Legal Careers for Graduates
We don’t do standard clerkships. Aspirational lawyers don’t want to spend their summer printing off reams of documents! Our unique Pathways Program for final year law students is the best way to build your legal skills and commercial acumen. It’s your opportunity to dive into large-scale litigation, be mentored by some of the best minds in the business and kickstart your career with a firm that values behaviours that build relationships, excellence, and a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture.
You’ll join WK as a paralegal, working casually during your last semester or final year of your law degree. You’ll support a champion team of lawyers who are tasked with ensuring you develop the necessary skills to put you at the front of the queue for a graduate position. Wotton Kearney supports and funds all graduates who are completing their Practical Legal Training. They are provided with paid study leave throughout the year, educational fee assistance and individualised support provided from their seniors, buddies, and peers.
Through Pathways we’ll get to know you and do our best to match your interests, under-graduate degree, other work experiences and preferences into the teams you work with during Pathways. You’ll be doing real work for real clients alongside senior lawyers and partners who are among the best in the business.
If you’re the type of person we’re looking, you have many options. You might think a clerkship is right for you. And it might be. What we offer is something different but, like a clerkship, it’s a direct path to a graduate offer.
What we’re looking for?
You’ve got to want to be a litigator. No point considering us if that’s not in your plan. We aim to be the best and to help every lawyer become their best. That means you need to want that too.
The pathway to becoming the best takes endless curiosity, a commitment to being a life-long learner and to being the type of person clients, colleagues and peers know they can trust. Legal expertise matters a lot but so too does the ability to form and maintain positive relationships and not just with your colleagues and clients but also with your peers, opponents and the broader community.
What to expect from WK?
When you join us, you’re joining a community that’s much bigger than WK; it’s a relationship ecosystem of our people, clients, industry groups, professional bodies and the community. It’s all inter-connected, inter-related and of equal importance.
If we offer you a start at WK, that means we think you’re an exceptional talent and we want to help you fulfil your potential. We are invested in your success. We want you to learn from the best and become the best. The way we help make that happen is by:
- Matching the range, variety and complexity of work to your evolving skillset and interests.
- Enabling client interaction from the outset.
- Setting clear expectations and support to help you meet them.
- Ongoing encouragement and practical, timely and actionable feedback.
- Educating you on everything from insurance law to skills training to mental health and wellness.
- Giving you a “buddy” to help guide you through your first months and beyond.
- Providing flexibility about the how, what, when and where of working.
- Placing a big emphasis on people being comfortable being themselves at work.
- Encouraging you to get involved on community and pro bono initiatives that address tough issues such as inequality (in its many forms), climate change and human rights.
- Together, we’ll help you build the foundations needed to become a great litigator, a lawyer our clients want on their side and the type of workmate everyone enjoys working with.
Who’s eligible for the Pathways Program?
To be successful you must be in the final year of your undergraduate law degree, and either a citizen or permanent resident of Australia with full working rights.
View Brochure
Insuring your future with Wotton Kearney
Are you ready to kick‑start your legal career in the best possible way?
Curious about litigation, or keen to learn more about the work we do?
Wotton Kearney (WK) is New Zealand’s largest dedicated insurance law and dispute resolution practice. Founded in 2002, our story began modestly in Sydney with just two partners, four lawyers, and big ambitions.
That pioneering spirit continues to drive us today. We’ve grown into a dynamic firm of more than 800 professionals, including over 100 partners, across 13 offices in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand. In New Zealand, we’re proud to have offices in Auckland, Christchurch, Tauranga and Wellington.
Our specialist focus on insurance and risk law means we’re home to many of the industry’s leading legal experts, and a trusted partner to some of the largest insurers, brokers, and industry participants.
We work across a wide range of sectors, including construction, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, property, public sector, retail, SME, sports and leisure, technology, and transport.
With a team of over 110 in New Zealand, what truly sets WK apart is our culture. We’re not your typical law firm – we’re approachable, high‑performing, and growing rapidly, with genuine opportunities to learn, contribute, and progress.
Hear from some of our recent graduates about what it’s really like to work at WK:
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“I enjoy the various opportunities that WK provides. This includes the diversity of work, the support for junior lawyers, the overall culture and working alongside the best in the business!”
Tori Pfeifer – Solicitor |
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“There is so much exposure to different work at WK. I have worked across 10 different partners on various matters ranging from product liability claims for contaminated food products to property damage claims following a natural disaster, all the way to professional indemnity claims where we defend other lawyers.”
Isaiah Ong – Solicitor |
Our graduate programme
Our Auckland, Christchurch, Tauranga and Wellington offices are inviting applications from final‑year law students to join our team in early 2027.
To be eligible, you will have completed your law degree and be ready to commence full‑time employment in early February 2027. Professional Legal Studies may be completed after you start with us, with course fees covered by WK.
We’re looking for ambitious candidates with a strong academic record and a genuine interest in insurance litigation. You’ll bring a positive, can‑do attitude, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the confidence to engage effectively with a wide range of people.
What we have to offer
Supporting you to thrive – professionally and personally
Being a great place to work means supporting you to achieve both your career ambitions and personal goals. At WK, we do this by investing in your development, wellbeing, and experience from day one.
You’ll gain exposure to complex, interesting, and cutting‑edge matters, working alongside recognised experts in their field. We support you to stay at the forefront of the legal and insurance industries through a mix of internal learning, external conferences, and industry workshops.
Your development goes beyond technical excellence. You’ll have access to leading facilitators to help you build critical skills such as communication, relationship management, and leadership. Our structured technical training includes insurance fundamentals, report writing, discovery, and other practical skills you’ll use every day.
You’ll be supported through our three‑tiered mentoring framework, which includes a dedicated Kaitiaki (supervising partner), a senior mentor, and a buddy to guide you as you grow. We also offer secondment opportunities, giving you the chance to experience life inside a client’s business and gain invaluable commercial insight.
We encourage you to build strong industry connections by supporting membership of professional associations that open doors to broader networks and future opportunities.
Just as importantly, we believe recognition matters. We take time to celebrate achievements – big or small, professional or personal – and create space to unwind, connect, and enjoy the journey together.
How we say thanks
Our benefits reflect our commitment to recognising the value you bring:
- Competitive remuneration package
- Education Assistance programme, including study leave and payment of Professional Legal Studies course fees
- Rotational structure to gain experience across different practice areas
- Three‑tiered mentoring support
- Structured training and development programmes
- Flexible work arrangements
- Secondment opportunities
- Generous leave provisions, including birthday leave, wellbeing leave, volunteering leave and purchased leave.
- Monthly hei toa recognition awards
- Opportunities to contribute to our Community Footprint Pro Bono and CSR programme
- Regular social events throughout the year
- Access to wellbeing initiatives, including health insurance, wellbeing contributions and employee assistance support
- And more
Applying for a graduate position
Applications for our 2027 NZ Graduate Programme are open 2-23 March 2026.
Please visit our Prosple page to apply.
Keen to find out more?
Take a look at our Careers Brochure below to learn more about our graduate programme, who we are, and what we do.
Feel free to contact our friendly NZ People & Culture team at p+cnz@wottonkearney.com if you have any queries.
View Brochure
Australian’s Pathways Programme
Applications for WK’s 2025 Pathways Program will open in September.
For assistance, or if you have any questions please contact: pathways@wottonkearney.com
NZ Graduate Programme
Applications for our 2027 NZ Graduate Programme are open 2-23 March 2026.
Please visit our Prosple page to apply for a graduate position.
For assistance, or if you have any questions please contact: p+cnz@wottonkearney.com
Careers at Wotton Kearney