2026 Adelaide Rotational Clerkship Program

Piper Alderman is looking for ambitious and hard-working law students to undertake our Rotational Law Clerk program in our Adelaide office. Our six-month program offers a unique opportunity to rotate through three different practice areas. If you are looking for a program to challenge yourself and work across different teams while surrounded by leading practitioners to facilitate your growth and development, this is the perfect program for you

About Piper Alderman

Piper Alderman is a full-service, national, commercial law firm with offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. With 160 years' experience and over 450 employees nationally, we have achieved our impressive growth and success by listening to our clients and creating practical and innovative legal solutions.

Our Program

As a law clerk, you will engage in meaningful legal work from your very first day. Our program is designed to help you balance your university commitments with practical, hands-on work experience in a supportive and collaborative environment. You will be immersed in a variety of interesting and challenging tasks, including conducting legal research for ongoing matters, drafting correspondence and legal documents, attending client meetings and taking detailed notes, gathering and analysing case facts, and preparing documents for counsel briefings and court hearings.

Our rotational program offers a unique opportunity within the Adelaide market, allowing ambitious future lawyers to gain practical experience across different practice groups over six months, commencing late February 2026.

We recognise the importance of investing in early talent and are committed to supporting your personal and professional growth. Our firm offers a range of development opportunities, including access to technical and professional skills seminars, junior networking events, and career progression programs, all designed to foster continuous learning and development.

To succeed in our program you will ideally have:

• Demonstrated academic excellence throughout your tertiary studies
• Thorough research skills and excellent attention to detail
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to draft basic correspondence
• An ability to demonstrate initiative and take a proactive approach to solving problems and building relationships
• An ability to digest instructions quickly and produce quality results
• Curiosity and enthusiasm to explore three practice areas as part of the program rotations

Eligibility

To be considered for our 2026 Rotational Clerkship Program, you must be:

• In your third, fourth or fifth year of undergraduate study, or in the penultimate or final year of postgraduate study;
• availability for the full six-month program (however we allow flexibility for tertiary study commitments and exam periods) and
• An Australian or New Zealand citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or hold a valid visa (subject to conditions).

Our perks

We have a variety of employee benefits aimed at supporting our people including, but not limited to:

• A variety of health and wellbeing initiatives including our Wellbeing Program.
• Learning and development opportunities to support career growth including generous study support options.
• An attractive Parental Leave policy offering up to 26 weeks paid leave.
• Purchased annual leave options.
• A range of fun office and team events all year round so we make sure we are connecting socially as often as possible
• A range of corporate discounts.
• Employee-led Diversity & Inclusion and Reconciliation Committees and the opportunity to participate in pro-bono work.

The application process

• Get to know us
• Apply online with your CV, Cover Letter and Academic Transcript
• Attend a technical interview with some of our senior lawyers
• Meet with a Partner and a member of our People & Development team

Piper Alderman is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We aim to attract and retain the best people, and provide an environment where those people can be their authentic selves.  We value diversity of thought and experience and aspire to ensure all our people are valued and respected.  People from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Please apply by clicking the relevant link in this job advertisement, as application will not be accepted via email. 

For related enquiries please contact Harry Dilena, Early Careers Advisor,