DLSS Seasonal Clerkship Guide 2023

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SEASONAL CLERKSHIP GUIDE

Acknowledgment of Country The Deakin Law Students' Society acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and live, the Wurundjeri, Boonwurrung and Wathaurong peoples, and recognise their continuing connection to land, water, and community. The DLSS pay our respects to them, their culture, and their Elders past, present, and emerging.

Acknowledgment and Sponsors Dean's Foreword Sponsorship Foreword Commercial Careers Director Foreword Firm Information Key Dates

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ADMISSION Flow Chart of Admission Process Australian Admission Requirements International Admission Requirements Law Institute of Victoria LIV Seasonal Clerkship Guidelines LIV Graduate Traineeship Guidelines Practical Legal Training Leo Cussen Australian College of Applied Professions

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APPLICATION Mental Wellbeing in the Clerkship Period Guidance for Networking Events Commercial Awareness Top Tips for the Clerkship Process 10 Tips to Remember for Clerkship Season Excelling in the Clerkship Process Standing Out in Your Clerkship Interview How to Excel in Your Clerkship Interview Submitting High Quality Applications Sample Cover Letter Sample Resume

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PRACTICE AREA INSIGHTS Real Estate and Development Property and Development Construction Law Major Projects and Construction Insurance Banking and Finance Litigation and Regulatory Construction and Planning Pro Bono

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PRACTICE AREA INSIGHTS Corporate Advisory Insurance Financial Services Employment and Workplace Relations Asset Management and Investment Funds Compensation Law Employment, Safety and People Pro Bono Arbitration Disputes

60 62 64 66 68 70 72 73 75 77

FIRM PROFILES Allens Arnold Bloch Leibler Ashurst Baker McKenzie Clayton Utz Clyde & Co Corrs Chambers Westgarth DLA Piper Gadens Gilbert + Tobin Hall & Wilcox Herbert Smith Freehills HWL Ebsworth K&L Gates King & Wood Mallesons Lander & Rogers Maddocks MinterEllison Norton Rose Fulbright PwC Russell Kennedy Thomson Geer White & Case

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Frequently Asked Questions

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PUBLISHED BY DEAKIN LAW STUDENTS' SOCIETY WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO Courtney McKenzie and Gab Stripp Directors of Sponsorship

Kathryn Bourozikas Director of Commercial Careers

Lucy French Sponsorship Officer

Julia Fittipaldi President

Jim Han Clerkship Guide Officer

Zoe Ellis and Jordan Cook Communications Portfolio

OUR SPONSORS

Undertaking a clerkship can be a valuable part of your legal journey. It offers the opportunity to work in a private legal firm, in a variety of practice areas. Working in a new legal environment can facilitate the development of new knowledge, as well as enhancing your awareness of the interpersonal skills required to work as part of a team. It can constitute an important stepping stone to a graduate position and other future employment opportunities.

This annual Clerkship Guide, prepared by the Deakin Law Students' Society, is an invaluable resource for all students undertaking their clerkship applications. The Guide provides comprehensive information about clerkships, the application process (including important dates), firms, and contacts. It provides essential background information that will assist you in determining the firms to which you wish to apply. Moreover, the practical information about applications and offers contained in the Guide has the potential to considerably reduce the stress and uncertainty that is frequently associated with the clerkship process.

Deakin law students who are committed to undertaking a clerkship will find that the Guide is an excellent resource. For those who have had the experience of applying for a clerkship but not obtaining one, the Guide provides useful insights into the clerkship process as well as strategies that you might employ to increase the likelihood of success in any subsequent application. For those who are uncertain, the Guide provides information that can assist in making the decision about whether a clerkship is for you. For all students, the knowledge and practical advice contained in the Guide is invaluable.

I wish you all the best in your endeavours.

What makes a law student stand out from the crowd? How can you differentiate yourself? We all have unique stories and journeys. It is time for you to consider how you can tell your story and how your story fits with the values, ideals and aims of the firms you are interested in building a professional relationship with.

We are delighted to welcome you to the 2023 Clerkship Guide, a publication that the Deakin Law Students' Society is thrilled to release.

The Clerkship process is vitally important in the journey to becoming a law graduate. Firms are increasingly eager to engage with and hire Deakin students. We encourage you to start building those relationships now. The difference a simple coffee catch-up, or a discussion at a networking event can make to your career journey is significant. No lawyer has the exact same journey, stories and experiences. Firms value diversity and view candidates in a much more holistic setting than merely academic results. Consider the importance of your co-curricular involvement, whether that is a sporting club, student society, book group, or any other group experience! Consider, also, any skills you may have obtained through your involvement in these activities.

The Deakin Law Students' Society is incredibly grateful to all of our 2023 Sponsors, who have been so supportive of us running an outstanding platform of events. Having a suite of highquality events is a leading factor in student engagement, and we have seen increases in event participation across the board this year.

We are both so proud of the progress that the Sponsorship team has made in 2023. The two of us have spent a lot of time reforming our administrative processes in continuing to build our relationships with firms and ensuring our communication strategies are as seamless as possible.

Finally, we would like to acknowledge and thank our officer, Lucy French, for the assistance she has provided in the process of producing this publication, as well as Jordan Cook for her outstanding design work.

Welcome to the Deakin Law Students’ Society's Seasonal Clerkship Guide for 2023.

On behalf of the Commercial Careers team, I want to extend my best wishes for your Clerkship journey. For some, the concept of a clerkship is familiar, as they have been anticipating this opportunity for years. For others, the term 'clerkship' may bring confusion and uncertainty. This guide is here to assist you, regardless of where you stand, as you embark on this exciting journey. This guide is a comprehensive resource you can use with application timelines, tips to level-up your cover letter, and advice from those who have already gone through this process.

A seasonal clerkship refers to a paid placement at a law firm, typically lasting 3-4 weeks. Firms usually offer 2-3 intakes during the summer and winter breaks. Clerkships offer an excellent chance to determine if commercial law is the right career path for you, and to identify the firm, culture, and practice area that aligns with your aspirations. You will gain valuable practical legal experience by working on real and engaging matters. Applications are open to penultimate and final year students, as firms often extend graduate roles to those who have clerked with them.

Obtaining a clerkship carries numerous benefits, but it is undeniably a competitive process. Law students from Victoria, and even other states, will be vying for limited placements. Please note, however, that this statement is not meant to discourage you, but rather to emphasise the importance of dedicating effort to perfecting your application. Paying attention to detail is crucial, and I cannot stress enough the significance of conducting thorough research and crafting an authentic application.

While clerkships are one pathway to consider when pursuing a career in commercial law, remember that law graduates are sought after by various employers, including professional service firms and government departments. It is important to keep in mind that obtaining a clerkship is not the sole means to a career at a commercial law firm.

Different firms have different recruitment methods, some offering "market offers" for graduate lawyer positions, while others hire law graduates who have completed their PLT training and/or are admitted.

Your success in this process does not solely determine your future success as a lawyer.

I wish you all the best in your endeavours throughout the process. Make full use of this guide, explore all the available resources, and feel free to reach out to anyone on the Commercial Careers Team if you have any questions.

Kathryn Bourozikas Director of Commercial Careers

The DLSS Commercial Careers Portfolio sincerely thanks all the sponsors for their unwavering support and commitment, as well as everyone who shared their insights and expertise to make this publication a reality. Special thanks go to Ms. Kathryn Bourozikas, our director, for her tireless efforts in making this guide happen.

We are immensely grateful to all those who contributed to the creation of the 2022 Clerkship Guide, as it was instrumental in helping me navigate my own clerkship application process.

We hope that the 2023 Clerkship Guide continues to carry on its legacy and enhances your clerkship application experience. Congratulations on embarking on this exciting phase of your journey, and please feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have.

Jim Han Clerkship Guide Officer

FIRM

PERIODS

TOTAL

ELIGIBILITY

Summer 1, Summer 2, and Winter

90-100

Penultimate, final year, and international students

Summer 1, Summer 2, and Winter

45

Summer 1, Summer 2, and Winter

60

Penultimate, final year, and international students

Summer 1, Summer 2, and Winter

32

Penultimate, local, and international students

40-50

Penultimate, local, and international students

2-5

Penultimate and final year students

70

Penultimate, final year, and international students

20

Penultimate and final year students

Summer 1, Summer 2, and Winter

30-32

Penultimate and final year students

Summer 1, Summer 2, and Winter

30

Penultimate, final year, and international students

30

Penultimate, final year, and international students

60-65

Penultimate, final year, and international students

Summer 1 and Winter

Summer (Nov-Feb)

Summer 1, Summer 2, and Winter

Summer 1 and Winter

Summer 1 and Winter

Summer 1 and Winter

Penultimate students

FIRM

PERIODS

TOTAL

ELIGIBILITY

30

Penultimate, final year, and international students

28

Penultimate, final year, and graduates

Summer 1, Summer 2, and Winter

90

Penultimate, final year, and international students

Summer 1, Summer 2, and Winter

30

Penultimate, final year, and international students

Summer 1, Summer 2, and Winter

35-45

Penultimate and final year students

70

Penultimate, final year, and international students

20-30

Penultimate and final year students

Summer 1, Summer 2, and Winter

40

Penultimate and final year students

Summer 1 and Summer 2

8-10

Penultimate, permanent residence students

Summer 1 and Winter

Summer 2 and Winter

Summer 1 and Winter

Summer 1 and Winter

Summer 1 and Winter

18-20

Pre-penultimate, Penultimate, final year, and international students

Applications open at 9:00am on Monday 3 July 2023.

Applications close at 11:59pm on Sunday 13 August 2023.

Offers for clerkships are made from 10:00am on Wednesday 18 October 2023.

Summer 1: November - December 2023.

Summer 2: January - February 2024.

Winter: June - July 2024.

ADMISSION

Victoria Requires a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Juris Doctor (JD). Graduates must complete Practical Legal Training (‘PLT’) in the form of Supervised Legal Training or a Practical Legal Training Course by approved providers. Graduates who have successfully completed their PLT must then lodge an application for a Compliance Certificate and the Victorian Legal Admissions Board must be satisfied that the applicant is a fit and proper person to be admitted to practice. Finally, in order to be admitted, a person must attend an admission ceremony in the Supreme Court of Victoria, where they take an Oath and sign the Roll. Once admitted, a person may apply to the Victorian Legal Services Board for a Practising Certificate. A person must hold a current Practising Certificate to practise law in Victoria.

New South Wales Requires a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Juris Doctor (JD). Graduates must complete Practical Legal Training (‘PLT’) in the form of Supervised Legal Training or a Practical Legal Training Course by approved providers. Graduates who have successfully completed their PLT must then lodge an application for admission and then take an Oath and sign the Roll of Australian Lawyers at admission day at the Supreme Court of New South Wales, where they will receive their Certificate of Admission. After being admitted, a person may apply for a Practising Certificate issued by the Council of the Law Society of New South Wales in order to practise law in New South Wales.

Queensland Requires a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Juris Doctor (JD). Graduates must complete Practical Legal Training (‘PLT’) in the form of Supervised Legal Training or a Practical Legal Training Course by approved providers. Graduates who have successfully completed their PLT must then lodge an application for admission to the Roll of Lawyers and the Admissions Board must be satisfied of their fitness to practice. A person must then apply for a Practising Certificate to practise law in Queensland.

South Australia Requires a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Juris Doctor (JD). Graduates must complete Practical Legal Training (‘PLT’) in the form of Supervised Legal Training or a Practical Legal Training Course by approved providers. They must also have those qualifications formally accredited by the Board of Examiners prior to admission. Graduates must then lodge an application for admission. The Supreme Court must be satisfied that the applicant is suitable for admission. A person must then attend an admission ceremony.

After a person has been admitted and signed the Roll of Practitioners, they are able to apply for a Practising Certificate, which allows them to practise law in South Australia.

Western Australia Requires a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Juris Doctor (JD). Graduates must complete Practical Legal Training (‘PLT’) in the form of Supervised Legal Training or a Practical Legal Training Course by approved providers. Graduates must then make an application for admission. A person must attend an admission ceremony, where they will take an Oath and sign the Roll. Finally, a person must apply for a Practising Certificate to practise law in Western Australia.

United State of America Requirements vary from state to state, however, the USA generally requires either a Juris Doctor (JD) or Master of Law (LLM). These are necessary in order to sit the relevant state bar examination. Some states, such as New York, allow Australian Graduates to sit State bar exams.

United Kingdom Requires a LLB or JD. The UK also requires graduates to have completed a Practical Legal Training course. Lawyers that have been admitted to practice in Australia can practice in the UK as Solicitors by transferring through the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) under the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS).

Singapore Requires LLM or JD from an approved university. Any person seeking to be admitted must first be twenty-one years of age or older. Prospective lawyers must also sit the Bar examination and complete a six-month Practical Training Contract.

Hong Kong Requires a person to be a valid legal practitioner in their jurisdiction of admission and to have been practising in their said jurisdiction for at least three years. Hopeful candidates will need to pass the Barrister’s Qualification Examination (BQE).

China Lawyers from other countries are able to work for law firms in China but are not authorised to practise law. Chinese law heavily restricts a person’s ability to give legal advice. Australian qualified lawyers should thoroughly discuss these restrictions with any prospective Chinese law firms.

Japan Lawyers from other countries may seek approval from the Minister of Justice and register as foreign lawyers in Japan. A successful applicant will need to hold a current licence to practice in their home country, have at least 3 years post-qualification legal work experience, have a business plan, and currently live in Japan.

Europe The majority of European countries require both an LLB and LLM. Obtaining a licence or diploma in one country allows you to practice in another. Memberships of individual Bar associations are sometimes required by countries to use the title of ‘lawyer’, however, you may still practise law.

The Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) represents over 20,000 lawyers and legal professionals in Victoria, interstate, and overseas. The LIV provides commitment, diversity, and expertise to shape Victoria's laws and ensure justice for all.

