The ASIO Graduate Lawyer Program is a dynamic 12-month program, offering experience across a wide range of leage areas in a busy, fast-paced environment. Graduates receive a diverse range of opportunities providing foundational training and experience as a government lawyer.

The Graduate Lawyer program will expose you to the different areas of law practised in ASIO’s Legal Services division. You could be working with teams who are providing real time legal advice on ASIO operations, legislative reform, administrative and corporate law advice, and criminal and civil litigation. If you have not already completed your practical legal training course for admission to practice in Australia, ASIO will sponsor and support completion of the course as part of the graduate program. 

On successful completion of the program, you will be promoted to an AE5 (APS5 equivalent) lawyer and placed in one of the legal specialisation areas such as operations law, administrative law, corporate/employment law or litigation. Further opportunities will be provided to move across the division to broaden your legal experience and support your ongoing legal professional development.

The Graduate Lawyer Program is for university students who will have completed their relevant degree before the program commences, or graduates from the past 4 years, who are looking for meaningful careers in law.

At a glance

Classification

AE4 (APS4 equivalent) – upon commencement

AE5 (APS5 equivalent) – upon successful program completion

Eligibility

ASIO has a number of requirements for all prospective employees. We recommend making sure you meet the requirements before you apply.

In addition, candidates are required to:

  • Have gained a Bachelor of Laws or a Juris Doctor from an Australian tertiary institution (or a comparable domestic or overseas qualification) by commencement of the program or have completed your studies no more than 4 years before the program starts.
  • Be eligible to enrol in a practical legal training course that leads to admission in Australia, be eligible for admission in Australia, or admitted to practice in Australia.

We are seeking graduates who display the following attributes:

  • Excellent legal analytical research skills.
  • Critical thinking skills and strong attention to detail.
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and consult stakeholders proactively.
  • Ability to demonstrate a client focus.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Demonstrated commitment to professionalism, integrity and confidentiality.

This program is Canberra-based only and applicants must be willing to relocate. Relocation assistance and support is provided to successful candidates.

To find out when recruitment is open, visit our current vacancies page or follow us on Instagram.

You can also find out more about applyling and working at ASIO through stories of real ASIO officers.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to have a legal background to apply for this program?

Yes. The Graduate Lawyer Program is designed for applicants with a legal background. Candidates are required to:

  • Have gained a Bachelor of Laws or a Juris Doctor from an Australian tertiary institution (or a comparable domestic or overseas qualification) by commencement of the program or have completed your studies no more than 4 years before the program starts.
  • Be eligible to enrol in a practical legal training course that leads to admission in Australia, be eligible for admission in Australia, or admitted to practice in Australia.

Do I need to move to Canberra?

Yes. The Graduate Lawyer Program is located in Canberra and applicants must be willing to relocate. Relocation assistance is provided to successful candidates where ASIO requires you to relocate.

Following successful completion of the program, there may be opportunities to undertake roles in other capital cities depending on organisational priorities.

What if I’m not an Australian citizen right now?

To be eligible to apply, you need to be an Australian citizen at the time of application. If you are a dual Australian citizen, you are eligible.

Do I need a high GPA?

While we are looking for the best and brightest to join ASIO, we don’t quantify this by Grade Point Average (GPA) alone – your knowledge, skills and life experience all count with us.

What are you looking for in an ideal candidate?

There is no single ideal candidate. We are looking for lateral, critical and creative thinkers. We know that people from different backgrounds with varied life experience can bring great value to our work within the Australian community. We are committed to reflecting the community we protect.

Are graduate programs just for those under a certain age?

No. We welcome applications from eligible applications at all stages of their career.

Do I need to have, or be in the process of obtaining, a security clearance in order to apply?

No. We will coordinate all security vetting arrangements (at the appropriate time). Find out more about the security clearance process.