Life as an Employment Lawyer

is an essential part of being able to draft commercial documents that effectively achieve a client’s desired outcomes and minimise risk to them. Having seen my fair share of poorly drafted contracts causing issues for both parties in a dispute resolution context makes it easier to identify and avoid issues when drafting my own documents. It also means that I can prepare clients for any risks that might arise as a result of the contracts we’re preparing and assist them to put in place a plan to minimise these.

Tips for Law Students

Aaron McDonald

Managing Director, Pragma Lawyers

“The best is yet to come” – Frank Sinatra.

I completed my Law Degree at UWA in 2007 and became admitted as a lawyer in 2008.

During my final years at Uni completing my undergraduate degree and sipping coffees on the Oak Lawn, I simultaneously held down jobs at three different firms whilst completing my law degree full-time. I ultimately was offered articles of clerkship at a small commercial law firm where I worked for 18 months. It was some of the toughest but most rewarding 18 months of my career. It was rewarding in the sense that I learn a lot. It was tough in the sense that I worked long hours.

After that period, I was offered an opportunity at a large international law firm where I worked in its Perth and Melbourne offices, ultimately becoming a Senior Associate in the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Division.

That firm (DLA Piper) was very kind to me, and I learnt a lot under the Partners that supervised me. I also built a passion for advocacy and enjoyed appearing in the various Courtrooms in the various jurisdictions.

Notwithstanding that, I looked at the Perth legal market and considered that many lawyers could offer a better service to their clients. In light of that perceived market gap, in 2014, I established a law firm named Pragma (www.pragma.law) which is based in Subiaco.

Since that time, the firm has grown from one person (me) to 36 staff. We specialise in helping our clients avoid disputes so they can focus on more important things. I have particularly enjoyed the lessons I have learnt since commencing Pragma.

It can be really rewarding and when things don’t go your way, the buck stops with you. I was 29 when I started the firm and am now 36. The team is young and nimble, and we have a fantastic culture. It is unlike most other firms (but I am bias!).

But enough about me.

My tips for law students in their penultimate or final years looking to enter the profession are as follows:

Get your foot in the door at a law firm as soon

as you can (and before you finish your degree wanting a position as a Graduate). If you can get an “in” at a law firm filing one day a week or doing legal research and get to know the decision makers at the firm (and impress them) you are much more likely to secure a job, there.

If you don’t know who to approach, call the Law Society of Western Australia and ask for a copy of their directory and start emailing, writing, and calling. Get onto LinkedIn and create a profile and have a look around. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

As an employer now, our firm has hired Graduates the last 3 years who were law clerks at our firm working casually during Uni.

Don’t worry about the big firm thing. Big firms are good at all their merchandise at career fairs I admit, and I am not suggesting for one moment they can’t be good places to work, but don’t hang your hat on needing to work at one.

When I was at Uni there seemed to be this anxiety about working at one which disappears once you enter the profession (let me assure you). If you secure a job at a law firm be grateful for getting your foot in the door – a lot of people don’t.

Find yourself a good mentor. If you can find somebody who can give you good life and career advice, hold onto them and check in with them regularly on how you are tracking. If you don’t have somebody who can do this for you, reach out to the Piddington Society (get on their mailing list by going to their website) or slide into Piddington’s DM’s on Facebook and ask for a suggested mentor.