LSS Clerkship Guide 2020

and the courage to ask questions are essential.

CLERKSHIP GUIDE 2020 ashurst.com/students

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CLERKSHIPS 101

6 ACING THE APPLICATION PROCESS 10

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time zones

HOW TO WRITE A STAND-OUT RESUME/CV WRITING A STELLAR COVER LETTER HOW TO ACE AN INTERVIEW SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WHAT DOES A CLERK DO? WHICH FIRM(S) SHOULD I APPLY FOR? ADDRESSING THE SELECTION CRITERIA CHOOSING WHICH FIRM TO ACCEPT THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF COCKTAIL EVENINGS WORKING IN COMMERCIAL LITIGATION AND EMPLOYMENT BECOMING COMMERCIALLY AWARE THE INS AND OUTS OF PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING

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EDITOR’S WELCOME

Dear Australian National University Law Students, On behalf of the Australian National University Law Students’ Society, we warmly welcome you to the 2020 edition of the Clerkship Guide, proudly sponsored by Ashurst.

Firstly, I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to the Law Students’ Society’s sponsors for making materials such as the clerkship guide possible. Your continued assistance and dedication in helping the LSS deliver career-related resources to law students is highly valued and appreciated. I would also like to thank the careers portfolio for your effort and dedication in helping this guide come together. Your hard work and long hours have truly manifested in this brilliant resource for the ANU Law student body. I would also like to thank Naushaan Ahmad for your extraordinary effort in designing and perfecting this guide.

Finally, I would like to thank the students and graduates for your testimonials, without which

JOHN GRECH

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

this guide would simply not be the same.

Continuing the rich LSS tradition of utilising student submissions in the clerkship guide, we have endeavoured to highlight the supportive and uplifting culture of ANU law.

To the student reader: I would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations and welcome you to this guide. Reaching this stage in your university career is an achievement in and of itself – regardless of whether you are interested in pursuing a clerkship or not.

It is our hope that this guide will provide the necessary tools and resources to understand, crystallise and ease any residual anxiety about the clerkship recruitment process. No matter what career pursuit you choose, ANU law school will set you in good stead – and the friends and networks you make at this institution will help along the way!

COVID-19 and the unprecedented ripples this has made in politics and society are felt by us all – and are particularly of concern for students about to graduate or indeed apply for clerkships.

Please remember that these are already some of the most stressful months in one’s university career – so make sure to stay healthy and happy, and to look out for each other during these difficult times.

Finally, attaining personal and professional fulfilment comes in a variety of weird, wonderful, and exciting ways – and getting (or not getting) a clerkship is not in and of itself an indication of this. Whilst clerkships are a great opportunity to learn about commercial law and experience life as a commercial lawyer, do not define your success or your happiness by this. It is the unfortunate reality that sometimes, not everyone gets a clerkship and is more than okay!

I wish you all the best in the coming years in whatever career pursuits you choose – whatever form they may take.

If you wish to further discuss anything in the clerkship guide or any of LSS Careers’ upcoming events, please do get in touch with us at lsscareers@anu.edu.au.

Welcome to the 2020 Clerkship Guide, proudly sponsored by Ashurst.

I would like to firstly thank the incredible efforts of the Careers portfolio for preparing this diverse and informative guide. Their work is particularly commendable in a period where we have all seen unprecedented disruption to student life. I would also like to extend my immense gratitude to all of our sponsors for their continued support of the ANU Law Students’ Society.

To the student reader, congratulations! This is an exciting moment in your legal journey and, for many, the first steps into an illustrious legal career.

The coveted clerkship often seems like an impossible prize at the end of a daunting application process. But do not fear! The Clerkship Guide is here to demystify the clerkship process and to help you navigate your entry into the world of commercial law.

difficult time together.

I would also like to sincerely thank those who have contributed to our Guide. We hope that the advice and experiences of those who were once in a similar situation to you will be inspiring, insightful and practical.

Finally, I wish you all the best of luck in what will undoubtedly be a journey of legal self-discovery and the first of many steps to a fulfilling career, whether that be in the law or beyond. Hopefully this Guide will empower and support you as you navigate the complexities of life beyond the ANU. I wish you all the best in your endeavours.

All the best, David Chieng

It is important to remember that Clerkships are not for everyone and that it is completely okay. Some of you may dabble in commercial law and others may not have the slightest desire to engage with it. The careers pathways in law are endless and your education at the ANU places you in strong stead to pursue whatever career ambitions you may have, corporate or otherwise.

Regardless of where your career starts and the direction it takes you in, we hope that the skills and insights gained through this guide are transferrable for you. I also acknowledge that COVID-19 has created an unprecedented educational and economic period that we are all experiencing and an equally unique time to enter the workforce.

Please take care of yourself during the clerkship process as we all navigate this

John Grech | Vice President (Careers) Shenpaha Ganesan | Careers Director Jye Beardow | Careers Director Ashiq Kazi | Careers Director Adelaide Hayes | First Year Officer

DAVID CHIENG | PRESIDENT

ANU Law Students Society lss@anu.edu.au 4

DAVID CHIENG

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CLERKSHIPS 101

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A MESSAGE FROM ASHLEE SMITH

IMPORTANT DATES

THE VICE-PRESIDENT (EQUITY) OF THE ANU LAW STUDENTS’ SOCIETY The clerkship application process can be incredibly disheartening and stressful for many.

Rounds of interviews, networking, character assessment tests, and the overall pressure of searching for employment can negatively impact your mental health. When this is combined with academic, social, and work commitments it becomes easy to get overwhelmed. Not to worry, there are a few things you can do to take care of yourself during this period.

TAKE BREAKS

Take breaks when you need to. If you spend hours on an application, your productivity and concentration are likely to decline. Take as much time as you need before revisiting your application- complete some other assessments, hang out with friends, or clean your room. This break might be for a few hours, a few days, or even a week! If you split up your application into sizeable and achievable portions it will lessen the likelihood of a last-minute dash to submit before the deadline and won’t negatively impact other areas of your life.

COMMIT TIME TO SELF CARE

When juggling a multitude of commitments, it is easy to forget about self-care.

Remember to take time out of your day (even if it is only an hour!) to indulge in your hobbies and interests - whether this be catching up with friends, reading a book, or meditating. Law school is stressful, and it is unnecessary to be thinking about your studies or your clerkship application all the time. Selfcare also involves maintaining a good sleep schedule, eating healthy, and exercise. Your body and mind will thank-you!

If you are feeling overwhelmed, there are a range of online and in-person resources available such as ANU Counselling, Lifeline, and Beyond Blue.

APPLICATIONS OPEN

APPLICATIONS CLOSE

OFFERS MADE

OFFERS ACCEPTED BY

ACT

9-JUN

12-JUL

16-SEP

18-SEP

NSW

9-JUN

12-JUL

16-SEP

18-SEP

Victoria

6-JUL

16-AUG

14-OCT

14-OCT

Queensland

2-MAR

27-MAR

9-JUL

10-JUL

WA

13-JUL

9-AUG

25-SEP

25-SEP

FIRMS OFFERING CLERKSHIPS 2020

LEARNING FROM THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Clerkship applications are a great way to learn about the practical aspect of the law and you may learn about certain practise areas that are of greater interest to you than others. Take the time to think about the different firms and how they align with your own interests. When writing your CV and cover letters, enjoy reflecting on the achievements you have had throughout law school, these are invaluable. Most importantly, don’t compare yourself to others because there are so many skills and experiences unique to only you!

DEALING WITH REJECTION

Clerkships are very competitive – every year there are far more applicants than clerkships available. Rejection can be an opportunity to learn and reflect – perhaps it’s time to work on cover letter writing or answering interview questions. Rejection is an opportunity, rather than a loss, as it will prepare you for the future. It is also important to remember that receiving a clerkship does not define your success as a law student, nor your future. Beyond the clerkship application process there is a number of other internships, volunteering and job opportunities. You may even come across a different area of law that you are especially passionate about! It is okay to take some time to accept your clerkship application outcome but do make sure to take up other opportunities that arise in the meantime.

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ACING THE APPLICATION PROCESS

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YOUR RESUME/CV IS ALMOST ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE FIRST THING THAT HR LOOKS AT WHEN THEY EVALUATE YOUR CLERKSHIP APPLICATION, SO IT IS CRUCIAL TO MAKE SURE YOUR RESUME IS AS POLISHED AND PROFESSIONAL AS POSSIBLE.

CONTACT DETAILS: Your resume needs to have your name prominently at the top, and should also have contact details (address, phone number, and email address).

EDUCATION: The second section you should include is education – your degree, university, and when are you expecting to graduate. Include your majors and minors, any exchanges or short courses overseas. You should also include your GPA and Law WAM – firms will ask for this anyway, but it never hurts to include it here as well.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Thirdly, detail your work experience. This doesn’t need to go back to the time you worked at Hoyts for a few months in high school, but should highlight roles that you’ve had during university.

Do not be put off if you haven’t worked in a law firm – I hadn’t before doing a clerkship – and also don’t feel like you need to hide ‘irrelevant’ experience. I can assure you that whatever experience you have working will be valuable, whether it’s hospitality or admin or research. You can include internships here as well. The key is to highlight your primary duties or key skills developed, but do not write too much. If you haven’t had much (or any) work experience – that is also fine, but be prepared to explain in an interview any reasons why you might not have had work experience (such as caring responsibilities).

THE EXTRAS

If you have received any awards or scholarships, or won any competitions, make sure to include them! This can include high school achievements if you like, but do not go overboard. This is your place to shine, and you do not want to take up valuable paragraph space in your cover letter or short answers talking about these achievements when you can list them in your resume.

Include your extra-curricular activities, listed in reverse chronological order (most recent first). Things that make you a bit different are great to include here – did you found a club at ANU? Did you go to nationals for your sport?

Did you volunteer for a youth organisation or charity? It is not just about law-related interests here – firms want to see that you are a well-rounded, normal person who enjoys things outside of studying. Again, you should not include everything you’ve ever done in your whole life because no one really cares that you got to state finals of spelling bee in year 5 (sadly), but use this as an opportunity to demonstrate your interests.

Finally, if you have any special skills you can include them here, such as languages or coding.

TOP TIPS

DO

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STRUCTURE

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INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH: Here is where you introduce yourself and provide your details: name, university, what degree(s) you are studying, year of study. You should include a sentence summarising why you want to work for that firm in particular and conclude with a sentence on why the firm should be interested in you. Ideally, these two sentences will summarise what you develop in the next paragraphs of your cover letter.

WHY THIS FIRM IN PARTICULAR? Here you need to convince who ever is reading your letter that you are serious about working for the firm you are applying to. What is it that attracted you to apply to them? This can be one of the firm’s practice areas, their pro bono program, their record of diversity and inclusion, or the firm’s culture may have made a strong impression on you. If you can demonstrate an interest in working for a firm, the firm is more likely to demonstrate an interest in you.

WHY SHOULD THE FIRM WANT YOU? It can be challenging, but you need to be able sell yourself as someone who is worth investing in. Here you outline your skills, your qualifications and your experience. Make sure you explain and elaborate on how these experiences or skills demonstrate why you are a good fit for the firm. You need to link your skills and experiences to the qualities the firm prides itself on and looks for in its graduates.

CONCLUSION: Include a short final paragraph to thank them for considering your application and say that you look forward to hearing from them.

You should be able to use this structure for most firms you apply for. However, make sure you pay attention to what firms are asking for in a cover letter. Different firms also have different word limits, so where you can expand on the specific aspects of both the firm and yourself which makes for a good fit, take the opportunity to do so.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Use a clean, simple format Read over your resume and application before you go into the interview – they might ask you about particular experiences or answers to questions Get a friend or family member to read over your resume (and cover letters) before you submit them – there’s nothing worse than submitting your application and then realising that you wrote the wrong firm name on your cover letter or made spelling mistakes in your resume Have fun and try not to stress about clerkships too much!

Use lots of colours but DO use bullet points, bold and italics for emphasis Go over 2 pages in length (no matter how many achievements or extracurriculars you have) Talk too much about high school experiences, emphasise university experiences instead

DON’T

STEPHANIE ROWELL

WRITING A STELLAR COVER LETTER

APPLYING FOR CLERKSHIPS CAN BE A DAUNTING AND TIME-CONSUMING EXPERIENCE. PREPARING YOUR COVER LETTER IS A GREAT WAY TO STAY ON TOP OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS. HAVING A COVER LETTER READY WILL ALLOW YOU TO FOCUS ON THE ASPECTS OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS WHICH ARE MORE PARTICULAR TO EACH FIRM AND WILL MEAN YOU HAVE ENGAGED WITH THE QUALITIES AND EXPERIENCES WHICH BEST DEMONSTRATE YOUR SUITABILITY.

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THE BASICS

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HOW TO WRITE A STAND-OUT RESUME/CV

STEPHANIE ROWELL IS A 6TH YEAR LAW/ARTS (HONS) STUDENT, CURRENTLY ATTEMPTING TO FINISH HER THESIS IN IR WHILE STUDYING PROPERTY AND LITIGATION. SHE CLERKED AT A TOP-TIER LAW FIRM IN SYDNEY IN SUMMER 2019/20 AND WILL BE STARTING THERE AS A GRAD IN 2021.

TRY TO BE SPECIFIC when talking about yourself and the firm. Anyone can put together general about why they like the firm, or why they think they are the best candidate. Try to stand out by being able to draw upon specific examples. When talking about the firm, if you talked to someone on clerkship night, name them. Think carefully about how you can best link your skillset and profile to the firm. Adopt the language the firm uses to describe their ideal candidates, and support how you reflect these using specific examples.

TRY TO STAND OUT! Firms receive hundreds of applications. Bring up your experiences or qualities that make you different to other applicants. If you have different experiences to most law students, be sure to talk about it. Just make sure you can link your experiences to the qualities firms are looking for. If there is something particular about the firm that you like, this can be a good way to sure you have spent time researching the firm rather than doing a once-over of their marketing material.

GET SOMEONE TO PROOFREAD Writing cover letters can be difficult, and it can be easy to want to get it over and done with. Make sure you get someone else to read through it to ensure it reads well and pick up on mistakes that are easy to miss when you are writing.

It can be dauting to put yourself out there during the clerkship process, but try to be yourself as much as possible. If you miss out on getting accepted this year, it might just mean the firm would not have been a good fit for you. Try to think of the process as an amazing opportunity, but keep in mind that this will be your first opportunity in starting your career, not your last.

A 5TH YEAR A LAW/PPE STUDENT WHO CLERKED AT A TOP TIER FIRM IN CANBERRA IN 2019-20

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ADAM BRETT 13

HOW TO ACE AN INTERVIEW Firstly, congratulations on getting to this stage of your law degree and receiving an interview for a clerkship. It is a tremendous achievement and a testament to your determination and abilities, so be proud of yourself for making it this far. Clerkship interviews can be an intimidating process – but it need not be. By this point you have already impressed the firm with a snapshot of your profile, so now it is time to demonstrate your capabilities and personal values and goals.

QUESTIONS

It is often very difficult to know or predict what an interviewer might ask you, but you must be prepared with some key situations or examples you can draw upon when answering a question. For example, there might be a particular project you worked on which you use to show your resilience during a challenging moment, or demonstrates your leadership skills and initiative. These are valuable skills and traits which you want to elaborate upon during an interview. The experience does not necessarily have to be legal either. It can be a volunteering role or non-legal job for example. In fact, during one of my interviews, I was asked more questions on my non-legal experiences as opposed to my law-related ones. The key is to demonstrate what you learnt during that situation and how you can use it to contribute to the firm’s work.

