Graduate Development Program
Recruitment Information Handbook 2013

Solicitor for the Northern Territory

The Solicitor for the Northern Territory (SFNT) provides legal advice and services to NT Government and Ministers.  The SFNT was established after self‑government in 1978 and continues to provide the NT Government with high quality, timely, whole-of-government legal services on sensitive or strategic issues. It maintains excellence and integrity in the Government’s legal dealings by the provision of quality advice, representation and documentation to Government Ministers, Agencies and employees.

Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) was created by the Director of Public Prosecutions Act. The principal functions of the Director are to institute, prepare and conduct criminal cases on behalf of the Crown before the Supreme Courts and the Courts of Summary Jurisdiction of the Northern Territory and the High Court of Australia. Those functions extend to all ancillary appellate work and cover the prosecution of all defended indictable matters before the Court of Summary Jurisdiction and such other defended summary matters as are deemed appropriate. The Office has taken over most of the functions of the Attorney-General in relation to the prosecution of offences.

Eligibility

Applicants are final year law students, who have enrolled, or are eligible to enrol, in the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP) course commencing 2013 and who are interested in a full-time clerkship to coincide with this course.

In 2013 it is anticipated that four graduate placements will be offered which will be on rotation through the SFNT and the ODPP with the possibility of a placement in various other areas of the Department subject to departmental requirements.

The graduate must undertake the eighty day placement component of the GDLP.

It is a requirement of the Department of Justice that employees have no criminal history assessed as being relevant to the duties of the position.  Successful applicants will be required to undertake a NT Police History Check for this purpose.

Introduction & Purpose

Pursuant to the Legal Practitioners Admission Rules a law graduate is required to complete a GDLP or other similar recognised qualification to be eligible to be admitted to practice.  The GDLP can be through Australian National University/Charles Darwin University or another recognised institution.

Duration of the Program

The program is for a period of two years.  Graduates are expected to commit to the term of the program.

The Program

The Department offers graduates a two year program commencing January 2013 and offers participants a range of legal experience which will prepare them well for future employment opportunities in either the Government or the private sector. 

Employment

Graduates will be employed on a contract for the two year period of the program. They may be admitted and receive a practising certificate during that time.  Subject to admission, graduates will transition to the position of graduate lawyer during the program which will allow them to act in the capacity of a junior lawyer.  There will be a continuing expectation that the requirements of the program are fulfilled.

When a graduate has successfully completed the GDLP and is eligible to be admitted, the Department will pay the admission costs and costs of a practising certificate.  Once admitted, they could potentially appear in court to conduct procedural matters to further their legal skills and experience.

The Department makes no undertaking that employment will be offered to the graduate on completion of the program.

Rotations

The program exposes graduates to a range of practice by rotation through different areas of the Department including the SFNT (which may include working in one of the agency based legal units) and the ODPP.  The rotation may include areas such as, but not limited to, ODPP, Commercial, Litigation, Aboriginal Land, and Legal Policy.

 
Study Leave

Graduates will be offered paid study leave for the purposes of attending any required face to face teaching or assessment component of the course.  Paid study leave will also be available up to a maximum of six days during the ‘Professional Practice Core’ component of the course. 

The Department will not pay for, or reimburse, any fees associated with the course.

Generally, graduates will have completed the requirements of the Bachelor of Laws.  However, if a graduate is completing a Bachelor of Laws, or any other study, in conjunction with the GDLP, study leave will not be granted for that study.  Recreation leave or leave without pay should be used for that purpose.

 

Download : Recruitment Information Handbook 2013