A Lawyers Weekly survey of the Melbourne offices of eight law firms found that only a minority of the clerks are being retained. For instance, Herbert Smith Freehills took in 86 clerks into its Melbourne office in the 2012 and 2013 entry points. The firm offered 34 of them the chance to stay with the firm after the clerkship was over, and 30 accepted. A spokeswoman for the firm told Lawyers Weekly that the firm could reduce its clerk intake in the next few years in order to 'strike the balance between being commercial and running a profitable business ... and keeping a pipeline of the most talented graduates coming through'.

Other firms

King & Wood Mallesons offered 21 of its 78 clerks a position. At Allens, about 28 per cent of clerks - 18 out of 64 - will be developing their careers at the firm.