Department of Premier and Cabinet
Field of Law
Stage of Career
Undergraduates; Graduates (GRADS), Practising Lawyers
Contact Details
Address: 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne Victoria 3000
Phone: 9651 5038
Visit the Department of Premier and Cabinet
Contact person: Eileen Whitten
Email: eileen.whitten@dpc.vic.gov.au
Description of Organisation
The Department of Premier and Cabinet leads the Victorian public service, advising government on emerging policy issues and reviewing the impact of government decisions.
DPC supports the Premier as head of the Victorian government and Cabinet, the Deputy Premier, the Minister for the Arts, and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship.
The DPC Legal Branch has responsibility for liaison with the Justice portfolio with a particular focus on legal policy development. Other key roles for the Legal Branch are to provide advice on commercial matters, administrative law, constitutional law, machinery of government and parliament and inquiries matters.
Number of positions within organisation
40
Information for students/graduates
Do you have a graduate clerkship program? (involving practical legal training and admission to practise)
Yes
What are you looking for in a graduate?
The Office looks for Legal Trainees who are motivated, demonstrate initiative, enthusiasm and good judgment, and have excellent written and oral communication skills. To succeed in this role, strong academic results in a Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor and an interest in a career in government are required.
Qualifications/skills required
Hold a Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws conferred by an Australian university at the time of commencement.
What electives/areas of study are viewed favourably?
Public, administrative and constitutional law based subjects.
How many graduates do you take a year?
1
How does one apply:
Via the VicGov website
Dates for application:
Dates are in line with the LIV guidelines
Do you require your applicants to be recent law graduates? If so, how recent?
No
Interview process:
Interview includes a number of questions based on the key selection criteria.
Do you have a minimum Grade Point Average standard for an applicant’s academic record?
No
If there are any fails on a candidate’s academic record how will they affect the recruitment process?
A fail grade will not automatically preclude an applicant from selection however the impact of the grade on the overall assessment of the application will vary depending on the subject (i.e. a fail in Administrative Law may have a greater negative impact than a fail in Corporations Law).
What sort of volunteer/internship opportunities are available?
OGC offers two internships, one for 4-6 weeks in July and one for 6-8 weeks in December-January.
Contact person for internships:
Eileen Whitten
Information for practising lawyers
What are you looking for in a permanent employee?
Varies depending on the role.
What prior work is viewed favourably?
Experience which demonstrates an interest in public policy and public law.
On average, how many positions become available per year?
Varies from year to year and depends on the number of legislative projects sitting within the Office.
How many applications do you receive for these?
Unsure of approximate numbers, however graduate and internship positions have a high demand.
Where do you advertise your positions?
Careers page of the Victorian Government website
Advice for applicants:
Regularly check the careers page of the Victorian Government website for roles within DPC and across VPS.
