Aptum Legal

So, you want to be a litigator? Maybe even a barrister down the track? Learn from the best in Aptum's litigation graduate program.  

Aptum’s graduate program offers new lawyers an intimate experience of working on large scale litigation, an opportunity to work closely with our directors and practice leads, and a genuine alternative to the environment of traditional firms.  

In this one-year, full-time graduate program based in our Melbourne office, you will work across both commercial and tax disputes, learning from some of the industry’s leading litigation practitioners who have spent years working at the Victorian Bar and ATO. Your Practical Legal Training (PLT) will be fully supported by Aptum.  

As a graduate you can expect to be meaningfully involved in any piece of litigation we are engaged in, to be afforded opportunities in litigation like no other graduate at your level, and to develop competence and confidence as a litigator because of the quality of work that you will be doing.  

About Aptum:  

Aptum is a specialist dispute resolution and litigation firm. Aptum works on large scale, complex commercial and tax disputes, originating both in Australia and overseas, operating primarily in the Federal and Supreme Courts.  

Aptum was established to challenge the accepted norms, practices and traditional behaviours of litigation, creating better experiences both for clients and people working in the law. People at Aptum share a genuine passion for changing the way litigation is conducted in Australia, and our non-traditional approach is a true reflection of this. Aptum is just one of four disputes firms in Australia verified with a top percentile client satisfaction score from market-leading legal directory, Legal 500.

What you will do:  

Since we are a specialist litigation firm, there are no rotations in this graduate program. You will work solely in litigation, across a range of teams, types of disputes, and subject matter areas.  Aptum has dedicated project managers who execute the administrative tasks associated with litigation, providing space for lawyers to perform substantive legal work.  

In Aptum’s graduate program, you can expect to be afforded opportunities in litigation like no other graduate at your level.  

Here are some of the things you may expect to do throughout your first year:

• Drafting affidavits
• Assisting with drafting pleadings
• Assisting with drafting defences
• Organising and attending client conferences
• Reviewing client documents and providing initial advice
• Obtaining FOI documents from the ATO in order to advise clients on their potential defences
• Attending hearings in the Supreme Court, Federal Court and ART
• Drafting briefs to counsel
• Working with counsel on collating and analysing evidence
• Conducting strategic legal research on niche points of law
• Having the opportunity to take a lead execution role on smaller matters, being the main contact for clients in such matters
• Working directly with our directors  

We're looking for people who: 

• Are students in the final year of a law degree, or a recent graduate
• Are interested in litigation as a career
• Share our passion for challenging accepted norms in the legal industry
• Are curious and empathetic
• Are interested in the opportunity to appear in court  

Key dates: 

• Applications close COB Thursday 4 September 2025
• Offers made by Thursday 30 October 2025
• Program commences February 2026 

How to apply:  

To apply, please submit your CV, academic transcript and a one-page summary with some topline information about yourself via our application portal: https://form.typeform.com/to/l1Od5lPs

For more information about the Aptum graduate experience and our Litigation Graduate Program, please visit our website: https://aptumlegal.com.au/careers/graduate-program/