Law & Justice students from the University of NSW (UNSW) are set to undertake internships with the Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) NSW/ACT as part of a new partnership aimed at providing practical legal experience while supporting the organisation's work with First Nations communities.

Placing students alongside ALS practitioners, the internship will allow them to gain experience in legal practice and develop an understanding of issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

UNSW BA/LLB student Tayla Muller is among the first students to undertake the internship, having previously completed the Indigenous People and the Law elective.

"The subject broadened my understanding of the historic and systemic barriers to justice faced by Indigenous Australians and strengthened my desire to contribute practically to this area of law," she says.

"When I saw the opportunity to intern with the ALS, I thought this would be an ideal way to build on what I had learnt in that subject and to explore how these issues are experienced and addressed in practice.

"I have been so grateful for the genuine effort the ALS has made to get me involved in some of the most interesting and unique parts of their work, including in the Walama List, the Youth Koori Court, circling sentencing, and policy and advocacy."

Acting ALS CEO Sharif Deen said law students have been valuable to the organisation since it was founded.

"We are grateful for their time and skills, and in return, we offer unparalleled opportunities to gain hands-on legal experience," he said.

"As the peak legal services provider to Aboriginal people in NSW and the ACT, we are invested in strengthening pathways for students and graduates to contribute to our movement."

The partnership builds on a relationship between UNSW Law & Justice and the Aboriginal Legal Service which dates back more than five decades.

UNSW Law & Justice founding dean, Professor Hal Wootten AC QC, worked with young Aboriginal leaders in the 1970s to establish Australia's first Aboriginal legal service and first free community legal service.

Professor Andrew Lynch, Dean, UNSW Law & Justice, said Mr Wootten believed "legal education should be connected to the pursuit of justice and service to the community".

"Hal was involved in the founding of the Aboriginal Legal Service and ensured UNSW's very first law students were connected to the Redfern community, supporting access to justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," he said.

"We are proud to honour that history with this new partnership with the ALS enabling the next generation of lawyers to learn and contribute."

UNSW will provide students with an allowance to support their participation and will also provide financial support to the ALS for supervising and hosting the interns, with up to six students to be offered placements each year.

Applications for Term 1, 2027 close on Sunday, October 11.