PRACTICE AREAS

During an interview, it is useful to know what practice areas the firm specialises in or is particularly strong in, and how this may align with your own career goals. A question you might be asked is “are there any particular practice groups that interest you”? If you are clear on what practice group you wish to work in and, even better, the sort of work that firm offers within that particular group, you will be well placed in the interview to demonstrate your interest in that firm. Be sure to research the practice areas of the firm before your interview. For example, it would not be a good look to express interest in Intellectual Property if that firm does not have an IP practice.It is also useful to know the distinction between transactional/“front-end” and litigious/“back-end” work – lawyers often choose to specialise in one of those areas and some practice groups such as Infrastructure and Projects, Insolvency and Restructuring or Tax, will have elements of both. It can be hard to know what sort of work interests you at such an early stage in your career, but if you can talk about why you are interested in a firm’s particular practice group, or a firm’s transactional/litigious capabilities, this will help demonstrate a genuine interest in the firm and show you have seriously thought about a potential career in law. Being able to confidently talk about what interests you in law and why that firm is suited to your career goals will set you up for a strong interview.

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

PERSONALITY

GE N E R A L Q U E ST I O N S

When being interviewed by incredibly talented and bright people, such as Senior Associates or Partners, it can be very easy to forget that they too are humans who have personal interests and hobbies. Do not be a robot, if the interview presents an opportunity to talk about something that you are really passionate about outside of the law, do not be afraid to expand upon it. It helps demonstrate your personality as well as show you are a genuine person with diverse experiences and values. These are traits which are highly valued in a professional services environment.

How do you deal with challenges?

What are your best and worst three qualities?

What is a current news story that you find interesting?

What do you like to do in your free time?

Do you want to undertake further education?

What are you hoping to gain from this role?

Why corporate law?

Tell me something that is not on your resume/application What are you hoping to learn/achieve from this clerkship program?

Who is a role model in your life and why?

Why do you want to work in this firm over other firms?

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US?

What questions should you ask your interviewers? An interview is a two-way street and you will be given an opportunity to ask your interviewers any questions that you may have. Do not waste this opportunity, because it is important for you to demonstrate your interest in the firm and to treat the interview like a conversation. If you ask thoughtful questions, you will be distinguishing yourself from other candidates. It is critical to do research so that your questions do not seem like they are being asked for the sake of being asked, but rather reflect your genuine interest in the firm or a legal career as a whole.

If you do not prepare some good questions, there is a risk that your interviewers will assume that you are not interested in the role or have not prepared. This is often your last chance to make a great impression on your interviewers, so make it count.

JEREMY (WEI PENG) SOH IS A FIFTH YEAR ARTS/LAWS (HONS) WHO WILL COMMENCE A CLERKSHIP AT A TOP-TIER FIRM IN MELBOURNE IN 2020. JEREMY HAS PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE BIG 4 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRMS IN CORPORATE TAX AND M&A TAX.

What is one quality that makes you unique?

What qualities do you think makes a good clerk?

Why law?

SI TU AT I O N A L Q U E STI ON S Describe a time you came up with an innovative solution to a problem?

Describe a time in which you showcased our firm’s value of (FIRM)?

Describe a time in which you dealt with a challenging team?

Describe a time you dealt with negative feedback How do you deal with stress?

Is your GPA a good reflection of your abilities?

Tell me about a major accomplishment What do you think is a major challenge facing a firm like this?

Q U E ST I O N S FO R TH E I N T ERV IEW ER How do you nurture clerks?

How does your firm define success?

How is a work/life balance achieved by the firm?

How often is feedback provided?

Who provides clerks feedback?

What are the long term career opportunities available at the firm?

What is the strongest quality of the firm?

What are your expectations of a clerk?

What are your expectations of a graduate solicitor?

JEREMY

SOH

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DO?

WHAT DOES A

CLERK

During the application process, I had no idea exactly what it was I was so busy convincing everyone I was so eager to do for the Summer. I had an idea of my professional interests and the work broadly undertaken by the firms, but I wasn’t familiar with the role of a clerk or the breakdown of work within firm practice groups. I felt like I was already supposed to know and couldn’t ask about without making an interview faux pas.

The truth is, your role as a summer clerk will be shaped by a number of things, and you're not expected to know exactly what you will be doing. A clerkship will be shaped by the kind of work your firm does, the work the practice group you are assigned to does, and the volume of legal work that can be given to you as a non-practitioner. No two firms are the same and there is no standard answer to the question around what a clerk does.

I undertook two Summer clerk rotations. The first was in Major Projects and Construction, a relatively new practice group in the Canberra office with a high volume and variety of work. As part of my role, I undertook research tasks, proofed contracts for major infrastructure projects and drafted contractual provisions and compliance tables for ongoing matters. Beforehand I had envisioned a Summer of drowning in photocopied paperwork, but instead I found myself reaching for my trusty pocket Constitution one minute and wading through fifty-year-old ACT city ordinances the next.

My second rotation was in the firm’s litigation practice group. Throughout this time I assisted with collating and submitting documents for court, drafting prospects advices for clients and helping with printing, binding and couriering documents for the litigation lawyers. I sat in on a hearing in the Federal Court, ran documents to the AAT and saw matters in all stages, from initial document reviews to outgoing decision reports.

Throughout both rotations I attended intra and inter-firm events, built friendships with my fellow clerks and learnt about the culture of the firm.

The best advice I can give about the role of a clerk is that you are there to learn as much as you can and get a feel for whether commercial practice is the right profession for you.

I found that managing my deadlines, asking for feedback on work I had completed and asking questions about the context of the work I was undertaking all encouraged my learning and helped me get the most out of day to day tasks. Most of all I found everyone around me was more than happy to share their knowledge to help me do a better job and make me feel welcome.

As someone who entered the clerkship program with little idea about what it entailed, the best advice I can offer is to keep an open mind, challenge yourself, ask lots of questions and have fun with it!

IMOGEN HANRAHAN

SHOULD I FIRM(S) APPLY FOR? WHICH

A 5TH YEAR LAW/ARTS STUDENT WHO CLERKED AT A TOP TIER FIRM IN CANBERRA IN 2019-20

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Every June, the chatter about clerkships starts to amp up amongst penultimate year law students, and frankly it can all be a bit overwhelming. Prior to my own penultimate year I had never given much thought to working as a lawyer outside of potentially working in the community legal space.

However, when I stumbled into 4th year, the endless questions about what my plan was after my degree came at me from all sides. I realised that while there is a lot of useful chatter about the application process and how to write a stand-out resume, people often don’t discuss why they decided to undertake a clerkship in the first place.

By the time you’re reading this you likely already know that clerkships are offered predominantly in the commercial and government sectors.

Here’s my advice: gain a broad understanding of the work they do in each sector, the industries they predominantly impact, the type of skills you can gain and the possible career progression.

Once you’ve picked a sector, it comes down to deciding which firms to apply to. This can be a very difficult decision. I found that based on face-value alone, every firm looks and sounds the same, and they use almost identical buzzwords. Don’t let that freak you out. There are ways to distinguish them.

interested in the science, healthcare and technology space so looked for firms who had done interesting work in those industries.

Take into account the location of the firm you are applying for and how that may influence the type of work they do. Also, if you do end up receiving an offer from the firm, it will likely be to work in that location. Think about what city you would like to start your career in.

Apply to a small handful of firms who specialise in areas you are interested in, have a culture you would like to be a part of, and are in a location you could see yourself living in. Put in the time and effort to tailor and perfect your applications for each firm so when they ask you (and they definitely will), “WHY do you want to work for our firm?”, you know exactly why that is and you can give a genuine response.

During this whole process, whether you decide to do one or not, it is important to remember that a clerkship is an opportunity not only to test out certain practice groups at a specific firm but also to trial the idea of being a solicitor in the commercial or government sector. That chance in itself, while very basic, is pivotal to helping you decide what you’d like to do after graduating.

The biggest difference between full-service firms that can’t be seen on the homepage of their respective websites is their culture and values (think: vibes). I found the best way to gain an understanding of this was to talk to previous clerks and people currently working at the firm. They give you an honest perspective of what the firm regards as important and the likely future direction of the firm.

Think about whether you can see yourself thriving in that cultural environment and whether the values and direction of the firm align with your own.

If you’ve already got an idea of what practice groups you are interested in, look into which firms specialise in those groups.

The same goes for industries. I knew I was

A 5TH YEAR LLB/MEDICAL SCIENCE STUDENT WHO CLERKED AT AN INTERNATIONAL FIRM IN SYDNEY AND HONG KONG IN 2019-20.

NILA NORBU 17

ADDRESSING THE SELECTION CRITERIA The clerkship process can be a daunting and challenging time. However, it can also be incredibly exciting! If you are like me, this may be the first time you have ever really considered what life outside university might look like. Throughout the process, not only will you learn a lot about commercial law, but equally as much about what you want out of your legal career. Although there is no ‘right way’ to approach the application process, putting time and effort into addressing a firm’s specific selection criteria will set you apart and give you confidence as you progress through the different stages.

WHAT ARE SELECTION CRITERIA?

A firm’s selection criteria are any factors it has identified as skills, experiences, values or qualities that are desirable in prospective clerks. Each will have their own criteria and, depending on the firm, you may be required to address them in either your cover letter or in response to short answer questions.

The easiest way to identify selection criteria is to look out for key terms on a firm’s website or marketing material. For example, it is not uncommon for a firm to advertise that it is looking for ‘enthusiastic’ and ‘driven’ students with ‘good communication skills’, ‘business acumen’ and ‘attention to detail’.

At first, it can seem a little overwhelming. Inevitably you start to ask yourself questions like: ‘am I good at communicating?’ or ‘do I have business acumen?’ or, more likely, ‘what is business acumen?’ Believe me, we have all been there! However, chances are you have already demonstrated excellent communication skills and business acumen hundreds of times without even knowing it. The selection criteria will give you a great idea of the qualities most valued by the firm and are a great way to reflect on your own experiences to see where you have demonstrated them in the past.

HOW TO ADDRESS SELECTION CRITERIA

RESEARCH THE FIRM: In part, your application is about demonstrating your knowledge of the firm. Before you can adequately address the selection criteria, you need to first get an idea of what it is the firm is looking for. A firm’s website is not only a great place to find information about the application process itself, but importantly, it will highlight the values and attributes that will make you stand out. Meeting recruiters and lawyers at clerkship events is also a great way to gain insight into the attributes most valued by the firm.

DRAW ON PAST EXPERIENCES: The best way to address the selection criteria is by drawing on your own experiences. Providing examples of situations where you have demonstrated the qualities or attributes identified by the firm is a great way of tying your preliminary research into your application.

Remember, firms are not only looking for legal experience, but any relevant experience in which you have demonstrated such qualities. Too often students discount casual retail or hospitality experience on the basis that they have no relevance to the law. However, a lot of the skills learnt through part-time work are often directly applicable to a legal career. A sales assistant communicating with a customer exhibits many of the same skills as a lawyer communicating with their client. Do not be afraid to explain how your previous experience has contributed to your development of the qualities and attributes desired by the firm. That being said, it is important to be selective in the qualities you choose to emphasise. Particularly in your cover letter, it would be impossible to address every criterion. Instead, pick two or three that you can directly link to an example drawn from past experience. This will give you adequate time to explain why you think you are a good fit for the firm.

REMEMBERING THE CRITERIA AT EVERY STAGE OF THE PROCESS : Remember, the application process spans several weeks and often involves a number of stages.

Although it is important to address the selection criteria in your initial written application, being able to exhibit the desired qualities at cocktail evenings and interviews will assist in making you stand out from other candidates.

LACHLAN MACDONALD

A 5TH YEAR LLB/COMMERCE STUDENT WHO CLERKED AT A TOP TIER FIRM IN 2019-20. LACHLAN HAS WORKED AS A PARALEGAL AT A NATIONAL LAW FIRM AND HAS COMPLETED INTERNSHIPS WITH A START-UP COMPANY AND THE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENT.

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CHOOSING WHICH FIRM TO ACCEPT

If you’ve made to this point, congratulations! The clerkship process is by no means easy and you have just crushed it! It is important to keep a tab of what you are thinking throughout the application process (i.e. who you liked and who you didn’t, and why). When submitting my initial applications and following each interview and cocktail evening, I reviewed and updated my list of preferences, regardless of the potential outcome. For me, choosing which firm always came back to pre-determined ‘criteria’, with plenty of toing and fro-ing. During the clerkship process, it’s important that you spend some time figuring out what you want out of a clerkship, how you want to begin your legal career and how your goals fit in with those of each firm – writing out criteria for your ideal workplace gives you a chance to actually reflect on these things. Not only will it help you decide where you want to work, but you’ll have a better idea of what you want in the early stages of your career. To help guide your own criteria checklists, and to give some insight into my mindset throughout the process, my criteria for choosing the right firm was: PRETIGE IN DESIRED PRACTICE AREA: The reality is you want to work at the top-ranked firms because they’ll have the most exciting work and biggest clients. My interests were firmly in Corporate Advisory, M&A and Equity Capital Markets, and so this was my first consideration. Chambers Asia-Pacific would be the best source for law firm reputation and rankings, and I would highly recommend using it to get an idea of how each firm ranks in different practice areas.

STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO DEVELOP JUNIOR LAWYERS: Think about things such as firm hierarchy (i.e. tiers between Grads and Partners) and siloes (i.e. whether you’ll work under one partner or across multiple partners). All of these will impact your involvement as a junior and therefore your development.

Personally, I favoured a flat hierarchy, which generally leads to more involvement earlier on. But, that being said, if you like the idea of a clear hierarchy and the opportunity to build your legal skills more intricately over time, then you do you! Remember, it’s about deciding how you will best develop.

CULTURE – PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENT: This was always at the forefront of my mind. Whilst they all seem the same, you will quickly realise that each firm has their unique differences. I saw this best through interacting with firm representatives and fellow applicants. We are all different and you need to choose a workplace where you think you’ll get the most enjoyment and be encouraged to thrive to the best of your ability. Try not to pre-judge firms if you can, because your impression could definitely change after networking events and interviews.

WHERE DO I SEE MYSELF/WHERE DO I SEE MY PERSONALITY BEST REFLECTED? Admittedly overlapping with Culture, this was undoubtedly my catch-all and decisive question.

Whilst the other factors are important, you’re going to spend a lot of time at work and you want to be a part of an environment that you can easily and comfortably slot into. Answering this was based largely on my interactions with firm representatives and good old gut instinct.

YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION! No matter who you choose, they’re going to be a fantastic firm – you really can’t go wrong. At the end of the day, you just want to make the most informed decision you can.

Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions, especially after offers come out – this will be your final chance to alleviate any lingering concerns. And no consideration is too big or small – if it matters to you, then it’s important enough to take into account. This year is certainly going to be unique and I expect there will be plenty of online interactive events. Try and participate if you can, as each event is another opportunity for insight into the people and culture. Whatever happens, don’t be too hard on yourself and remember to take care. Good luck!

ROCKY IS A 5TH YEAR LLB / COMMERCE STUDENT WHO CLERKED AT A TOP-TIER FIRM IN SYDNEY IN 2019/2020 AND IS THE LSS IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT.

ROCKY LAGUDI

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THE DO’S AND DONT’S OF COCKTAIL EVENINGS

WORKING IN COMMERCIAL LITIGATION & EMPLOYMENT

Congratulations on making it through the written stage of the clerkship process! Making it this far means the firm you have applied for is impressed with your achievements on paper.

From here, the firms will be looking at your personality to see if you fit their culture. My biggest advice for the cocktail night is to keep calm and let your story shine through. Meeting partners, senior associates and other employees is just like meeting anyone. You should aim to impress without imposing and strive to have natural and organic conversations.

Over the coming months, as firms respond to COVID-19 and look to engage with students remotely, you may find yourself well acquainted with Zoom. Zoom information events, Zoom cocktail parties, Zoom group activities and Zoom partner interviews. You will meet people from transactional and litigious teams. Use this opportunity to ask questions. Should you be confident that one particular practice area is for you, take advantage of the chance to learn about others. A clerkship is your chance to explore. Approach it with an open mind.

PRE-CLERKSHIP ROTATION TIPS

WHAT IS THE COCKTAIL EVENING?

