Intern Placement Program

Volunteering, Interns and Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP)

NAAJA is able to offer volunteer and intern placements to law students and graduates looking to gain paralegal experience in our Criminal, Civil and Law & Justice Projects Teams and in office locations across the Territory.

We ask that volunteers commit to at least four to five days per week for one month with NAAJA as shorter placements do not allow enough time for you to gain useful experience and contribute meaningfully to our work.

  • In the criminal section, volunteers are exposed to a busy practice and will work with dedicated and experiences lawyers across a diverse range of matters including in the Local Court, Supreme Court and with bush Courts..
  • Working with the civil section will expose volunteers to a wide variety of work including housing, statutory compensation schemes, child protection, welfare rights, police and healthcare complaints and adult guardianship.
  • In our Law & Justice projects section NAAJA is involved in a range of innovative justice programs including the Bilata Legal Pathways Program, the Student Court, Community Legal Education, support for Cultural Authorities (Elder groups) in communities and in the preparation of law and policy submissions.

Our team at Tennant Creek

Volunteers may have the chance to travel one of the many remote communities serviced by NAAJA to assist with a ‘bush’ or circuit court, remote civil advice clinic, or community legal education session.  Whilst we cannot guarantee this is possible we identify the value this has for volunteers and encourage the practice where we can.

For law students seeking a placement during semester breaks, we encourage you to apply to the Aurora Project. NAAJA has a longstanding partnership with the Aurora Project and gives priority to students with their program.

Read Steph’s experience from her time in the Law and Justice Projects section – Aurora Review

For law graduates looking to complete their practical legal training to qualify for admission as a solicitor, NAAJA is able to consider, subject to availability, the supervision of GDLP placements.

We are proud to note that a number of NAAJA’s GDLP students have been Aboriginal law graduates who have gone on to be admitted to practice and we particular welcome expressions of interest from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander law graduates.

Expressions Of Interest

To express interest, please complete and submit the following EOI form:

Expression of Interest form [PDF]
Expression of Interest form [DOCX]

Call us on freecall 1800 898 251 or contact our Darwin Office on (08) 8982 5100 or email an expression of interest form to interns@naaja.org.au.