Allens

We are one of the largest law firms in Australasia, with more than 800 legal staff in offices across Australia and Asia. We specialise in handling complex and difficult transactions that require exceptional legal, negotiation and project management skills.

As an Allens graduate, you will form part of a global network of legal professionals and leaders. Through our alliance with Linklaters, this international network spans 41 offices in 26 locations. This alliance allows our people to accelerate their careers, offering international secondments and opportunities to work with the world’s best lawyers on the most complex multijurisdictional matters in the market.

Our client work spans every sector across the economy and whether working for an emerging start-up or a multi-jurisdiction corporate, we mobilise the best team for the matter. Our market leading work has seen us recognised as an elite ‘band one’ firm in 19 practice areas by Chambers and consistently top M&A and infrastructure league tables and we’ve been recognised as an AFR Most Innovative Company for five years running.

This year we have been recognised as a top legal graduate employer by both GradAustralia and the Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE).

Allens are proud that there isn’t an ‘Allens’ type. We know that diverse perspectives help solve complex problems, strengthen teams and enrich client relationships. Ultimately, we are looking for students who are driven and ambitious, not only about the law, but have interests outside their university life and career. Our people are our greatest asset, and it’s having diversity and different personalities that we believe sets us apart.

While we celebrate our differences, it’s important to understand what unites us. The following attributes contribute to Allens’ success and are what our people have in common:

  • Initiative: a curious mind is vital. The more adaptable you are and the more energy you bring, the more you’ll get out of a career at Allens.

  • Excellence: it’s a guarantee we give our clients. Intellectually rigorous, driven and eager to learn.

  • Commerciality: law is more than an academic pursuit; it’s about understanding the client, their objectives and the challenges they face, as well as the wider commercial environment in which we operate.

  • Flexibility: Our goal is to create an engaging work environment that inspires them to give their very best. To that end, we support a range of measures enabling our people to work flexibly and effectively – to help them manage their work and commitments irrespective of gender, age or life stage.

  • Commitment: positive people thrive in our environment. We look for people who can build sustainable careers with us, and successfully juggle work and a personal life while maintaining their wellbeing.

Our practice areas

  • Banking & Finance

  • Competition, Consumer & Regulatory

  • Corporate (M&A and Capital Markets, Funds Super Wealth and Technology, Media & Telecommunications)

  • Disputes & Investigations (Commercial Disputes, Employment & Safety and Restructuring & Insolvency)

  • Intellectual Property

  • Projects & Development (Projects and Real Estate & Development)

  • Tax

Our clerkship program

As a clerk, you will complete two x five week rotations in different practice groups over summer coinciding with the university holidays. This will show you the type of work we do and the range of clients we work for.

As a clerk at Allens, you’ll:

  • work with some of the most experienced and highly regarded lawyers in Australia;

  • gain first‑hand experience in the type of work you could do as a lawyer at Allens;

  • work as part of a team on real matters for real clients; and

  • be allocated a dedicated performance coach and buddy, who will be there every step of the way.

Our clerkship program is a stepping stone to bigger things, and many clerks go on to become graduates with us. Our clerks will be given daily tasks and responsibilities which are similar to those of a junior lawyer. This can include conducting legal and market research, drafting memos, attending court hearings and client meetings. We encourage our clerks to put their hand up and take every opportunity to get involved in the life of the firm. Clerks can contribute to the Allens’ ongoing client and community work by taking on pro bono work, attending committee meetings and initiatives, and coming along to social events. These are all great opportunities to try a range of different work types and meet lawyers from all kinds of backgrounds.

For more information, visit the Allens website.