AGS Lawyers

Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) invites you to register your interest in a role as a Lawyer or Senior Lawyer in one of AGS's three practice areas – Dispute Resolution, the Office of General Counsel, and Commercial.

About us

AGS is the Australian Government's central legal service and part of the Attorney-General's Department. AGS helps Commonwealth clients to manage legal issues, navigate new challenges and find solutions which deliver the best outcomes for Australia. We are a self-funded legal practice and compete for our work.

AGS is unique

AGS is dedicated to the national interest and is a trusted advisor to Government.

AGS is innovative

Drawing on an exceptional depth of experience and expertise, we assist the Australian Government in the development and implementation of solutions to legal issues that have national importance.

AGS is diverse

With offices in every capital city and a team of 800 staff, including 576 lawyers, we work in more than 40 different areas of law related to Government.

About the roles

AGS is looking for candidates who are interested in joining AGS as a Lawyer (APS5 and APS6) or Senior Lawyer (EL1 and EL2) in one of AGS's three practice areas – Dispute Resolution, the Office of General Counsel and Commercial.

·       Dispute Resolution (DR): DR is Australia's pre-eminent public law litigation practice. It has unrivalled experience and specialist expertise in providing dispute-related legal advice and representation in every jurisdiction in Australia, across a diverse range of legal matters for Commonwealth agencies, including regulatory enforcement, administrative law, employment law, tort and compensation law, national security matters, tax litigation and information access law. AGS acts for the Commonwealth in the full range of disputes to which it is a party or in which it has an interest (including access to sensitive information). DR has practitioners based in every capital city.

·       Office of General Counsel (OGC): OGC specialises in the provision of legal advice and assistance to the Commonwealth spanning the spectrum of the Commonwealth's activities across all portfolios. OGC's team has specialist expertise in constitutional and public law, statutory interpretation and the development, and the implementation and administration of legislation. The team includes some of Australia's leading specialists on constitutional law, public international law and national security law. As well as providing constitutional advice, OGC specialises in acting for the Commonwealth in constitutional litigation and coordinating the conduct of other cases involving constitutional issues. OGC has practitioners located in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

·       Commercial: Our commercial lawyers work with Commonwealth agencies across all areas of commercial practice. We provide legal advice to our clients on many of the Australian Government's largest projects and commercial transactions. Our work is focused on programs and projects that are of national importance, including:

o   some of Australia's largest energy and infrastructure projects

o   complex contracting arrangements, including the acquisition of goods and services to support Australia's national security and defence forces

o   cutting edge information technology transactions and projects

o   integrity, legal process and probity advice to government at the highest levels.

Commercial has practitioners located in every capital city, except Darwin and Hobart.

About you

The successful candidates will ideally have:

·       the post-admission experience (PAE) and knowledge of the Commonwealth legal environment appropriate for the role:

o   for a Lawyer (APS5), generally at least 1-4 years relevant PAE or equivalent legal experience and knowledge of the Commonwealth legal environment

o   for a Lawyer (APS6), generally at least 2.5-6 years relevant PAE or equivalent legal experience  and knowledge of the Commonwealth legal environment

o   for a Senior Lawyer (EL1), generally at least 5 years or more PAE  and good knowledge of the Commonwealth legal environment

o   for a Senior Lawyer (EL2), generally at least 7 years or more PAE and good knowledge of the Commonwealth legal environment

·       legal experience in the relevant field and in other areas of law relevant to the work of AGS

·       commensurate with the level applied for, a strong understanding of areas of law in the relevant field (or, for more junior roles, the demonstrated ability to quickly acquire that understanding) and the ability to manage legal matters with important Government and client implications

·       the ability to clearly articulate technical arguments and draft legal documents in the relevant field, such as advisory opinions, court documents and contracts

·       the ability to work under pressure, think creatively and deliver client‑focused legal solutions

·       excellent interpersonal skills, negotiation skills and the ability to persuade

·       the ability to contribute to the commercial business success of a legal team, including personal achievement of revenue expectations.

For further information about the requirements of each of the roles please refer to the role descriptions available on our recruitment portal.

You will work with a community of professionals dedicated to the national interest. You will work collaboratively in an inclusive environment where everyone's contribution is valued, and success is recognised and rewarded. We offer our lawyers commercially competitive remuneration packages, including 15.4% superannuation.

With open door access to some of Australia's most respected lawyers, we are a developer of talent and critical thinking and you will partner with our clients to deliver creative solutions to current and emerging legal issues of national importance.

AGS is a supportive organisation which embraces diversity. We understand that work is only part of your life and while our work can be demanding at times, we also provide access to a range of flexible working options, including working from home arrangements, generous leave entitlements and wellbeing benefits to support your needs throughout your career.

To apply

To register your interest, you must be an Australian Citizen and be willing to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the appropriate level.

Positions available through this register vary in duration, but you could be engaged for periods up to 12 months with the possibility for extension. We encourage you to submit your interest in temporary employment with AGS by completing our online application form, indicating your location and area/s of interest.

To register your interest, please click the 'Apply' button and ensure that you upload a maximum 2-page cover letter along with a copy of your CV and transcript.

This temporary employment register will close at 5:00pm (AEDT) on Friday, 9 January 2026.

AGS also advertises specific vacancies including ongoing roles on the AGS recruitment portal. If you are interested in working at AGS, we encourage you to check the AGS recruitment portal regularly for specific opportunities.

Further enquiries

Further information can be obtained by contacting the following contacts:

Office of General Counsel – Canberra

Natalie Lightfoot, Human Resources Business Partner OGC on

Commercial – All locations

Kim Da Pozzo, Human Resources Business Partner Commercial on

Dispute Resolution – All locations

Jill Mackay, Human Resources Business Partner Dispute Resolution on