Russell Kennedy Clerkship Application
Melbourne mid-tier firm with specialist depth in property, aged care, and health
Program Overview
- Structure: Three four-week clerkship intakes: 16 Nov – 11 Dec 2026; 1 Feb – 26 Feb 2027; 21 Jun – 16 Jul 2027 - Structure: Practical, informative, and engaging program with real client exposure - Structure: Applications open 6 July – 9 August 2026; offers 15 October 2026 - Mentoring: Paired with a mentor and buddy for guidance across the program - Mentoring: Regular check-ins with partners and senior lawyers - Development: Direct exposure to client work across property, health, aged care, and disputes - Development: Networking opportunities and social events throughout the clerkship - Pathway: Strong track record of converting clerks to graduate and ongoing positions
Practice Areas
- Property: Commercial property transactions, development, leasing, and strata - Aged Care and Retirement Living: Regulatory, governance, and transactions for aged care providers - Health: Health provider regulation, clinical risk, and dispute resolution - Not-for-Profit: Governance, charity advisory, and NFP transactions - Corporate and Commercial: M&A, contracts, and business advisory - Dispute Resolution: Commercial litigation, mediation, and arbitration - Employment: Workplace relations and employment advisory
Locations
- VIC
Firm Values
- - Identity: Independent Melbourne-based law firm with over 140 years of practice
- - Identity: Known for specialist expertise in property
- aged care
- health
- and not-for-profit sectors
- - Values: Providing genuine
- accessible
- and commercially astute legal advice
- - Values: Long-term relationships with clients across complex
- specialist sectors
- - Values: Commitment to inclusion
- diversity
- and community through pro bono
- - Culture: Collaborative
- collegial environment with genuine work-life balance
- - Culture: Three seasonal clerkship intakes per year — November
- February
- and June
- - Differentiator: Deep specialisation in aged care and health — unique in the Melbourne mid-tier
- - Differentiator: One of Victoria's leading not-for-profit sector advisers
- - Differentiator: Paired with both a mentor and buddy
- strong pastoral care culture
Awards & Recognition
- - Award: Best Lawyers Australia 2026 — multiple practitioners recognised
- - Ranking: Doyle's Guide — recognised in Property, Aged Care, and Not-for-Profit law
- - Recognition: Leading firm in specialist aged care and retirement living advisory in Australia
Community & Pro Bono
- Program: Pro bono practice supporting refugees, asylum seekers, and community organisations - Partner: Refugee Seasonal Clerkship program — dedicated placement for refugee students - Focus: Committed to access to justice for disadvantaged individuals and communities - Initiative: Reconciliation Action Plan — support for First Nations communities