CHECK OUT InsideSherpa and have a crack at the virtual internships run by a number of firms. Here you can undertake tasks that may be asked of you in various teams. This will provide insight into whether a particular field is of interest.

TALK TO PEOPLE! As a university student, you may not have experience with the corporate law sector. Talk to older students who have clerked, friends and family about their experiences, or your law tutors and professors.

This can be invaluable. Ask them what teams they have been in; how they found it; what the work looked like.

TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK FIRM REPRESENTATIVE QUESTIONS! The pre-clerkship period is an excellent chance to speak with experts from various practice groups. They are the best of the best and have a wealth of experience behind them. Besides them, you will find HR representatives and past clerks. Firm representatives attend university information events, cocktail parties and group information sessions purely to showcase their firm. Take advantage of it. They are there for you!

The cocktail evening is all about the firm selling itself to you. Firms will go to great lengths to distinguish themselves from their competitors and ultimately make a case for why you should choose them.

Cocktail evenings usually consist of an information session, Q&A, and a talk from each of the practice groups detailing the type of work they do. All the events will conclude with a networking session where you will have the opportunity to speak with the firm’s lawyers and HR staff.

THE DO’S AND DONT’S

Dress formally. First impressions count so make sure you are attending the evening in an outfit you would wear to an interview.

DO

MY ROTATIONS

Ask open-ended questions. This will allow the person you’re talking with to direct the flow of conversation and reduce any awkward silences that may follow a yes or no response. Phrase your questions so that they invite a longer reply. For example, ask ‘what work does your practice area do?’ rather than ‘does your practice area do [x]?’

Speak with partners, senior associates, and graduates in your practice area of interest. Your first interviewing partner will likely be from one of the practice groups you mentioned in your cover letter. Take this opportunity to ask about any interesting matters the team may be handling and any interesting matters the team may have just closed – this will be really useful when preparing for your first interview.

DON’T

Be too nervous. Remember, the evening is all about the firm selling itself to you. Even if you are a nervous person, try not to be for the next 2-3 hours.

Be afraid to speak on topics outside of the law. Talking about your travel plans, time on exchange, or a weird previous job you may have had, are all good ways of making yourself more memorable to the firm.

Cut anyone off. This is the golden rule. Cutting someone off in order to hijack the trajectory of the conversation demonstrates extremely low emotional intelligence. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t join or participate in a conversation, but a reminder to be considerate to others when doing so.

FINAL TIPS

DAMIEN CHEN

A RECENT LLB/ ARTS GRADUATE. DAMIAN COMPLETED A CLERKSHIP AT A TOP TIER FIRM IN 2018-19 AND AN OVERSEAS INTERNSHIP AT AN INTERNATIONAL FIRM. HE HAS WORKED IN CROSS-BORDER M&A, LEVERAGED FINANCE, AND ON REGULATORY ISSUES ARISING FROM INBOUND AND OUTBOUND INVESTMENT. DAMIAN WAS PART OF THE 2016 ANU ALSA DELEGATION AND THE 2019-20 ANU JESSUP TEAM.

1. If you’re feeling nervous, start by speaking with another candidate or graduate and go from there. Taking this small step will help build your confidence and you can always thank them and leave the conversation when you’re ready. If you’re speaking with a graduate, ask if they can introduce you to someone from a different practice group.

2. Use Canberra to your advantage. Talk about the long and arduous bus trip up from Canberra, how small Canberra is, and what life away from home is like. Being from Canberra is a great talking point at the start of any conversation and it distinguishes you from the majority of other candidates.

3. Finally, just be yourself. Don’t fall into the trap of feeling the need to upsell yourself or ostentatiously boast about your achievements. Remember, the firm is already impressed with you on paper. A better use of your time would be to develop personal relationships and collect information that would be useful for your first interview. Good luck!

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I completed two five-week disputes rotations in my firm’s Sydney office. As I did not have any academic or practical experience in disputes, I did not know what to expect. At the beginning of my clerkship, I was assigned a supervising partner and senior associate for each rotation. I was also assigned a buddy. A buddy is usually a graduate or associate in the team. They will greet you on your first day and will take you around to meet the rest of the team. They are there to help you. They can answer any team or work related questions you might have, and point you in the right direction should you get stuck.

My first rotation was in the litigation team. Commercial litigation can be fast paced and exciting. This team works closely with the government sector, both state and federal, and the wealth and banking sector. I also had the opportunity to work on maritime and trade disputes. I love the investigative nature of litigation, and the mental dexterity it fosters. During my rotation I was tasked with legal research, evidence collation, and drafting letters.

I learnt to adopt different lenses when viewing tasks before me. In this team, I mostly received work from associates. However, this may not always be the case. My second rotation was in the employment team. If you enjoy working on something different every day then employment is a great place for you. As with litigation, I love the diversity of employment law. My team dealt with workplace investigations, performance / conduct management, separations, restructuring, strategic industrial relations, OH&S, human rights and anti-discrimination matters. During my rotation, amongst various legal research tasks, I helped draft a policy, assisted with creating a hybrid contract by way of infographics, and sat in on a mediation. In this team I received most of my work from senior associates and above. A clerkship will give you a taste of the work you will do as a graduate. You will learn just as much from observing and proactively asking questions. As a young lawyer, you are a sponge. Absorb as much as you can.

Whether it be from sitting in on meetings and teleconferences, or learning more about your team’s work through a legal research task, absorb it all.

Even if you find a particular rotation is not for you, you will still acquire useful skills that will help you in the future.

INGRID |S A RECENT GRADUATE WHO CLERKED AT A TOP TIER INTERNATIONAL FIRM.

INGRID

OLBREI

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BECOMING COMMERCIALLY AWARE

I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE CLERKSHIP PROCESS. LITERALLY, NOTHING. Before applying, I could not name a single ‘big six’ firm. I had never read a story from the Australian Financial Review (AFR). My academic transcript and work history scream ‘destined to be an APS lawyer’. I have never even seen Suits. My two pieces of advice are:

DURING THE APPLICATION PROCESS

1. DO YOUR RESEARCH, AND; 2. DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT THAT MUCH BECAUSE IT’S NOT THAT IMPORTANT ANYWAY.

Yes, I did my research. I could sketch the rough facts of every major case my interviewing partner had taken on, knew the corporate structure and history of every firm and finally figured out that ANU has an online subscription to the AFR (it’s clunky but it works).

Honestly, I didn’t need it, in either my written or interview answers.

INTERVIEWING PARTNER 1:‘WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK IN CORPORATE LAW?’ INTERVIEWING PARTNER 2: ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU DON’T SEEM TO HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN INTEREST IN IT UNTIL NOW?

My answer to that question was brutally honest. I explained that I hadn’t been interested in a career in corporate law. I had always believed I would be one of the many young hopefuls with sweat on their hands before a DFAT assessment day (bold of me to assume I would get that far). But, in the intervening period, I had done my research, thorough research, and realised that the career opportunities in corporate were great and the people were better even – not the A-type personalities I was expecting (I actually said that in an interview and my interviewer snorted into their coffee laughing). And when asked what areas of corporate law I wanted to work in I said, “I have a vague idea that I like x because of y but truthfully I don’t know what I don’t know”. I indicated an interest in financial services and disputes because they were areas where I could gain broad exposure (as opposed to a specialty team) and specified that I wanted experience in both a “front-end” and “back-end” rotation because I wanted exposure to areas of the firm that interact directly with clients and with areas that didn’t. And then, I spent the rest of the process discussing the weird and wonderful, like black and white Polish war films (none of which I had seen, I might add), angsty poetry slam and the failed Mongolian invasion of Japan. The truth is, partners are not expecting reams of corporate experience or commercial awareness – particularly as a Canberra applicant where the capacity for paralegal places in one of the ‘big six’ (if that’s what you’re gunning for) is more limited.

THE INS AND OUTS OF PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING

You have updated your CV and LinkedIn, answered the wide variety of firm questions, worked out why you want to work in commercial law and submitted the recommended 10-20 applications, what’s your prize? A range of slightly different psychometric tests from each of the firms landing in your inbox and further stress. Fundamentally, psychometric tests are designed to measure candidate aptitude, and for people who haven’t touched a maths-based subject since year 12 (which let’s be honest is most law students) they can be quite daunting. As it turns out this is for good reason, as logic, numerical reasoning and pattern recognition tests assess – by proxy – mathematical ability. That said here are my five tips to help you do the best you can.

RELAX AND DON’T LOOK BACK: The first and most important tip I can give is to relax, fundamentally how well you do in a math-based psychometric test says nothing about your ability. You will likely be good at certain types of test, or better at some of the components. Firms place different weights on the tests, and they likely will not make or break your application. Leave time to do them, have a tidy set-up free from distraction and then power through as best you can. Finally, never check your results against your friends (trust me you do not want to know).

TAKE AS MANY PRACTICE TESTS AS YOU CAN: This one is a no-brainer. Some firms use more ‘gamelike’ tests, others use the more traditional personality, mathematical reasoning and verbal reasoning tests, and others use image recognition as a proxy for emotional aptitude. As each test platform is different and they are taken under time pressure, you do not want to be working out how to answer the questions during the actual test. Some of the common test providers are Revelian, Pymetrics and SHL Direct all of whom have practice tests (or informative videos explaining how they work) available.

IF IT SAYS YOU NEED A CALCULATOR, YOU REALLY DO NEED A CALCULATOR: Trust me, 4+ years since you have done addition means you will need a calculator. While you are at it, start practicing calculating percentages now (including being able to work backwards i.e. the portfolio grew 5% each year, at the end of five years it was valued at $45,000 how much was the initial investment).

DO NOT LIE ON THE PERSONALITY-BASED TESTS: Perversely, a lot of people think they need to present the perfect candidate in terms of personality. Answering strongly agree for teamwork, strongly agree for leadership and strongly agree for ability to follow instructions, and ability to innovate. What you end up with is a ridiculous caricature of a human who is both blindly obedient, and prone to taking a new direction, works best in a team and on their own. Your best play on these tests is to answer quickly and true to yourself. Firms are looking for a range of candidates, and the tests are designed to check candidates answers for inconsistencies (which is more frowned upon than not meeting an ideal stereotype).

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU GOT THE JOB! NOW WHAT? Use ‘professional reading time’ to skim the AFR, so you seem intelligent when you’re stealing Jatz from the staff kitchen and stumble across break-room chats.

Schedule at least one ‘career development’ coffee with a graduate every week you are there. Sounds scary but it is hands down one of the best things I did during my clerkship. Graduates love you because it gives them an opportunity to break up their day and to whip out the company card to pay for a cheeky mocha or two, and you get the chance to ask all the dumb questions you can’t ask anyone else.

GEORGIE JUSZCYZK

Remember, the clerkship is not about proving your legal genius. Instead, it is a three month-long date with your firm to ask yourself, “could you see this relationship going somewhere?” A lack of commercial awareness is not a deal breaker. So have fun, make genuine connections, and bring your best competitive self to clerkship sport.

GEORGIE IS A FIFTH AND FINAL YEAR LLB / INTERNATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES STUDENT. SHE CLERKED AT A TOP-TIER FIRM IN SYDNEY OVER THE 2019-20 SUMMER.

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STRICTLY MANAGE YOUR TIME AND MOVE ON IF YOU’RE STUCK: The same rule that applies in sit-down law exams applies here, that is no matter how well you answer the questions, if you only finish half the test in the time allowed you will be beaten by people who have 60% of your ability but who finish the test. Some tests give you a timer for each question, others are a set time for a set of questions. Work out how long you should spend on each and when you hit your time keep calm and carry on. If you don’t know an answer and are out of time, guess! You may well be correct, especially for pattern recognition tests where you may feel an answer is correct but be unable to express why.

ANDREW

RAY

A SIXTH YEAR LLB/BSC STUDENT WHO CLERKED AT A TOP-TIER FIRM IN SYDNEY IN 2019-2020. ANDREW WORKS AS A RESEARCHER AT THE NATIONAL JUDICIAL COLLEGE OF AUSTRALIA AND HAS EXTENSIVE MOOTING AND EDITING EXPERIENCE. ANDREW SERVES AS THE PRESIDENT OF LEGAL ORATORY ACT.

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FIRM MATERIAL

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My Clerkship Experience

Tips for clerkship success

Sam, Seasonal Clerk

Studied: Bachelor of Laws (Hons.) / Bachelor of Commerce at the Australian National University

Be self-aware and remember that first impressions count

Remember to request feedback after completing tasks

• In locations with multi-clerkship opportunities, a 3.5 to 4 week clerkship is essentially a long interview for a graduate position

• A clerkship is a great opportunity for you to learn and develop your legal knowledge and skills

• Consider your personal brand and how you want to be perceived and remembered in terms of your strengths and fit with firm

• Take the time to follow up your work providers and get their thoughts on the work you have completed - however be aware of their workload and the timing of asking for feedback

• A great attitude, enthusiasm for any sort of task and the ability to quickly build rapport with others goes a long way

• Acting on this feedback is a great way to demonstrate your ability to learn quickly – a key skill for junior lawyers

Show initiative and seek opportunities

Develop your networks – speak to as many people as possible

• What do you want to get out of your clerkship? What do you want to learn about the firm and what work do you want to get involved in?

• As well firms looking at your abilities and fit to the firm, it’s also your opportunity to find out if this is the place you want to start and establish your career

• Take the initiative to get to know your team as well as other practices across the firm, meet as many people as possible and try to get involved in different types of work, projects and activities

• Take every opportunity to meet people from across the firm to learn about the practice groups and if they are people you would like to work with in the future

Keep your supervisor updated on workload and schedule

Rotations: Digital Economy Transactions and Employment 1. WHY ASHURST

4. CAREER DEVELOPMENT AT ASHURST

Ashurst is renowned for the high calibre of its lawyers and the quality work they produce, as well as its vast international reach. This attracts a wide variety of work from exciting and diverse clientele – meaning there is never a boring day! The Canberra office in particular provides a unique opportunity to combine the best of both worlds – allowing you to embark on a thrilling career in commercial law, interacting with clients and colleagues from all over Australia and the world, without having to move away and sacrifice the wonderful Canberra lifestyle.

There were countless opportunities for constructive feedback during my clerkship. My supervising lawyers acted as mentors, and always found the time to sit down and talk about what they liked about my work, and what areas needed improvement. We also had the opportunity to attend many professional development seminars, which are an integral part of Ashurst’s continuous learning programme.

2. YOUR WORK AS A CLERK My clerkship experience at Ashurst was much more hands-on and engaging than I had ever imagined it would be. Don’t worry – you won’t be stuck fetching coffees or making photocopies – the team will get you involved in fascinating legal work from day one. During my clerkship, I attended client meetings, took notes during court hearings and conciliations, reviewed contracts, undertook legal research, and much more!

3. SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE CLERKSHIP

• Lastly, take the time to get to know your fellow clerks – you may be colleagues one day

Throughout my clerkship, everyone at Ashurst’s Canberra office made us clerks feel like part of the team. The weekly Friday night drinks are something that everyone looks forward to, not just because of the impressive cheese platters, but also due to the opportunity to get to know your colleagues in a social setting. Other highlights of the social calendar during the clerkship included seeing everyone dressed up in hilarious 80s outfits at the Christmas party and meeting the clerks from the other local top-tier firms at the inter-firm lawn bowls afternoon.

• Communication is key in a law firm. Take on a variety of work for different people across the team, but don’t forget the importance of managing your priorities and keeping your work providers up to date • Clerkships involve a number of training sessions and other activities so it’s important to keep people informed as to where you will be if you are away from your desk for a long period of time

5. ASHURST IN THE COMMUNITY Ashurst prides itself on being a truly progressive law firm, and a key part of this ethos is the firm’s commitment to providing pro bono services to marginalised people and the organisations which support them. There is an expectation that each lawyer will commit at least 52 hours per year to the pro bono practice. During my clerkship, we had the opportunity to work with a local community legal centre, assisting them in providing advice and resources to vulnerable tenants.

