VICTORIAN CLERKSHIP
Here are some tips I found helpful when applying/ things I learnt along the way.
JANA NGUYEN
One of the biggest things to factor into applying for clerkships over east is the pool of law students (and really good law students) is significantly larger. With Melbourne being a larger city, with an internationally recognised and ranked law school, the competition is much greater. The work experience and extracurricular opportunities that many candidates over east have are also superior to what’s available in Perth (e.g., working or interning at law reform commissions/policy centres/barrister chambers/more opportunity to get involved in charities and non-for-profits… the list goes on).
Juris Doctor UWA Class of 2022
Make sure you know your reasons for applying
The clerkship season (if you decide to go through it) is by far the most stressful and draining part of your law degree. There’s a lot going on and you’ll get information hurled at you left, right and centre. If you’re someone that’s thinking of venturing into the clerkship process over east, you might have questions where the answers are not as accessible. However, not to worry! I’ll do my best to share some tips and insights about my experience applying in Given many firms (particularly the big six commercial Melbourne. I had quite a few reasons for applying for a clerkship law firms) have offices in Perth, the question you need to ask yourself when you’re applying and ‘answer’ over east in your application is ‘Why should they offer 1. I was interested in working interstate at some stage after someone based in Perth a Melbourne clerkship?’ my law degree For me, one of my main reasons was exposure to a 2. I was interested in the type of work and the legal market larger legal services market away from the niches over there (ie I’m not much of a mining law fanatic) of Perth’s prominent mining and resources sector. Be prepared to discuss the ‘Why Melbourne’ question 3. Mere curiosity. While I was keen to shoot my shot at working at length in interviews because you will most interstate, I didn’t want to put all my eggs in one certainly be asked.
basket, so I applied for a mix of clerkships in both Sell your unique qualities/experiences Perth and Melbourne. I used to get so annoyed when I would ask older students or lawyers for clerkship tips and they Melbourne Clerkship Process The clerkship process in Melbourne is pretty much would come back with the cliché, classic response the same as in Perth. The key difference is that of ‘BE YOURSELF!’. Well, having gone through the Melbourne adopts the Law Institute of Victoria’s process, I am telling you it’s one of the best tips in (LIV) guidelines. These guidelines are signed by trying to sell yourself in the pool of law students over almost all of the firms and set out details as to east. A useful thing to remember is that cities like when applications open/close and what offers Melbourne and Sydney don’t just get applications can be given etc. I highly recommend checking out from students within their respective cities – there these guidelines as you will notice the Melbourne are applications from other cities like Adelaide, clerkship dates are a good three weeks behind Brisbane and Hobart where many large firms don’t the Perth dates. This will mean that you will likely have offices in. I think the key tip here is you want be left waiting on edge for a few extra weeks after to make sure you stand out in your application and all your friends find out and celebrate their offers interview. Bring your personality, draw on those in Perth. However, there is usually a wider window experiences or situations that are unique to living/ for submitting clerkship applications in Melbourne studying/working in Perth, using them to tailor your compared to Perth so there’s more time to perfect answer back to the question – but also bringing it back to the overall question of ‘Why Melbourne’. that cover letter. 218
