Law Student Programs 

Legal Services Commission of South Australia offers two programs in which law students can participate:

• a Summer Clerkship program, and
• a Practical Legal Training program.

Summer Clerkship Program

The Legal Service Commission's Summer Clerkship program is an exciting opportunity to experience the work of the Legal Services Commission firsthand.

Applications for our 2025 Summer Clerkship program have now closed. Applications for the Legal Services' 2026 Summer Clerkship program will open mid-2025.

Aims

The aims of the Summer Clerkship program include to:

• assist law students to develop professional knowledge and skills within a legal environment
• encourage law students to consider a career in the legal assistance sector, and
• provide Legal Services with the opportunity to recruit suitable, trained and qualified Indigenous and non-Indigenous lawyers.

About the Summer Clerkship Program 

The Summer Clerkship program is a structured program which includes training and development, as well as placement within all Legal Services practice areas (Criminal Law, Family Law, Civil Law and Legal Information and Advice) and other areas such as the Grants team. Students are supervised and supported throughout the program. Summer Clerk positions at Legal Services are paid positions.

Legal Services offers up to six Summer Clerk positions, at least two of which are prioritised for Indigenous law students and those who identify has having disability. Indigenous and non-Indigenous law students are encouraged to apply.

Timing

Summer Clerkships normally commence in the last week of January each year. The program is offered over four weeks, on a full-time basis.

The 2025 Summer Clerkship ran from Tuesday, 28 January to Friday, 21 February 2025.

Selection Process

Summer Clerkship applications are assessed on the basis of a written application addressing the selection criteria, together with a covering letter, current curriculum vitae and academic transcript.

We use face-to-face (and/or telephone) interviews for short-listed candidates.

The Legal Services Commission is a member of the joint SA Law Student Associations' 2024 Uniform Clerkship Scheme.

All successful applicants are required to hold a valid Criminal History Check and a DHS Working with Children Check. 

Applications for the 2026 Legal Services Summer Clerkship will open mid-2025. 

Enquiries

Please direct enquiries to Legal Education Officer, Hannah Millard, at hannah.millard@lsc.sa.gov.au. 

Practical Legal Training Program

Legal Services Commission typically offers three PLT placement blocks each year.

About the PLT Program

Students are able to complete a Practical Legal Training (PLT) placement with Legal Services as part of their Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP).

From 2024 Legal Services PLT Placements blocks will be three weeks full-time. We cannot accomodate requests for part-time placements. Legal Services PLT Placement positions are unpaid.

Legal Services will host up to six students per placement block. PLT students will be placed in any of the following divisions of the Legal Services Commission in accordance with capacity and availablity of supervisors to provide a quality placement experience:

• Criminal Law
• Family Law
• Civil Law
• Legal Information and Advice

If students have a preference as to the division in which they undertake their placement, this should be indicated in their application. All effort will be made to match the student with their preferred area of law, however, this cannot be guaranteed.

Students selected to undertake a PLT Placement with the Legal Services Commission will be responsbile for ensuring all necessary documentation from their GDLP provider is received and completed in order to commence and finalise their placement.

Dates

The dates for PLT placement blocks in 2025 are:

Selection Process

Application Process

Only students who are currently undertaking their PLT/GDLP are eligible.

Applications can be sent directly to the Legal Services Commission, via the PLT Placement Coordinator, Hannah Millard, at hannah.millard@lsc.sa.gov.au, during the application period and must include the following:

• Cover letter (noting legal division preference if applicable)
• Curriculum Vitae (including contact details of at least two current referees)
• Academic Transcript

Succesful applicants will be required to hold a valid Criminal History Check and a DHS Working with Children Check. If you have these current checks please include evidence with your application, otherwise Legal Services will arrange for them to be obtained.

We select students for PLT based on the written applications. We do not conduct interviews for PLT placements.

Applicants will be notified of the success of their application at least four weeks from commencement of the placement block.

Enquiries

Please direct enquiries to Legal Education Officer, Hannah Millard at hannah.millard@lsc.sa.gov.au.