The LIV advocates for social and public welfare in the court and legal systems. They also promote education and public confidence in the legal profession and the law-making and administration processes.

As the peak body for the Victorian Legal Profession, the LIV initiates programs to support the evolving needs of the profession. They actively promote law reform, address community issues, offer continuing legal education, and provide expert services and resources.

The LIV is a non-profit organisation dedicated to its members and the development, maintenance and sustenance of the law for the benefit of the community.

The LIV’s commitment to the development of your legal career begins well before your first job. Their education, mentoring and the networking opportunities are specifically tailored to support growth as a student and graduate, to ensure adequate preparation for launching a successful career.

The LIV Young Lawyers Law Student Membership provides exclusive access to a broad range of resources and opportunities that help navigate the initial stages of your legal career. These include: Education, networking and career development opportunities including access to the LIV Young Lawyers educational programs, resources, networks and support. You will be invited to attend Lawyer networking events including the annual LIV Legal Careers Fair which provides guidance to help define a career path and opportunities to connect with other legal professionals.

Well-being and personal development support, including access to the LIV’s mentor program, confidential support and counselling services through the Employee Assistance Program Resources, research and support services including access to the LIV’s Law Library’s extensive resources, books and other online legal databases, as well as discounts on legal texts, books and forms purchased from the LIV Law Book’s website and bookshop Advocacy and influence through joining one of the LIV Young Lawyers’ sub-committees for lawyers who are new to the progression Contribute submissions to Young Lawyers publications.

Stay informed of the latest legal updates through Student LawNews, access expert career advice and fresh insights into the future of the profession via the Young Lawyers Online Resource Centre, blog and quarterly journal.

LIV Student membership is free and will allow you to access the great benefits and opportunities available.

For additional information, please visit the LIV website or email younglaw@liv.asn.au

The LIV Seasonal Clerkship and Trainee Guidelines ensure consistency and fairness throughout the legal recruitment process. The Guidelines provide the agreed framework for the dates and communication protocols for the making of offers for seasonal clerkship and traineeship positions by signatory law firms, and the acceptance of offers by law students.

The LIV values the commitment that all signatories make towards ensuring compliance with these guidelines as the leading industry structure that supports the legal recruitment process.

Eligibility To be eligible to apply for clerkship a student must be in their final or penultimate year of study. Students who have already completed their law degree are eligible to apply, however applications will be accepted at the discretion of each Signatory.

Applications Applications for graduate positions will open no earlier than 10am Thursday 10th August, 2023 and will close (a) no later than 11.59pm Wednesday 23rd August, 2023.

Each Signatory is responsible for setting its own application process and this aspect of the recruitment (b) process is outside the scope of these Guidelines and the LIV’s involvement.

Students are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the graduate application process and policies of any (c) Signatory to which they are applying and allow sufficient time for lodgement of their application.

All interviews for clerkship positions are permitted to be conducted by electronic means. (d) An applicant who, due to “genuine necessity” will be unable to attend an interview during the interview (e) period should apply to the LIV for permission to be interviewed at a date outside the application dates.

“Genuine Necessity” will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the LIV. Applications should be made to the LIV Young Lawyers Manager in writing and include appropriate supporting documentation. Written permission is to be granted at the sole discretion of the LIV. Where an unforeseen error occurs in the lodgement of an application made pursuant to these Guidelines, the (f) student may make a case for consideration to the relevant Signatory, but it is at the discretion of the Signatory concerned as to whether the application is accepted.

Offers Business Day is defined as Monday to Friday. (a) Business Hours is defined as the period between 9am and 5pm. (b) A Signatory may make an offer of a clerkship to a student no earlier than 10am Wednesday 18th October, (c) 2023.

Any offer of clerkship must remain open for a minimum period of four (4) business hours from the time the (d) offer was made, or until the following business day for offers made after 1pm, pursuant to paragraph 7(d).

Students must not hold more than four (4) clerkship offers for a period of more than two (2) Business Hours.

All offers made pursuant to paragraph 7(b) of these Guidelines will be made by email. All email offers must (e) detail: (i) the terms of the offer; and (ii) that the offer is made pursuant to these Guidelines.

Signatories are permitted to make follow up calls to offerees once the offer has been made by email (f) An offer made under these Guidelines applies to clerkships within a one (1) year period from the date of offer but can be extended in circumstances agreed between the student and the Signatory for a further one (1) year period if a student requests a deferral of the clerkship.

Signatories are not obligated to offer clerkships each year but if they do, they must follow the Guidelines. (g)

Eligibility Subject to paragraph 8(c), any offer made under these Guidelines relates to a graduate position commencing (a) in 2024.

To be eligible to apply for a graduate position a student must have already completed their law degree or will (b) commence their final semester in 2023.

Successful applicants who have already completed their law degree are eligible to commence their graduate (c) position prior to 2024 by agreement between the law firm and the applicant.

Applications Applications for graduate positions will open no earlier than 10am Thursday 10th August, 2023 and will close (a) no later than 11.59pm Wednesday 23rd August, 2023.

Each Signatory is responsible for setting its own application process and this aspect of the recruitment (b) process is outside the scope of these Guidelines and the LIV’s involvement.

Students are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the graduate application process and policies of any (c) Signatory to which they are applying and allow sufficient time for lodgement of their application.

All interviews for graduate positions are permitted to be conducted by electronic means. (d) An applicant who, due to “genuine necessity” will be unable to attend an interview during the interview (e) period should apply to the LIV for permission to be interviewed at a date outside the application dates.

“Genuine Necessity” will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the LIV. Applications should be made to the LIV Young Lawyers Manager in writing and include appropriate supporting documentation. Written permission is to be granted at the sole discretion of the LIV. Where an unforeseen error occurs in the lodgement of an application made pursuant to these Guidelines, the (f) student may make a case for consideration to the relevant Signatory, but it is at the discretion of the Signatory concerned as to whether the application is accepted.

Priority Offers Business Day is defined as Monday to Friday. (a) Business Hours is defined as the period between 9am and 5pm. (b) Priority Offer is defined as an offer made pursuant to paragraph 10(b). (c) In accordance with paragraph 10, Signatories may make priority offers of a graduate position to the following (d) students: (i) students who within the previous two (2) years preceding the date of making the offer referred to in

(e) (f) (g)

(h) (i)

this paragraph, have substantially completed a clerkship of at least two (2) weeks duration with the offering firm, either in Victoria or at 2023 LIV Clerkship and Graduate Program Guidelines 7 one of the firm’s interstate or international offices or virtually; or (ii) students who during the previous two (2) years and for a minimum period of ten (10) working days, have performed paralegal work for the offering firm, either in Victoria or at one of the firm’s interstate or international offices or virtually.

Offers made pursuant to paragraph 10(b)(i) and 10(b)(ii) are at the discretion of the Signatory.

It is accepted that Signatories invite students to express their interest in being considered for a Priority Offer at the conclusion of their clerkship.

Subject to paragraph 10(f), Signatories intending to make Priority Offers are not permitted to interview market graduate applicants or to make offers or arrangements concerning market graduate applicants prior to making a Priority Offer.

Signatories are permitted to interview paragraph 10(b)(ii) Priority Offer candidates before making a Priority Offer.

The Priority Offers made pursuant to this paragraph can be made either in writing and/or by telephone no earlier than 10am Tuesday 8th August, 2023.

Priority Offers A Priority Offer must remain open until the earlier of acceptance/rejection in accordance with paragraphs (j) 10(i) and 10(j) or 4pm on Wednesday 9 August 2023.

An applicant will not hold more than two (2) Priority Offers for longer than a two (2) hour-period. (k) An applicant must accept/reject any Priority Offer received within four (4) Business Hours of it being made.

For avoidance of doubt, Priority Offers made at 1pm must be accepted or rejected by 5pm on the same (l) Business Day. Priority Offers made after 1pm must be accepted or rejected by 10am the following Business Day. A graduate position can be deferred in circumstances agreed between the student and the firm for a further (m) one (1) year period if the student requests a deferral of the graduate position.

Market Offers Except as provided in paragraph 10, Signatories may make offers of graduate positions to eligible students (a) no earlier than 10am Wednesday 4th October, 2023.

All offers made pursuant to this paragraph will be made by email. All email offers must detail: (b) (i) the terms of the offer; and (ii) that the offer is made pursuant to these Guidelines.

Signatories will not make follow-up calls to offerees before 11am on the date of offer. (c) Except as provided in paragraph 10, an offer of a graduate position will remain open for a period of not less (d) than twenty-four (24) hours from the time the offer was made or until 11am the following Business Day for offers made prior to 11am. Signatories should make this known to students at the time of making offers in accordance with this paragraph.

A graduate position can be deferred in circumstances agreed between the student and the firm for a further (e) one (1) year period if the student requests a deferral of the graduate position.

Signatories are not obligated to offer graduate positions each year but if they do, they must follow the (f) Guidelines.

In order to be admitted as a legal practitioner in Victoria, a Practical Legal Training (PLT) course or a Supervised Workplace Training Programme must first be completed. Upon completion of a PLT, you will be awarded with a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice which further allows you to apply for admission as a Legal Practitioner. In the majority of circumstances, a PLT is undertaken after the completion of a law degree. However, exceptions can be made by seeking approval from the Council of Legal Education Board of Examiners to commence your PLT prior to the completion of your law degree. Effectively, a PLT course prepares you for real world and practical situations including drafting documents, interviewing clients, advocacy negotiation, and other skills that are essential for every practising lawyer.

How long will it take: PLT courses generally take anywhere between 15 to 30 weeks to complete, depending on whether they are studied part-time or full-time.

How much does it cost: The price of a PLT course is dependent on the institution. For domestic students, the PLT course will cost approximately between $10,000 - $12,000. There are differences in prices based on providers, and whether you are a domestic or international student. Work experience can also count towards your PLT course, keeping your fees lower. FEE-HELP is also available for PLT courses.

Where can I do it: There are three PLT providers in Australia: Leo Cussen Centre For Law [https://www.leocussen.edu.au/] The College of Law [https://www.collaw.edu.au/] The Australian College of Applied Professions [https://www.acap.edu.au/plt/] How do I get in: Each PLT provider has its own distinctive methods for application. Commonly, however, you are only required to fill out forms and submit both your academic transcript and resume. The intention of each institution is to use your resume and transcript to assess your commitment to utilise the PLT course to its full potential. A student who demonstrates their willingness will inherently be selected over those who fail to do so.

Points to consider: When deciding on your PLT course, it is wise to ask yourself whether you wish to complete it online or onsite. The decision should be influenced by factors such as your own flexibility, your requirements, and whether you intend to work in an office environment. It is also worth considering whether you feel comfortable finding placement for yourself as part of the course or whether you wish to be assigned one.

Your Story, Your Career.

Be the Whole Lawyer.

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The legal profession is evolving. Clients and employers are not only seeking legal professionals with technical expertise, but lawyers who are empathetic, adaptable, creative and ethical. That’s why we’ve updated our Practical Legal Training (PLT) program to give law grads the skills to confidently enter the legal profession and thrive.

The Whole Lawyer Four professional capabilities are taught and developed throughout our PLT program to help you become the whole lawyer – technical capability, human skills, character, and adaptability.

The skills you’ll develop within each of these four professional capabilities are designed to help you be successful and confident in your legal career from day one.

Technical Capability (TQ)

Human Skills (EQ)

Character (CQ)

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will enhance your ability to work with clients across a range of entry level practice areas. With the support of expert legal practitioners, you’ll run simulated client matters to learn essential legal and business skills, processes and procedures to work effectively with clients.

are critical for effective client interaction, negotiation, and advocacy. Through immersive learning and an optional industry secondment, you’ll fast track your journey to becoming an empathetic lawyer with advanced emotional intelligence.

helps you to become a values-driven and selfaware lawyer, acting with integrity. Explore ethics, professionalism and reflective practice through a program of mentoring lasting 20-weeks full time or 30-weeks part time.

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The PLT that opens doors Delivered by ACAP, this practical legal training (PLT) genuinely connects students with the legal profession, providing valuable networking, mentoring and career opportunities, and free Graduate LIV membership during their PLT studies.

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A lifelong relationship with the profession Graduate membership with the LIV opens doors to an expansive professional network, the opportunity to participate in legal policy development, events, and a career-long relationship that will help you gain experience and access to an extensive network of leaders in the profession.

Experts in applied learning Over almost 40 years, ACAP has helped over 20,000 graduates launch impactful careers – we’ve designed the ACAP PLT with real-world projects and assessment tasks to provide students with the industry-relevant skills and practical knowledge to succeed in any legal environment, in any practice area.

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APPLICATION

WELLBEING IN THE CLERKSHIP PROCESS So you’ve made it, it’s here, it’s happening. The clerkship period is finally upon us with nothing slowing it down. For some, it’s a chance to show off experiences and skills that we’ve acquired over the years. For others, the anticipation and anxiety threaten to strike us out before we’ve had a chance to play the game. Whichever position you find yourself in, know that there are plenty of others feeling the exact same way and read on for some tips to hold close.

Preparation is key Whether you’re starting to network or writing a cover letter, being well informed goes a long way to reducing stress. Having conversations can be hard but nobody said you have to do them on the fly.

Preparing questions will make your life much easier and mean that you have plenty to fall back on in order to engage with a firm. Looking into the firm’s recent deals, awards and activities goes a long way to showing your interest and commercial awareness when writing cover letters and doing interviews. So ask questions, not just of firms but of students, professionals and anyone who has an interesting path.

Practice makes perfect Nobody is an expert the first time they do something. So why do we expect to do things perfectly when we’ve never been in this situation before? Remember not to be too hard on yourself and to take each opportunity as another step up the ladder, rather than striving for the top on your first attempt. Expose yourself to as many networking opportunities and events as possible. Each time, try to do one thing better than you did the last time.

