Applying for an Associateship with a Justice of the High Court

General information

Salary $86,912 plus 15.4% Superannuation.

To apply for an associateship with a particular Justice, an applicant should write directly to the Justice with whom they would like to work in accordance with the timeframes and requirements set out for each Justice below.

It is common for the Justices to appoint their associates two and three years in advance. An application should indicate the years the applicant would be available for employment.

Competition for appointment is very strong and there are sometimes upwards of 200 applications for potential vacancies. The normal expectation is that a person appointed as an associate will have graduated with first class honours and will preferably have research experience (and often experience working for a law firm or university or another court).

For general information about the Court, applicants should peruse the information available on this website, including the Court's Annual Reports.

Chief Justice Gageler AC

The Honourable Chief Justice Stephen Gageler will appoint two associates each January to commence in January and July of the following year. Candidates with post graduate qualifications in law and prior experience as a judge's associate will generally be preferred. 

 

The next appointments will occur in January 2026 to commence in January and July 2027. Please note that the January 2027 appointment will be for an 18-month period; the July 2027 appointment will be for 12 months. Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae and academic transcript, as well as an indication of availability for either the January or July appointment. 

 

Applications will open from 1 to 31 October 2025 and should be sent to GagelerCJ.chambers@hcourt.gov.au. Applications received at other times will not be considered

Justice Gordon AC

The Honourable Justice Gordon has appointed associates up until January 2027. A notice will be posted on this webpage when applications open for future positions.

Justice Edelman AC

The next associate positions are available from January 2027 and July 2027. Expressions of interest should be forwarded to  edelmanj.chambers@hcourt.gov.au during December 2025 with applications to close on 31 December 2025 and interviews and appointments in January 2026.

Candidates should have or expect a first class degree.

At least one position will usually be for a candidate with any or all of the following experience or qualifications:

  • Experience as an Associate on a different Court;
  • Postgraduate studies/qualifications in law; and/or
  • Time in legal practice.

Justice Steward

The next associateships available with the Honourable Justice Simon Steward are those commencing from January 2027 and beyond for a 12-month period each, with appointments commencing in January and July of each year. Applications should consist of a cover letter, curriculum vitae and academic transcript and should be forwarded to stewardj.chambers@hcourt.gov.au not before 1 October 2025 with the closing date being 31 October 2025. Applications should specify the period/s they wish to be considered for the position of associate.

Justice Gleeson

Justice Gleeson has two associates, one commencing in January and one commencing in July each year. Associates are expected to live in Canberra for the first six months of their position. The next available positions commence in 2027. Applications for these positions should be forwarded to GleesonJ.chambers@hcourt.gov.au from 1 October to 31 October 2025.

Candidates should have a first class degree as well as any or all of the following:

  • Experience as an Associate at a different Court;
  • Postgraduate studies/qualifications in law; and/or
  • Time in legal practice.

An application should include a covering letter of no more than one page explaining why the candidate seeks the position, curriculum vitae, academic transcript and contact details for two referees. Early and late applications will not be accepted.

Justice Jagot

The next associate positions with the Honourable Justice Jagot are available from January and July 2028. A notice will be posted on this webpage when applications for these positions open.

Justice Beech-Jones

The Honourable Justice Beech-Jones has appointed Associates up until July 2027. A notice will be posted on this webpage when applications open for future positions.