6. APPLICATION TIPS The good news: if you’re reading this guide, and seriously considering working in commercial law, you’ve probably got a good transcript and an impressive CV. The bad news: so will most of the other hundreds of applicants. I know it sounds clichéd, but there honestly is no ‘Ashurst type’.

Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not – just be genuine and let your application show what makes you refreshingly different from the other candidates.

7. WHO SHOULD APPLY If you are motivated, naturally curious, ambitious and a team player, Ashurst is the right firm for you. To succeed at Ashurst, you must be able to thrive under pressure and be willing to work hard and listen intently. A keen attention to detail, an open mind, a genuine interest in commercial law, and the courage to ask questions are essential.

Connect with us on

ashurst.com/students 26

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WHAT IS A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE ASHURST FIRM CULTURE? OPEN MINDED, As people and as a firm we’re good company There’s something about how we are with each other that leads naturally to collaboration. Actually, let’s go further: working together is how we thrive.

We’re a community, and we want you to feel part of it. Don’t be fooled: this isn’t the place to come for an easy ride. Performing at a high level is important to everyone here, and that can mean working long hours, under pressure and to tight deadlines. We ask a lot of ourselves. We also give a lot to each other. Support is everywhere – from structured training, supervision and honest feedback. On a personal and professional level, whether you’re a partner or a graduate you know there’s someone who cares about your wellbeing as well as your billable hours.

COLLABORATIVE AND CONSIDERATE

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01 ONLINE APPLICATION FORM Showcase your talent by sharing why you want to be a lawyer and why you want to join Ashurst. By providing concise responses to our short answer questions, you can share your insights into the legal industry and more details about yourself.

ONLINE ASSESSMENTS You will be required to complete three psychometric assessments. The first assessment – ‘Cognify’ – will require you to complete a series of online games measuring your problem solving and analytical skills.

The second assessment – ‘Values Fit’ – helps us to identify candidates who have similar values to Ashurst and our staff. This assessment looks at key work factors and the importance you give each one, ensuring the best cultural fit for both yourself and Ashurst. The third assessment – “Emotify” requires you to complete two online games: measuring your ability to accurately perceive emotions and effectively understand the connections between emotions, and situations that lead to specific emotional reactions.

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05 OFFER Clerkship offers will be made to successful candidates based on your overall performance throughout the application process. After completing a successful clerkship you will be considered for the Ashurst Graduate Programme.

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WHAT DOES THE ASHURST CLERKSHIP APPLICATION PROCESS ENTAIL?

DOES ASHURST HAVE STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO PROMOTE WOMEN, LGBTIQA*+, NEURODIVERGENT, AND/OR ATSI INDIVIDUALS?

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INTERVIEWS

INFORMATION EVENT

Designed to assess the behaviours we’re looking for through competency-based questions. Also an opportunity for you to find out more about us, please come prepared with your questions.

Attend our in-house information event to meet our people and learn more about our culture.

WHAT MAKES AN APPLICATION STAND OUT TO ASHURST? There’s absolutely no Ashurst “type”.

We want to actively involve a broad range of minds with a broad range of backgrounds, all united by a common set of strengths. There is no required past experience – but it is advantageous to have a diverse range of experiences that demonstrate the following competencies: EXCELLENT ACADEMIC RECORD AND A PASSION TO DEVELOP A CAREER IN AN INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM OUTSTANDING COMMUNICATION SKILLS ANALYTICAL ABILITY, MOTIVATION, DETERMINATION AND DRIVE COMMERCIAL AWARENESS TEAMWORK AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

The firm has implemented a number of initiatives and programs to support the firm’s focus on gender: The launch of the ‘Committed to Change’ Initiative which sees the partners of the firm commit to taking an active role in promoting diversity and inclusion and taking part in programs such as reverse mentoring which are designed to build awareness and perspective of a range of diversity areas. The Australian Women’s network which organises a range of events and discussions related to gender diversity issues. The Women’s Network aims to create a network of professionals to encourage, inspire and support women. Each year a program of events is organised to celebrate and raise awareness of International Women’s Day as well as other key topics throughout the year. Our Global Managing Partner, Paul Jenkins, is personally committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture as he is a member of the Male Champions of Change initiative and is a WGEA Pay Equity Ambassador.

Our LGBTI network, Spectrum, was launched in 2015 and supports the LGBTI population of the firm. It was estab lished to raise awareness of issues relating to and affecting our staff members and the wider LGBTI community.

Ashurst works with a range of LGBTI organisations such as Pride in Diversity (Australia) to help embed a more accepting and inclusive work culture. Ashurst’s Spectrum network were nominated as ‘Employee Network of the year’ at the 2019 Australian LGBTI Awards. Spectrum’s remit is to: advise management and the Ashurst committee on issues which may affect the LGBTI population; provide a safe forum for discussion and debate of relevant issues; facilitate business development with LGBTI clients; provide a link with external LGBTI organisations such as Pride in Diversity, Wear it Purple and other support or networking groups; work with Graduate Recruitment on targeted recruitment initiatives; and foster a sense of LGBTI inclusiveness through informal social events and organised events with other internal or external networks.

Spectrum provides our Australian staff with a forum to discuss ideas, policies and events to help further develop the network. Formal events, talks and participation are open to all.

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Experiencing new cities and cultures has always been a passion of mine and working with Clayton Utz has helped fuel that passion. I was lucky enough to be selected as the Clayton Utz graduate to participate in the year long legal traineeship at a Japanese firm. I ate way too much sushi and ramen and was exposed to a wide range of matters, clients and also areas of law before returning to the Canberra office in early 2015.

STAY TRUE.

CLERKSHIP PROGRAM

The graduate program is well structured and I have been particularly impressed with the level and quality of mentoring.

My Clayton Utz mentors have all remained true to balancing expert guidance with the freedom of autonomy, giving me the motivation and knowledge to become a better lawyer…

If you’re a law student in your penultimate year, our Clerkship Programs will expose you to the fast pace of a full-service commercial law firm and show you the law in action.

You’ll be working under the guidance of some of the sharpest legal minds in Australia, on challenging, complex and high-profile transactions and matters. You’ll be mentored by partners and lawyers who are leaders in their fields, in a firm where individuality is embraced and innovation actively encouraged.

To listen to Isobelle’s full story, go to: claytonutz.com/graduates Academic brilliance certainly counts, but graduates who thrive here have something extra – a natural passion for connecting with people and a strong sense of self. That’s what staying true is all about. If you have these qualities, Clayton Utz is for you.

GRADUATE PROGRAM It’s not just about wearing a suit.

There’s always a gap between theory and practice, and post-university prospects can be daunting. How do you make the leap to working in the industry?

That’s where we come in.

Once you’ve completed your studies, our national Graduate Program gives you the perfect foundation for your legal career. Our 2.5 week orientation program is designed to ensure that you’ll hit the ground running. It consists of PLT+, local training and a national orientation week in Sydney.

Our rotations will help you discover different areas and find the right fit. From day one you’ll be working on complex and sophisticated legal issues, and with our innovative learning and development approach, you’ll get the support to become the best you can be.

You’ll get…

• Three rotations of six months in our national practice groups • continuing legal education programs and professional development support • mentoring from some of the best lawyers in the country • a buddy who’ll give you the inside information • meaningful performance feedback so you know you’re on the right track

• the chance to participate in our Community Connect and Pro Bono programs and really give back • social and sporting activities, because we know it’s not all work and no play.

We hire most of our Graduates from our Clerkship Programs. Occasionally, additional opportunities may arise. These opportunities will be listed on our website.

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WHAT MAKES AN APPLICATION STAND OUT TO CLAYTON UTZ?

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE TO WORK OVERSEAS IN THE CLAYTON UTZ CLERKSHIP OR GRADUATE PROGRAM?

We’re looking for people who are personable, practical, commercially-savvy as well as flexible. Our lawyers undertake complex and innovative legal work, so it’s important that our clerks and graduates are motivated individuals who aren’t afraid of a challenge.

CU Abroad provides our people with the opportunity to live and work overseas for up to two years. This allows our people to gain exposure to new ways of working, different markets and legal systems. It offers unparalleled insights and a greater appreciation not only of clients’ needs, but also of the priorities of lawyers working in other jurisdictions.

We are also interested in learning more about your outside interests. You need to be able to balance your professional and personal lives and have fun!

Most importantly, we are looking for people we’d enjoy working alongside.

We want clerks and graduates who embody the firm’s behavioural values of trust, respect and co-operation - as well as staying true to themselves and exercising the highest ethical standards.

“

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE TO COMPLETE PRO BONO WORK OR SPECIAL INTEREST PROJECTS DURING THE CLAYTON UTZ CLERKSHIP OR GRADUATE PROGRAM?

WHAT IS A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE THE LAW IS CLAYTON UTZ FIRM WHAT WE DO, BUT CULTURE?

“

OUR COMMUNITY IS WHO WE ARE

As part of the wider Australian community and legal profession, we have serious ambitions to improve our local communities. We want to address disadvantage and support access to justice in the communities in which we live and work. Partners and employees have direct involvement with charities across Australia by volunteering and fundraising through our Community program, Community Connect.

Through this program the firm and our people participate in numerous activities, with our Community Partners, including climbing mountains with children with Cerebral Palsy, readying students for job interviews in schools and setting up mobile libraries for people living on the streets. We have financially supported our charity partners through the Clayton Utz Foundation, distributing over $9.3 million since 2003.

Our work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is reflected in our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Through the RAP we continue our development of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, charities and businesses. Since then we have worked to progress these relationships by strengthening and formalising our approaches through our Pro Bono work, community partnerships, procurement practices, and the Clayton Utz Foundation. We promote Environmental Sustainability through initiatives that assist us to understand our impacts and incorporate sustainability into our decision-making.

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Pro bono is a fundamental part of Clayton Utz and our Clerkship and Graduate programs are no exception. Clayton Utz is serious about pro bono best practice. We were the first large Australian law firm to establish an in-house pro bono practice; the first to appoint a full-time pro bono partner; and the first to sign the National Pro Bono Target. Since 1997, our commitment to pro bono has helped to shape what it means to be a leading Australian law firm.

In 2015, we became the first law firm in Australia to provide 500,000 hours of pro bono assistance (and counting). We have achieved this by focusing on our clients’ needs; collaborating with the legal assistance sector and other pro bono colleagues; and making pro bono work part of each of our lawyers’ everyday practice.

Clayton Utz was also named among the ten leading pro bono firms in the world in the inaugural Who’s Who Legal Global Pro Bono Survey. The survey recognises firms that are leading the way in its pro bono contributions, levels of participation and efforts to institutionalise pro bono work.

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Welcome to a new dimension of Law

Clerkship Profile careers.kwm.com/en/graduates-australia

careers.kwm.com/en/graduates-australia

We are reimagining the KWM experience for students and graduates with the launch of two online platforms: KWM Virtual Reality and Global Virtual Experience Program.

No matter where in the world you live or study, you can be part of KWM.

LUCY PITTAR

LAW CLERK KING & WOOD MALLESONS SUMMER CLERK INTAKE: 2019/20 AREAS OF ROTATION: Projects & Real Estate and Mergers & Acquisitions UNIVERSITY: Australian National University DEGREE: Bachelor of Laws (Hons) / Bachelor of Arts THE APPLICATION AND INTERVIEW PROCESS:

Explore KWM with Virtual Reality Immerse yourself in the KWM Virtual Reality experience and gain insight into the three key elements of the firm: • Our global footprint • The people who make it all possible • And the incredible initiatives the firm has a key hand in.

The application process confirmed to me that KWM was the firm I wanted to work at! The interviewers were friendly and welcoming, and the interview style was relaxed and conversational – this put me at ease and showed me the positive culture at KWM. The firm also held an ‘Inside a Deal’ evening, which gave me a concrete example of the kind of work I might be involved in at the Canberra KWM office. This helped me see myself working at KWM. The whole process also allowed me to meet lots of my future colleagues, which I really enjoyed – I knew I would love working in such a friendly and supportive office!

Kick-start your career with our Virtual Experience Program What’s life really like working at one of the world’s leading corporate law firms?

Undertake our Global Virtual Experience Program and bring the KWM experience to life as you complete similar work our Graduates do, build real skills, and confidence while you explore the world of commercial law.

THE CULTURE: KWM has a lovely culture. Everyone has been so welcoming and supportive, from the very start of the interview process, all the way through to the end of my summer clerkship. Everyone was always happy to answer my questions and to support me in trying new things. The firm is very social, and there were plenty of opportunities to get to know people at morning teas and over firmwide lunches every Wednesday!

To get ahead with your career in commercial law visit http://landing.kwm.com/vr-vep

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THE WORK:

THE SOCIAL LIFE:

I was really interested in and engaged by the work that I was given as a summer clerk. I worked on a range of projects and particularly enjoyed being involved in putting legal advices together. This was challenging at times, but I was given plenty of support in attempting new things and really relished the opportunity to hone my legal skills. In Projects & Real Estate (P&RE), I attended meetings with clients, drafted leases and reviewed legal documents to ensure they protected our clients’ interests. In Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), I read over contracts and researched case law and legislation to provide advice to some of KWM’s major clients about their legal rights and obligations.

There were a lot of social events over the summer, which were a great way to get to know the other people at the firm. We had the annual firm Christmas party at Pialligo Estate, which was a beautiful venue. I also attended events with the Canberra Innovation Network and the Property Council of Australia during my summer clerkship. Everyone is very social and I had lunch with different people from the office almost every day!

THE SUPPORT: We received a lot of thorough and useful training at the start of the clerkship. All clerks were also paired with buddies in their practice groups, who were great contact points for questions (and coffee).

The office is full of friendly and approachable lawyers who were always happy to answer my questions.

PRO BONO AND COMMUNITY: KWM places a lot of value in their pro bono work, and there are often opportunities to get involved in pro bono matters.

The summer clerks from Canberra and Sydney worked on the ‘ChangeChallenge’, where we got to design a solution to a real-world problem for CARE Australia, one of KWM’s pro bono clients. This was a great experience, which allowed us to apply design thinking principles to a real-world problem, and get feedback on the solution we devised. It was really rewarding work!

WHY I CHOSE KING & WOOD MALLESONS: I chose KWM because I knew that the training and resources would be world-class.

I was also impressed by KWM’s international presence as one of the leading firms in Asia, and by the opportunities to work at one of KWM’s Asian offices as a graduate. Finally, I genuinely liked the people I met during my interview process – and it is so important to have a positive relationship with the people you work with.

MY CLERKSHIP VS. MYEXPECTATIONS: I thought that clerks would be given very ‘cushy’ work, like simple administrative tasks and not much in the way of legal work. Instead, I was really excited to be given challenging tasks on a range of matters, and to be able to see the real-world consequences of the work that I put together.

I was also really impressed with how thorough our training was, and I learnt a lot!

WHO WOULD I RECOMMEND A KWM CLERKSHIP TO: I would recommend KWM to people who are motivated to take on new and challenging work. KWM is also a great fit for people who are friendly, personable and hardworking!

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WHAT DOES THE KING & WOOD MALLESONS APPLICATION PROCESS ENTAIL?

WHAT MAKES AN APPLICATION STAND OUT TO KWM?

The application process for Canberra involves submitting an academic transcript, answering a few short questions and the completion of a short task. We review all online applications carefully, before selecting candidates for interview. Our interview process occurs in two stages and you will also be invited to events during the recruitment process.

We recruit high achieving, client centric people, with an international perspective. We understand that technical excellence is only one success factor. We value a range of skills in our employees and recognise that a diversity of strengths leads to best results. We are looking for people who have an intellectual curiosity and are intrinsically motivated. Excellent marks are not necessarily a predictor of career success.

WHAT DOES THE KING & WOOD MALLESONS CLERKSHIP PROGRAM ENTAIL?

