GLN Graduate Programme

Our graduates are lawyers for New Zealand

The GLN Graduate Programme is a welcoming and development-focused opportunity for talented lawyers who care about a just, safe and prosperous New Zealand.

If you are keen to accelerate your learning by experiencing multiple practice areas in a variety of departments and Crown entities, the GLN Graduate Programme could be the perfect platform on which to build a rewarding career. Graduate lawyers in government strive for professional leadership; are keen to experience a variety of practice areas; and are supported by expert and principled mentors.

Featuring a two-year structure, the Graduate Programme involves three rotations of eight-month duration in legal teams across government and offers access to exceptional mentoring and fascinating work. 

We also reimburse your Professional Studies and Practising Certificate costs, support your attendance at the annual Lawyers in Government Conference, and your contribution to technical practice groups within the Government Legal Network - spanning human rights, health law, international law, Treaty/Maori issues, and commercial law (to name but a few).  We also have a practice group dedicated to lawyers new to practice - creating a safe place for our emerging leaders to connect with peers and talk, honestly, about the challenging and rewarding aspects of finding your feet as a practising lawyer.

This environment of support is important to us.  In the Government Legal Network, we take a sincere approach to investing in our graduates and encouraging them to reach their full potential.  As a result, our programme is designed to foster both technical and leadership skills - team hierarchies are flat, the learning environment is collegial, asking questions is encouraged and the opportunity to work where the laws are made means that, right from the start of your career, your contribution will inform outcomes that shape New Zealand as a whole.

APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2024_26 PROGRAMME ARE OPEN. APPLY HERE. 

If you have a disability that affects the submission of your application through the online process, please feel free to contact us at info@gln.govt.nz or contact the GLN Programmes Team Manager on 027 838 5945. Wherever possible, we will endeavour to accommodate the needs of any candidates affected by a disability or provide a word version of the guidelines.