Joining an international law firm has increased the quality and calibre of graduate candidates according to DLA Piper Australia. Managing partner Australia, Tony Holland, said there was a noticeable increase in applicants compared to previous years with regards to graduates and clerks. “There is certainly more interest in the firm,” said Holland. “We have been very impressed by the quality of the applicants.”

The firm has increased the number of graduates from 35 in 2011 to 41 this year, representing an increase of 17 percent. Being part of a global firm has allowed DLA Piper to send three of the graduates to offices in Asia (Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo) for six month secondments as part of their graduate rotation.

HR director at the firm Kate Weaver added that the number of clerkship applications had also increased this year. “That's clearly down to our strong global positioning in the market as DLA Piper,” said Weaver. “Global firms are increasingly top of mind among law students.”

In the 2010/2010 financial year the seasonal clerkship program included  65 clerks while this time the firm is taking on 86 clerks. It is also the first time the Brisbane office has run a seasonal clerk program, instead of a paralegal program.

DLA Piper isn’t the only firm to increase graduate numbers this year. Allens Arthur Robinson has hired 97 graduates compared to 90 in 2011 and 89 in 2010. Clayton Utz has also taken on its highest number of graduates since the financial crisis of 2009, at 46 graduates. Mallesons Stephen Jaques, soon to be King & Wood Mallesons has hired 101 graduates across its network of offices, this represents a 20 percent increase on last year’s intake. Freehills has kept its graduate intake numbers relatively stable in recent years at about 100 graduates.