ELINOR BOWMAN Gilbert + Tobin
Why did you choose your firm? For me, G+T stood out because of the people that I met throughout the clerkship process. I felt as if the people interviewing me genuinely wanted to know more about me and it was more of a conversation rather than the typical interview structure. I also found the people I met had similar values to myself. This, coupled with its focus on innovation and its reputation as a leading corporate and M&A firm, made the decision easy for me. How did you balance the application process with other commitments, such as studies, work/ extra-curriculars? There are many different steps in the application process. From the actual application itself to the psychometric tests, to the multiple rounds of interviews, it can be a lot. I found being organised and starting early helped me fit this all into my schedule. I made sure that I had a word document that detailed what I talked about in interviews so I could refresh my memory, I also kept track of my progress for each firm so that I knew what was coming up and what was due. Most importantly, make time to de-stress and relax. It can be a stressful time and doing things that help you unwind will ensure that you put your best foot forward at your next interview or event. What was the highlight of your clerkship? At G+T we had a legal services innovation project and a pro bono project that we did alongside our rotations which were both highlights for me. For our innovation project, we developed apps to solve common problems that lawyers face within our practice groups. My team built an app that simplified the company incorporation process for the Corporate Advisory group. In our pro bono project, my team produced a report on indigenous self-governance to be used by the pro bono team when advising clients. Both projects were a great way to diversify our skills and an opportunity to learn more about the different initiatives at G+T.
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Macquarie University Law Society Clerkship Guide
How did you prepare for interviews? The first step in preparing for interviews is knowing your interviewer. Giving them a quick google, looking them up on LinkedIn and finding out any recent transactions they worked on is a must. I also prepared some answers to possible questions based on my resumé and cover letter. I tried to make these as general as possible to ensure that I could adapt the responses to the different questions I would be asked in the actual interview. From there, I found getting a friend to practice with me was useful. I found that there were more situational questions than technical legal ones, so you can practice with anyone. How did you develop your commercial acumen and research firms? Resources such as the Australian Financial Review and Lawyers Weekly helped me to develop commerciality. Firms often list the transactions that they have done in the past on their website or LinkedIn. This helped me to see what kind of work the different firms did and learn more about what kind of clients they have. I also found sites such as Legal 500 and Chambers helped me to understand how each firm compared to others within the areas I was interested in. Talking to people from different firms also helped me to learn more and get insights that you can’t get by just reading about firms. Did you attend cocktail events? If so, how did you approach them? Unfortunately, last year we were unable to attend any in-person cocktail events. However, we did have a cocktail event over zoom. I found that the evening is more of an opportunity for you to get to know the firm and make sure that it is the right fit for you. Make sure to have some questions up your sleeve to ask previous clerks, graduates or solicitors to help you figure this out. This is one of your last chances to talk to lawyers or representatives from the firm so just be yourself and try not to stress too much! How did you manage stress/ nerves during the application process? It can be stressful waiting to hear back from firms. No matter how good your application is, not everyone is going to offer you a clerkship. I found that keeping busy and spending time with friends helped me to de-stress and took my mind off it. It’s also helpful to keep in mind that firms need to be a good fit for you as much as you want to be a good fit for them.
