Internships are usually short-term work experiences designed to provide people (typically students) with some entry-level exposure to a particular industry or field. As an intern, you get a chance to gain real work experience, learn from professionals in the industry, develop practical skills, and build networks. 

Some internships are paid while others are unpaid volunteer-based work. Payment and duration of an internship will depend on the company and the industry. 

Cadetships are longer-term on-the-job training programs. Like a part-time job, some cadetships involve working a few times a week for an extended period of time. Other cadetship programs require cadets to undertake part- or full- time work for a minimum number of days per year.

Unlike interns, cadets can obtain a recognised qualification whilst undertaking paid work. This will depend on the type of cadetship you undertake. Generally companies offer cadetships with the aim of developing students’ skills so that they may be prospective future employees.

Below is a list of some of the internship and cadetship opportunities available to First Nations law students in NSW and the ACT.

Within NSW and the ACT:

• Gilbert + Tobin Indigenous Cadetship Program
  • G+T cadetships are open to First Nations law students at any stage of their degree who can commit to working one to two days per week.
• Aurora Internship Program
  • The Aurora program places First Nations and non-Indigenous cadets in full-time unpaid 4-6 week internships working in areas of native title, land rights, policy development, advocacy, environmental policy and more. The Commonwealth provides financial support to First Nations interns through program scholarships.
• Legal Aid NSW Cadetship Program for Aboriginal Law Students 
  • The Legal Aid cadetships are open to First Nations law students at any stage of their tertiary studies. Cadets can undertake part-time or full-time work placement for 60 days per calendar year in their preferred area of law (Crime, Civil or Family Law). 
• Community Legal Centres NSW First Nations cadetships 
  • The Community Legal Centres cadetship provides training and mentoring to First Nations students in the final two years of their law degree. Funded by the Cth government, the programs aim to encourage cadets to consider a career in a community legal centre. The programs run state-wide in NSW.
• Allens Legal Indigenous Internship 
  • The Allens internship is designed to provide First Nations tertiary students in their second year or above with exposure to a commercial legal environment. The paid program runs over a two-week period traditionally during NAIDOC week.
• King & Wood Mallesons Waiwa Mudena Program 
  • This program is a flexible 15 day paid work-placement offered to First Nations students in their undergraduate or postgraduate degrees. Applicants do not need to have prior legal work experience or an outstanding academic transcript to apply.
• CSIRO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cadetship Program 
  • The CSIRO cadetship involves 12 weeks of paid work placement at flexible times through the year. During the placement, cadets will work with mentors to solve some of Australia’s biggest challenges in a range of settings.
• Allens Dive In Introductory program 
  • This introductory program is the first step to applying for a clerkship, paralegal position or internship. It is designed to equip students in their second or third year of a LLB or their first year of their JD with some of the skills required to apply for other programs in their penultimate and ultimate years. 
• Coleman Creig Indigenous Cadetship Program
  • This introductory cadetship is open to all full-time first year law students who completed their HSC at a school in the Hills District, Parramatta or the Greater West areas of Sydney.
• CareerTrackers Internships 
  • CareerTrackers offers 12-week paid internships to First Nations students in year 12 and at any stage of their university degree.

Outside NSW and the ACT:

• Kimberley Aboriginal Justice Internship 
  • The Kimberley Community Legal Service (KCLS) offers students an opportunity to work full-time as a paralegal for the KCLS in Broome or Kununurra, WA for a minimum of 4 weeks. For a list of internship dates in 2022, visit the KCLS website. 
• NAAJA Intern Placement Program 
  • NAAJA offers one-month volunteer and intern placements to law students and graduates looking to gain paralegal experience in their Criminal, Civil and Law & Justice Projects Teams in the Northern Territory.