Bell Gully

Introduction

Being the best requires commitment, continuous improvement, and conviction. Our people are connected and committed to the communities in which we work and live. They enjoy their work, and also the wide range of social events we offer. We provide an office environment that challenges, supports, and encourages our people, and our client list is unmatched by any other New Zealand law firm.

We know that to achieve all this we need to continue to find the very best summer interns and graduates. Our summer intern programme is a key part of our drive to remain New Zealand's best.

To find out more visit our website or Facebook page.

We hire students studying

Law

Available Positions

Our Programme

The Bell Gully Summer Intern Programme is the best way to start your legal career.

The Bell Gully Summer Intern Programme is run from mid-November through to mid-February every year.

The programme provides summer interns with:

A full induction programme,
The opportunity to work in three of Bell Gully's legal departments, matched with one of our partners or senior associates in each, with real work for real clients,
Support from your teams, HR and a buddy throughout the programme, as well as regular formal feedback to help you get the most of your summer,
Work with our pro bono clients through the programme's Community Days,
Access to Bell Gully's learning resources and inclusion in the Bell Gully Leadership programme, and
The opportunity to work with amazing people and forge friendships that will last through your career.
Almost all of our partners and lawyers summer interned with the firm. When you choose Bell Gully, our part of the bargain is to support you all the way.

We give you an insight into the wide range of work the firm is involved in. That's why we give you the opportunity to work in different departments. In each department, we match you with one of our partners or senior associates. You'll work with them, their teams and their clients to get first-hand experience of what it takes to succeed in a legal career. Our summer interns research client cases, draft letters and analyse the impact of legislation on our clients' businesses. You may prepare for and attend court hearings, mediations and client meetings, seeing for yourself how issues are resolved. You could be part of a deal team, work with clients and external advisers and have genuine deadlines with pressure to match.

Our summer internship is also a great chance to meet and work with other law students who excel. You'll get the chance to participate in departmental and team events and be able to join in a wide range of sporting activities.

Support

We've all been there before – your responsible partner, your peers, and your buddy are here to help, support and guide you. When you start with Bell Gully you will be assigned a junior lawyer as a buddy, who will help you make the most of your time with us – from the moment you receive your offer, right through the summer, and beyond. A member of our HR team is dedicated to the summer intern programme, they'll help you settle in and answer any questions you may have over the summer.

At Bell Gully you are supported by the latest IT systems. Our document management system is integrated with our core software and we regularly upgrade our systems to capture the latest developments.

You will have a legal secretary assigned to you to assist with typing, filing and client communication. You will also be able to draw upon our extensive legal precedents, and our Information Services department will provide you with all the legal research tools you need, providing assistance to you throughout the summer.

Hear from previous Summer Interns

We strive to ensure our summer interns have a valuable, varied and rich experience in three different rotations, that they're supported to both learn and succeed over the summer, and that their successes are celebrated.

But don't just take our word for it, hear from some of our previous summer interns!

Sydney
SUMMER INTERN, UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY

Bell Gully offering three department rotations meant working in an area of law I would not have otherwise considered, which turned out to be my favourite rotation!

Wei Jie
SUMMER INTERN, UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND

At Bell Gully individualities are celebrated, we are all encouraged to be ourselves and to become the best at what we do.

Cam
SUMMER INTERN, THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND

Being able to hear the real-time back and forth between experienced lawyers and clients made everything at law school seem suddenly relevant.

Taylor
SUMMER INTERN, UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO

I appreciated the level of support given over the summer. Whenever I did not understand a task or concept I was able to turn to somebody for help.

FAQ

Q: Will I be involved in real legal work?

A: Absolutely. Our programme is based on involving you in the work we do. You will spend time in three of our legal departments from day one, working closely with our solicitors and partners. The experience you will gain from working in three legal practice areas will allow you to make the important choice about which department you would like to start your career in.

Q: Does any other firm do this?

A: Our leadership programme and the three department rotations are unique to Bell Gully.

Q: Who will be speaking in the leadership programme?

A: Bell Gully supports a range of organizations and we will be drawing speakers from these as well as from our contacts in the business and sporting communities. Over the years speakers have included:

Emma Twigg - Olympic gold medalist for rowing
Brooke Roberts - Co-founder of Sharesies
Stephen Fleming - former Captain of the Black Caps
Daniel Vettori - former Captain of the Black Caps
Conrad Smith - All Black
Craig Monk - Grinder, Oracle America's Cup racing team
Penny Hulse - Deputy Mayor of the Auckland Council
Jim McLay - Executive Chairman of Macquarie Kevin Biggar - Adventurer
Sir Bob Harvey - Chairman at Waterfront Auckland
Cecilia Robinson - Founder of My Food Bag
Hamish Pinkham - Founder of Rhythm and Vines
Lisa Tamati - Ultramarathon Runner
Rob Hamill - Marathon rowing champion and narrator-protagonist of the award-winning documentary Brother Number One.

Q: What will I learn from the leadership programme?

A: These days it's not enough just to know the law. Lawyers can only provide valuable legal advice if they have a full understanding of the environment in which their clients operate. They have to learn client skills and people skills and to be able to lead projects and teams. Our programme will help you to develop these skills.

Q: Why is leadership important?

A: We aspire to be leaders in every industry and practice area in which we operate. The development of leadership skills at Bell Gully is an important investment in our future. Understanding leadership also helps us learn and adapt to changing market conditions and opportunities. These skills will enable us to advance our vision of setting the standard as New Zealand's best law firm.

Q: How does the summer intern programme fit into the overall career progression of staff?

A: Being a summer intern at Bell Gully is the first step in your career with us. From day one we start to invest in you. You'll begin to learn the skills which you will continue to develop through your career. We will identify the knowledge and skills you will need to develop over time and our excellent training programme will help get you there. If later you want to travel and work overseas, we'll help you with introductions and keep in touch with you through our alumni programme.