Write multiple drafts of cover letters and send them to someone you trust for review. You might feel silly the first, second and fifth time, but once you get over this hurdle, you’ll feel more comfortable and relaxed when you find yourself in that situation in reality.

‘Be yourself’ Be yourself, even when you have no clue who that is. Being yourself doesn’t mean knowing who you are and what you are going to do with your life. It means being authentic, true to what feels right to you and engaging with firms as a human being, not a representation of the person you think they want you to be.

Meg Reid 2024 Graduate Program at MinterEllison

It’s all about perspective It’s easy to get overwhelmed thinking about how a firm is looking into the depths of your soul and deciding whether to take you on. But try to remember, you are deciding whether a certain firm is right for you just as much as they are deciding whether you are right for them. You have your own unique value and benefit that the firm is interested in, and you can use this to your advantage. You work for the business of you and need to make sure that the place you choose to work is fulfilling and empowering.

Comparison is the thief of joy The wise words of President Theodore Roosevelt are more important than ever to hold on to. If we compare ourselves to what those around us are doing, we both discount our individuality and tell ourselves we’ve lost without ever giving ourselves a chance. We end up feeling inadequate and deflated neither of which serve us in any way. Run your own race - when we stop holding ourselves to other people’s standards, our own creativity can be unleashed. Work out what makes YOU special and unique and tell your own story. Embrace what makes you different and don’t rule yourself out.

You are not defined by the firms that reject you Unfortunately, rejection is inevitable. Nobody does it perfectly and nobody is immune from the downfalls. One thing you need to remember - it isn’t personal. Each firm has a certain number of spots to fill and do not have capacity to take on everyone who applies. Getting a clerkship is not determinative of your worth. There are plenty of pathways and some of the most successful lawyers did not receive clerkship offers. If this door doesn’t open, it’s not your door.

GUIDANCE FOR NETWORKING EVENTS A networking evening is usually a component of most firms’ application processes. The good news is that if you have been invited to a networking evening, this generally means you have made some advancement in the application process – congratulations!

Hopefully, the following tips can provide some insight and guidance on what to expect on a networking night.

Tara Dakin Seasonal Clerk at Allens, Baker McKenzie and Herbert Smith Freehills

Relax and try to enjoy the evening The networking portion of the process is about you getting to know the firm just as much as it is about the firm getting to know you! You should try to view the evening as an opportunity to meet new people and have interesting conversations. While the entirety of the discussion does not have to be legally oriented, it is important to remain professional throughout the evening.

A small amount of preparation may ease nerves While your networking shouldn’t resemble a cross-examination, having a few questions prepared in advance may give you a boost of confidence. Although it may sound obvious, first think about how you are going to introduce yourself, as this will be the initial impression you make. Next, gather some questions that will help answer some queries you have about the firm, such as their culture or diversity and inclusion initiatives. Finally, remember to ask people about themselves, including why they work at the firm or about their practice group.

Introduce yourself to other applicants Attending the evenings alone can be particularly intimidating. Pairing up with other applicants to approach representatives from the firm can be a nice way to ease into the evening. You will find the other applicants are feeling the same range of emotions, and there will be a sense of comradery. Plus, if you are successful, some of your fellow applicants may end up in your clerkship cohort, and therefore you will already know some familiar faces on your first day.

Find your buddy from the firm If you have been given an invitation for a networking evening, the firm may also have assigned you a buddy for the interview process. Consider locating your buddy in the evening and introducing yourself if you haven’t met already. The firms usually assign buddies who are juniors at the firm so they will have a plethora of knowledge about the application process having recently gone through it themselves.

Additionally, your buddy can point out some good people to talk to from practice groups that are of interest.

Expand your horizons Make an effort to speak to a wide range of people at the networking evening. The conversations you have with graduates will be as important as those you have with partners. Try to also engage with a variety of practice groups, as this will help inform your decision about which team you would prefer to clerk in if successful.

Debrief After the networking evening has finished it can be helpful to take some time to reflect on your experience. It can be helpful to write down who you met from the firm and any key takeaways from the evening. There may be an appropriate point in your interview to use this information as a reason why you want to be a clerk at the firm.

COMMERCIAL AWARENESS What is Commercial Awareness When I first started my clerkship application preparation, the term ‘commercial awareness’ kind of scared me. While I knew I wanted to experience a corporate law firm, I didn’t believe I had the requisite experience to back it up. I was lucky enough to have some legal experience, but it was all public law and I thought this might not be conducive to my applications. The fact of the matter is, while having commercial legal experience is an easy way to display your commercial awareness – there are so many other ways to do this (even if you have no legal experience at all).

Commercial awareness does not mean you have worked in a commercial firm. Commercial awareness stems from an understanding of how a business operates, its client base, why it is successful, and any current challenges it may face.

Remember that this is something that you will develop throughout your legal career. They don’t expect you to know everything about commercial law going into your clerkship. Firms want to see that you have an active interest in pursuing commercial law, and that you are enthusiastic to pursue these interests with their firm.

Here are some tips & tricks to both develop and display your commercial awareness: Tip 1: Retail or hospitality experience is some of the BEST experience Don’t shy away from your experience in retail or hospitality, highlight it! This type of work shows that you have skills in working with people, are aware of the key drivers for profitability and growth, as well as how a business might have to adapt to a changing landscape (e.g. Covid-19). For example, working in retail you work with all sorts of customers. You can leverage this experience by sharing a time you went above and beyond for a customer. This shows that you recognise the needs of a business and how to build relationships with clients, skills that display your commercial awareness.

Tip 2: Read the news This is one of the easiest ways to demonstrate commercial awareness. Keep up to date with what is going on because a lot of firms may ask you to share what news stories you are interested in.

Clare Carroll Associate at Baker McKenzie

There are heaps of resources out there, some of the best places to start include the AFR, The Economist and Lawyer’s Weekly - the DLSS even have a few publications out there. If some of these resources are a bit overwhelming (they were for me too when I first started reading), take a look at some of the firm’s blogs and podcasts. They can provide you with a really good idea of what deals are being done and the key takeaways from each.

Tip 3: Get to know the firm's clients and the deals they are making This can work in moderation. Don’t just do a quick scan of a firm’s website and pick up one deal and run with it. Chances are, if you get an interview, you will be questioned on it and if you don’t have a real interest - it will show. Make sure that if you are mentioning deals in your applications that you understand the deal and that you can explain why you were interested in it.

Tip 4: Ask questions Curiosity is something firms look for in their candidates and it is also one of the best ways to develop your commercial awareness. Reach out to people on LinkedIn or at events you go to and ask them what they are working on!

Here are some questions you might be asked by firms: Why do you want to pursue a career in commercial law?

What recent commercial issues have you been following?

What is a news story that you have found particularly interesting?

What do you think are the challenges facing law firms right now?

When have you gone above and beyond for a customer or client?

TOP TIPS FOR THE CLERKSHIP PROCESS When I applied for clerkships, it felt as if I was embarking on a life and death, ‘all or nothing’ journey. During the oftentimes confusing and isolating experience, I was lucky to have mentors, as well as opportunities, to observe and gain an insight into what a successful applicant was. This helped me develop the following lessons for the process.

Jack Leeds Seasonal Clerk at Maddocks

Tip 1: Be yourself While cliché and played out, the only way for you to attract a firm and feel a connection with them is to be the best version of yourself. This will allow you to have connections with firms at networking nights beyond just the standard introductory small talk. If you can, find people you connect with and leverage that relationship to find out more about the firm – this shows interest and an understanding beyond their website! Your point of difference and what you can bring to a firm is so important.

Tip 2: Know what you want Whether you’re aiming big or small, aiming for success and shunning the prospect of failure is the best way to be. Dream big, while you may not get an offer at every firm you apply for, going for things you are passionate about will leave you without regret. Life is about growing from your experiences. Failure can be a massive hurdle. But, without trying you will never know.

Tip 3: Tailor the applications to the firm Using the first two points, tailoring why you and your experience would be a good fit for the firm is the point most people get to. Showing how the firm can help you also achieve your career goals is another common outcome. Combining those in a nuanced way which shows a critical insight into why you are applying to the firm will create the best impact, helping you stand out. Listen to firm podcasts, seminars and read articles – these all can be used to show an understanding in your application.

Tip 4: Trust your experience Be brave, back yourself. Not all applications are successful. But, if you are someone wanting to apply for a clerkship, find your point of difference. Whether it was pouring a good coffee working your hospo job, or helping as a volunteer at a homeless shelter, you are unique in what you can offer as a law student. Find that, and why you resonate with the firms you are applying to, and you will have the starting point to a successful application. I welcome anyone to message me on LinkedIn if you wish to discuss more.

All the best!

10 TIPS WHEN APPLYING FOR CLERKSHIPS Applying for clerkships is an exciting time. You are taking the first step to becoming a commercial lawyer. Equally, it can be a stressful process! Here are a few tips that helped me.

Tip 1: Make a plan The application process can seem daunting at first. Start by breaking down each step into manageable tasks. This will increase motivation, productivity, and make the process seem much more manageable. Also, who doesn’t like crossing things off a list!

Tip 2: Make time to write Allocate a fair chunk of time to writing applications. A good cover letter will take time and should be tailored to the firm you are applying for. You want to finish the process knowing you put your best foot forward. It is a marathon, not a sprint.

Tip 3: Be creative with your research Inevitably, every clerkship candidate will start their research on the firm’s website. To stand out, ensure you are creative about the way you research. Are there any particular deals the firm has done that interested you? Did you study any of the cases in your electives? Your interest in the firm will come across and it will be clear you went the extra mile.

Tip 4: Keep Networking Just because applications have opened, doesn’t mean you should stop networking. In your research, was there a case you enjoyed reading about? Reach out to the lawyers on LinkedIn. Their insights can help structure your cover letters, and provide you valuable insights which can help you stand out.

Tip 5: Quality over Quantity It is important to cover your field when applying for clerkships. However, this should never negate the quality of your application. If you are pressed for time, reflect on the firms you are really interested in and allocate your time accordingly.

Sam Ejtemai Lawyer, Construction & Projects Tip 6: Read it, then read it again Proofreading is key! The quickest way to ruin a perfect application is with a typo. Double and triple check the firm name and HR representative. Fresh eyes can always help spot mistakes. Find a system that works for you. Whether that is printing out your application and reading a hard copy or having a trusted friend to read it over for you.

Tip 7: Create a Support Group A strong support network can be critical to help you through the process. Tell your friends and family you will be applying. Balancing applications with study and or work can be stressful. There can be days where you will be stressed, irritated, overwhelmed (I know I was). Having a support network can help alleviate some of this stress.

Tip 8: Keep track of your applications Save your applications on multiple platforms. On the off chance you have tech difficulties, you want to make sure your progress is saved. Moreover, if you get an interview, you will want to read over your application again.

Tip 9: Remain professional at all times Many of the firms will put on a networking night before the interviews for prospective clerks.

Whether these events are in person or virtual, remain professional. It is always better to be overdressed than underdressed and to limit alcohol consumption.

Tip 10: Make time to relax The process can be stressful, particularly if you are juggling multiple networking events, and interviews. To avoid burnout, make sure you block out time for yourself. Do things that relax you that are not law related.

EXCELLING IN THE CLERKSHIP PROCESS Victoria’s 2023 legal clerkship season is fast approaching! While clerkships are by no means the only way to gain legal work experience while studying, they offer you a great opportunity to learn from some highly experienced professionals in a practice area likely chosen by you, and land yourself a graduate role in the legal sector. Investing your time in preparing clerkship applications may be more worthwhile than you think.

Jim Han Seasonal Clerk at Allens and Baker McKenzie

You probably have heard from somewhere or someone that anyone who goes through the clerkship application process, with or without an offer, should be extremely proud of themselves. I cannot agree with this statement more. My whole clerkship application journey was an invaluable learning experience that benefited me in many ways. What they say is true - there is a lot to gain and almost nothing to lose.

Last year, I was told by interviewers that they would like to see more clerkship applications from Deakin Law students as Deakin Law School is renowned for its practical teaching and industry focus. It contains at least two pieces of important information. First, there were not enough Deakin Law students who applied in 2022.

Second, employers want to give more clerkships to Deakin Law students. So if you are reading this, please do consider applying for clerkships this year if you are eligible.

As I am a law student speaking from my own experience, please take everything I write here with a grain of salt. Please give priority to information and advice from official resources and legal professionals.

Leave as much time as possible to prepare Everyone I know who applied for clerkships told me that they felt underprepared. I felt the same – I was overwhelmed by the number of questions asked in some of the application forms and the effort required to answer those questions properly. If you are eligible to apply this year, consider adjusting your work and other commitments if possible, and allocating more time for the upcoming clerkship season.

Start filling out each online application form as soon as it’s out. You can always save your answers and finish later. Or at least leave weeks, not days, for completing your applications, even if you have done your CV and cover letters. Signatories cannot consider late applications. In fact, there is no way to submit your application even one second after the deadline.

Research, Research, Research The DLSS clerkship guide is a great start. The 2023 LIV Guidelines are also a must-read. Then, prepare to spend significant time conducting extensive research about each of the signatory firms and organisations that attract you. The firms’ websites are your best friends, as they have important information about their culture, history, values, practice areas, offices, clients, recent cases, achievements, etc. Some firms also have blogs, podcasts, and webinars that share valuable industry insights. All the information will enable you to align your response in your applications and interviews with the firm’s expectations and demonstrate not only your knowledge but also your genuine interest in their values and work. Employers appreciate candidates who take the time to learn about their organisation and show enthusiasm for joining their team.

You will also need to understand the clerkship role that each firm/organisation offers. Familiarise yourself with the responsibilities and expectations. Review job descriptions, seek insights from current or former clerks, and read relevant articles or publications. This understanding will allow you to articulate how your skills, experiences, and aspirations align with the role.

EXCELLING IN THE CLERKSHIP PROCESS Equally important is the commercial and industry awareness that requires extensive research and reading over the time. Know what is happening in the legal industry both locally and internationally, and get ready to write and/or talk about a few recent cases that relate to the practice areas you are interested in.

