Notable awards • David Jenaway, 40under40 GradAustralia – Top 100 Graduate Employers – 20152020 • Stonewall – Top global employers for LGBTI+ 2020 • Financial Times Most Innovative International Law Firm in Asia Pacific 2019 & 2020 • Financial Times Award for Innovation in Diversity & Inclusion 2019 • Social Mobility Foundation – 15th in Social Mobility Employer Index 2018 • Minds Count Foundation – Best Mental Wellbeing Initiative in a Legal Workplace 2019 • Winner 2021, Legal Services
CLERKSHIP INFORMATION During which period do you offer clerkships? Summer 1, Summer 2, Winter How many clerkship positions are available for 2021? 30-35 What tasks do clerks usually undertake? Truthfully, there is no ‘average day’ at HSF. Every day is different. As a clerk you will be immersed in whatever matter the group has on at the time. You might be researching a new piece of legislation, drafting advice for a client, or preparing for an upcoming trial. The tasks you do will vary depending on the group you are in and the matters that are live at the time. We also encourage our clerks and graduates to seek out work that interests them. Whether it be assisting adjacent teams in the group, innovation projects with our Digital Law Group or Legal Operations Group, or getting involved with Pro Bono matters. If you would like to find out more about what a career in law at Herbert Smith Freehills looks like, you can explore our globally accessible virtual
internship program: https:// careers.herbertsmithfreehills. com/au/grads/virtualinternship. How can a clerk stand out or make a good impression? A successful clerkship is one where you can balance: • Building great relationships across the firm and networking with the practices and members of the team you’re genuinely eager to learn more about • Be enthusiastic – say “yes” to new opportunities and volunteer to get involved in areas you are interested in • Delivering great quality work for your team that assists in their ongoing pieces of work • Showing attention to detail, accountability, and awareness of what our clients’ needs might be. What are some things students should avoid doing in their clerkship applications? Some common mistakes we see are: • Discounting their non-legal work experience – we want to hear about all of your achievements • Addressing the cover letter to the wrong firm • Spelling and consistency errors • Not conducting research into the firm they are applying for • Not being clear on your ‘why’ Do you offer clerkships to non-penultimate year students? NB: These can be First or Final year students Our clerkship program is open to non-penultimate year students, however we prioritise applications from penultimate year students. Our clerks and graduates often find it is better to time their clerkship and the commencement of the graduate program on either side of their final year of study.
GRADUATE JOB INFORMATION What does your firm look for in a graduate? There’s no single path to becoming a commercial lawyer. We consider your academics, work experiences, extracurriculars, and personal achievements. We’re focused on finding people who have the curiosity to explore all the angles and the empathy to place themselves in their clients’ shoes. We value that everyone brings themselves and their own unique different perspectives, but we work together and with our clients to tackle really complex legal problems. Herbert Smith Freehills is proud to use the Rare Contextual Recruitment System (CRS). The CRS allows us to understand each applicant’s achievements in the context that they have been gained. We understand that not every candidate’s achievements look the same on paper – and we want to recruit the best people, from every background. How can students apply for a graduate position at your firm? We select many of our graduates through our vacation clerkship program. How many graduate positions are available in 2022? 10-15 Does your firm offer any international opportunities for graduates or junior lawyers? Yes. As part of our graduate program, you will have the opportunity to apply for an international secondment within your first two years in the job. This is a six-month secondment with all the support from the firm you might need to succeed (e.g. transport, accommodation, language lessons).
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