OUR CLERKSHIPS GIVE YOU A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A LAWYER AT KING & WOOD MALLESONS (KWM). YOU’LL GET TO KNOW OUR PEOPLE, THE WAY WE LIKE TO WORK, OUR CULTURE, PRACTICE AREAS, CLIENTS AND MORE. DURING A CLERKSHIP AT KWM, YOU’LL LEARN:

ARE YOU EMPATHETIC? Can you stand in the shoes of our client and experience the problem from their perspective?

IS IT MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU TO ADMIRE THE PROBLEM or are you most interested in providing a practical, efficient and commercially sound solution?

ARE YOU TRADITIONAL and risk averse or are you excited by a changing and fluid work environment?

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR CAREER are you only focused on Australia, or do you appreciate that Australia’s closest neighbours are the new power houses of the global economy?

DOES DOES KWM HAVE ANY STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO PROMOTE WOMEN, LGBTIQA*+, NEURODIVERGENT, AND/ OR ATSI INDIVIDUALS?

The operational “nuts and bolts” – our technology, real-world financial systems, research and support resources, firm policies, procedures and the structure and approach of the firm itself The day-to-day skills to get you started – taking instructions, meeting with clients, drafting memos/documents, managing your practice and professional relationships.

Our core practice teams – who they are, what they do, how they’re structured, the clients they work for, and of course, your role within them.

Our culture – you’ll be exposed to (and encouraged) to get actively involved in the many activities and events that define KWM. Our people – you’ll find that people from every part of the business will help you along, sharing their knowledge, and ensuring you have everything you need to succeed.

Clerks usually work in two different practice groups. You’ll be allocated a supervisor in each of your practice groups and you’ll work closely with the partners, senior associates

and solicitors in that team. It’s a hands-on role, you won’t just be watching from the side lines.

Clerks also have the opportunity to get involved in the many social and sporting

activities that go on in the firm, as well as pro bono and volunteer work to give back to

the broader community in which we work and live.

Diversity for us is not optional - it is fundamental to our business success and to creating a great place to work.

Diverse teams cultivate different ideas, make unique contributions and offer innovative solutions. With an international client base such as ours, diversity enables us to deliver a service that reflects our clients’ needs and deliver an exceptional client experience. We define this as diversity and inclusion. Some of our key diversity priority areas are:

Advancing gender equality;

Mainstreaming flexible and agile ways of working;

Strengthening our cultural intelligence and awareness;

Creating a diverse workforce through partnering with the Rare CRS Recruitment tool;

Increasing LGBTI inclusion;

Creating more pathways towards indigenous inclusion via our Reconciliation Action

Plan (RAP) and;

Continuing our focus on physical and mental wellbeing, including dedicated efforts to

eliminate inappropriate behaviours such as harassment, bullying and discrimination.

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MY VACATION CLERKSHIP EXPERIENCE Even though HSF was a dream firm, I had decided, even before applying, that I wouldn’t make it – so I wasn’t going to apply at all. Then on a whim on the last night that applications were due, with like an hour to go, I sat on my couch and wrote and submitted my application (the best decision I have ever made really).

So, you can imagine my absolute shock when I was selected for a first-round interview.

We're looking for those who see things differently, the kind of people who bring new ideas and create innovative opportunities for our clients.

ABOUT US With over 25 offices spanning Asia, Europe, Australasia, and the Middle east, we can show you exactly what a world class commercial law firm has to offer, giving you the chance to work as part of an international team, on high-profile matters, for some of the most significant organisations in the market.

Our focus is on the future: the future needs of existing and new clients, the future of the legal profession and investing in our future lawyers.

That’s why we aim to attract the best talent from a broad range of backgrounds, ensuring we are optimising our position as a progressive, forward thinking professional services business. At Herbert Smith Freehills, you’ll be given the opportunity to develop the skills you need to help solve our clients’ most complex challenges in thoughtful and innovative ways.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR

CLERKSHIP PROGRAM

We select many of our graduates through our vacation clerkships. During this immersive experience, you’ll receive hands-on practical experience, actively contributing, as you work on some of the diverse challenges facing the team you’re collaborating with.

SYDNEY Approximate number of positions

30-35

Clerkship programs

1 Summer

You will gain a deeper understanding of life at the firm and what your future could look like if you join us. Some key features include the opportunity to:

Applications for all 2019/20 programs open

9 June 2020

• Sit within a specific team, delivering real work for key clients

Applications for all 2019/20 programs close

12 July 2020

• Before you join, submit a preference for a team to tailor your experience

Offers made

16 September 2020

• Navigate the first step of your career with partner and graduate mentoring support • Attend workshops and presentations covering all our practice areas • Contribute to our pro bono practice

Great lawyers are both curious and creative. We encourage you to challenge assumptions and open yourself up to new ideas. It’s this growth mindset that creates opportunities for you and your clients.

So, what exactly are we looking for?

• Work with cutting edge technology through our innovation projects

There’s no single path to becoming an exceptional commercial lawyer. We look beyond your academic record and your technical aptitude.

We’re focussed on finding people who have the curiosity to explore all the angles and the empathy to place themselves in their client’s shoes. Building great relationships takes a certain understanding and as our global village gets ever smaller, we look for graduates who think of themselves as citizens of the world.

JOINING US

HERBERTSMITHFREEHILLS.COM

KEY DATES/DEADLINES

• Networking opportunities to meet people across the firm

We offer a range of summer and winter clerkships across our Australian offices. If you have queries about graduate or vacation clerk positions, please visit our website: careers.herbertsmithfreehills.com/au/grads/ vacation-clerkships or contact one of our graduate recruitment consultants.

Appurva Raaj Paralegal (Vacation Clerk 2019/20)

My name is Appurva, I was part of the vacation clerk cohort in 2019/2020. My journey to HSF was definitely different to the average vacation clerk, because I’m from little old Adelaide, South Australia. I had heard about HSF in passing in the early years of my degree but I did not have a lot of in-depth knowledge about what the firm does, the hiring practices, the firm culture etc. The firm’s website and general reputation as one of best top tier firms made it a daunting place to apply to. And honestly, I didn’t think I would be hired by HSF because I wasn’t the ‘best of the best’ law student.

Please note: An application should only be submitted to the office where you intend to start your career as a graduate.

Multiple applications will not be considered.

Our global practice groups • Alternative Legal Services (ALT) • Competition, Regulation and Trade • Corporate • Dispute Resolution • Employment, Industrial Relations and Safety • Finance • Projects and Infrastructure • Real Estate

Contacts James Keane Graduate Recruitment Manager T +61 2 9322 4313 james.keane@hsf.com

© Herbert Smith Freehills 2020 NOF186936_A4_Advertorials v2 /170220

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HERBERTSMITHFREEHILLS.COM

That daunting image of HSF that I had built in my head was completely shattered. Everyone that I met was incredibly intelligent super down-to-earth, friendly and interesting. I was in awe of their expertise, but they were also generous with their time, were keen to share what they knew and wanted to talk about more than just work. And I can honestly say, after that, the rest of the process was still stressful but also very enjoyable at the same time. The moral of my story is 1) please do not be self-defeating as I almost was and 2) HSF is truly an awesome firm, and there is no one-type of candidate or application they are looking for!

Typical day at the firm Every day was different at HSF but some notable activities include attending a clerk presentation on a practice area or other aspects of the firm – these presentations are a great way to learn more about the different teams and initiatives at the firm. Most mornings my team and I would walk down to grab some coffee and catch up. The rest of the day involved getting instructions for tasks from my partner, senior associate or grad, attending teleconferences with clients and checking in throughout the day about how I’m going with my tasks. At lunch, the clerks usually to eat together, which was always super nice.

All the clerks were encouraged to meet and speak with different people at the firm, so some afternoons I would organise to get coffee with graduates, junior lawyers and even partners from various practice groups I was interested in. These were great

opportunities to ask questions and make connections with people at the firm – and because this mentoring is built into the culture of the firm, it was not awkward or intimidating at all to catch up with people.

Everyone was keen to chat and share their stories. As a clerk I was also able to accompany solicitors from the Shopfront Youth Legal Centre to court and get a taste of what pro bono work at the firm would be like.

The Shopfront Youth Legal Centre represents vulnerable young people in criminal matters.

I have an interest in pro bono work and evidence and criminal procedure, so it was really great experience.

What surprised me during the clerkship I think the most interesting and surprising thing I learnt from HSF is that there are many different ways to be a good lawyer. I’ve seen such a diverse group of lawyers and they are all incredible at what they do, and they all bring different strengths to the table. And I think something that I’m excited about when starting at the firm is observing and learning from all these different personalities, working styles and approaches to practicing law and figuring out what type of lawyer I’m going to be and what skills I want to develop.

I was given opportunity to work so closely with partners at the firm and the fact that it was not daunting or scary at all but rather quite enjoyable. It was incredible to go from being a student one day to working one-onone with a partner at HSF the next. Most of the work I was given came straight from the partner, but I always had other lawyers to speak to if I got stuck or needed further assistance. It was more responsibility than I had expected, which was awesome, and I always felt like I had support when I was doing tasks which was also great.

© Herbert Smith Freehills 2020 NOF186936_A4_Grad Profile_(Appurva Raaj) /310320

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WHAT DOES THE HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS CLERKSHIP APPLICATION PROCESS ENTAIL? Applications for vacation clerkships should be submitted via our online careers portal. Your application should include a brief cover letter, a current CV and a recent copy of your academic transcript. We ask all candidates to answer a few short questions about their interest in Herbert Smith Freehills and commercial law generally. Candidates who are invited to interview will also be asked to complete an online assessment.

WHAT DOES A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS CLERK LOOK LIKE?

“

THERE IS NO There is no ‘average day’ at Herbert Smith Freehills. ‘AVERAGE DAY’ AT Every day is different. The tasks you do as a clerk or HERBERT SMITH graduate will vary depending on the group you are in FREEHILLS and the matters that are live at the time. You may be

“

researching a new piece of legislation, drafting advice for a client or preparing for an upcoming trial. We also encourage our clerks and graduates to seek out work that interests them. Whether it be assisting adjacent teams within their group, piloting innovation projects with our Digital Law/Legal Operations Group or getting involved with various Pro Bono matters.

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE TO COMPLETE PRO BONO OR SPECIAL INTEREST PROJECTS DURING THE CORRS CHAMBERS WESTGARTH CLERKSHIP OR GRADUATE PROGRAM? There are a whole range of Pro Bono opportunities for clerks and graduates to get involved with at Herbert Smith Freehills. For example, the Shopfront Youth Legal Centre (Darlinghurst, Sydney) provides free legal & support services to homeless and disadvantaged youths. Clerks have the opportunity to attend client court hearings with Shopfront solicitors during their clerkship and graduates can apply for a 6 month secondment with the Legal Centre during their rotation program. The firm also runs the HSF Asylum Seeker Clinic in partnership with the Refugee Advice & Casework Service (RACS) to provide pro bono support to people seeking asylum in NSW who are eligible to apply for protection visas. Our graduates can get involved with:

interviewing clients using interpreters;

drafting statements for supervising RACS solicitors...and;

referring any other migration advice or any legal advice required

by the client to the RACS supervising solicitor.

DOES HSF HAVE STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO PROMOTE WOMEN, LGBTIQA*+, NEURODIVERGENT, AND/OR ATSI INDIVIDUALS?

WHAT IS A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS FIRM CULTURE?

We have a range of global networks focused on supporting the LGBTI community, cultural diversity, mental health and wellbeing, and gender equity. Gender diversity is a critical component of our firm’s past, present and future and we are proud that Herbert Smith Freehills was the first major Australian law firm to appoint a woman partner. We also have public targets in relation to women in partnership and leadership positions, ensuring we have a full and robust pipeline of female talent.

There is a real acceptance that people can’t perform at their best unless they can bring their authentic self to work. It’s nice to be somewhere where different perspectives are celebrated. There’s also a healthy level of networking and social events which is always welcomed!

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chance to meet with your peers, learn and have fun. Then it’s on to your Practical Legal Training (PLT) studies and your local orientation before you dive into the program.

Corrs Chambers Westgarth

What does Corrs look for in a Clerk/Graduate?

Be exceptional.

Your journey from outstanding graduate to exceptional lawyer begins at Corrs.

Your time as a Clerk at Corrs

Corrs Chambers Westgarth is Australia’s leading independent Australian law firm. We’re known and respected for delivering legal excellence, exceptional client service and outstanding results.

The majority of our graduates join us after experiencing a seasonal clerkship program. Our clerkships give you the opportunity to connect with partners and lawyers across the firm, learn what a ‘day-in-the-life’ at Corrs is like, and experience the type of work we do and the clients we partner with.

Through our long-term relationships with leading law firms across the world, we advise on the most significant global matters and connect with the best lawyers internationally to provide our clients with the right team for every engagement.

At Corrs, you’ll enjoy the benefits of working alongside a high-performing team with a shared commitment to our culture of excellence, collaboration, commitment and respect.

For almost two centuries, we’ve been advising our clients on their most complex challenges. We’re the firm of choice for many of the world’s most significant organisations – from large corporations to governments, banks and financial sponsors.

Areas of practice Nationally, we have 17 practice groups. We specialise in the following areas of law: Arbitration; Banking & Finance; Class Actions; Commercial Litigation; Competition; Corporate; Employment & Labour; Energy & Natural Resources, Environment & Planning; Financial Sponsors; Intellectual Property; Projects; Property & Real Estate; Restructuring, Insolvency & Special Situations (RISS); Tax; Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT).

You’ll be exposed to a broad range of interesting matters.

You’ll also have the chance to complete a broad range of tasks, such as conducting research, reviewing and presenting documents, attending client meetings, court hearings, mediations and settlements, as well as shadowing partners and lawyers in client meetings and business development activities.

structured learning;

•

mentoring; and

•

regular feedback.

We want people who bring out the best in those around them, work well in a team, and take pride in their work and achievements.

People & Performance Consultant

Contact:

Kimberly Howe +61 2 9210 6044 kimberly.howe@corrs.com.au

We invest in international experiences that help our lawyers grow their skills, cultural understanding and relationships worldwide.

Melbourne

Our International Study Scholarship supports the continuing professional development of exceptional legal staff. The Scholarship provides financial support for the completion of further study at Oxford, Cambridge or a US equivalent (full-time on campus).

Applications close – 16 August 2020

Applications open – 6 July 2020

Offers made – 14 October 2020 Contact:

Marianne Saliba People & Performance Consultant +61 3 9672 3318 marianne.saliba@corrs.com.au

We provide opportunities for professional and personal growth for both legal and business services staff.

We take our work seriously but we also recognise the importance of looking after ourselves and having fun.

We encourage staff to be socially active and participate in social and sporting events as well as learning and development activities.

Our graduate development program is your first step towards a successful career. As part of our 18-month program, you will have access to:

•

Offers made – 16 September 2020

More than just work

Graduate Development Program

on-the-job training as you work directly with partners and senior lawyers;

Applications close – 12 July 2020

We look for graduates who can make a positive contribution to the firm and help us in delivering legal excellence and outstanding client service. In exchange for your energy and commitment we’ll provide extraordinary learning and work opportunities here and internationally.

We have sent our lawyers on secondment to some of the world’s leading firms in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore, China, Spain, France, India, Germany, Brazil, Indonesia and Hong Kong.

The Corrs clerkship program gives you the opportunity to work alongside some of Australia’s leading lawyers on high-profile work for major Australian and international clients.

•

Applications open – 9 June 2020

International opportunities (work and study)

corrs.com.au/graduates

Who are we and what do we do?

Sydney

Some of our activities include mixed netball, pilates and yoga, touch football, cricket day, Friday night drinks, family days, trivia nights, End of Financial Year party and Christmas Party.

Corrs also provides flexible work arrangements, paid study leave, salary sacrificing and opportunities to give back to the community.

During this time, you’ll complete three six-month rotations through a variety of our practice areas and you’ll also be involved in pro bono opportunities.

Corrs recognises the importance of health and wellbeing and is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace through a range of programs and policies. Our wellbeing program provides a range of initiatives to assist people in maintaining good overall health. Importantly, we also recognise the role a person’s manager plays in their wellbeing and we place emphasis on effective ‘everyday leadership’ and have processes in place to monitor a person’s welfare and workload.

