What's your job about?
I work at Allens, which is a leading international commercial law firm that provides services in a wide range of sectors. As a graduate lawyer, I assist senior lawyers with a wide range of tasks, which include:
The type of work that you do as a graduate lawyer will usually depend on what practice group you've rotated into. As a graduate lawyer at Allens, you will complete two 12-month rotations in two different practice groups. I found that the work I did during my first rotation in the Disputes & Investigations team involved more research-based tasks. In contrast, the work I am currently doing in the Projects team (which is my second graduate rotation) has been more transactional.
Aside from legal work, there are also plenty of opportunities to get involved in committees focused on things like inclusion, pro bono work, sustainability or philanthropy and other firmwide initiatives. As part of a committee, you may be involved in organising internal events, fundraisers and quiz nights!
What's your background?
I was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, but spent most of my early childhood years in Chicago and New Jersey, United States. I then moved to Perth, Australia where I spent the majority of my primary school, high school and tertiary years.
Outside of school and work, I spent around 10 years becoming a second dan black belt and internationally certified instructor in a traditional Korean martial art. I believe that martial arts has helped me develop a number of useful skills such as discipline, communication, focus, teamwork and time management.
I was interested in law from a young age, but this passion grew from participating in law competitions at university, such as mock trials and mooting competitions. I was first introduced to Allens through their Dive In program. Following this, I competed in the grand final of the Allens First Year Witness Examination Competition. In 2021, I was a clerk and paralegal at the firm. I then commenced as a law graduate and completed my first rotation in the Disputes & Investigations team. I just returned from a brief secondment at Woodside and have commenced my second rotation in the Projects team.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
I believe that people from different backgrounds can still end up working here! There are people with all sorts of backgrounds at the firm. So long as someone has the drive to keep learning and develop new skills, I think that they could do the job. However, I think some useful characteristics to possess include:
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The coolest thing about this job is being able to work on large-scale matters with highly reputable clients. It is particularly exciting to see some of the matters that you're working on being discussed in the news!
I also love Allens' rich history. The firm recently celebrated its 200th birthday. In addition to this, it is exciting to work under some of the most talented lawyers in Australia.
What are the limitations of your job?
It can sometimes be difficult to plan after-work activities during the week as work can get unexpectedly busy. I have learnt that there is also a responsibility on the individual to draw boundaries, which is why I am usually good at taking a break to exercise or catch-up with friends. This may mean that I have to log on a bit later that night or on the weekend, but from my experience so far, this hasn't been very frequent.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...
My three pieces of advice would be: