and the Royal Commission into Aged Care and the implementation of recommendations arising from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse; • assisting in the preliminary stages of the planning and development of the new Women and Babies Hospital; • advising on a range of legal issues pertaining to the 2021 State General Election; and • representing the State of Western Australia in the WA Stolen Wages Class Action proceedings in the Federal Court. How does the organisation seek its employees? Each year, our Vacation Clerkships and Graduate positions are advertised on the Western Australian Government jobs board (jobs. wa.gov.au). The office also informs universities when the programs are advertised. What qualities does the organisation look for in future graduates/ employees? While the State Solicitor’s Office looks for graduates with excellent results in their law degrees, we also want to employ people who have a commitment to public service, and understand that working in government can be different to working for private clients in a private practice. Graduates should be able to work well with others, and at the same time work independently when required. We need graduates who are not afraid of public speaking, and who are prepared to take on the challenge of advocacy work at an early stage in their career. We want to employ those who are committed not only to legal excellence but also to contributing to the positive and supportive culture that all State Solicitor’s Office
employees are privileged to be a part of. Does the organisation offer any opportunities for graduates, and how can individuals apply? The State Solicitor’s Office Law Graduate Programme is designed to provide an excellent foundation for a career in law with the State Solicitor’s Office. Law Graduates will gain practical experience in the full range of practice areas within the State Solicitor’s Office, by rotating through each of the Office’s sections in their graduate year. The State Solicitor’s Office will accept applications for employment as a Law Graduate from: • Law graduates who have not completed the coursework component of an approved practical legal training course. • Law graduates who have completed the coursework component of an approved practical legal training course (such as that provided by the College of Law) but have not been admitted to practice law. • Law graduates who have completed the requirements of an approved practical legal training course (such as that provided by the College of Law) and have already been admitted to practice law but have not commenced practice as a lawyer.
clerkships for students in their penultimate or final year of study. Our structured programme ensures that all our vacation clerks are able to experience as broad a range of the work of the Office as possible, whilst being supported and mentored by both junior and senior lawyers in the Office. In addition, the State Solicitor’s Office employs professional legal research assistants on a full-time basis for two years to undertake an interesting and diverse range of legal tasks including drafting research memoranda on discrete legal issues, assisting with litigation related tasks including the preparation of submissions and attending meetings with clients and other stakeholders. These positions are a unique opportunity for very capable law students to work closely with very senior members of the Office, including the State Solicitor, State Counsel and the Solicitor-General.
Each year, our Graduate positions are advertised on the Western Australian Government jobs board (jobs. wa.gov.au) and the office also informs universities when the programs are advertised. Does the organisation offer any opportunities to students who are still studying, and how can individuals apply? The State Solicitor’s Office offers a number of paid summer and winter vacation
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