“Being an intern at Refugee Legal is such a great introduction to a lawyer’s work. I do many of the simple things; following up to check that a client has received an email, helping clients log into their email accounts. But I know this work reassures people. When you’re alone and lost in these difficult processes, it lets people know that there’s someone there. This experience has given me a sense of what it means to do something that has meaning. I hope that I’ve helped people”.

Internships at Refugee Legal are a great opportunity to contribute to bettering the lives of refugees, asylum seekers and disadvantaged migrants in Australia. By undertaking an internship at Refugee Legal you will be able to;

Please consider the relevant position description before applying for the role:

We offer a variety of voluntary placement opportunities to students across disciplines, universities and levels of experience. We run a rolling, limited intake for;

All placements (with the exception of High School students) require;

To be considered for a placement please submit;

Please note- We will not be taking on new placements until we are able to offer onsite work again post COVID-19

Apply for placement

Thank you for your willingness to dedicate your time to refugees in Australia. Please consider the position description before applying for the role- in particular, the minimum time commitment.

  • Please indicate your ideal dates. Placement allocation is restricted by supervision capacity
  • Please indicate which type of placement you would like to undertake
  • Drop files here or
    Accepted file types: doc, docx, pdf, Max. file size: 512 MB.
      Please include your Resume (PDF), a Statement of Academic Results and a Recent piece of writing. For Work Experience students, only a Resume is necessary

    Placement Experiences

    Lachlan Buckley

    “I started my internship at Refugee Legal in January as part of my Practical Legal Training (PLT) with College of Law. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and I am amazed at how fast each day flies past. I have undertaken a range of tasks at all phases of the legal process and have really been able to understand the importance of Refugee Legal’s role for our clients. I have undertaken country research to determine the strength of client’s claims and have really enjoyed the challenge of fossicking through country information and finding the evidence to support and give merit to client’s claims. I have filled out the long and unnecessarily complicated Protection Visa applications with clients and have drafted statutory declarations, spending long periods of time going over finer details of their application and appreciated the time spent building rapport with clients on these occasions. I have been to a Department interview where I assisted drafting oral submissions and am currently in the process of drafting written submissions for the Decision Maker. This internship has allowed me to follow my passion and has given me the opportunity to gain experience in an area of law I would love to continue working in. It has been a fantastic period time for me here at Refugee Legal and has made me excited for the road ahead”

    – Refugee Legal PLT student 

    Rediete Aborete G Messkel

    “Completing my internship at Refugee Legal in my first year of the JD was an amazing experience. Having such an engaging and approachable supervisor, Ben, enabled me to get the most out of this internship. Working closely with Ben gave me a great insight into the day to day responsibilities of a solicitor and also gave me the opportunity to gain and develop a wide range of practical skills that I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to learn in a classroom setting.  It has been really interesting to see how the different organs of government interact with each other and role that solicitors and migration agents have, liaising between the government and clients. Above all, my favourite part of interning at Refugee Legal has been being able to be a part of an organisation that is doing such amazing work towards a cause that I am so passionate about. “

    – Refugee Legal Summer Intern 

    Malek Kazimi

    Undertaking my Practical Legal Training at Refugee Legal has involved substantial legal work, which I’ve found to be extremely useful. Under supervision I’ve undertaken and managed several cases. I’ve also assisted clients with drafting statements of protection claims. This role has improved my ability to communicate effectively with a diverse group of people and also cement my knowledge of the relevant law and legal processes. I would highly recommend that anyone considering such a placement undertake it at Refugee Legal.