Welcome to the Criminal Law
Internship Program (CLIP)

The Criminal Law Internship Program (CLIP) is your gateway to hands-on learning and professional growth. CLIP is an initiative of Emma Turnbull Lawyers and presents a previously unavailable opportunity for law students and curious professionals to immerse themselves in the dynamic world of private criminal law practice.

The CLIP program is constructed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and a career in criminal law, by allowing participants the opportunity to learn and engage with private criminal defence lawyers and their daily practice.

Through observation, the opportunity to speak to experts in the field, and the chance to work alongside defence advocates to develop and practice hands-on skills in criminal law, participants gain a breadth of experience and mentorship throughout CLIP.

The 2025 CLIP program has been designed as a three-day intensive learning opportunity, combining observations, workshops, panel sessions and Q&As to provide aspiring criminal lawyers with hands-on experience and mentorship in the field. Participants will have the opportunity to attend court, observe specialist criminal defence lawyers in action, speak to experienced barristers and solicitors, participate in hands-on skill workshops, and gain unparallelled insight into the criminal law sector.

Hear from past CLIP Interns:

“I feel extremely privileged completing the program. I’ve become more self-aware, determined, and less daunted about my future given the immense support from the ETL team. A massive well done to the organisers for organising and executing such an insightful, immersive, and unique experience!”

“I cannot speak highly enough of how fantastic the program was and the invaluable insight we gained into the world of criminal law!”

“The workshop partnered with seeing a plea in action was invaluable. It allowed me to build some knowledge and skills so that I could be more cognisant of what was happening in reality. These are now hands on skills that I can apply whenever I see or encounter a plea. Additionally, the Q+A time with Emma and Adrian was incredible.”.”

“The mixture of court observations, Q+As and workshops allowed for an incredibly well-rounded experience. As I look back on the week having the variety of interactions and activities really allowed me to gain a breadth of insight.”

“The raw, unfiltered advice from the ETL staff. I appreciate that the lawyers were frank and straightforward when answering questions from the interns. More significantly, I was impressed by the enthusiasm from the lawyers who ran the workshops/Q&As. The enthusiastic atmosphere and energy that the lawyers brought to each session made me feel that no question asked would be trivial.”