Furthermore, if you are like me who did not know much about psychometric tests at all, it’s time to familiarise yourself with them. While not every firm does this anymore, many still do. Different firms may use different platforms.

Apply to as many signatories that you are interested in as possible: You may want to prioritise on applying to those that attract you the most, especially when there are 30 signatories offering seasonal clerkships, as you do not want to sacrifice quality for quantity. Having said that, it’s generally a good idea to cast a wide net when applying for seasonal clerkships, as the whole application process is a numbers game. Most people I know who applied last year felt that they should have applied to more firms but did not do so because they ran out of time.

Prepare for the interview: Most firms only have one round of interview for clerkships where two or three interviewers and you sit together in a room for 20 to 30 minutes. A few may ask candidates to conduct a ‘virtual interview’ or group interview before sending out individual interview offers.

In a ‘virtual interview’, you will be given an opportunity to practise. Once the app/webpage starts asking you a question, you will only have a short moment, usually less than a minute, before it starts recording your response. There are normally two to three questions and your allocated time for each response will be less than a minute. While you may be allowed to make multiple attempts at a question where only the last response counts, finishing all questions in one go is the best way to stand out.

After confirming your individual interview, some firms assign you a buddy, usually a lawyer who graduated in recent years, according to your preferences. It gives you a chance to gain insights from someone who went through the clerkship application process and knows the firm well. They are godsend and genuinely want to help you succeed in your applications.

Some firms also host clerkship events for those who make to the interview stage. Many lawyers, from Partners to graduate lawyers, will be there to help you get to know the firm and will be happy to network with you.

Interviewers from commercial law firms tend to have a more conversational style and do not necessarily have a list of questions that they have to go through. Nonetheless, prepare for behavioural questions.

Also, get ready to ask interviewers questions towards the end of the interview if given the opportunity to do so.

Prepare for the offer day: This year’s clerkship offers come out from 10am on Wednesday 18 October. Official offers will be sent out to your email address on that day. Upon receiving an offer, you will need to follow the instructions in the offer email to either accept or reject the offer within hours. Some firms use a third-party company to run a security check, which is similar to a police check, and will require your consent and personal information such as your ID and current and previous home addresses.

Before sending out offer emails, some firms prefer to call their successful candidates and deliver the exciting news over the phone. The call may either come from HR or one of your interviewers. Make sure you are available to answer phone calls and check/reply emails throughout the day.

STANDING OUT IN YOUR INTERVIEW Firstly, to those of you reading this in preparation for the upcoming clerkship season: Good luck. If you choose to apply for clerkships, regardless of how many you apply for, there is a strong argument to say that clerkship season is the most stressful, competitive and pressurefilled part of your time at law school.

Dan Barac Graduate Lawyer

Take care of yourself and try to stay sane. To those of you reading this after completing your applications and receiving an interview request, congratulations! You’ve done incredibly well to get this far – statistically, if you’re interviewing at a top commercial firm, you’ve probably beat out around 300 – 500 other applicants. Regardless of whether you get offered a clerkship, this is a feat you should be incredibly proud of.

There is no perfect way to prepare for your upcoming clerkship interview, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. However, I hope that this article is slightly helpful in pushing you the extra mile to secure the ultimate commercially-interest law student’s bag: a clerkship.

Preparation It goes without saying that you need to prepare for a clerkship interview. But how? Firstly, your preparation will differ based on where you have applied because firms will interview differently.

Generally speaking, I directed less time preparing typical interview questions ahead of interviews at commercial firms than I did ahead of government firms (though this isn’t to say that you get asked the typical interview questions at a commercial firm clerkship interview). Commercial firms generally host far chattier interviews than I had previously experienced, and it makes sense. Their interviewer panels have interviewed thousands of potential clerks over the years, and they know that the best way they can assess a culture fit is to treat you like you are already part of the team.

My advice: take this treatment and run with it. Try to be as chatty and personable as possible, speaking to them as if it was an old work colleague simply asking about your last jobs because they have forgotten where you used to work. However, you still need to remember that you’re in an interview, so maintain your professionalism! This is a fine line to walk and one that really only comes with practice. On the other hand, government clerkship interviews are generally far more structured.

In these, you can expect a friendly barrage of your typical interview questions with far less emphasis on chattiness, so make sure you have brushed up on your STAR responses ahead of these interviews (thanks, Deakin TALENT).

Know your Application Ahead of meeting you, your interviewers only know what you have told them in your resume and cover letter. It makes sense, then, that they will have a number of questions asking for more detail about what experiences you’ve had and what those have taught you. It is important that you reread your resume and cover letter while preparing for your interview so you aren’t caught out forgetting something you put in and having to make up a story about it on the spot.

STANDING OUT IN YOUR INTERVIEW Know your Application This is also the time to remind you to brush up on your research about the topics you mentioned in your cover letter. Did you talk about a specific project that interested you? A firm podcast episode you liked? A deal that caught your eye? Make sure you brush up on these things if you mentioned them because there is a strong likelihood the interviewers will take your interest at face value and want to have a candid chat about those things to try and put you at ease.

Being Memorable = Being Yourself The brutal truth of clerkship interviews is that your interviewers are trying to work out whether you will fit into the firm’s culture. Given that they will have a number of other interviews to do before and after yours, it is crucial that you try to stand out in your interview so you’re front of mind when the interviewers all pile into a room and decide which lucky applicants will receive offers.

Given that I am super “social justice-y”, I referred in my applications to the work each firm was doing in the Aboriginal justice space. In my interviews, I wore ties with Aboriginal art designs, and this was a great talking point that helped me segue into my interests outside of law school as well as some work the firm was conducting. My interviewers also asked about my prior work at McDonalds, so I finished one of my interviews comparing my Maccas order (a triple cheeseburger meal, extra pickles and mustard) to my interviewers, and this showed I was willing to have a bit of a laugh and helped ensure the interviewers left my interview with a pleasant (see also, mustardy) taste in their mouth.

Key takeaway from this section: being fashion forward = clerkship success (this is a joke).

The Big Day On the day of your interview, you are going to be nervous. This is an unfortunate but inescapable fact.

If you have a routine you follow to help you beat the nerves, then do it. Otherwise, be reassured in your preparedness and your interest in the firms, so that once the interview starts and your nerves wear off, you can open up more easily and show them what you’re made of!

Remember that the firm you are interviewing at was interested enough in your application to progress you to this stage, and that is no laughing matter. This is just a chance for you to reinforce your position as a candidate and prove to the firm that their interest wasn’t misplaced!

HOW TO EXCEL IN YOUR CLERKSHIP INTERVIEW These top tips are written by DeakinTALENT staff who have previously worked as Clerkship/Legal Recruiters for top-tier Law & Consulting firms.

The clerkship interview will seek to assess three core areas: Ability (can you do it?)

Motivation (will you do it?)

Cultural fit (will people like you and want to work with you?)

On the flip side, you need to determine if a firm is the right match for you. To assist you with your preparation, DeakinTALENT’s top clerkship interview tips are: Prepare Comprehensively It goes without saying, but to perform well in a clerkship interview, thorough research and preparation are essential. The effort you put into preparation will help to distinguish you.

Core areas to focus your preparation on include: Industry and commercial awareness Industry and commercial awareness involves being up to speed with the broader business world in which the law operates. Among other things, it enables you to form opinions and relate to the needs of clients. As such, it’s a required and sought after employability skill which will be assessed for in a clerkship interview.

Example questions - What are some key challenges currently facing our industry? How do you keep up to date with what’s going on in our industry and the business world more broadly? What’s a business story in the media that has interested you recently? What’s your understanding of how our firm fits and operates within our industry? What’s an example of a case you’ve found interesting and why did it interest you?

How to prepare – Read, watch, and listen on a regular basis. Read: Newspapers, business magazines, industry publications, books, news websites, blogs, Twitter. Watch: The news, and programs that provide an objective analysis of what the news means. Listen: Industry and current affairs podcasts, speakers at industry events.

Knowledge of the firm Understanding the firm you are interviewing with is essential. Regardless of how impressive your other responses are, if it’s apparent that you don’t have an adequate understanding of or interest in the firm, it will be a deal-breaker.

Example questions - What’s your understanding of our firm and the work we do? What interests you about working with our firm? What area(s) of law are you most interested in? What’s your understanding of our clients and how we work with them?

How to prepare - A starting point for firm research might include; practice areas, reputation in the market, types of clients they work with, firm history, significant mergers/acquisitions, key competitors, office locations, number of employees, types of roles, firm values, firm culture, recent awards and notable achievements, recent media articles/mentions, community involvement, points of difference to others similar firms, the firm’s position on topics such as corporate social responsibility, sustainability, pro-bono, diversity etc. Don’t feel like you have to showcase all information you learn. Be strategic and weave it in organically.

Knowledge of the clerkship position Clerkships are not for everyone and require maturity, resilience, and dedication. It’s important you have an understanding of the reality of what a clerkship entails, why you are applying, and how you are a good match for the position.

HOW TO EXCEL IN YOUR CLERKSHIP INTERVIEW Example questions - What do you feel you would bring to the firm/clerkship? What do you hope to get out of a clerkship with us? What do you think would be the most challenging aspect of a clerkship for you?

How to prepare – Read information provided about the clerkship in detail (start with the firm’s website).

Attend firm preclerkship events. Speak with people in your network who have previously (ideally successfully) undertaken a clerkship.

Knowledge of your drive and motivation to pursue a career in law Your responses to questions about your interest in law, general motivations, and short/longer term goals will heavily influence decision making, and therefore need to be confident, considered, genuine and articulate.

Example questions - Tell me about yourself. What motivates you? What achievement(s) are you most proud of, and why? Describe a recent goal you set for yourself and achieved. Why should we hire you? What are your greatest strengths/areas for development? Where do you want to be in five years? In ten? Describe a time when you have had to manage a stressful situation. Describe a time when you have managed conflict. Describe a time when you failed. How did you respond? What do you like to do outside of work/study? Why were your grades [at X time or for X subject(s)] low?

How to prepare – Spend time on self-reflection. In addition to the above questions, brainstorm your responses to: What are ten words a good friend or family member would use to describe you? What values do you hold close? What have you achieved that you feel really good about? What have you enjoyed/not enjoyed about the work/study you’ve undertaken. What is your ideal work environment? What does success mean to you? What else is important to you outside of law?

Master the Meet and Greet Arrive at reception 5-10 minutes before your specified interview time. If you arrive earlier, go for a walk outside or wait in the ground floor lobby. Similar to arriving late, arriving at reception too early is inappropriate.

The first 30 seconds of an interview are particularly important. How you greet people reveals a great deal about your confidence, attitude, and professional polish. Stand to greet your interviewers warmly with a smile and firm handshake. If introduced to additional interviewers in the room, walk around the table to shake hands instead of reaching over, if possible. Introduce yourself using your first and last name.

Place your notebook/portfolio and pen on the table, but no personal items (such as water bottle, phone, handbag).

If a glass of water is offered, accept it. It helps to ease into the interview and you may need it.

Expect to meet with a combination of lawyers and staff from different levels and different areas of the firm.

Partners, Senior Associates, and members of the Human Resources team typically conduct clerkship interviews.

Respond with Impact The interview will likely commence with small talk. Be friendly, responsive and genuine. It’s important that you build rapport, and that the interviewer(s) likes you and can see you fitting into the culture of the firm.

The interview will include both behavioural and motivational questions. Take a moment to process the question being asked and consider the underlying competency before launching in. A few moments of silence to collect your thoughts is perfectly ok! Respond to all behavioural questions using the ‘STAR’ response structure – Situation/Task, Action, Result. Prepare robust examples for likely questions in advance. Focus on recent (opposed to high school) examples.

Speak articulately and keep track of time and pace. Ensure you provide adequate detail in your responses.

Be yourself! You don’t need to fit a certain stereotype or persona. It’s easy to spot insincerity in an interview.

HOW TO EXCEL IN YOUR CLERKSHIP INTERVIEW Respond with Impact Confidence should be tempered with humility. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance and interviewers will be on alert for this. Deakin students have a reputation for being genuine and self-aware and firms love this!

Expect and prepare for a structured interview process, but don’t be surprised if you end up having what feels more like a fireside chat! Partners are notorious for taking an interview in any direction they see fit/interesting at the time. Even if their style might seem laid back, your interviewer(s) will be assessing you, so maintain your focus.

Close with Powerful Questions The questions you ask at the end of an interview do as much to differentiate you as the ones you answer.

The interview is a two way process and it’s expected that you will have questions. Prepare at least three questions to ask, even if you don’t use them all. Responding with; ‘I haven’t got any questions, I think you’ve covered everything’ or ‘What are the next steps?’ as a stand-alone question will reflect on you negatively.

Focus on asking questions the interviewer is uniquely positioned to answer and that will provide you with useful insight. For example; What do you enjoy most about working here? Why did you choose [X] path out of university? Why did you choose to specialise in [X] practice area?

Tread carefully if you choose to ask about longer term training provided/funded by the firm. While important to understand, the interview should focus on what you can offer, opposed to what you want to gain.

Do not ask for interview feedback on the day, or mention anything on your way out such as: ‘I feel that went badly’, ‘I hope I gave some good responses’, ‘That was challenging!’ etc. These statements can damage your credibility.

Thank the interviewer, let them know you enjoyed meeting them. Clarify next steps if not yet addressed.

Maintain your interview focus The face-to-face clerkship interview typically forms one part of a broader clerkship selection process. Most firms, especially larger firms, will host a meet and greet networking event for those successful to interview stage. It is important you attend and that your networking and conversation focus is squarely on firm representatives, not other candidates in attendance. Introduce yourself, ask meaningful questions, be interested. Limit drinking to stay alert.