The program begins with our Graduate Academy – a highlight for our graduates every year. We bring all our graduates together for a multi-day learning experience, giving you the

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Perth

Applications open – 13 July 2020 Applications close – 9 August 2020 Offers made – 25 September 2020 Contact:

Jennifer Jacobs People & Performance Consultant +61 8 9460 1621 jennifer.jacobs@corrs.com.au

corrs.com.au/graduates

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WHAT DOES THE CORRS CHAMBERS WESTGARTH CLERKSHIP PROGRAM ENTAIL?

DOES CCW HAVE STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO PROMOTE WOMEN, LGBTIQA*+, NEURODIVERGENT, AND/OR ATSI INDIVIDUALS?

In Perth and Melbourne each clerkship program is three weeks and clerks will be mentored in one practice group by a senior lawyer. Sydney has an eleven week summer program where clerks will rotate through three different practice groups. During the clerkship program, clerks will have the opportunity to draft advice, conduct research and review documents.

Clerks are also encouraged to ‘shadow’ partners and lawyers on activities such as meetings with clients, barristers or witnesses; client phone calls; and mediations, settlements and court appearances. The clerkship program promotes a more hands-on approach to developing your knowledge and skills.

The program also provides the opportunity to learn about each practice group during lunch and learn sessions as well as attend national clerkship video conferences to learn about the different areas of the firm such as technology and innovation, human rights and inside a recent deal. There are also many social and team building events.

Clerks in our Sydney office will contribute to a pro bono project which they will complete over the summer and present to the client, as a cohort, at the end of the program.

For more information about our clerkship program go to www.corrs.com.au/graduates

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE TO COMPLETE PRO BONO OR SPECIAL INTEREST PROJECTS DURING THE CORRS CHAMBERS WESTGARTH CLERKSHIP OR GRADUATE PROGRAM?

Our success relies upon attracting, retaining and providing development opportunities to talented people with diverse ideas, backgrounds and experiences. We want everyone to feel connected, valued and supported, so that every individual can succeed and can contribute to our firm and client success. We strongly believe that diversity in all its forms should be embraced and celebrated. This benefits our people, our clients, our firm and the industry at large.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is woven through all aspects of our firm – from our recruitment and people development strategies through to our wellbeing initiatives. For almost 15 years, we’ve been recognised as an Employer of Choice by the WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation (replacing the EOWA Employer of Choice for Women award in 2014). We have a strong and ongoing commitment to LGBTIQ+ inclusion amongst our people, our clients and the broader community. Our CEO Gavin MacLaren is a member of the Leadership Council for Cultural Diversity, an initiative of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), and we have signed a cultural diversity commitment with members of the Managing Partners Diversity Initiative to improve cultural diversity in leadership. Corrs is also a member of the Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA), which promotes cultural diversity in the law, and supports the AHRC’s ‘Racism. It Stops With Me’ campaign.

Corrs has national steering committees for each portfolio (Reconciliation Action Plan, Pride@ Corrs, Cultural Diversity and Gender Equality & Flexibility) which are comprised of legal and non-legal staff who support the work of our Diversity & Inclusion Council. There are local working groups which you can be part of to provide support to specific initiatives.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CORRS CHAMBERS WESTGARTH CLERK Jemma Cavanagh is a final year law student at ANU and was a 2019/20 summer clerk in Corrs Sydney office. Jemma is returning to Corrs in 2021 to commence our graduate program.

This was the second Friday of my clerkship. It sums up just how many opportunities Corrs gives you to learn, actively contribute and enjoy yourself with a great cohort of clerks.

From local schools to global organisations, we have a long and proud history of helping those in need. As a graduate lawyer, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to pro bono matters.

We perform around 20,000 hours of pro bono and volunteer work each year, helping those who need it most. Corrs specifically provides pro bono legal services for disadvantaged individuals who might not otherwise have access to legal representation.

We are the principal legal partner for the United Nations Refugee Agency in Australia. Other organisations we work with and support as part of our pro bono and community program include Hagar Australia, Justice Connect, The Salvation Army, The Big Issue, Very Special Kids, Oxfam and more. In Sydney, our work with Justice Connect and the Homeless Persons Legal Clinics we run in Newtown and Bondi Beach sees graduates helping people facing disadvantage who are ineligible for legal aid and cannot afford a lawyer.

Corrs’ Sydney clerks will complete a pro bono project during the summer which they will present to the client, as a cohort, at the end of the program. Our clerks will also shadow at the Homeless Persons Legal Clinic during the program.

8:45am – I arrive at the office and start the day by checking my to-do list and emails.

Once settled in, I join my buddy and some grads in the Projects team for a morning coffee. Everyone at Corrs is genuinely friendly and I felt included in the office life and banter from day one.

9:30am – Today is my turn to attend the pro bono clinic at the Homeless Persons Legal Service (HPLS). A lawyer, senior associate, another clerk and I head to the clinic. For the next few hours, the other clerk and I make notes while the lawyers take instructions from existing clients and give advice to anyone who drops by.

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1pm – I meet the other clerks for lunch in the Royal Botanic Gardens to recharge in the sun. I’m not sure if it was friengineering or luck but we all get on really well.

12:30pm – Back at Corrs, the senior associate assigns me a new HPLS client’s consumer law matter. Over the rest of my clerkship, I research the relevant legal principles, phone relevant parties and draft several letters.

2pm – Before a client meeting, the Projects partner takes the time to explain the background to me.

We are assisting a private company build a major infrastructure project and I spend the rest of the afternoon drafting some advice on a point of dispute in the contract.

5:15pm – I say goodbye to the rest of my team and head out to meet the rest of the clerks for Friday arvo drinks.

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Great change is here.

Shape the future with Allens

Great change is here.

Shape the future with Allens At Allens, we’re focused on equipping our people with the skills and experience they need to be the lawyers of the future. We’re ready to define tomorrow. Are you?

At Allens, we’re focused on equipping our people with the skills and experience they need to be the lawyers of the future. We’re ready to define tomorrow. Are you?

With us, you’ll be more than a lawyer. Our people are technical experts, but they’re also trusted business advisers who think bigger, more broadly and more strategically. Together, we solve complex legal challenges, and collaborate across practice areas and disciplines to guide our clients.

WILL BROWN ANU ALUMNI & ALLENS GRADUATE

We work across borders too, thanks to our alliance with Linklaters. This provides opportunites for our firm and our people, including annual rotations in Linklaters London, Hong Kong and Singapore being available to our graduate lawyers.

An early legal career at Allens includes highly tailored training through the Allens Academy. Developed in partnership with the Australian National University, our Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice will help you transition from law graduate to legal expert and trusted business adviser.

In a rapidly changing world, we seek opportunities to innovate, embracing creative thinking, new approaches and emerging technology. We don’t just seek opportunities to benefit ourselves and our clients, we believe strongly in driving positive change to do right by our community too, as demonstrated through our strong pro bono practices.

Our teams are open, inclusive and encouraging, giving you the opportunity to learn and grow while feeling supported.

You’ll have the flexibility to drive your own career, and we’ll recognise your achievements and hard work as you progress through the firm. Are you ready to begin?

CLERKSHIP PROGRAM A clerkship at Allens is the first step in a rewarding legal career, and will give you invaluable insights into our work and culture. With support from a buddy and development supervisor, you’ll work on real matters for real clients and be involved in a variety of projects. The programs: run from three to 10 weeks;

One of Allens 2019 Graduates and Australian National University JD alumni Will Brown shares his clerkship experience in a feature with Lawyers Weekly.

are available at our Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth

and Sydney offices;

Having spent the best part of five years studying at the ANU, it felt like the right time to make the move from the nation’s capital to the place most commonly mistaken for the nation’s capital, Sydney. After several brief glimpses into life at Allens, it was with much excitement that I awaited the start of my Summer Clerkship. I could picture it – exciting work, new colleagues, and Christmas functions to boot. I did not, however, foresee a trip to the Sydney Children’s Hospital, an advanced screening of Jumanji, losing to a rival firm in soccer (controversially and in wet weather…) and karaoke on a Thursday night somewhere in Surry Hills.

feature ongoing support, including a buddy system; and include exposure to one or two practice groups.

GRADUATE PROGRAM In each rotation, you’ll gain a depth of experience that comes from seeing matters through to the end, and get exposure to stimulating legal challenges. At Allens, we don’t work in silos, meaning you won’t be limited to working with only one partner or by your practice areas. You’ll work alongside a range of partners and lawyers, giving you exposure to a wide variety of tasks. Working with different teams and leading organisations, you’ll grow a solid skills base and develop the agility needed to thrive in our ever‑changing world. The programs include: two 12‑month rotations in your areas of interest;

Trying to imagine life inside a commercial law firm is quite difficult. Most of the work is confidential and each person’s experience and perspective differs greatly. I had always thought - or at least hoped - that I would fit in and that I would be given a chance to use my skills not just commercially, but in the context of helping other people too.

After several days of training and exploring the less travelled parts of Microsoft Word, we were let loose onto the floors to join the teams for our first rotation. For me, this was Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT). Here, I was met with genuine warmth and excitement. The arrival of clerks, I was told, meant it was almost Christmas.

secondment options in London or Asia, via our alliance

with Linklaters;

ongoing supervision, coaching and mentoring; completing a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice

(via Allens Academy); and

In the weeks since, I have had the privilege to work on largescale service agreements in addition to novation deeds, licences, advice on cryptocurrencies and even the issue of zero-ratings and net neutrality. It has been a process of constant learning, navigating new laws and trying to anticipate the regulation of new and exciting concepts.

a 12‑month weekly legal seminar series

(Cornerstone Program).

Find out more at graduates.allens.com.au Allens is an independent partnership operating in alliance with Linklaters LLP.

Allens is an independent partnership operating in alliance with Linklaters LLP.

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By the same token (couldn’t help myself), I have also worked on a number of Allens Accelerate matters. Accelerate works with aspiring entrepreneurs in the embryonic stages of starting their own companies, many of which could have a big impact on a number of sectors in the coming years.

What has really rounded out my experience has been the chance to work on pro bono matters. While clients are always grateful for receiving advice, there is something really rewarding when you can make a difference for a client that would not ordinarily be in a position to access legal services. Allens has a strong commitment to pro bono work and clerks are encouraged to get involved from day one.

Aside from having front-row seats for a senior colleague’s rendition of Geri Halliwell’s It’s Raining Men, the highlight of my Allens experience has been the people. There is a genuine team spirit among the clerks and it has been a pleasure getting to know so many interesting people from all over the country.

Special thanks must go to the entire TMT and People & Development teams, without whom my experience would not have been as seamless and enjoyable as it has been. In the last few weeks, a sense of confidence has been instilled in me by the lawyers I work alongside. Despite having complex matters to attend to before Christmas, they have all taken the time to explain new concepts to me and give me detailed feedback on their work.

Particular thanks must go to Ian McGill, my supervising partner. No matter how busy he has been, Ian has set aside time to review my work and provide feedback which has allowed me to increase the standard of my work immeasurably. His approachability has allowed me to ask questions and to work with confidence, without fear of making mistakes while I learn. I am also grateful to Connie Ye and Alice Williams who have also been formally involved in mentoring me during this process.

Now I can’t wait to see where my career at Allens takes me!

But first, I’m off to Linklaters in Singapore for a year, as part of my graduate program.

Find out more at allens.com.au/yourcareer 18217D

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WHAT DOES THE ALLENS LINKLATERS CLERKSHIP APPLICATION PROCESS ENTAIL? As part of the online application process you will need to provide us with a copy of: Your resume

A cover letter

Academic transcript

“

AISYAH FARRAR, 2019/20 SYDNEY SUMMER CLERK:

Other supporting documentation, such as your visa if applicable

Throughout my 10 week clerkship, one thing remained constant: no two days are the same as an Allens clerk! A huge advantage of doing my clerkship at Allens was the non-siloed work structure, so I was able to jump in and out of tasks for different lawyers in various streams within the practice group. My days ranged from going to a signing, drafting legal opinions, reviewing due diligence reports, being invited to client meetings, sitting in on phone calls, liaising with our partners at Linklaters and other legal counsel, and best of all, foraging through the popcorn and trail mix that Allens has on each floor.

OUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS INVOLVES: AN ONLINE APPLICATION

Uploading the above documentation.

Rare – an optional recruitment survey that gathers your educational, socioeconomic and personal information to provide us with a more complete picture of your background, understanding your achievements and any challenges that you may have overcome.

Clerks are also encouraged to participate in social events such as weekly clerk sports, lunchtime at the Royal Botanical Gardens, happy hour coffee at 2.30PM sharp, and Friday social events (with a side boogie!). A huge highlight for me was AllensFest, where clerks are to present a short video of their life during the clerkship. This is a great chance to put your creative skills to the test and work together within your clerkship cohort in reflecting on your time at Allens.

When our busy working day ended, the Allens clerks often organised group events throughout the week for some extra bonding.

ASSESSMENT

A strengths based online assessment.

“

EVENT

At our office with our lawyers

The Allens clerkship program is so much more than just being able to update your LinkedIn profile with the coveted ‘Summer Clerk’ position. It is a chance to embrace so many opportunities for personal and professional growth, finding out where your interests lie and expanding your horizons by putting yourself forward for challenging and rewarding work.

ONE FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW

in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, and two face-to-face interviews in Sydney.

SECOND EVENT PRE-OFFER (SYDNEY ONLY)

YOU WILL BE ALLOCATED A JUNIOR LAWYER AS YOUR BUDDY THROUGHOUT THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS.

WHAT MAKES AN APPLICATION STAND OUT?

We’re proud that there isn’t an ‘Allens’ type’. We know that diverse perspectives help solve complex problems, strengthen teams and enrich client relationships. The more you enjoy working with a diverse range of people, the greater your success will be.

While we celebrate our differences, it’s important to understand what unites us, and for us, that’s our firm values. These help us to succeed as a team and individually: IN IT TOGETHER

COURAGEOUS AND CREATIVE

EYES ON THE HORIZON

DRIVEN BY EXCELLENCE

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CLERK

FOSTERING GREATNESS

Building a culture of inclusion ensures our people can reach their full potential. For us, this starts with strong leadership. Our inclusion and diversity strategy is supported by an Inclusion and Diversity Council, chaired by our Managing Partner. This council provides sponsorship, role-modelling and drives initiatives across our firm.

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WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE TO WORK OVERSEAS IN THE ALLENS CLERKSHIP OR GRADUATE PROGRAM? Our alliance with Linklaters means we have access to strong teams in 39 offices across 28 countries. Our global teams act as one, sharing their knowledge, best-practice approaches and talents to help solve our clients’ most complex problems, seamlessly.

Since the alliance was formed, we have had over 140 secondments between Allens and Linklaters; we’ve even made some Linklaters lawyers partners at Allens, and vice versa. What does this mean for junior lawyers? Well, as part of our graduate program, there is a formal one year secondment program for graduate lawyers to work in London, Hong Kong or Singapore.

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Heading

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Practical Legal Training

Activate your career.

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Just 5 dayssolorae face-to-face attendance perspedit, aliam sitione mporem quiate sum

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ut voloreh endant ape ni quidemo dignimi nctatiae.

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Onsites held at the University of Canberra

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15 weeks full-time or 30 weeks part-time study options

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Four start dates in Canberra in 2020

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‘Lecturers were both knowledgeable and approachable, but importantly they had relevant experience.

I received practical guidance on everything from legal matters to business structures – advice I still heed today.’

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Emphasis on task-based learning

Offering PLT in Canberra since 2004

Ojo Osaigbovo Solicitor, Kirkeby & Co Graduate of the Practical Legal Training Program

Learn more at collaw.edu.au/PLT 50

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Coming Soon to

“I realised the program offered so much more.”

Once I began my training, I realised the program offered so much more. Intensive training in all core legal disciplines was on offer, as well as the choice to undertake electives in areas of interest, such as advocacy.

