2026 Australian Clerkship Requirements: What 21 NSW Firms Actually Want
One of the most common mistakes in clerkship season is assuming every firm wants the same thing. They don't.
Some firms require a cover letter. Others explicitly don't want one. Two firms don't even ask for a resume. And the majority have moved to structured application questions that they weight more heavily than the cover letter you spent three hours writing.
I researched the specific application requirements for 21 NSW firms offering clerkships in the 2026 season. Here's what I found.
The Requirements Table
| Firm | Cover Letter | Resume | Application Qs | Transcript | Other Notable Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allens | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Cappfinity strengths assessment |
| Ashurst Perkins Coie | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | SHL psychometric test post-submission |
| Baker McKenzie | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No psychometric tests or video interviews |
| Barry Nilsson | Yes | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Optional supporting documents |
| Clayton Utz | No | Yes | Yes | Likely | pymetrics psychometric; Rare Recruitment survey |
| Corrs Chambers Westgarth | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | — |
| DLA Piper | Optional | Yes | Yes | Yes | Strengths assessment; Rare CRS survey (optional) |
| Gadens | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No psychometric testing |
| Gilbert + Tobin | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | WAM required; psychometric testing post-shortlist; PDFs only, max 3MB |
| Hall & Wilcox | Yes* | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | Anonymised review (name, address, gender, school hidden) |
| HSF Kramer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | OPQ personality questionnaire post-shortlist |
| HWLE Lawyers | No* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Optional supporting documentation |
| Johnson Winter Slattery | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | — |
| Jones Day | Yes | Yes | No | Yes (certified) | — |
| K&L Gates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Practice area preferences |
| King & Wood Mallesons | No | No | Yes | Yes | All info entered via form; blind review |
| Maddocks | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Psychometric assessment post-shortlist |
| McCullough Robertson | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Application form to HR Coordinator |
| MinterEllison | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | HireVue games-based psychometric; pre-recorded video interview |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | — |
| Thomson Geer | Yes | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Virtual interview stage |
The Numbers
- 11 firms require a cover letter (though Hall & Wilcox is based on past applicant reports, not confirmed on their public pages)
- 7 firms explicitly do not want a cover letter (HWLE Lawyers doesn't list one, but accepts optional supporting documents)
- 1 firm makes it optional (DLA Piper)
- 15 firms use structured application questions
- 2 firms don't require a resume at all (Baker McKenzie and King & Wood Mallesons)
- Every firm requires an academic transcript (where confirmed)
* Hall & Wilcox cover letter requirement is based on past applicant reports. HWLE Lawyers does not list a cover letter but accepts "additional supporting documentation."
What this means for your application strategy
Not every firm needs a cover letter
This is probably the most important takeaway. If you're applying to Ashurst Perkins Coie, Clayton Utz, Corrs, Gilbert + Tobin, Johnson Winter Slattery, KWM, HWLE Lawyers, or MinterEllison: they don't want a traditional cover letter. Writing one anyway doesn't show initiative. It shows you didn't read the instructions.
Save your energy for the firms that do want one, and put extra effort into the application questions that these firms use instead.
Application questions are the most common document type
15 of 21 firms use structured application questions. These typically ask about your motivation for applying, your understanding of the firm's practice areas, and a specific experience that demonstrates a relevant skill.
For many firms, these questions have replaced the cover letter entirely. They let the firm ask exactly what they want to know, rather than hoping you'll address it in an unstructured letter.
If you're only preparing a resume and cover letter template, you're preparing for less than half the firms on this list.
Two firms don't want a resume
Baker McKenzie and King & Wood Mallesons are notable outliers. Baker McKenzie captures your work experience through application questions instead. KWM uses structured form fields where you enter your grades, work experience, and extracurriculars directly, and they do blind review.
This means your grades and application answers are doing the heavy lifting at these firms, not your resume formatting.
The psychometric testing landscape
Several firms include psychometric or games-based assessments as part of their process:
- Allens: Cappfinity strengths assessment
- Ashurst Perkins Coie: SHL psychometric test (after you submit your application)
- Clayton Utz: pymetrics psychometric
- DLA Piper: Strengths assessment
- Gilbert + Tobin: Psychometric testing (post-shortlist)
- HSF Kramer: OPQ personality questionnaire (post-shortlist)
- Maddocks: Psychometric assessment (post-shortlist)
- MinterEllison: HireVue games-based psychometric + pre-recorded video interview
Some of these happen at application stage, others only after you're shortlisted. Most can't be studied for in a traditional sense: they're assessing your working style and cognitive approach, not legal knowledge.
Anonymised and blind review
Hall & Wilcox and KWM use anonymised or blind review processes. At Hall & Wilcox, your name, address, gender, and school are hidden from reviewers. At KWM, grades and responses are entered directly into a structured form.
This is worth knowing because it means your cover letter and personal brand matter less at these firms. Your answers and academic record are doing the talking.
Firm-by-firm portal guide
One thing that trips students up: every firm uses a different application portal. There's no single system. Here's where each firm lives:
| Portal | Firms |
|---|---|
| BigRedSky | Gadens, Hall & Wilcox (Sydney), JWS, Norton Rose Fulbright |
| Workday | Allens, Clayton Utz, KWM |
| cvMail | Ashurst Perkins Coie, Maddocks |
| PageUp | Baker McKenzie, Corrs, Hall & Wilcox (Perth) |
| Candidats.io | HSF Kramer |
| SAP SuccessFactors | MinterEllison |
| JobAdder | Gilbert + Tobin |
| Cornerstone OnDemand | Barry Nilsson |
| LiveHire / Greenhouse | McCullough Robertson |
| Direct firm portals | DLA Piper, HWLE, K&L Gates, Thomson Geer, Jones Day |
Bookmark the portals for your target firms early. Some portals require you to create an account before the application window opens, and you don't want to be figuring out login issues on closing day.
How to use this information
Step 1: Check which documents your target firms actually want. Don't prepare a cover letter for a firm that doesn't want one. Don't skip application questions for a firm that weights them heavily.
Step 2: Prioritise your time. If you're applying to 8-12 firms, some will want cover letters and some won't. Focus your writing time on the documents each firm actually reads.
Step 3: Prepare for application questions early. Most application questions follow similar themes: why this firm, why this practice area, describe a relevant experience. Draft strong answers to these themes before portals open, then tailor them per firm.
VIC, QLD, and WA firms
This table covers NSW firms in the coordinated scheme. VIC applications open July 6, QLD opens July 13, and WA closes July 26. I'm expanding coverage to include firm-specific requirements for all states. If you'd like to be notified when that's available, sign up and I'll let you know.
Resum8 currently covers 20+ firms across NSW, VIC, QLD, and WA. Each firm profile is built from public materials, graduate publications, and culture research so the documents we generate reflect what each firm specifically values.
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This table was researched in June 2026 from firm career pages, application portals, Prosple/GradConnection listings, and law student association guides. Requirements may change. Always verify on the firm's own website before applying.