If you are fortunate to secure a clerkship, congratulations! The important work starts now. The clerkship itself is your interview for a graduate position. It is very important to: Maintain sharp focus, produce excellent work, communicate clearly and regularly, get involved, be interested, ask questions, assess if a graduate role with the firm is right for you.

All the best with the upcoming selection process! Please reach out with any questions.

-DeakinTALENT.

TIPS FOR SUBMITTING A HIGH QUALITY CLERKSHIP APPLICATION These top tips are written by DeakinTALENT staff who have previously worked as Clerkship/Legal Recruiters for top-tier Law & Consulting firms.

Ensure your resume is easy to read Firms typically receive hundreds of clerkship applications. To make your application stand out, ensure your formatting is clear and key information is easy to access. All formatting should be consistent - use the same font size and style for similar elements and ensure all spacing is consistent throughout your documents. It’s important your resume and cover letter look like they belong together as one application package.

Demonstrate a broad range of skills and experience Relevant legal experience is important to highlight, however don’t undervalue other part-time work you have undertaken and the transferable skills you have developed. Charitable work, involvement in the community, participation in university clubs and societies, independent travel, overseas exchange, additional languages, extra-curricular activities, and hobbies are all things that can help you to stand out as a well-rounded candidate.

Write in plain english Firms are seeking clear and professional communicators, they are not interested in how many big words you know, so you can put down the thesaurus! The vast majority of work you will do in your clerkship will be legal research, notetaking and drafting memos, so the quality of your written work is extremely important. Your resume and cover letter should be evidence of your ability to communicate clearly and professionally in writing. Read the firm’s website and take note of the tone and language they use - this will provide you with an insight into how they prefer information to be presented and how they communicate with their clients.

Let your skills and achievements shine Your resume must focus on achievements, results, and outcomes opposed to solely outlining duties, tasks and responsibilities. Consider where you have added value, for example; “Condensed and summarised a 120 page legal research report on family violence into a two page booklet which was subsequently used by [X team] to conduct community outreach”. DeakinTALENT’s Resume & Application Workshops can assist you in refining your bullet point statements for maximum impact.

Conduct through research The role of a clerk involves conducting legal research. As such, your application should evidence your research skills by demonstrating a strong understanding of the firm you are applying to. If you have strong interest in a particular practice area, it’s great for your interest and enthusiasm to shine through in your resume and cover letter, however don’t limit yourself. It’s important to present as being open to other opportunities, and willing and able to adapt when required. On a similar note, although it’s good to understand the range of pro bono work a firm engages in, avoid focusing your cover letter around their pro bono work as this is not the core business of a commercial firm.

Tailor each application Writing an individual cover letter for each firm is more time consuming, but is essential in ensuring that each application is strong and tailored. If you are finding it hard to write individual cover letters and struggling to think of a genuine reason why you are interested in a particular firm, consider whether you should be applying.

Instead, focus your energy into refining applications for firms that really matter to you.

Mention connections If you have a connection to or within the firm, mention it, but don’t overstate your relationship. If you reference their name, assume they will be contacted, so only mention connections if they will have something good to say! If they don’t remember you this can actually hurt, rather than help, your application. Out of courtesy, always seek approval to name anyone in your application.

TIPS FOR SUBMITTING A HIGH QUALITY CLERKSHIP APPLICATION Complete all short answer questions You might spend hours on your resume and cover letter, but all short answer questions are just as important!

Firms will often only read your application after your short answer responses have passed an initial screen. For that reason, do NOT write “refer to resume” as your response! Even though they might feel repetitive, the short answer questions are there for a reason. Click through the application on the firm’s website well ahead of when you plan to submit. That way, you will know what questions are being asked and you can ensure adequate time to prepare your responses. Draft your responses in a Word document and copy them into the form opposed to drafting them in the box provided. In addition to allowing you to spell check, many firms use similar questions, so this may be a great starting point for your next application!

Academics only form part of overall assessment You don’t have to be a high distinction student to secure a clerkship, especially if you have other skills and experience to offer the firm. An improvement in your marks throughout your degree will be viewed favourably, so don’t be disheartened by weaker academic results from earlier years. A fail is not necessarily an automatic rejection from the clerkship process. If you have failed a subject (Constitutional Law we’re looking at you), explain why, and outline what you learned from the experience in your cover letter. If you have repeated the subject and did better the second time, mention this.

Demonstrate commercial awareness Key commercial skills to demonstrate in your application include stakeholder management, negotiation and ability to build strong professional relationships. It can also be helpful to have a good understanding of the legal profession, current economic and political climate and the recent deals and matters the firm has successfully negotiated. For example, being aware of state and federal government investment into infrastructure projects may indicate an increase in demand for law firms specialising in construction and property law. Students who make this connection in their application demonstrate their understanding of the wider business and political context and how this may lead to opportunities.

Select referees carefully Firms often comment that students select referees (such as other lawyers) who don’t actually know them very well. When selecting referees, choose someone that is going to speak positively about you, but more importantly knows you well enough to be able to answer questions about your ability and motivations. Before including someone as a referee, always ask in advance if they are happy to provide a reference for you. It is also acceptable to discuss what they might say about you before you commit to them.

Request an independent review before submitting By the time you are ready to press the submit button, it’s likely you will have read through your application multiple times, which can make it difficult to pick up errors. Ask a trusted friend or family member to read each completed application for you in detail with a critical eye. If you have a connection within the firm, they may also be able to suggest some further refinements. Additionally, DeakinTALENT offers a Job Application Review service where you can request detailed feedback on your completed application(s).

Don’t self-select out!

Too often, law students assume failure before they have even applied for clerkships. The clerkship process is competitive and can appear daunting, but to paraphrase a well-known quote: “You miss out on 100% of the opportunities you don’t take”. If Trump has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes it’s not about being the most qualified, it’s just about being in the race.

All the best for the upcoming clerkship selection process! Please reach out with any questions.

Lauren Harris, Nicola Corner & Nina Walsh DeakinTALENT

SAMPLE COVER LETTER Fred Adams T: 0400 123 456 E: fredadams@deakin.edu.au 25 May 2018 Ms Betty Clarke Human Resources Advisor Frank & Irwin Lawyers 111 Evans Street MELBOURNE VIC 3000 Dear Ms Clarke Re:

Application for seasonal clerkship 2018/2019 - SAMPLE COVER LETTER ONLY

I am writing to apply for the seasonal clerkship 2018/2019 program at Frank & Irwin Lawyers. I am currently in the penultimate year of my Bachelor of Laws at Deakin University and like Frank & Irwin, I am committed to achieving results.

This is reflected by attainting a 75.00% average throughout my law degree.

My pathway to law has been different from most and I consider this a strength. Prior to deciding on law, I completed a Bachelor of Design at Deakin University. Coming from an area of study which promotes creativity has allowed me to apply innovative thinking to the way I approach the law. Following completion of this degree I worked full time at Quinn & Riley Lawyers as a law clerk. It was here the seed was planted and my love of the law blossomed. The following year I commenced a Bachelor of Laws. My continued employment at Quinn & Riley Lawyers along with the various other legal work I have completed has proved invaluable in helping me build a solid foundation from where I hope to grow with Frank & Irwin Lawyers. I have learned the importance of clear communication, client relationships, understanding clients’ needs and team work.

In July 2017 I met Lucy Jones at the Deakin Commercial Careers Fair. This is when I first became interested in Frank & Irwin through learning about the workplace culture. I participate in a range of extra curricular and social activities outside of my studies and legal work as I think it is important to be a well rounded person. This include mooting, volunteering, basketball and much more. Therefore, hearing about the various activities Frank & Irwin Social run appealed to me.

Further, the international rotation opportunities available during the graduate program appeal to me as it signifies the firm’s commitment to being world class. I recently returned from studying at the University of London which demonstrated to me the value international experiences have on students and lawyers’ personal and professional growth.

I am attracted to Frank & Irwin Lawyers due to the firm’s industry focus and international reach especially in the Asia Pacific region. The rapid growth of Asia means it is soon to become the most dominant economic region in the world.

Having studied Chinese (Mandarin) language and extensively travelled in Asia I am attracted to the potential opportunities coming out of this area particularly in relation to growing trade connections and foreign investment. Frank & Irwin Lawyer’s work on the acquisition of Cubbie Station demonstrates its involvement in significant cross border deals in this region which appeals to my interests. Further, I see industry focus as powerful advantage for Frank & Irwin Lawyers. The ability to demonstrate to clients a deep understanding of their needs which are directly shaped by the industry and geographies in which they operate ensures successful relations between the firm and its clients.

Further giving back to the community is a core value of mine. My volunteer work at the Youth Law Centre and Justice Connect and my charity work at the Cancer Council Australia has been rewarding. For this reason, I am further drawn to Frank & Irwin Lawyers knowing it shares this value through the corporate responsibility strategy focused around charitable giving, volunteering and pro bono work.

I wish to be a part of Frank & Irwin Lawyer’s future and am hopeful of being given the opportunity to complete a seasonal clerkship. I am a conscientious and hard working individual with a sense of fun and inclusion of others. I would bring a robust willingness to learn and enthusiasm to fulfil any role required of me. I am excited by the opportunity to be challenged by Frank & Irwin Lawyer’s variety of clients and the complexity of work.

I look forward to hearing from you at your convenience.

Yours sincerely Fred Adams

SAMPLE CV Fred Adams T: 0400 123 456 E: fredadams@gmail.com

EDUCATION Feb 2015 - Present

Feb 2010 - Oct 2014

WORK EXPERIENCE Jun 2014 - Present

Bachelor of Laws, Deakin University WAM: 75 Awards: Tertiary Academic Award in Commercial Law Study Abroad: University of London Bachelor of Design, Deakin University

Law Clerk, Quinn & Riley Lawyers (2 weekdays, full time in holidays) Commercial litigation, family law, estates, injuries and wills Research Preparing affidavits, statements of claim and other documents Collating and delivering briefs Attending court, client and settlement conferences Attending ADR conferences such as mediation General office administrative duties - proficient in LEAP

January 2017

Law Clerk, Supreme Court of Victoria (2 weeks) Reading and summarising judgments Preparing 'Summary Documents' for Judges on appeal cases

November 2016

Paralegal, Trott White Lawyers (2 weeks) Real Estate and Projects Reviewing sale contracts for Whitehorse Tower ($1 million plus) Preparing and inputing information into Excel spreadsheets

Mar 2014 - Sep 2015

Law Clerk, John Thompson Barrister Attending court and client conferences Photocopying, taking notes

Oct 2013 - Feb 2014

Intern, JJ Designs (1 weekday) Drafting architectural drawings - proficient in AutoCAD Participating in client and design meetings and site inspections Bar Tender, White Pub (1 weekday, 1 weekend day) Pouring beverages and learning recipes Customer service and meeting budgets

SAMPLE CV VOLUNTEERING/EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES May 2017 - Present Volunteer, Justice Connect (1 night per month) Attending conferences and taking notes for Solicitors Preparing draft letters to clients Feb 2017 - Present

Student Mentor, Deakin University (6 hours per week) Assisting mentees with transition into unviersity life Facilitating discussions around study skills and assignment tips

May 2016 - Present

Volunteer, Cancer Council Australia (1/2 day per week) Organising activities for hospital and ordering supplies Attending event meetings, organising volunteers and accounts

Jun 2016 - Mar 2018

Volunteer, Youth Law Centre (1 day per week) Legal research Drafting various legal documents such as affidavits Attending client conferences at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre General office administrative duties

Apr 2017 - Present

General Committee Member, Melbourne Basketball Club

Jan 2017 - Present

Editorial Committee Member, LIV Young Lawyers

Mar 2016 - Present

Member, Deakin Law Students' Society (DLSS)

Mar 2016 - Present

Member, Deakin University Students' Association (DUSA)

ACHIEVEMENTS/INTERESTS Apr 2015 - Present Mooting Finalist, First Year Moot (DLSS, Burwood Campus) Participant, Junior Moot (DLSS, Burwood Campus) Participant, Senior Moot (DLSS, Burwood Campus) Jun 2014 - Present

Basketball Melbourne Basketball Club

Other

Cello Australian Music Examinations Board 4th Grade (Cello) Languages English. proficient Chinese (Mandarin), limited working proficiency

References Available upon request

PRACTICE AREA INSIGHTS

REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT How would you describe Real Estate and Development?

The RED team is a bit of a hybrid. It's split in two, comprising the property (or 'real estate' team) and the environment and planning (or 'development' team).

James Keir Associate

The property team is a true front-end transactional team (ie the acquisition, sale, development and leasing of commercial, industrial and retail property). The environment and planning team (E&P) does a mixture of back-end disputes work (in planning, environment and land courts) and front-end advisory work in relation to the approvals that clients need to undertake major projects.

As a junior in the RED team, you're able to work across both streams, giving you a unique opportunity to work on transactions while also dipping your toes in the advisory and litigation space.

What work do we do in RED? Property, environment and planning law are fairly specialised areas and clients look to us for our understanding of the market and the industry in giving advice (not just our ability to draft documents or interpret legislation/case law). As a junior in the property stream, on any given day, I might find myself working on: General property acquisitions – a matter acting for an investment fund manager looking to expand their portfolio of real estate assets (or 'seed' a new fund). These acquisitions typically involve some due diligence on the asset, preparation of transaction documents (which can range from a fairly standard suite of contract and leasing documents, to bespoke documents giving effect to the 'one-of-a-kind' deals that the clients have cut), negotiation of those documents and eventually, completion of the acquisition.

Development and tenure structuring – a matter acting for a developer client acquiring and developing a greenfield project (or redeveloping an existing asset). A couple of recent examples include the development of new retail/commercial precincts in the vicinity of major pieces of (new) infrastructure and the redevelopment of prime (coastal) real estate for brand new retail/commercial/residential/marina developments. These transactions are complex and often require us to structure the 'tenure' and 'sequence' the development (to use, just a few, buzzwords).