Practical Legal Training From Leo Cussen

Above all, it offered me the chance to forge friendships with peers from all walks of life and begin building my professional network.

Luke Ortisi

From January 2021 Leo Cussen Centre for Law will be delivering practical legal training at ANU, available for all ANU students.

“I would 100% recommend the Leo PLT course”

What makes us unique?

• Legal Skills Experience thorough and personalised training in client communication, negotiation and advocacy.

• Business Skills Learn effective client engagement, management of deadlines and client billing, just like you’ll need in practice.

• Career Support Dedicated Careers Advisor to support your job placement and preparation.

Learn more leocussen.edu.au

Working as a paralegal in a law firm with a national footprint I found the Leo course very realistic alongside my file work supporting lawyers.

• Mentoring Receive comprehensive feedback and personalised support from your lawyer mentor, with regular one-onone feedback as you work.

I undertook a couple of internships with firms during my studies at university and I found that experience difficult to translate into legal practice. With the Leo course, the fit was perfect.

• Confidence Build your confidence through continuous practical assessment and individual feedback on your progress.

Kerry Anne Eral

Leo Cussen Centre for Law, Practical Legal Training

Coming to ANU Jan 2021

1300 039 031 enrolment@leocussen.edu.au

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Learn more leocussen.edu.au 1300 039 031 enrolment@leocussen.edu.au

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Your future. Your choice.

Choose to make an impact.

Your future.

Your choice.

Choose to make an impact.

Our clerks and graduates become well-rounded, technically excellent lawyers who help to solve some of our clients’ most complex challenges.

But we’ll empower you to be so much more.

Never underestimate the power in you to make an impact We’re driven by a strong sense of purpose: to create lasting impacts with our clients, our people and our communities.

As one of Asia Pacific’s leading law firms, our clients look to us to help them address their most complex legal challenges. But we know, in a world of relentless disruption, we also need to think beyond the law.

We’re driving digital transformation and embedding a culture of curiosity and innovation.

We’re investing in adjacent consulting capabilities that enable us to provide seamlessly integrated solutions to our clients. And our people are committed to making a meaningful difference in the communities they live and work in.

We support you to succeed Our award-winning clerk and graduate programs will expose you to a wide variety of business areas, skills, teams and challenges, helping you to understand where your strengths and interests lie.

You’ll accelerate your legal and business acumen by working alongside high-performing partners, lawyers and professionals in a diverse, collaborative and innovative environment.

Emily Hill, Lawyer, Canberra Shares her career journey, hints and tips.

Your success is our success We celebrate and invest in our people.

We’re committed to helping our people achieve their best and progress in their careers.

e an i

Our development programs and initiatives are second to none. We’ll work with you to provide you with challenging and career-building experiences, and we’re always working to open more doors for you.

What roles have you worked in since joining MinterEllison?

I first started working at MinterEllison as a summer clerk, in November 2017. During my clerkship, I rotated through the Government and Administrative Law, Commercial and Regulatory and Dispute Resolution teams. After that, I worked part-time as a paralegal in the Government and Administrative Law team while I completed my law degree, before starting as a graduate in March 2019.

In October 2019, I was admitted to practice, and I’m now a lawyer.

“The biggest impact I want to have as a lawyer is working with our clients to deliver a solution that not only meets their goals now, but also creates long-term, meaningful impacts for the future.”

What do you enjoy most about working at MinterEllison?

I get to work on exciting, challenging and high profile legal matters where I can learn from specialised lawyers who are experts in their chosen field, in an environment where I genuinely enjoy coming to work, feel comfortable being myself and have fun.

Emily Hill Lawyer

To me, MinterEllison’s emphasis on positive growth and learning is invaluable. My partner, buddy and team are always willing to answer my questions. I also love that MinterEllison’s focus on sustainable ways of working means I’m able to pursue my interests outside of work, such as road running.

For information and to apply visit graduates.minterellison.com

You’ll have the opportunity to gain international exposure through our broad network of offices and industry partnerships.

Have you been on any secondments?

MinterEllison Virtual Internship Want to experience a true-to-life day of a MinterEllison lawyer? Our interactive virtual internship offers you an insight into the commercial work we undertake here at MinterEllison. Curious?

I’ve been on two secondments since joining MinterEllison. As a paralegal, I spent time in the Freedom of Information Team at the Department of Human Services. Prior to joining MinterEllison,

graduates.minterellison.com

I had worked at the Department in a number of teams, and this secondment helped me to build my relationships, in addition to developing my legal skills in a fascinating area of law. As a graduate, I attended a virtual secondment at the National Disability Insurance Agency to assist with case management.

What advice would you give to someone who is applying to MinterEllison’s clerkship program?

If you’re keen to apply to MinterEllison, my advice would be to identify three to five key attributes that set you apart from other candidates, and how those attributes would be beneficial in creating lasting impacts for our clients. Many of the people applying to MinterEllison have exceptional grades, some legal experience and co-curricular activities.

Instead, go further and think about what you have learnt and gained through those experiences and other experiences that might be more ‘outside the box’, and how you can use and build on them at MinterEllison.

For me, I left school after Year 10 to pursue riding horses at a national level, before having a ‘light bulb’ moment that I wanted to pursue a career was a lawyer. This meant returning to school to complete Year 12 as a 21 year old, back in a school uniform, before studying law as a mature age student. Sharing this story allowed me to demonstrate my genuine interest and desire in practicing law.

graduates.minterellison.com 54

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WHAT IS A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE JONES DAY FIRM CULTURE?

Jones Day, Sydney offers a summer clerk experience that is different to other major law firms.

Jones Day distinguishes itself by:

Giving clerks exposure to a broad range of domestic as well as regional and

international work;

Offering clerks the combination of a friendly and dynamic office environment

supported by established resources of a large global law firm; and

Ensuring that a clerk’s contribution to the Firm is real from day one as clerks work

directly with associates and partners.

Working at Jones Day… One Firm WorldwideSM Jones Day is a global law firm with more than 2,500 lawyers in 43 offices across five continents. The Firm is distinguished by: a singular tradition of client service; the mutual commitment to, and the seamless collaboration of, a true partnership; formidable legal talent across multiple disciplines and jurisdictions; and shared professional values that focus on client needs.

The Firm’s 125 years of sustained growth—in experience, reputation and successful client interaction—have been built by its dedication to a ‘One Firm Worldwide’ philosophy, which fosters the creation of interoffice and cross-practice teams, assembled to ensure that clients receive the best possible guidance and representation, without regard to barriers conventionally imposed by geography, borders, time zones or language.

Australia Jones Day’s presence in Australia has grown significantly.

The Firm has added new offices in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane over the last five years in addition to our office in Sydney, reflecting our commitment to expanding our service to the Australian market.

Our lawyers work in a dynamic and stimulating multidisciplinary environment by collaborating with colleagues from different practices and different offices worldwide.

We continue to attract many of the legal industry’s most highly regarded and sought-after lawyers while maintaining our focus on promoting internal talent through the ranks.

The New Lawyers Group Jones Day recognizes that many law students leave law school not knowing which practice they want to enter. We also believe that a more well-rounded lawyer is a better lawyer and that a wide range of experience is valuable to a new lawyer. Accordingly, many years ago Jones Day created the New Law yers Group, which allows new asso ciates to gain exposure to different practice areas and lawyering styles at the Firm before making a commitment to a specific-practice.

WHAT SKILLS DO STUDENTS NEED TO DEMONSTRATE TO BE A CLERK AT JONES DAY?

We provide extensive training through the New Lawyers program. Each November, we bring together new associates from across the Firm at the “New Lawyers Academy” in Washington for three days of hands-on training and meetings with Firm leaders. In addition to helping them understand Jones Day’s culture, organization and operation, the Academy gives our new lawyers the opportunity to meet their peers in the Firm’s other offices.

We are looking for exceptional and independent individuals with strong analytical and communication skills. Apart from strong academic achievements, it is important to demonstrate an ability to deal effectively with people in a professional environment. You should be flexible and creative in your approach to work, and be able to work cooperatively and responsibly in a teamwork setting.

Overall, we are seeking people who want to do the highest quality work in a friendly and cooperative environment, who demonstrate the ability to rise to a challenge and who are committed to constant growth in a dynamic professional environment.

Graduate and Summer Clerkship Program We run a summer clerkship program at Jones Day across our offices in Australia that offers selected positions to talented students who are at their penultimate year at university. We give our summer clerks real work for real clients, to provide them an opportunity to learn what the practice of law at a large firm is all about. Providing challenging assignments also allows us to assess summer clerks’ potential to deliver first-rate legal services and to flourish in Jones Day’s culture. We aim for summer clerks to be become future graduates of the Firm.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CLERK At Jones Day’s Sydney Office we offer our clerks real work for real clients, to provide you with opportunities from day one to learn what the practice of law is about. You will work with graduates, associates and partners in a wide variety of tasks including drafting transactional documentation, conducting research, writing advices and learning about the mechanics of closing a deal. You will also have the benefit of training sessions and seminars that provide you with insight into the practical ‘nuts and bolts’ of legal practice, as well as the substantive legal work that we do at Jones Day. Throughout your clerkship, you have the opportunity to participate in specific clerk functions, sporting activities as well as numerous social functions available to all staff members. We want you to finish your summer clerkship with an accurate picture of what being a Jones Day lawyer is like.

A Culture of Client Service and Collaboration Jones Day’s commitment to client service means our lawyers work together in a collaborative atmosphere where teamwork is essential, respect for and from colleagues is the norm, and credit is shared for a job well done.

In fact, every facet of the Firm is structured to promote an environment that’s client-focused, but also professionally fulfilling for lawyers at any career stage. We expect our lawyers to focus completely on a client’s needs, with the full support and encouragement of their peers. We recognize that partners and associates alike contribute to the Firm in a variety of ways, and we reward lawyers for their overall contributions to the Firm and for promoting the Firm’s values.

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE TO COMPLETE PRO BONO WORK OR SPECIAL INTEREST PROJECTS DURING THE JONES DAY CLERKSHIP OR GRADUATE PROGRAM?

Through our “One Firm Worldwide” ethos, Jones Day’s Sydney Office participates in the Firm’s global pro bono initiatives which often involve high profile issues of international importance. We also participate in domestic initiatives to contribute to the local community and all clerks are given the opportunity to get fully involved in both global and domestic work.

See: https://www.jonesday.com/en/firm/pro-bono?tab=global-initiatives-dd709b66-0e5d-4897-abc4-4c75dbe92231

Applications must be made online. Please visit us at www.jonesdaycareers.com/australia.

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WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR? The G+T clerkship experience is open to students in their penultimate year of study, as well as final year for our Sydney office. We’re not a prescriptive firm when it comes to our people; we invite individuality and diversity. We also hold ambition, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit in high regard. Our people are collaborative, passionate and dedicated – but most of all they enjoy what they do and never forget to have fun.

We seek clerks and graduates who will complement our practice groups and don’t feel the need to take themselves too seriously.

WHAT WILL YOU EXPERIENCE? Depending on your location, you’ll complete two, four-week rotations across the firm’s practice areas in summer, or a seasonal clerkship over a number of weeks in winter or summer. All clerks are assigned a supervising partner, mentor and buddy to assist with on-the-job training for each rotation - an immediate support network to help smooth the transition from university and assist with your professional development. While your main focus will be corporate work, everyone has the opportunity to assist on pro bono matters, innovation projects and participate in firm-wide activities.

Standing up for what you believe in and standing out in the crowd. Having the confidence to take risks and the courage to say no. Trusting in the tradition of embracing innovation. Being adventurous, spirited and unexpected. At Gilbert + Tobin, we believe in being bold.

We look for applications which reflect a candidate’s ambition, determination and entrepreneurial spirit; qualities we believe it takes to succeed both at G+T and to meet the challenges of the future of law. Of course, candidates need to carefully consider the reasons they are applying to G+T and articulate these in their tailored application.

WHAT IS A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE G+T CULTURE? As a young and independent firm we’re not constrained by tradition, so we are always open to change, new ideas and different perspectives on how to deliver the best outcomes to our clients. We work within a flat structure, which means our clerks and graduates have direct access to lawyers and partners who are experts in their fields, as well as matters that will improve their skill sets and career prospects.

HOW WILL YOU LEARN?

WE’RE BIG ON BOLD

WHAT MAKES AN APPLICATION STAND OUT TO GILBERT + TOBIN?

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE TO COMPLETE PRO BONO WORK OR SPECIAL INTEREST PROJECTS DURING THE G+T CLERKSHIP OR GRADUATE PROGRAM?

During the clerkship you’ll take part in our customised in-house training, and cover topics such as research, analysis, drafting, developing technical skills, interpersonal effectiveness, teamwork, business development and client orientation. As you progress through your rotations you’ll develop invaluable skills and knowledge and gain first-hand experience of our various practice groups. Understanding the mechanics of legal practice through research, drafting memos, attending court and meeting clients will all help to build your confidence. And we’ll encourage you to contribute ideas and your own fresh perspective.

GRADUATE PROGRAM

Everyone at G+T has the opportunity to get involved in pro bono matters. This work may be directly related to your practice area, or you may be asked to represent G+T at community legal centres or one of our many other external community programs.

Sydney clerks undertake a pro bono project, and both clerks and graduates have the chance to complete a rotation in our Pro Bono team.

Our summer clerk program is the primary pathway for graduates at G+T, however we also invite interest from graduating students who may have clerked elsewhere or taken up other opportunities in their penultimate or final year of studies. Keep an eye on our website for active graduate vacancies.

Clerks and graduates are actively encouraged to participate in legal innovation. You might be involved in a design jam session, exploring solutions to legal process pain points as part of a team, and your ideas may well be taken forward for development. As a graduate, you can also undertake a rotation in our Legal Service Innovation team.

DOES G+T HAVE STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO PROMOTE WOMEN, LGBTIQA*+, NEURODIVERGENT, AND/OR ATSI INDIVIDUALS?

KEY DATES OFFICE

APPLICATIONS OPEN

APPLICATIONS CLOSE

Sydney

9 June

12 July

Melbourne

6 July

16 August

Perth

13 July

2 August

CONTACT KRISTIE BARTON

Clerk + Graduate Program Manager

+61 2 9263 4575 | kbarton@gtlaw.com.au

gtlaw.com.au/bebold

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Approximately one third of our partners are female and women account for around 64% of our total employee numbers. Recently we announced a new target to increase the representation of women in its partnership to 40% by 2023, as a critical step towards becoming a gender-balanced partnership.

Many of our women hold leadership positions in the firm as Group and People Leaders and members of the Gilbert + Tobin board. Our ongoing efforts to increase opportunities for talented women to build rewarding long-term careers and at the same time empower both women and men to better balance their work and family commitments has received strong endorsement from external organisations such as WGEA, The Diversity Council and The Women Lawyers Association of NSW (WLAN).

Each year we hold a range of events exploring issues relating to women, from career progression, to ‘leaning in’, to finding your voice. We have a range of flexible working arrangements and support structures available, including best-practice parental leave entitlements policy, part-time and job share opportunities, flexible working hours, return-to-work support and an on-site family room. Our LGBTI and allies’ group was founded in 2012 and we are a proud member of Pride in Diversity, Australia’s leading workplace program for inclusion of LGBTI employees. G+T’s Reconciliation Action Plan supports an Indigenous Employment Strategy, which includes places for Indigenous people in non-legal roles and an Indigenous Cadetship Program for law students.

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Sydney Office: Level 24, Chifley Tower, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney NSW 2000 Melbourne Office: Level 21, 333 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Hayley Brown, Human Resources Manager 03 9229 9802 hbrown@abl.com.au

A reputation for excellence & innovation Arnold Bloch Leibler is the commercial law firm clients turn to for advice and support on their most complex legal matters, high stakes transactions, litigation and commercial decisions. With a reputation built on a long history of success, our lawyers are often at the centre of law reform and regularly advise on landmark matters.

