Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: $90,871 - $101,868
Grade: WVR 3.2
Occupation: Legal
Location: Various
Reference: VG/2026NLP
The 2026 New Lawyers Program (NLP) is your chance to begin your legal career with one of Victoria's most dynamic and diverse legal practices. Over two years, you'll rotate through three placements, each eight months long, gaining hands-on experience in different areas of law and working directly with clients who need your support most.
This is more than a graduate program – it's the start of a career where your skills and commitment will make a difference every day.
The NLP is a structured two-year pathway designed to accelerate your career while making a real difference for Victorians.
Through three set placements, you'll gain practical experience across areas such as criminal law, family violence, child protection, youth crime, civil justice, and access to justice services.
Most pathways involve at least one regional placement. Each move means stepping into a new office and community, adapting to different teams, clients, and requirements. At the end of the program, you'll transition into an ongoing lawyer role within VLA, ready to continue a rewarding career in social justice.
As an NLP lawyer, you'll represent some of Victoria's most vulnerable people, including clients with experiences of trauma, family violence, child protection involvement, mental health issues, disability, substance dependency and systemic disadvantage.
The work can be challenging and emotionally demanding – but also incredibly rewarding. You'll see the direct impact of your advocacy every day and contribute to shaping a fairer, more just Victoria.
We'll also support you every step of the way with:
The program is designed to give you breadth of experience and prepare you for your career at VLA. Placements may include:
Some pathways are metro-based, while others require relocating (temporarily or permanently) to a regional area. If you relocate for a single rotation, we may provide accommodation for the placement.
These placements are often career-defining experiences, and we strong ly encourage applicants to preference an outer regional pathway.
Each placement pathway includes three rotations and is linked to a home directorate, where you'll be placed permanently after completing the program.
👉 See the attachments for a list of the 2026 placement pathway options, and more details about selecting your preferred placement can be found here: https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/new-lawyers-program
We're holding two online information sessions with more detail about practice areas, placement pathways and how your placement preferences and recruitment performance affect your chances of securing one of these roles.
We strongly encourage all applicants to attend – book online via humantix for either session:
We're looking for early-career lawyers who are passionate about social justice, are adaptable, and ready to grow. You'll bring:
We strongly encourage applications from Australian First Nations lawyers and from people of diverse backgrounds and with lived experience.
We offer legal representation, family dispute resolution and non-legal advocacy to those who need it most. With over 1500 staff employed in 16 offices across Victoria, we help people with their legal problems by providing information, advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems.
Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and foster a work culture that's inclusive as well as diverse. Your unique ideas and perspectives are valued so that we best represent the people we serve.
At VLA, we offer more than just a job – we offer a career with purpose. You'll be part of a diverse, inclusive organisation that values your ideas and perspectives.
To apply, please submit:
Unfortunately, applications that do not meet all above requirements will not be progressed.
If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process or need an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our team.
Important eligibility information
VLA is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.
Applications close by 11.59pm on Sunday 26 October 2025