The team typically have multiple projects on the go, at any one time, so juniors get a lot of client contact and responsibility from day one (but senior lawyers and partners are always there to help)!

REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT What do you enjoy most about your practice group (and what experience can juniors get)?

Clients give us the opportunity to get in on the ground floor (sorry, bad pun) of many of their projects (particularly, the major developments). You really feel part of the client's team and given the number of projects that can be on the go at any one time, as a junior, you'll have a relationship with those clients (with and without Partner oversight) from day one.

There isn't a cookie-cutter approach to what we do. And this is what I really enjoy.

RED is a diverse practice group. We work with a variety of clients (and teams within the firm itself) on a range of different kinds of projects. We get to consider and implement what we think will work best for each particular transaction. And, in my opinion, that kind of opportunity, given on a regular basis, gives junior lawyers that come through our team the critical thinking skills that stand them in good stead wherever they decide to specialise.

Support for juniors The RED team, nationally, has a number of senior lawyers and Partners that are experts in their field.

You'll have the opportunity to learn from them on a day to day basis, which is the best training you can ever receive. In terms of formal training, the RED team holds sessions monthly, which supplements the Cornerstone training that all grads receive.

However, it's the on the job training that will be most beneficial for junior lawyers joining the team.

PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT Arnold Bloch Leibler’s Property and Development team has expertise in a wide range of property-related matters encompassing property acquisitions and disposals, property development and construction, joint ventures and partnerships, planning matters, leasing and property disputes. This includes:

Thomas Polhill Lawyer

Advising on property acquisitions and disposals, including due diligence, contract negotiation, and settlement arrangements.

Providing legal advice on property development matters, including planning approvals, construction contracts, and project management.

Advising on joint ventures and partnerships, including structuring arrangements, negotiating agreements, and managing disputes.

Providing legal advice on leasing matters, including drafting and negotiating leases, renewals, and terminations.

Assisting with property dispute resolution, including mediation, arbitration, and litigation.

Property Acquisition and Disposition ABL’s Property and Development Team advises on all legal aspects of the acquisition and sale processes, including due diligence, taxation and stamp duty planning and Foreign Investment Review Board requirements. With considerable knowledge of the property investment market, we advise on the establishment of sophisticated property holding structures, such as syndicates, joint ventures and listed funds.

Construction and Development Our team provides expertise at all stages of the project lifecycle, advising on the negotiation, drafting, management and enforcement of building and development agreements. This broad expertise means we have the ability to provide clients with the legal foundation necessary to assist clients minimise risks and maximise returns from a construction and development project.

Our experience in construction litigation also assists clients to manage and resolve potential disputes as economically and favourably as possible. Our construction experience spans residential (including landmark city towers and broad acre developments), mixed use, commercial, industrial, and retail developments.

Leasing Our team provides leasing advice to private groups, partnerships, institutions, developers and financiers on all aspects of residential, commercial (including office), industrial and infrastructure projects, including the negotiation, preparation and enforcement of all types of commercial, industrial and retail tenancy documents.

Property Finance We represent both lenders and borrowers in a wide range of property related finance transactions, working closely with ABL’s Banking & Finance team to advise on all due diligence and transactional elements of a financing transaction.

Our experience working on both sides of the finance equation, means we have a strong understanding of the requirements of both parties allows us to negotiate advantageous financial arrangements for our clients.

Planning and Environment As we act for our clients on all stages of the planning and development process—from due diligence through to completion—we identify and deal with planning and environment issues upfront. This ensures the smooth delivery and success of development projects. By dealing with planning and environment issues in this way, we avoid unnecessary back-end delays and complex litigation, which can run up significant holding costs. This is critical for complex and significant projects.

Typical work – graduates and junior lawyers Typical work of graduates and junior lawyers in the Property and Development team includes: Drafting various acquisition and disposition transaction documents, including contracts of sale, agreements for lease, ground leases, side deeds and development agreements.

Setting up, monitoring and reviewing electronic data rooms, including maintaining proper disclosure of necessary documents to complete a transaction.

Setting up and monitoring transaction “workspaces” on PEXA and coordinating participation of the various transaction representatives.

Overseeing and coordinating conveyancing processes from exchange to settlement.

Drafting various leasing documents including retail and commercial leases and licences and disclosure statements.

Drafting documents in relation to construction projects including consultant agreements and minor works contracts.

Reporting on all legal due diligence matters in respect to a transaction, including title and statutory matters, transactional matters, planning matters and leasing matters.

Conducting research on various legal issues or the commercial aspects of a transaction.

Preparing advice on advisory matters including in relation to GST, Stamp Duty and FIRB.

CONSTRUCTION LAW

Matthew Bliem Special Counsel at Baker McKenzie

Dave Sima Associate at Baker McKenzie

As construction lawyers at Baker McKenzie, we work on high profile construction projects in a variety of industries and sectors, including large government developments, energy infrastructure (e.g., renewable energy projects), education and health infrastructure, residential and commercial developments and public and private infrastructure projects.

One of the best aspects of being a construction lawyer is the variety of work. You work with anyone who may be involved in constructing the "built environment" to draw up the necessary contracts for work to begin on a project or to help resolve disputes which arise.

Construction practices are generally split in front-end contracting work and back-end litigation work. For example, the team is currently engaged on various stages of construction projects - tender preparation, developing procurement models and risk allocation, drafting construction contracts and associated transaction documents, assisting with contract administration during the term of the project, and finally preparing and defending claims made during the life of the project and post completion (whether in Court or in alternative dispute resolution forums). Our diverse work even extends to insurance claims stemming from construction projects.

Front-end lawyers assist clients from the beginning of a proposed construction project. This includes during identification of the appropriate procurement models (e.g., a Public Private Partnership, or a design and construct model), project financing and throughout tendering processes. They draft the contracts used to govern construction projects, such as large government infrastructure. They also assist by advising clients on market norms and obligations during construction works. A recent example of this is Baker McKenzie advising mRNA Victoria to establish an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility and research centre in Victoria.

Back-end lawyers assist with claims management during the course of a project, including claims for additional costs, additional time to finish the works, any defects and any unexpected effects to the works (e.g., during the COVID pandemic). They represent clients during formal dispute resolution processes to resolve these claims, including negotiation, mediation, expert determination, litigation and arbitration. Back-end lawyers work alongside other consultants and experts such as technical advisors and barristers to wholistically advise clients. For example, Baker McKenzie recently advised a Nordic client in relation to its arbitration and litigation rights and risks in multiple jurisdictions on a large offshore energy project.

CONSTRUCTION LAW

The distinction between front and back-end work can sometimes be hazy. For example, when assisting a client to understand its legal obligations, this may involve elements of both front-end and back-end work. Advising on contractual obligations can be done to assist a client to understand its deliverables under a contract or to assist a client to defend or prosecute against a contractual counterparty.

Every construction project, similar to every client, is very different. This means that as a practitioner we must understand the construction project, our client's business, the project objectives and the relevant industry. Whilst challenging every day, each client and each project presents a diverse suite of work.

Being a global firm, Bakers specialises in cross-border transactions, and we routinely work with our overseas colleagues to manage legal issues in multiple jurisdictions. A recent dispute required our Melbourne and London offices to work closely to manage litigation risk in both jurisdictions.

In terms of work, from the time you join the group as a seasonal clerk or graduate, you assist in preparing contracts and disputes documents and deal directly with clients where appropriate - all while being mentored and trained from senior lawyers. Having relatively smaller teams at Bakers means that you get interesting and hands on experience from the outset and some amazing opportunities.

MAJOR PROJECTS AND CONSTRUCTION Clayton Utz's Major Projects and Construction team is the leading construction practice in Australia.

Every year since the Chambers Asia Pacific Guide was established, we've been acknowledged as a tier one firm for construction and infrastructure – the only Australian firm to accomplish this.

Mason Rogers Lawyer

The practice group offers both transactional (front end) and litigious (back end) services and boasts the largest construction infrastructure and major projects capacity in the Australian legal market. The Melbourne team has a preeminent market position acting for the Victorian Government in delivering major projects across all industry sectors. The team also acts for the Commonwealth (particularly on Defence projects) and has a range of private sector clients (both owners and contractors) across industry sectors including mining, energy and resources, and transport. The team provides "whole of life" service for its clients' projects.

No firm comes close in advising on the size, number, and prominence of social infrastructure projects for the Victorian Government. We also have been advising the Victorian Government since 2009 (Black Saturday) on its disaster recovery and reconstruction requirements applicable to floods, storms, and bushfires, including the 2022 Melbourne and regional Victoria floods.

We also have a growing renewable energy practice, acting for first-movers like Fortescue Future Industries on the development of the Gibson Island hydrogen ammonia facility and Kawasaki Heavy Industries on the development of a pilot plant and supply chain for Victoria's first production of hydrogen energy What makes working for this team particularly rewarding is the opportunity to work on city-shaping projects that are tangible and assist in creating a better society. We have a track record of thought leadership in the sector, spearheading new delivery models and consistently innovating in a fastchanging market, drawing on legal expertise, commercial considerations, and technical and practical input.

The front-end practice focuses on procurement strategy, tender preparation and review, and the development and implementation of the documentation and arrangements that allow for major projects and infrastructure to be built and run. Some examples of the types of projects that you could work on include major roads, hospitals, social housing, and prisons. This can include Public Private Partnerships (PPP) which leverage private funding to build public infrastructure. For the delivery and packaging strategy for the entire North East Link Program corridor, for example, we developed a firstin-its kind PPP which included a collaborative approach to cost risk (using an Incentivised Target Cost model within the PPP framework).

The front-end team develops its lawyers to draft agreements which help bring together a range of parties to achieve positive commercial outcomes. You’ll also gain insight into the key stakeholders in the construction industry, an understanding of commercial considerations, and a deeper knowledge of different construction contracts used in major projects.

The back-end team's work is varied, fast paced and exciting. We fill three main roles for our clients.

Firstly, we help them avoid upcoming disputes and mitigating risk, by conducting a robust evaluation of the merits of the parties' position and then having a keen understanding of the strategic drivers underpinning the project. Each matter requires a unique risk assessment, considering community impact if the delivery of major infrastructure is delayed, the intersectionality of any dispute with government policies, and the ultimate need for oversight and accountability of the expenditure of taxpayer money. Secondly, as cost is a concern for all clients, the team routinely advises on and runs Alternative Dispute Resolution processes, such as expert determination. Finally, we conduct litigation and arbitration processes across all industry sectors, in disputes and potential disputes ranging in value from the billions to the thousands of dollars.

In this team, you will work on a variety of interesting matters, such as international arbitration, Supreme Court litigation, acting for major clients in disputes worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Why the Clayton Utz Major Projects and Construction Team?

High performance culture Our friendly and supportive lawyers value collaboration, with a strong focus on mentoring and developing juniors. You’ll also have access to Associate Professor Matthew Bell (Co-Director of Studies, Construction Law, at Melbourne Law School). Matthew is recognised internationally for his expertise in, and contribution to, construction law. He routinely provides updates within construction law but also is a fantastic resource whenever more complex issues arise.

Ownership Junior lawyers have a high level of ownership over matters which allows them to learn and grow professionally. You’ll be assigned one matter to take the lead on,,with support from seniors and Partners. Lawyers also take on responsibility for the team's advisory work for clients, allowing you to improve your skills in contract interpretation, legal analysis and understanding of commerciality.

Interesting work The work we do is satisfying because we work on high-profile complex projects that keep the economy moving. The work is tangible and seeing the outcomes around the city is very rewarding.

Construction law involves in the intersection of contract, insurance, tort, insolvency, and corporations law (to name a few), while requiring an understanding of technical expertise. This keeps each matter vibrant as you are constantly learning about different industries and applying various areas of law.

INSURANCE What makes Clyde & Co different?

As a sector-focused global law firm, Clyde & Co houses unparalleled expertise across the insurance, transport, energy, infrastructure and trade & commodities industries. Founded in 1933 and having opened our Melbourne office in 2013, you can expect to find a tight-knit and collaborative team with the world-class resources available to lawyers at a large global law firm. Our Australian offices take great pride in our challenger brand that has nurtured a culture of inclusion, innovation, high performance and joy.

What kind of work do we do?

Our Melbourne office often deals with some of the most complex insurance law matters in the country. On the contentious side, you’ll gain exposure to a wide spectrum of disputes including highprofile commercial litigation, class actions, regulatory investigations, and financial lines and large casualty disputes. On the non-contentious side, our Melbourne Insurance team deals with matters such as coverage advice, corporate transactions including acquisitions and divestments of insurance businesses and related assets, as well as advising both local and foreign underwriters on the risks in M&A transactions and coverage under warranty and indemnity insurance.

Our client list includes some of the largest Australian insurers, London market underwriters and reinsurers, government departments and agencies and third party claims administrators. Owing to the nature of the insurance and reinsurance industry, our Clyde & Co lawyers in Melbourne also regularly represent insureds including building and construction professionals, lawyers, financial planners, accountants, recruitment agencies, owner corporation managers, health practitioners, travel agents, directors and officers, healthcare professionals, real estate agents, and IT professionals.

Graduate insights As a graduate, you’ll be assigned a buddy who’ll be at your side and ready to guide you through your career at Clyde & Co. You’ll also be surrounded by some of the sharpest minds in the sector and led

by Partners who are consistently recognised by their peers as market leaders. As one of the most diverse areas of the law, you’ll be exposed to matters run across almost every court and tribunal in the country. Depending on your interests you can be involved in cases concerning directors’ and officers’ (D&O) liability, professional indemnity, personal insurance or workers’ compensation.

You’ll consistently be kept engaged with work such as preparing for a court case, observing in court, discussing high-level strategy with senior lawyers, reviewing evidence or even drafting advices to clients on the prospects of a case. You can also expect to sit in on meetings and conferences, conduct legal research and prepare memorandums, and correspond and prepare briefs to counsel and experts. If this excites you, then Clyde & Co may be the place for you!

