Our clerkships
Our Clerks undertake real work, participate in training sessions, enjoy social activities such as sports events, volunteering and lunches, and get a feel for our firm.
They are teamed up with a buddy and a supervisor to make sure they have all the support needed.
While our Clerks are busy getting stuck into the work and meeting clients, we also provide fun experiences along the way, including volunteer work and a number of firm and social events – from team sports and dinners, to an orientation day.
Throughout their time in the firm, our Clerks build working relationships, receive great training and most of all, get involved in in-depth, meaningful work.
Read more about our different clerkships below.
Quick links: Winter clerkship / Summer clerkship / Law clerkship
Winter Clerkship
A brilliant one-to-two week* learning and immersion experience!
We take on approximately 10 Winter Clerks each year across our offices.
Our Winter Clerkship is a great opportunity to experience life at Chapman Tripp and figure out if working in a corporate law firm is for you. At the end of the programme, our Winter Clerks may be invited back to join our Summer Clerk programme.
Learning & Development
As you start your career at Chapman Tripp, we want to help you gain the skills and knowledge you need to succeed. Our induction programme covers important information that you will need to know early on and helps set you up for your time in the firm.
*depending on university inter-semester break dates.
Law students in their second or third year of study* who would be ready to start as a Law Clerk in January 2028 and who can join our 2026/2027 summer clerk programme, should they receive an offer.
Our 2025 intake will be for law students looking for a winter clerkship in our Auckland and Wellington offices.
*dependent on whether you are completing a single or double degree.
- Applications open at 9am on 4 March 2025 and close at midday on 24 March 2025.
- In-person interviews will be held in Wellington on 14 April 2025 and in Auckland on 15 April 2025.
- Offers will be made from 17 April.
- Our 2025 Winter Clerk programme will run for two weeks during the mid-year university break from 30 June - 11 July 2025.
- A competitive salary
- Real work experience
- Social events
- Travel and accommodation costs covered if you need to relocate (up to $500)
- Great training
- Supervisor, buddy, and People & Culture support
- The opportunity to be offered a summer clerkship
Summer clerkship
Our 12-week Summer Clerk programme is a great way for students to immerse themselves in life at Chapman Tripp!
We keep our intake to approximately 20 Summer Clerks across our three offices, ensuring all of our Summer Clerks receive real-work, and have the potential to be offered a Law Clerkship at the end of the programme.
Our Summer Clerks rotate through two teams over the course of their clerkship. Before the programme begins, we provide information about each team, so Summer Clerks have all the details they need to make an informed decision about their rotation preferences.
Learning & Development
We run a comprehensive orientation day for Summer Clerks to give you a well-rounded introduction to the firm as well as training and information sessions throughout the summer. This covers topics such as our firm strategy, writing skills, an ‘ask me anything’ session with a panel of junior lawyers, and a presentation from our Community Director. Once you’ve settled in, we regularly check in with you over email and in person, as well as holding more formal reviews after each team rotation.
Our 2025/2026 summer clerk programme will be aimed at law students in their penultimate year of study, who can join us as a Law Clerk in January 2027.
- Applications open on Tuesday 4 March, 9 am and close on Monday 24 March, 12 pm 2025.
- Invitations to interview will be sent out from early to mid-April 2025.
- First interviews (online) will be held from late April to early May 2025.
- Pre-interview functions will be held early May 2025.
- Second interviews (in-person) will be held early to mid-May 2025.
- Offers will be made from 9 am on 19 May 2025.
- Acceptances are due no later than 12 pm on 30 May 2025.
- The 2025/2026 programme will run from 17 November 2025 to 13 February 2026
- A competitive salary
- Real work experience
- Social events
- Volunteer work
- Travel and accommodation costs covered if you need to relocate (up to $500)
- Supervisor, buddy and People & Culture support
- $1,000 clothing allowance
- $125 Wellbeing benefit
- Three weeks paid holiday over Christmas
- Two rotations in different teams
- Great training
- Client visits and meetings
- Firm and team social events
- The opportunity to be offered a law clerkship
My summer clerkship was fantastic. The firm gave me many opportunities to test and develop my legal skills, and provided me with a great insight into what working in commercial law is like. Chapman Tripp itself is what made it truly special, though. The environment and the people within it are brilliant, and a lot of work is done to ensure the summer clerks have an all-round amazing experience.
– George, Summer Clerk
Law Clerkship
Our Law Clerks participate in a comprehensive programme from induction through to admission.
Generally, our Law Clerks are our previous Summer Clerks, however we occasionally hire people who haven’t worked with us before.
Learning & Development
We make sure our Law Clerks have all the training and support needed to have the best start to their legal careers.
Since 2016, we have enrolled our Law Clerks in a bespoke Professional Legal Studies Course (Profs) with the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. This full-time classroom-based course, which we helped develop, focuses on the common types of work our Law Clerks do and helps them develop the practical, day-to-day skills they will need as an entry-level lawyer. After completing Profs, Law Clerks will be eligible to apply for admission as a legal practitioner in New Zealand.
We cover the cost of Profs and pay your full salary while you’re completing the course. Rather than juggling work and study at the same time, our Law Clerks complete their Profs course onsite from late-January to April, then join the firm full time in April.
Throughout Profs, our Law Clerks spend time with their teams, attending training sessions and team events for a seamless transition once they join us. After profs, our Law Clerks have weekly in-house technical and skills training sessions, to help them develop the necessary skills and settle into their day-to-day roles.
As it is essentially a graduate role, you’ll just need to have completed your degree by the time you begin with us. Make sure to check the date/year in which we are recruiting Law Clerks for, and ensure you’ll be able to begin full-time work then.
- For our lateral Law Clerk positions, please visit our careers page.
- Interviews: April to mid-May 2025.
- Offers made: From 19 May 2025.
- Acceptances due: no later than 12 pm on 30 May 2025.
- Start date: Late January 2026.
- A competitive salary
- $500 wellbeing benefit each year
- Travel and accommodation costs covered if you need to relocate (up to $500)
- KiwiSaver
- Health insurance
- Ongoing training and support
- Opportunities to join clubs and committees
- Real work experience
- Social events
- Volunteer work