Our firm advises entrepreneurial family-owned businesses, ASX listed companies, private clients and international corporations. We enjoy long-standing relationships with a select group of other professional advisors − including accountants, hedge funds, insolvency practitioners, private bankers and equity firms and overseas-based specialist law firms.

We pride ourselves on our ability to deliver innovative strategic guidance and solutions to complex problems related to our clients’ commercial interests, legal position and reputation.

What distinguishes ABL from other firms?

At Arnold Bloch Leibler we relish our exposure to a wide range of interesting and challenging matters that enable our lawyers to draw on their expertise and intellectual potential.

We encourage them to bring their whole selves to work each day, recognising that diversity of thought, background and life experience all contribute to our distinctive culture and the solutions we deliver for each of our clients.

Our internal structure is also a little different to our competitors. Our lawyers are trained to be ‘generalist specialists’ - able to straddle a range of different legal matters, as opposed to only being super specialised in a narrow field.

AREAS OF PRACTICE We organise our practice groups to allow our lawyers to be broad generalists, our groups are split between transactions and disputes. From the client perspective, our services cover:

Kelly Seo | Lawyer | 2016 Graduate Banking & Finance and Commercial

Banking & Finance

“ABL’s graduate model allowed me to fast track my development well beyond what I expected. I surprised myself with how much I learnt in my first year. I am continually encouraged to think outside the square and contribute my ideas.”

Competition

Corporate and commercial

Dispute resolution & litigation

Native title & public interest law

Property & development

Workplace advisory

Technology and intellectual property

Taxation

Reconstruction & insolvency

WHAT DOES THE ABL APPLICATION PROCESS ENTAIL?

Working in a broad based practice group this way, you’ll work across the full range of matters that the group deals with.

We keep things simple in the application process - you’re asked to upload your CV, transcript and a covering letter via cvMail, or via our website (www.abl.com.au/careers). When it comes to the interview, we only hold one round. You’ll meet with two partners and a member of HR for approximately half an hour. Our interviews are informal as we feel it’s the best way to get to know you − we also know that we deal with incredibly impressive candidates, and we know you’re assessing us too − so we like for you to feel comfortable and to be able to make a judgement on whether you can see yourself working with us.

After your interview, we provide you the opportunity to have a coffee with one of our graduates or junior lawyers. They have been through the clerkship process and can answer any questions you have for them.

For example, you might choose to be a finance lawyer and work across corporate finance, property & development finance, restructuring and insolvency. In addition to core finance work, you’ll also be exposed to broader commercial transactions like shareholders and joint venture agreements, equity transactions, fund management and financial services - instead of specialising in just one of these areas.

This allows our lawyers to maintain a client-centric focus which is at the core of what we do. What’s the downside? Hard work and the ability to think differently.

You have to cover more ground and be attuned to a larger range of issues. The feedback from our lawyers is that, while it’s more challenging, the satisfaction that comes from achieving excellent outcomes for our clients is unique. In fact, they say it’s pretty incredible.

WHAT MAKES AN APPLICATION STAND OUT TO ABL? We look for exceptional people who are seeking, and can provide, something extraordinary.

We value good grades and intelligence, as well as life experience, lateral thinking, imagination and a passion for the law. Work experience and extra-curricular activities show your ability to manage your time. We look for people who know how to use initiative and accept shared responsibility for their career development. The other personal qualities we consider are a willingness to learn, sense of humour and preparedness to assume responsibility.

Because we don’t make you jump through hoops in our application process, we like to see tailored covering letters telling us why you’re interested in working at ABL.

For clerkship and graduate opportunities in our Sydney office, please visit our careers page on our website, www.abl.com.au. Expressions of interests are available year round as we hire on an ad hoc basis.

For further information about our clerkship and graduate program, please visit www.abl.grad.careers.

WHAT DOES THE ABL CLERKSHIP PROGRAM ENTAIL?

During your clerkship, you will experience a glimpse of our graduate program, including information sessions with each of our practise groups, as well as a number of extra-curricular activities such as dinners with our current grads and lunches with different groups across the firm. A highlight of our clerkship program includes a day out with one of our clients. We find that this unique experience connects the dots for clerks to see and meet the people that lie at the heart of the firm’s identity. It also provides the opportunity to hear from our clients about why they have chosen ABL and what they’re looking for when they come to us for legal advice.

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BORN GLOBAL At Baker McKenzie we are different in the way we think, work and behave.

Like no other law firm, we were born global.

Baker McKenzie has been thinking globally in Australia for more than 50 years. In 2014, we opened our Brisbane office making our Australian practice the fourth largest in our network of 76 offices with more than 80 Partners and 220 lawyers across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. In Australia, we act for leading multinational and domestic companies on market leading local and global transactions.

Founded in 1949, Baker McKenzie is one of the world’s largest law firms by markets, revenue and headcount. We offer our clients and lawyers the uncompromising commitment to excellence expected of a leading firm and a distinctive way of thinking, working and behaving as a passionately global and genuinely collaborative firm.

We understand the challenges of the global economy because we have been a global law firm from the start.

DISCOVER Looking for a law firm that really is different?

Our Clerkship Program

Right from the start, our Clerks get involved in real work.

You will be exposed to our Australian and international clients through client meetings, shadowing, research and other everyday activities within your assigned practice group.

Our Clerks work closely with other lawyers, are guided by a Supervising Partner and enjoy the extra support of an experienced Associate “Buddy”. You will develop practical and legal skills through our national learning program and by attending workshops specifically designed for Clerks, as well as Firm-wide sessions.

In Sydney, the Summer Clerkship Program runs from late November to February each year during which Clerks complete two practice group rotations. Clerks who accept a Graduate role with Baker McKenzie are eligible to apply for an International Clerkship, with the opportunity to work in one of our overseas offices in the year following their Clerkship.

Our Graduate Program

Over the course of the program, Graduates gain experience in different areas of law before they join a particular practice group as an Associate. You will be supervised by a senior lawyer and an Associate “Buddy” in each rotation to oversee your on-the-job and formal learning.

Develop globally

At Baker McKenzie, we have a deep commitment to development. We work with each Graduate to create a tailored development plan and career goals. To help you reach your goals, we provide targeted learning opportunities — from seminars on core legal topics to practical skills development in areas such as communication, drafting and presenting.

We work hard to facilitate on-the-job learning and the many ways it happens — through informal mentoring relationships, client secondments, involving Graduates in global teams working on international deals and in managing their own files for our award-winning Pro Bono Program.

We also bring Graduates from our Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane offices together to help our people foster networks across the Firm, and support professional development by covering the costs of Practical Legal Training and your admission.

Our regional practice group structure means many of our lawyers attend regional training in our Asia Pacific offices.

Once Graduates complete their Graduate Program, they will attend a regional orientation program with other mid-level Associates from the Asia Pacific region. The Firm also offers opportunities for lawyers at varying stages of their careers to work directly for clients or with our other offices globally.

What does the Firm look for?

Baker McKenzie looks for people who genuinely want to work with us and who understand Baker McKenzie's unique offering, values and position in the market. We look for well-rounded, motivated individuals who share our global perspective; who are intellectually curious and have sound academics; who display business acumen and are practical in their approach; who enjoy a challenge and seek new opportunities; who take responsibility and use their initiative; who act with integrity and honesty in all of their dealings, decisions and actions; who express themselves confidently while staying open to new ideas; who strive to provide excellent service to their clients; who seek a friendly, diverse, and inclusive culture; and who take seriously our role in making a difference to our local and global communities.

Thrive in a culture of inclusion

Quality and excellence along with team work, integrity and responsiveness are central in delivering outstanding service to our clients, as you would expect in a top tier law firm.

The values that make us a unique and great place to work are deeply embedded and you will notice our difference in all of your interactions with us, in Australia and across the globe.

We are passionately global, and leverage our global expertise for our clients.

We strive to stay ahead of the curve and encourage entrepreneurship.

We actively encourage and support contribution to the community, through our pro bono and community service programs.

Where you can be empowered to DISCOVER quality work and clients, DEVELOP through opportunities to learn more while growing your career, and THRIVE in a diverse and inclusive culture?

We want everyone at Baker McKenzie to reach their potential so we invest in global, regional and local world-class development and mobility programs for our people.

Our award-winning diversity strategy, initiatives and programs are focused in six areas: BakerWomen – gender equality and supporting the progression of women

Then join our global community of talented visionaries.

BakerDNA – ethnic, indigenous and cultural diversity BakerBalance – supporting carers and parents, and workplace flexibility BakerLGBTI & Allies – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex diversity BakerIndigenousEngagement – commitment to engagement with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community BakerWellbeing – commitment to mental health and wellbeing.

To learn more about how you can discover, develop, and thrive in a dynamic global law firm, visit klgates.com/careers.

How to apply

THE K&L GATES EXPERIENCE.

Applications should include a cover letter, as well as details of your work experience, your extra-curricular activities and interests, and your academic results.

K&L Gates LLP. Global legal counsel across five continents.

Learn more at klgates.com.

Applications for Clerkships can be submitted via www.bakermckenzie.com/careers/Australia.

Applications for Clerkships open at 9.00am on 9 June 2020 and close at 11.59 pm on 5 July 2020.

Angelique Holden Talent Management Consultant +61 2 8922 5596 angelique.holden@bakermckenzie.com

We have a strong culture of friendship and collaborative working style.

We are commercial pragmatists who simplify issues for clients.

Our key areas of practice     

Banking & Finance Capital Markets Commercial Real Estate Construction Dispute Resolution

 Employment  Energy, Resources and Infrastructure  Environmental Markets

 Financial Services & Structured Transactions  Insolvency  Intellectual Property  Media

   

Mergers & Acquisitions Private Equity Tax Technology & Communications

www.bakermckenzie.com/careers/Australia Baker & McKenzie, an Australian Partnership, is a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International.

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Nina is a change navigator When you’re playing futsal, you attune to a pace that’s fast.

Fast and critical thinking as part of a team comes naturally to Nina. Currently on our graduate program, she’s putting her speed of thought to good use on secondment, walking – or running – in the shoes of our client.

We’re providing the next generation of lawyers like Nina with the knowledge, skills and understanding to help our clients achieve their goals on the global stage – always staying one step ahead of the competition.

We don’t simply adapt to change. We thrive on it.

Law around the world nortonrosefulbright.com

maddockslawyers maddockslawyers maddockslawyers company/maddocks maddocks.com.au

From Day One you will experience what it’s like to work at Maddocks This means you will have challenging, meaningful work, gain exposure to clients, be given a good level of responsibility, work in a supportive and collaborative team and have regular access to our partners.

The training you receive throughout your clerkship will ensure you are thoroughly prepared and ready to get involved in and contribute to client work straight away.

The program begins with a comprehensive orientation which includes training and development activities.

Join our clerkship program and become part of a firm where you’re involved from Day One.

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Connect with us... tglaw.com.au Thomson Geer

ADVICE | TRANSACTIONS | DISPUTES Domestic & Cross Border

@ThomsonGeer

www.tglaw.com.au Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane | Adelaide

ARRIVE... at a large Australian corporate law firm We have more than 560 people, including 116 Partners operating out of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. We are one of the 10 largest law firms operating in Australia, and the 5th largest independent Australian law firm.

Our industry coverage & client work is diverse and we are regularly engaged on challenging, complex, commercial work.

WHY CHOOSE US? We know you’re not just a student on work experience. We want to give you a realistic, stretching introduction to the legal profession.

How does this happen? From day one, you’ll be an active participant in the team, involved in all aspects of legal practice, and working directly with experienced practitioners.

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK FOR US The law is an incredibly rewarding profession, but we recognise it can be demanding. For this reason we create an environment that is flexible, friendly, personable, collegiate & professionally stimulating.

Our clients are at the centre of everything we do; so it is not only the collaborative, supportive relationships we have with each other, but also the well-established, trusting relationships we have with our clients, which make Thomson Geer a great place to work.

Our wellbeing@work program supports employees to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Our employees love to get involved in mixed sporting teams and they enjoy healthy breakfasts and snacks.

We also have an active social committee, providing lots of opportunities to develop close relationships with your colleagues.

GET TO KNOW US

Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Perth Adelaide

We are especially keen to talk to students who have, or are working towards, a second degree in fields such as commerce, engineering, science and other technical fields.

Your contacts

OUR CLERKSHIP PROGRAM

Kelly Byrnes, National HR Manager & Melissa Urquhart, HR Advisor

Our structured eight week program in Sydney helps clerks to learn through a combination of hands-on experience, training, coaching and observation. During your clerkship with us, you will:

•

Sydney: 4 – 6

Firstly, our collaborative and adaptable culture. We work together across borders, languages and legal systems, sharing insights and expertise to achieve our clients’ commercial goals. Secondly, we’re pioneers, working on many ‘first of a kind’ deals. Finally, it’s the nature of our people. Highly professional and self-assured, with an entrepreneurial streak, they embrace our culture of learning and are more than happy to share their expertise and knowledge.

We are looking for hard-working and motivated law students who have excelled academically, are customer focused, commercially minded, work well in a team environment and are enthusiastic about commencing their career with a dynamic law firm.

•

How many graduate jobs do we offer?

Across Australia, our core areas of focus are Corporate, Banking & Finance, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Antitrust & Competition.

Why are we different?

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

•

What areas of law do we practice?

Grads.Australia@CliffordChance.com

undertake meaningful work for real clients, including opportunities to attend client meetings, observe court proceedings, conduct legal research, draft correspondence and court documents and develop technical skills in areas such as drafting, due diligence and disclosure

Clerkships Students must be at least penultimate year and eligible to participate in the 2022 Graduate Program

When are our clerkships held?

have the assistance and support of a supervising partner as well as a junior lawyer who remembers what it was like to be a new clerk and can act as a buddy and mentor

Our Clerkship program in Sydney runs in Summer; in 2020, it will run from 30 November, 2020 – 12 February, 2021.

participate in a formal performance review process with your supervising partner and mentor to reflect on your development and capture feedback from your colleagues.

Our Clerkship program in Perth runs in Summer; in 2020 it will run from 30 November – 18 December.

GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES

How many clerks do you take?

Students who complete a clerkship with us will be eligible to be considered for a position in our next graduate program, commencing in 2022. This program runs for 12 months and includes rotation among different practice areas to help determine the area of law which best suits you. Comprehensive external and internal training is provided to allow you to meet all required competencies to gain admission to practice.

Sydney: 4 – 6 Perth: 4 – 6

Perth: 2 – 4

Do we make graduate offers to the open market, or just through clerkships?

Graduate offers are primarily made from the clerkship pool however applications from students unable to complete a clerkship program are still accepted and considered.

How / when should students apply?

Sydney

Perth

Applications open: 9 June, 2020

Applications open: 13 July, 2020

Applications close: 5 July, 2020

Applications close: 2 August, 2020

What kind of work can a clerk expect to do?

Our clerkship program is designed to provide you with a real insight to life at Clifford Chance in Australia.

Throughout the program, you will work alongside all levels of lawyers, including partners, while you assist with real-time matters.

You will have two seat rotations, allowing you to experience two different teams.

Throughout the clerkship you will hear from various departments across the region, helping you to develop a comprehensive understanding of life in a magic circle law-firm.

ARRIVE... AT THOMSON GEER If your ambition is to develop a career in commercial law and you possess the drive to make your ambitions a reality, we want to hear from you!

Applications should be submitted online at https://careers.cliffordchance.com/apac/locations/australia.html

Applications for our Sydney Clerkship program open on 9 June 2020, via cvMail or our website.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PREMIER SPONSORS

MAJOR SPONSORS

make the difference

to your career, clients and community

Aim beyond pure legal knowledge. Beyond commercial advice.

GENERAL SPONSORS

Be known for something more: a clarity of thought and an instinct for problem solving that can influence governments and leading businesses the world over. Join us and we’ll help you enrich and expand your worldview, grow your skills and influence new ways of thinking. In other words, we’ll help you make the difference.

Begin now at ashurst.com/careers

Connect with us on

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