BANKING AND FINANCE Law students are often drawn in by the glamour of legal dramas in film and TV shows or the excitement of mooting competitions. Life as a banking and finance lawyer doesn’t always come to mind! However, in my opinion, banking and finance is a great space to build a career in law.

Jake Fava Lawyer

The reason is simple: the amount of client engagement and matter autonomy for a junior lawyer is arguably greater in banking and finance than in any other practice group.

Banking and finance is a bit like one of those hidden laneway bars: very few know of its existence, yet you’ll have the time of your life once you’re there. Allow me to flick on the neon light and beckon you all in — no commerce degree required!

What does banking and finance involve?

The practice involves assisting financial institutions or their clients with the legal aspects of their financial transaction. It encompasses a range of sub-practice areas, including: acquisition and leveraged finance asset and structured finance corporate finance project finance real estate and development finance debt capital, securitisation and derivatives increasingly, social and green finance I predominantly work in the project, property and development finance space at Corrs, generally for lender clients. As such, I’ve worked on deals for the purchase and development of city skyscrapers, suburban residential estates, shopping centres and petrol station networks. There’s something very tangible about the work when you can look outside of your office window and see the projects you’ve helped to fund.

What do banking and finance lawyers do?

Broadly, the work of a junior banking and finance lawyer can be summarised in three key tasks: drafting the necessary legal documentation for the deal, negotiating the legal elements of the deal, and deal management.

Drafting Generally, most of the commercial elements of the deal will be negotiated between the transacting parties. It is a banking and finance lawyer’s job to distil this information into a set of legal documents.

There’s more to this than just pulling out a precedent: the drafts must take into account the deal structure and your client’s position in it, any client policy positions, current market practice and, of course, client instructions, as well as cross references between the documents.

Clients often also instruct the banking and finance team to complete due diligence to uncover legal and commercial risks of the deal. This will inform both how to structure the deal to minimise the commercial risk and how to draft the document suite to mitigate the legal risks.

As a junior lawyer at Corrs, I’ll often draft a first cut of the document suite and make subsequent amendments. As such, I am in constant contact with all transacting parties and have been since I began in the practice!

Negotiating and advising Outside of pure drafting, a client will also need a banking and finance lawyer to negotiate the legal elements of the deal. This is a much more collaborative task than it first seems – while you are there to advance your client’s interests and instructions, all parties are generally willing to work together to find an agreeable middle ground.

This process is multi-faceted, involving regular communication with your client, your team, and other lawyers to determine positions and reflect them in updated document drafts. You’ll be expected to assess the risks and rewards of various positions available to your client or put forward by the other parties as well as advising your team and the client on the best options.

Within my team at Corrs, I regularly make an initial assessment of the options available or the issues with the other party’s position and present them to the client. It is really interesting to have the opportunity to think strategically from both a commercial and legal sense!

Deal management The hallmark of a great banking and finance lawyer is their skill in client and deal management. If the negotiated set of documents is the product, then deal management is the customer service. Our goal is to make the transaction as smooth as butter for the client.

Ultimately, this is a matter of good time management and anticipating the next steps. Keeping the client and the other side informed of the matter status, answering any client questions and proactively seeking the necessary information and documentation from all parties and agencies is a big part of the job, even as a junior lawyer.

One of the exciting things about the practice, at least at Corrs, is the speed and number of deals you’ll work on. A deal can wrap up within weeks and you’ll often be across several deals at any one time.

Why specialise in banking and finance?

If you’re looking for a fast-paced environment, a good yarn with clients, the opportunity to work on commercial and legal aspects, and to have some carriage over your own matters, you’d be hard pressed to find a better practice than banking and finance!

LITIGATION AND REGULATORY GROUP DLA Piper’s Litigation and Regulatory practice group is a varied and dynamic litigation practice at the core of DLA Piper’s business, being the largest practice group in the Melbourne office.

Reid Hadaway Solicitor

The group consists of several distinct teams with practices spanning international arbitration, insurance litigation, financial services litigation, class actions, investigations (both private and regulatory) and competition regulation. A number of DLA Piper’s Partners and lawyers are recognised in Chambers and The Legal 500 for their skill and expertise.

Notably, DLA Piper’s Australian arbitration practice is recognised as a tier one practice by The Legal 500.

DLA Piper consistently wins high value (often in the billions of dollars) and consequential mandates that shape the commercial and regulatory landscape of Australia. We are frequently able to leverage the global nature of DLA Piper when taking on large and complex matters. For example, a DLA Piper team consisting of lawyers in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore and London (among other places) acted in multiple parallel arbitrations stemming from Australia’s largest LNG dispute with several billion dollars in contention.

We are also often instructed in high profile regulatory and competition related matters, including the recent data breaches that have affected a number of Australian companies. Recently, our Melbournebased competition team acted for Perth Airport in its successful claim against Qantas regarding the fees paid by Qantas for its use of aeronautical services at Perth Airport. The decision handed down by Justice Le Miere last year has affected the entire airport sector in Australia and the airlines it services.

The DLA Piper competition team continues to be instructed in matters flowing on from this decision.

As a young lawyer, graduate or clerk in the DLA Piper Melbourne Litigation and Regulatory Group you will have access to industry leading lawyers and be given genuine ownership of your work. As a group, we are committed to producing work of the highest quality and every Partner and lawyer contributes to a culture of mentorship and constant learning. You may be given complete responsibility over smaller disputes with the capacity to make strategic decisions with the support of a Partner or senior lawyer. Or you may be part of a larger team working together on complex litigation where your responsibilities will range from legal research to assisting with discovery or the preparation of submissions and evidence.

Although each team focusses on varying subject matter, you will build a fundamental set of skills common to every litigator. You will be become an expert in the procedures that govern dispute resolution, whether a matter is heard by a tribunal, court or regulator.

LITIGATION AND REGULATORY GROUP You will be given the chance to develop your understanding of the preparation of evidence and production of documents. And you will become a sophisticated advocate able to approach any dispute or regulatory matter with confidence. DLA Piper prides itself on having litigation and regulatory lawyers who are experts not only in the law but also in the sectors that our clients operate in. So, you will have the chance to join sectors within the firm (e.g. tech, energy, construction) and build your personal brand as an expert in industries that are relevant to modern economies and that genuinely excite you.

We are also proud of DLA Piper’s global pro bono practice, one of the largest in the world with over 200,000 hours of global pro bono work. The Litigation and Regulatory Group is a key component of this practice. As a junior, you might take the lead on small pro bono matters referred to us through our relationships with community legal centres and Refugee Legal. Litigation lawyers have recently assisted female judges fleeing Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. You may also be involved in larger pro bono matters. DLA Piper has a longstanding relationship with the government of Timor Leste which has been nurtured through our pro bono practice and resulted in larger litigation mandates.

As we have noted, DLA Piper is committed to nurturing a culture of mentorship and excellence. To that end, we have recently been joined by the Honourable John Middleton AO KC, former Justice of the Federal Court and now Special Advisor at DLA Piper. Lawyers in the Litigation and Regulatory Group have access to Mr Middleton’s wealth of knowledge and experience when seeking his views on legal issues, key matters and from a mentoring perspective. This informal access is open to all lawyers, regardless of seniority, and reflects DLA Piper’s depth of resources and opportunities for professional improvement growth within the global firm.

CONSTRUCTION AND PLANNING The Gadens Construction team is well known for our expertise in major urban and retail developments, remediation, and defect disputes. We have extensive experience across all aspects of construction and are well equipped to manage both front-end (transactional) and back-end (litigious) construction matters.

Key clients Some of our key clients include Cbus Property, PDG Corporation, Gibb Group, Monash University, South East Water, the GPT Group, Greystar, and more.

Graduate experience As a Graduate in the Construction team, you will have exposure to a wide variety of both front-end and back-end work including: preparing pre-contract advice on issues such as project delivery methods, project finance, and procurement preparing standard and bespoke construction contracts assisting in the negotiation of construction contracts preparing advice on issues such as contract administration and interpretation reviewing contracts for institutional lenders such as ANZ and Westpac drafting construction tripartite deeds for lender client assisting with adjudication applications including drafting submissions and statutory declarations shadowing client meetings, mediations, and court hearings In this team, you will have the opportunity to work directly with Partners as well as other team members across all levels of seniority - we have a strong culture of mentorship at the firm. There is a good variety of work and autonomy, as well as direct client contact from very early on. Our juniors lean on each other, while our down to earth people provide support throughout your career.

Planning and Environment Planning and Environment at Gadens is a broad practice within the broader Real Estate and Construction group, that typically involves advising and representing clients in relation to their projects and commercial transactions.

We act for a range of clients, including developers, schools, hospitals and pro bono referrals.

CONSTRUCTION AND PLANNING We act across every stage of a development project, including initial advice about the viability of the project, preparing the necessary applications, working with a team of broader experts and representing clients across the relevant courts, tribunals and panels. In addition to development projects, we also act for clients in compulsory acquisition matters, contaminated land issues, and policy changes.

In this team, you can expect to be involved in lots of research, drafting advice, preparing briefs to counsel and coordinating expert evidence. You can expect a lot of variety in your day-to-day tasks.

The team is relatively small, meaning you get to work closely with everyone and directly with the Partner, have direct client contact, and also have carriage of some matters. On some complex matters, you can also expect to work collaboratively with other teams within the Real Estate and Construction team, such as including development and construction. As a whole, the Real Estate and Construction team is very welcoming. There is great mentorship, and you will have the opportunity to put your hand up for different types of matters that pique your interest.

PRO BONO After working at Gadens for a number of years as a Legal Assistant, I commenced the Graduate Program in March 2017. During my year on the program, I rotated through the Intellectual Property and Technology team, as well as Real Estate and Construction.

Cassandra Krylov Senior Advisor

I undertook various matters that saw me gain a broad range of experience in intellectual property, technology, retail leasing, commercial leasing, and planning and environment matters. At the end of my Graduate year, I settled in the Intellectual Property and Technology team.

As part of the program, I undertook a variety of Pro Bono legal tasks, including research projects and volunteering at a public housing tenancy clinic that Gadens staffed in partnership with Moonee Valley Legal Service. As I had a keen interest in social justice and pro bono work, I was given the opportunity by the firm to dedicate a lot of my time to this type of work. At the end of that year, I was managing the operation of the public housing tenancy clinic at Moonee Valley Legal Service.

As I progressed my legal career, my involvement with Pro Bono legal work also increased. This gave me exposure to colleagues in different practice groups on these matters, as well as being responsible for managing projects and files whilst I was still a junior lawyer, gaining valuable hands-on experience. Whilst in the Intellectual Property and Technology team, I was both a Lawyer, then later an Associate, and also our Pro Bono Coordinator.

In April 2020, I moved from the Intellectual Property and Technology Team into our Brand, Clients and Markets team as a Business Development and Pro Bono Coordinator. This gave me invaluable experience in working with all of the firm's practice groups, as well as a number of clients – I could see how the firm was marketing itself, maintaining key relationships and securing work from new clients.

In March 2021, there was an opportunity for me to work full-time within our Pro Bono practice (now Sustainability and Social Impact). Having taken this opportunity, I am now a Senior Advisor in the Sustainability and Social Impact group and have a range of responsibilities, including managing pro bono partnerships, working on pro bono legal files, being actively involved in our reconciliation and sustainability initiative and leading our corporate volunteering program. I work alongside our Partner and Head of Sustainability and Social Impact, Sophie McNamara, and Shabnum Cassim, Senior Associate.

PRO BONO One of the great parts of working within the Sustainability and Social Impact team is that we work very closely with our Graduates and junior lawyers on a range of pro bono projects, from legal clinics to research projects, and individual pro bono matters that are referred to us from our pro bono Partners at various community legal centres and other organisations.

Our people are given autonomy and carriage of these matters, deal directly with clients and play a vital role in the continued growth and development of our Pro Bono Program.

Gadens is supportive of its people and their career ambitions – I was supported in making the changes that felt right for me in my legal career, which has led me to a role that I am incredibly passionate about and love working in. I was also supported in my parenthood journey and took a year of parental leave when I had my daughter in September 2021.

I would strongly recommend Gadens for Clerkship and Graduate roles. We are incredibly focused on mentoring and developing our junior lawyers to encourage people to follow their passions and interests. We know that one size does not fit all and we take pride in working with our lawyers to help find the legal career that best suits them.

CORPORATE ADVISORY The clerkship application process can be an absolute whirlwind. The flurry of events, drafting applications and firm research can leave you feeling like you’re drowning in information. When

Meg Halpin Law Graduate

it comes to understanding the different workstreams in a commercial law firm, it is even more challenging, especially if you’ve never set foot in one before.

When I was applying for clerkships, I remember finding it difficult to articulate my interest in an area without having any firsthand experience in it.

This article will give you an insight into the type of work we do in the Corporate Advisory team at Gilbert + Tobin (otherwise known as G+T). Hopefully by the end, you will have a better understanding of the reality of corporate work, and who knows, it might ignite a passion for you to clerk in this area!

The work we do in Corporate Advisory G+T has one Corporate Advisory team which deals with a large variety of work. The work falls into three key categories: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Equity Capital Markets (ECM) and Corporate Governance.

M&A is at the core of our practice. We assist clients with the buying and selling of companies. Our team has extensive experience in both public and private M&A transactions, and is frequently involved in the most significant commercial transactions. Private M&A relates to the buying and selling of businesses through private contracts and public M&A relates to transactions that are governed by the Corporations Act, including takeovers and schemes of arrangement. This area also involves helping clients to navigate the regulatory requirements of the ASX, ASIC and FIRB. ECM work is all about helping companies to raise capital, for example by issuing shares. We advise companies on becoming publicly listed through an Initial Public Offering (IPO) as well as launching share purchase plans and stock placements.

Corporate Governance work involves providing guidance to companies and their directors on ensuring compliance with the Corporations Act. This includes advising on issues like director's duties, continuous disclosure, payment of dividends and shareholder communication.

