Careers

Careers

Discover Your Potential at Russell Kennedy.

If you’re looking to join a leading law firm and accelerate your career, Russell Kennedy is a great place to work.We’re committed to making a difference for our clients, providing opportunities for our people, and delivering lasting change for our community. As part of our team, you’ll receive hands-on experience, quality mentoring and access to valuable learning opportunities.Our employees are provided with the opportunity to work on projects and with clients that matter.

At Russell Kennedy, each person counts. The size of our firm means that everyone is valued and has the opportunity to do meaningful work that matters. We establish clear career goals, expectations and plans for all employees and provide extensive training and development opportunities via our EDGE learning and development program.

Russell Kennedy is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment and aims to ensure that in the application of all employment related policies, practices and procedures, all decisions are made on the basis of merit and fairness. Russell Kennedy is also committed to promoting a diverse and progressive that allows Russell Kennedy to attract and retain the most qualified and suitable employees and principals for the business.

The firm is dedicated to creating an environment that is characterised by equal access and respected participation of all groups and individuals. This is regardless of all differences, including of culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity, age, religion, personal circumstances, physical features, abilities and disabilities, socioeconomics and sexual orientation.

Available Positions at Russell Kennedy

Law Graduate Program

At Russell Kennedy, we work in important sectors that matter. It’s meaningful work, and we're looking for law graduates who are excited by the prospect of making a difference. You’re hungry to learn and develop the skills and confidence to allow you to express opinions that drive outcomes. At Russell Kennedy, we will give you the opportunity to make an impact sooner and the inspiration to build a career that’s truly remarkable.

Choosing where to start your career is an important decision. Likewise, deciding who to employ is an important decision for us. We’ll help you to nurture your career so that you’ll grow your skills and experience, thrive in our culture and support the firm’s growth and success.

Apply for our 2020 Law Graduate program.

We believe our Law Graduate Program is one of the key differentiators for our firm. It’s largely facilitated in-house and designed to help you develop the skills and confidence you need to have an impact as a lawyer starting out. We offer our Law Graduates 12 months of hands-on experience via the Supervised Legal Training (SLT) model, the alternative to the Practical Legal Training (PLT) model. 

Our Law Graduate applications open at 9:00 am on Monday, 15 July and close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, 28 July 2019. Russell Kennedy will make offers to our Law Graduates from 10:00 am on Tuesday, 6 August.

We are a signatory of the Law Institute of Victoria and all Seasonal Clerk and Traineeships are made within these guidelines.

Please direct all questions about Seasonal Clerkships to People & Culture Advisor, Britt Giles, on 03 8640 2301 or bgiles@rk.com.au

Seasonal Clerkship Program

Our Seasonal Clerkship Program is designed to give you a taste of life at Russell Kennedy. It’s a great insight into working here, especially as a lawyer starting out.

We’ve designed the program to be informative and interesting, and help you decide whether you’d like to apply for a Law Graduate position. You’ll be partnered with a mentor who’ll ensure you get the most out of your time with us.

You’ll be doing client work — like drafting correspondence, assisting with research, attending court and participating in client meetings. You’ll also be able to participate in our in-house seminars for professional development and spend time with our current Law Graduates to learn about their experiences, challenges and triumphs.

Apply for our 2020 Seasonal Clerkship Program

Our applications open at 9:00 am on Monday, 8 July and close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, 11 August 2019. Russell Kennedy will make offers to our Seasonal Clerkships from 10:00 am (AEST) on Thursday, 10 October, 2019.

We are a signatory of the Law Institute of Victoria and all Seasonal Clerk and Traineeships are made within these guidelines.

Please direct all questions about Seasonal Clerkships to People & Culture Advisor, Britt Giles, on 03 8640 2301 or bgiles@rk.com.au

Access RK

The Access RK Seasonal Clerkship is an initiative of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. As part of our Seasonal Clerkship Program, Russell Kennedy offers a seasonal clerkship position to a student with disability. The program will provide the successful applicant an opportunity to showcase their skills and gain experience in a legal environment. The Access RK Seasonal Clerkship is part of the Russell Kennedy Seasonal Clerkship Program, with the successful applicant enjoying all the benefits of Russell Kennedy alongside the rest of the seasonal clerks.

