Employment
The High Court of Australia is the highest court in the Australian judicial system. It was established in 1901 by section 71 of the Constitution. The functions of the High Court are to:
• interpret and apply the law of Australia
• to decide cases of special federal significance including challenges to the constitutional validity of laws
• to hear appeals, by special leave, from Federal, State and Territory courts.
Opened in 1980, the High Court building in Canberra was heritage listed in 2007. Structurally, the 40-metre-tall building is essentially one of concrete and glass comprising a number of major functional elements, namely a large public hall, three courtrooms, an administrative wing, and Justices’ chambers.
The High Court has approximately 75 full-time equivalent employees supporting the Chief Justice and Justices, most of whom are located in Canberra.
All employees are engaged under the High Court of Australia Act 1979, and the terms and conditions of employment for non-SES employees are outlined in the High Court of Australia Enterprise Agreement 2024 - 2027.
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
The Honourable Chief Justice Stephen Gageler will appoint two associates each January to commence in January and July of the following year. Applicants should forward expressions of interest to Chief Justice Gageler's Chambers in October of the preceding year and include a cover letter, curriculum vitae and academic transcript.
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.
Applications will open from 1 to 31 October 2025 and should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Applications received at other times will not be considered.
Justice Gordon
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
The next associate positions are available from January 2027 and July 2027. Expressions of interest should be forwarded to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 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.
The High Court maintains a register to assist in filling non-ongoing (temporary) employment opportunities that may arise nationally. The register is used to allow Managers to search for suitable candidates when a vacancy arises. The positions may be located in any of our offices which are located in all capital cities.
These vacancies are non-ongoing (temporary) employment opportunities and contracts may vary from a few days to 12 months depending on the business requirement. Often these positions are required to be filled at short notice. The positions may be full time, part time or casual. Casual positions can be of an intermittent nature with hours and working days varying as required.
Positions are mainly office based and may be filled at the HCE 1-6 level or Executive 1 and 2 levels – the structure is similar to the Australian Public Service. Positions may become available in a range of disciplines including; Cleaners, Court Guides, Court Reporters, Client Services, Human Resources, Communications, Media & Marketing, Project Management, Personal Assistant and IT disciplines.
The High Court’s Non-ongoing (Temporary) Employment register is re-advertised every 12 months. At the end of each 12 month period you will need to re-apply to the new register if you are still interested in non-ongoing employment with the High Court.
Candidates may be contacted to assess suitability and availability as employment opportunities arise.
Vacancies may be either specified term or intermittent non-ongoing (temporary) employment opportunities. Contracts may vary from a few days to 12 months depending on the business requirement of the High Court of Australia.
Please complete the employment form available below along with your resume and summary of experience in your relevant field and email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it please title your email Temporary Register.
Eligibility
Please note that you must be an Australian citizen to be eligible for employment with the High Court, you will also require a Police check and a medical, both must be satisfactory for employment.
Temporary employment register application form (PDF 56k) (RTF 252k)