-job experience, we provide formal training sessions. On day one, you will receive an in-depth induction to the firm as well as training on relevant internal processes and systems, followed by other sessions over the course of the clerkship program. These sessions have been designed to develop your legal knowledge and business skills, as well as to give you a broader insight into the various areas of law in which we practise.

Can I submit preferences for an area of law to complete the clerkship program?
Clerks will be asked to indicate areas of interest in accordance with the practice areas in their office. Whilst we do our best to accommodate your preferences, placements will be determined based on business needs.

As a clerk, will I have opportunities to participate in pro bono work?
Ideally you will be involved in pro bono matters. This will be dependent on the nature of the work that is available in the practice area during your clerkship.  K&L Gates actively encourages our lawyers to provide pro bono legal representation and to participate in other charitable, community educational and professional activities.

What does K&L Gates look for in their clerks?
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, talented people, to 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 orientated 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 smart, imaginative and hard-working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us. Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.

What locations offer a clerkship program at K&L Gates?
The clerkship program is currently offered in our Melbourne and Sydney offices.

When will I know if I have been successful in receiving a clerkship offer?
If successful, you will be offered a clerkship position in accordance with your relevant state regulations/guidelines.

If I'm offered a clerkship position am I able to defer my start date?
Deferral requests are considered on a case by case basis.

When are the clerkship programs held at K&L Gates?
Each of the participating offices offer clerkship programs as below:

• Melbourne: 2 intakes per year - 1 summer and 1 winter program.
• Sydney: 1 intake per year over the summer.

What is the duration of the graduate program?
The graduate program at K&L Gates runs for 12 months beginning in March each year.

What are my rotation dates?
All Australian graduates will complete three rotations across a 12 month program:  

• Rotation 1 - March to July
• Rotation 2 - July to November
• Rotation 3 - November to March

How are practice group rotations selected?
Rotations are selected taking into consideration your practice group areas of interest and business needs.

What training will I receive during the graduate program?
You will receive an in-depth induction to the firm as well as training on relevant internal processes and systems, followed by other sessions over the course of the graduate program. Training provided includes Practical Legal Training (delivered in-house by the College of Law), with sessions presented by partners, lawyers, external presenters, and our professional development team. These sessions have been designed to develop your legal knowledge and business skills, as well as to give you a broader insight into the various areas of law in which we practise.

Will K&L Gates cover the cost of my Practical Legal Training (PLT)?
If you are completing PLT as part of the Graduate Program, the firm will cover the fees.

Will I be supported by a mentor during my graduate program?
We truly believe that working together is better! Your supervisor and buddy will help you settle into the office and you will work closely with the partners, special counsels, senior associates and lawyers in your team. You will be provided with opportunities to build strong relationships; both within your teams and the wider firm network. We provide and encourage a collaborative environment for you to grow and develop in.

What feedback do I receive during the graduate program?
You will receive a mixture of informal, on the job feedback, as well as formal feedback through check-ins with HR. The end of rotation performance reviews will provide you with constructive feedback to assist in your learning and development.

Will I secure ongoing employment at the end of the graduate program?
The number of graduates we hire is intended to meet the projected requirements of our business. Prior to the completion of your graduate program, your performance and current business needs will be reviewed to ensure an appropriate match.

Please find below answers to some frequently asked questions in relation to our:

PERIOD OF RECOGNISED TRAINING

When is your next trainee intake?
We are currently recruiting trainees to commence with us in August 2027.

Do you have any places left to commence in 2026?
There are no places left in 2026.

Who can apply?
We welcome applications from both law and non-law students. We also welcome applications from other relevant postgraduates.

Do you consider mature age applicants?
Yes, we encourage applicants of all ages.

Do you accept applications from candidates who need a work permit?
Yes, we do accept applications from candidates who need a work permit and should your application be successful, we will arrange the work permit for you. However, your offer will be conditional upon us being able to gain approval from the UK Border Agency for your work permit.

When should I apply?
2027 Intake - The application process will be open on 1 November 2024. Apply via our website.

How do I apply?
Applications should be submitted via our website (http://www.cvmailuk.com/klgates/). We use cvMail (https://fsr.cvmailuk.com/klgatesuk) as our supplier, so if you are already registered with them you will not need to re-input all your personal details. You can also request a paper application form from trainee.recruitment@klgates.com.

What grades do I need?
You will need to have achieved or be predicting a 2:1 degree and have 128 UCAS points or the relevant academic equivalent.

Do you accept General Studies A-Level?
We do not accept a General Studies A-Level as part of the 128 UCAS point requirement, but all other subjects are accepted.

Will my application be considered if I do not have a 2:1 degree and 128 UCAS points?
If there are mitigating circumstances and documented reasons (i.e. illness backed up by medical certificates) please refer to this in your application. In such circumstances we will take account of these factors when considering your application. 

What form will the recruitment process take?
Successful applicants will be invited to attend one of our assessment days where you will take part in a group exercise, a swift analysis test, critical reasoning test and a written test. If successful you will be invited back in for an interview and individual exercise—the final part of the process.

When will interviews take place?
Students will be assessed in August 2025.

How soon after the interview will I know the outcome?
We advise you of the outcome as soon as possible, generally within seven to ten days.

How many trainees do you recruit each year?
We usually recruit up to six trainees.

If I am not successful in obtaining an interview when will I know?
Unsuccessful candidates will be advised following the application closing date of 31 July 2025—generally we let you know by the end of September 2025.

Do you consider non-law students for Period of Recognised Training?
Yes. On average, approximately 40% of our trainees have not studied law as a degree.

Can I apply for a Period of Recognised Training if I do not fall into either category of penultimate year student or final year student?
Yes.  We welcome applications from those who have decided to apply for a Period of Recognised Training later than usual.

Do I need to apply separately for the Legal Work Placement and a Period of Recognised Training?
Yes you will need to submit two separate online applications, however, will store your personal and academic profile so your second application will be quicker to complete.

Is non-law work experience relevant to my application?
Yes. All work experience is of relevance and should be included in your application.

Are trainees given regular feedback on their performance?
Yes. You will be appraised every three months during your Period of Recognised Training, giving you plenty of opportunity to gain feedback and raise any issues. You will also be allocated a mentor throughout your contract.

Is there any opportunity for involvement with pro bono or community work?
Yes. The majority of trainees become involved in the firm's Pro Bono
initiatives and work as volunteers at the Battersea Legal Aid Advice Centre.

How many trainees are retained after qualification?
We like to invest a great deal in recruiting and training our trainees because we hope they will develop a long and successful career with us. Therefore, we always prefer to retain our trainees. 

What training and career opportunities are available after qualification?
We have a formal career development and mentoring scheme.

Do you involve trainees in business development?
You are positively encouraged to be involved in some of the many marketing and business development events we hold throughout the year to develop client relationships.

Will I have the opportunity to train as a solicitor advocate?
Those qualifying into Dispute Resolution are encouraged to take Higher Rights.

How much choice do I have as to which seats I do?
We aim to give you as much choice as possible, however, trainees will have seats within core areas such as corporate, dispute resolution and real estate.

Do you sponsor the SQE?

Yes, we sponsor the SQE.