Apply for the 2020 Access RK Seasonal Clerkship Program  

Our applications open at 9:00 am on Monday, 8 July and close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, 11 August 2019. Russell Kennedy will make offers to our Seasonal Clerkships from 10:00 am (AEST) on Thursday, 10 October, 2019.

Please direct all questions about Seasonal Clerkships to People & Culture Advisor, Britt Giles, on 03 8640 2301 or bgiles@rk.com.au

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To Succeed, You Need an Edge

Knowledge is the greatest edge you can have. And that’s exactly what our learning and development program offers.

EDGE was created to nurture your talents so you can reach your potential at Russell Kennedy. It’s designed to address specific training needs at different stages of your career – with a focus on technical, business, client and people skills. 

Our Six Degrees of Inspiration

six-degrees

Work

Make an impact sooner

People

Work with people who care

Relationships

Work closely with clients on projects that matter

You've studied for a lifetime to be a lawyer. Now you're ready to launch your career and apply your skills in the real world.

At Russell Kennedy, we put our graduates to work from day one, doing client work alongside Principals and experienced lawyers. We don’t hide our lawyers starting out - we trust them and give them the opportunity to make an impact quickly.

We have confidence in your ability and potential and will support your growth with ongoing learning and development opportunities and practical experience. We’re committed to developing you as quickly as your ability allows and giving you the exposure and experience to make you an excellent lawyer.

At Russell Kennedy, we respect and celebrate the things that make each of us different. We're bonded by shared values and a commitment to make a difference for our clients, our people and our community. 

Our approach to learning and development, promotion, career opportunities and financial rewards is performance-based. Above all, we take a genuine interest in you and your career.

At Russell Kennedy, we expect all our lawyers - even our most junior - to build close relationships with our clients. We encourage you to spend time with our clients where they operate, get to know them, their markets and their customers and understand their needs and challenges. 

There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the outcomes of close client relationships. We support our clients with exciting and significant transactions, many of which quite literally shape our landscape and impact the wellbeing of our community.

Community

Do the right thing

Learn

Give your career the Edge

Integration

Enjoy work and get a life

Our commitment to our community is embedded in our culture. We work in sectors that have an impact on the quality of life of all Australians - such as aged care, retirement living, health, education, disability, planning, environment and government. A number of our clients, like Vision Australia, are not-for-profits. 

We give back to the communities in which we operate via charity and pro bono work. We have formal relationships with community legal centres and assist various aid organisations.

Russell Kennedy has been a signatory to the National Pro Bono Resource Centre’s Aspirational Target since 2011, and we regularly exceed the Centre’s target number of pro bono hours per lawyer per year.

We’re also conscious of our role in reducing the firm's environmental footprint. As a member of the Australasian Legal Sector Alliance (AusLSA) we measure, report on and benchmark our emissions annually.

We're one of only a handful of firms that provide the majority of their training for graduates in-house, using actual client matters instead of hypothetical coursework and textbooks. We enhance this hands-on approach by allowing you to rotate through each key practice group, discover different areas of law and identify those you're most passionate about.

Beyond graduate training, our learning and development program, EDGE, delivers tailored programs for our lawyers. Covering technical knowledge, business skills, client communication, management and people skills, EDGE will help you to become a better lawyer.

At Russell Kennedy, work/life balance is not just a cliche - it's part of our culture and encouraged by all. We support a balance between work and play because we believe happy people do great work and are more productive. Your progress here will be based on merit and value, not just billable hours.

We are professionals who provide excellent service, but we are also people with real lives. We pay more attention to applications that show us your personality and what makes you tick - we want to see that you’re able to balance your work and study with other interests.