What attracted you to Clayton Utz?
What immediately stood out to me about Clayton Utz was its Pro Bono practice. Clayton Utz was the first large Australian law firm to establish a formal Pro Bono practice (back in 1997) and appoint a dedicated Pro Bono partner (there are now two) - so its commitment goes way back.
As someone who is interested in issues regarding access to justice for low income and vulnerable people, having the opportunity to get involved in pro bono matters as part of my everyday work greatly appealed to me. Pro bono at Clayton Utz is something every lawyer is expected to do - so it's taken very seriously. As well as being able to help people in a meaningful way, doing pro bono work also gives you exposure to a wide variety of legal areas and is a great way to improve your advocacy, inter-personal and drafting skills.
Another thing that really drew me to Clayton Utz was its Public Sector practice. Having studied a double degree in Law and Arts (majoring in politics), I was always interested in government-related work. The firm acts for governments at all levels - Federal, State and local - and the work is similarly varied, spanning litigation, advisory and transactional matters.
How did you decide on your practice area/rotation?
Like many law students contemplating a career in private practice, I was curious about the many different areas of law in which it's possible to specialise. It took quite a lot of thinking and research to decide which area would best suit my interests.
Overall, my goal was to rotate through both a litigation and transactional practice group to get a sense of the different types of tasks associated with each distinct stream of legal work. I ended up rotating through the Public Sector team, with a focus on litigation, and the Information Technology transactions team, which gave me exposure to a great mix of government and private sector work.
While it's great to get some experience in an area of law in which you're interested, some practice areas are especially popular and sought after for rotations, so you might not necessarily get your first preference. That's why it's important to keep an open mind as you may find that you end up rotating in an area you didn't think you'd be interested in, but that you actually enjoy. You may also not be sure what area particularly interests you yet, which is completely understandable. That's why the clerkship experience is so valuable, as it exposes you to different types of work and practice areas. Regardless of which practice areas you end up rotating in, you will pick up very useful transferable skills such as legal research and drafting that will provide you with a solid foundation for your future career.
What advice would you give to students who are applying for clerkships?
Firstly, take the time to research the firms you are interested in and tailor your covering letter and CV to reflect the firm's practice focus and unique attributes.
Your covering letter is particularly important as it's your opportunity to show why you think you would be a good fit for the firm you're applying to. For example, if you particularly enjoyed a subject at uni, research some of the firms that are known for their work in that area and express your passion for that subject area in your cover letter.
Many firms also pride themselves on their workplace culture, learning and development programs, and social and charitable initiatives so be sure to research these also and identify which aspects of these resonate with you. For example, a firm may be a significant contributor to the Arts, so you could elaborate on how that appeals to you as you have your own artistic/creative interests or hobbies.
Secondly, relax and go easy on yourself. However, don't conflate being relaxed with being complacent. It's good to be organised and get all your applications ready in advance, particularly when juggling clerkship application deadlines with uni assignments and other commitments.
The clerkship process is very competitive and it's easy to feel deflated if you don't get any offers. If you miss out on a clerkship in your penultimate year, take heart in the fact that firms are increasingly open and flexible to students applying for clerkships in their final year of study. I would also add that while law firms offer excellent clerkship programs, there are also similar programs in-house and in government, which are also worth exploring.