What is it like working as a grad in G+T’s Corporate Advisory team?

Working in G+T’s Corporate Advisory team is a unique experience. There is always an immense variety of challenging and stimulating work on offer. Our clients comprise a diverse mix of private companies, ASX listed companies and private equity investors.

The benefit of the Corporate Advisory practice group at G+T is that, as a graduate, you can work across all areas of corporate work and for a variety of Partners. This approach is quite unique as some other firms choose to split that work into specialised teams. As a result, I’ve found that you can expect to gain a breadth of corporate experience in the team at G+T. A few of the tasks you will get involved in as a graduate include assisting with due diligence for M&A transactions (which usually involves reviewing lots of contracts), conducting research, lodging documents with ASIC and ASX, drafting advice on governance matters, and liaising with specialist teams.

I have been given lots of responsibility and ownership over tasks. Despite my limited experience in corporate law, the Partners and lawyers involve me on complex matters and encourage me to take an active role in the team. I have attended client meetings, been given real work, and am encouraged to form and share my opinion on the tasks I am doing.

The Partners and lawyers in the team are highly regarded in the field and working directly with and learning from them is an invaluable opportunity for a graduate. The team places a large emphasis on mentoring, with more-experienced lawyers taking the time to regularly check in with juniors and provide guidance. We also have fortnightly team meetings where lawyers share knowledge about transactions they’ve recently worked on, discuss issues in the market and share practice tips.

Aside from the work, we also have a lot of fun. G+T organises fantastic social events and we have a very connected graduate group. Most days, you can find us gathered in the kitchen for lunch chatting with colleagues from other teams and enjoying the views over Melbourne. Within the Corporate Advisory team, coffee catchups with colleagues are also a common occurrence.

Takeaways I hope this overview has provided you with a better idea of what it’s like to work in a corporate team.

If any part of it caught your attention, I strongly encourage you to give a corporate rotation a try in a clerkship! Before my clerkship at G+T, I was initially sceptical of whether I would enjoy corporate work but am very glad that I made the decision to give it a go.

I also want to clear up any misconceptions that a commerce degree is a pre-requisite to work in this field. It is absolutely not. I completed a double degree in Law and Criminology at Deakin and many people in the G+T team have diverse academic backgrounds. If you are an arts student, don’t hesitate to explore a clerkship in a corporate team. You will never know what practice area you might like until you try it yourself.

INSURANCE If your uni friends and classmates are anything like mine were during our final years of law school, you might start asking yourself a bunch of Nate Cheng questions like, ‘how will I get a job at Lawyer the end of this?’ ‘How do I decide which area of law I like best and what to focus on?’ ‘Is law really what I want to do?’ Like many things in life, you’ll find that these questions have a way of working themselves out, even if they cause a great deal of worry at the start. If you’re like me, you might want to ‘try before you decide’. My clerkship then graduate program at Hall & Wilcox both provided great opportunities to do just that.

Hall & Wilcox has a strong reputation for delivering legal services through its Smarter Law approach.

Smarter Law involves constantly thinking about doing things innovatively and efficiently so that we can save time and money without compromising our excellence, accuracy, common sense and foresight. This reputation was what attracted me to the firm, and I found myself undertaking the seasonal clerkship program in mid-2021 where I worked with the employment and migration services team.

As a clerk, I was exposed to a variety of work. Employment law involves a mix of litigation, advisory and transactional work, so I had the opportunity to prepare deeds and contracts, attend conciliations, mediations and hearings, and undertake a variety of legal research that would be incorporated into submissions in court. A law firm is built up of so much more than just lawyers. The seasonal clerkship program was the perfect chance for me to learn about the structure of the firm and to discover the role and impact of the corporate services, marketing and client solutions/innovation teams.

I enjoyed working at Hall & Wilcox so much that I re-joined the firm as a paralegal with the banking and financial services team a few months before starting my graduate rotations. Hall & Wilcox has a strong team of paralegals working across each team, and the firm always keen to invest in its people, including university students who are curious and who aspire to work in the legal profession. As a paralegal, my focus was working with investment funds. I was fully integrated with the team, and my colleagues involved me in work such as drafting and amending trust constitutions and credit contracts.

I then started the graduate program at the beginning of 2022. Entering into a graduate program can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. There are many opportunities to get involved in interesting matters, even beyond the scope of your rotations. This allows you to develop both the foundational skills to become a lawyer, as well as the commercial and industry-based knowledge that enables you to understand the ‘business’ side of running a law firm.

INSURANCE The role of an insurance lawyer involves more than just figuring out whether an insurance policy will cover a particular injury or damage. Most of the time, your job is to act on instructions from your insurer client to defend a party who may be liable for an injury or damage, or to bring action against a liable party to recover money on behalf of your insurer client. Ultimately, your goal is to resolve the tort-related dispute in a way that best achieves your insurer client’s interests based on what is shown in the evidence.

At Hall & Wilcox there are two insurance teams. The general insurance team acts for various large private and public insurers with respect to a variety of claims including personal injury, property damage, cyberattacks and professional indemnity. The statutory insurance team represents workplace safety regulators and self-insurers in statutory benefit disputes, common law claims and recoveries actions.

What I enjoyed most about rotating through both insurance teams was the uniqueness of each case and the opportunities to deal with a wide range of professions, industries, and scenarios. There is always something new to learn every day, whether it's in the mechanism of a particular illness or injury, or in litigation strategies that help you resolve a dispute in the best way possible.

As you progress through your career at Hall & Wilcox, the learning never stops. I have found that everyone at the firm is willing – even excited, actually – to pass on their wisdom to clerks, paralegals, and graduates. There are plenty of ongoing opportunities to meet new people and experience situations that bring you out of your comfort zone. The culture of the firm is one which will help you grow and become a well-rounded professional.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Our team is a specialist corporate advisory team that covers financial services law in Australia, sitting within Laura Linschoten the broader corporate team. We are Solicitor fortunate to work on a wide variety of matters with our financial service clients including transactional work and advisory work (as well as supporting the disputes team as financial service experts). This varied experience means we are constantly learning new skills and enables us to become well-rounded lawyers that uniquely get to work with both front end and backend teams across the firm.

We are a national team, integrated across Sydney and Melbourne. This means we work directly with lawyers in both states regardless of where we are physically based. Being part of a national practice has enabled me to form connections with colleagues across the HSF network, and travel to the Sydney office for work.

In our team you will be exposed to a variety of different areas of financial service law including the full spectrum of regulated changes, enforcement, and compliance which includes: m&a transactions reorganisations and restructuring anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing sanctions requirement to be licensed with ASIC and AUSTRAC conduct and disclosure obligations reporting obligations including breach reporting design and distribution obligations non-cash payment facilities including smart cards, digital wallets, payment tokens, credit cards, and electronic payment facilities regulations and advice regarding entering new financial service businesses and products into the Australian market derivative regulations The clients we work with include big banks, investment banks, non-bank lenders, payment processing facilitators and fintech’s including crowd source funding businesses and buy-now-pay later businesses and crypto-currency platforms.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

We have even worked currency providers in virtual worlds and NFTs! Being part of a team with a specialist focus means you are able to develop a deep understanding of your clients and their businesses, as well as the broader industry. You become the person at the firm who is an expert in your area and are relied on to provide advice on very complex areas of law. You are able to get involved in business development projects such as providing training to colleagues and clients, be part of the global fintech working group and financial services regulatory working group, and work with the digital law team to help clients with new and exciting projects and transactions. You also develop connections with clients early and may even get to go on a client secondment (like me!).

If you are interested in a team that works on varied and challenging matters, have an interest in banking and corporate law, and have an interest in new technologies and ways to access finance you should definitely consider doing a clerkship or rotation in our team.

EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS A Graduate in Herbert Smith Freehills’ Employment, Industrial Relations and Safety (EIRS) practice is exposed to a range of work, experiences, colleagues and clients. Having commenced as a Graduate with HSF in March 2022, EIRS is my second of three six month rotations.In those six months I have been involved in a

Suzannah Hewson Solicitor

wide range of matters, from advising clients on discrimination claims in VCAT, to unfair dismissal claims in the Fair Work Commission, to assisting with bargaining for new enterprise agreements and responding to safety non-compliance.

HSF’s EIRS practice is national (which provides for ample opportunities to work with people across all Australian offices) and has three broad practice areas: general employment law, industrial relations and workplace health and safety.

General employment law – this is the area which focuses on providing both proactive and reactive advice across the full spectrum of advisory and litigious matters including the recruitment and dismissal of employees, unfair dismissal claims, general protections claims, contract and policy drafting, and so on.

Industrial relations – Industrial relations encompasses all things enterprise bargaining, industrial action and disputes. The team advises on the full range of industrial relations matters with clients requesting assistance in drafting and negotiating enterprise agreements, which often requires the team to appear in the Fair Work Commission.

Workplace health and safety - The workplace health and safety practice at HSF also balances advisory and litigious functions, with the team often helping to conduct investigations, assess compliance, provide safety briefings to companies, and represent clients in litigation at Tribunals, State and Federal Courts.

Other HSF practice groups often call upon the EIRS team with discrete advice questions, collaborative work opportunities, or to assist with Corporate Due Diligence.

The two key things that have stood out to me as a Graduate are the diversity of the work and the level of responsibility we’re given. Juniors work across all three EIRS practice areas and the type of work includes (but by no means is limited to) researching case law to answer a niche question of interpretation, drafting advice on a general employment query, preparing evidence, or attending witness interviews for a client in the lead to up an appearance in a Tribunal or Court.

EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS The EIRS team also places great importance on business development. EIRS launched the ‘Inside IR’ podcast during my rotation, where each episode unpacks and considers the implications of a current or impending employment issue. The team produces an annual ‘employment guide’ for clients and distributes an ever-changing summary of the government law reform agenda. As Graduates, we were also tasked with closely monitoring legislative changes in relation to paid parental leave, antidiscrimination, secure jobs and better pay. Business development provides juniors with a good exposure to clients as the team works together to provide client updates on any developments of interest.

The EIRS team is supportive, collaborative, and incredibly invested in their practice (not to mention a great group of people to work with).

ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENT FUNDS Based in Melbourne and Sydney, the Australian Asset Management and Investment Funds team is comprised of 6 Partners - Jim Bulling, Daniel Knight, Kane Barnett, Ravi Jayemanne, Matthew Watts, and Lisa Lautier - as well as 6 lawyers, 1 graduate and 2 legal secretaries.

Simon Kiburg Lawyer

The team advises Australian and global investment managers and institutional investors, financial advisers, superannuation fund trustees and financial services entities on all aspects of investment management and financial services regulation and compliance. Due to the global nature of the work the team works closely with its colleagues in a wide range of jurisdictions, such as the United States and Japan.

The team covers a broad area including: Superannuation FinTech Credit Cryptocurrency Investment funds management Financial products Anti-money laundering compliance Bribery and corruption The Asset Management and Investment Funds team works with a range of clients from Australian superannuation funds to start-up fintech companies. As a result the work itself is varied and interesting. The team works collaboratively and junior lawyers, graduates and seasonal clerks are encouraged to get involved.

Due to the wide range of work that is done in the team there are differing levels of involvement for members of the team available, from working as part of a large team on a large investment to working closely with partners on regulatory queries for FinTech companies. The area is broad and diverse with a wide range of subject matter covered. As a result it is an exciting and cutting edge area with scope for junior lawyers to get excellent broad experience early in their career.

The different types of clients and different types of work mean that you will rarely do the same thing twice and will be exposed to different ways of working and different client requirements.

ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENT FUNDS The following types of work may be done by seasonal clerks and graduates: Participating in client meetings and teleconferences Drafting emails and other short advices to clients Reviewing fund documents relating to a client's investment Writing blog posts for our Global Investment Law Watch blog Writing articles for the firm website Conducting legal research Drafting financial disclosure documents and terms of use for financial products Assisting in drafting agreements between different financial services entities and their service providers.

This is not an area of law which is studied as a core unit at University. Most seasonal clerks and graduates come to our team without having a background in the area. Rather what is important is to have a desire to learn and an interest in the area.

COMPENSATION LAW

James Cameron Lawyer

Jordan Eitler Lawyer

His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgetting What he wrote down, the jury goes so loud…

Who knew Eminem was a graduate compensation lawyer thrown into the Supreme Court on day 1?!

If this sounds like a good time, then compensation is for you!

Compensation law is a fast-paced litigious team specialising in workers’ compensation claims. Our major clients are WorkSafe Victoria, the Transport Accident Commission and various self-insured clients.

Compensation lawyers young and old frequently appear in the Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Supreme Court of Victoria.

Each employer in Victoria is required to hold a policy of worker's compensation insurance. If an employee is injured at work, a claim is registered against the employer’s policy of insurance. If that employee actually pulled a hammy playing footy on the weekend, then it's a different story…

Statutory benefits Worker’s compensation claims are governed by the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (Vic).

An injured worker is entitled to receive weekly payments, reasonable medical and like expenses (including rehabilitation services), and in some cases a lump sum payment for permanent impairment of body function, irrespective of how the incident occurred. This is known as ‘no fault’ statutory entitlement.

When a dispute arises, we are instructed to act on behalf of WorkSafe Victoria with respect to that dispute. Workers are often represented by firms such as Slater & Gordon and Maurice Blackburn.

COMPENSATION LAW

Common law An injured worker is also entitled to pursue common law damages in circumstances where there injury was caused by a tortious act of another party. Often the employer's negligence is alleged to have been causative.

In order to pursue common law damages, a worker must first establish that they have sustained a ‘serious injury’ which takes into account a range of factors known as the ‘narrative test’. If an injured worker has sustained a ‘serious injury’ they can initiate proceedings in either the County or Supreme Court. Damages awards obtained by workers vary from $50,000 to in excess of $1 million.

Why compensation law?

We deal with disputes about injuries arising in all industries imaginable. Any given week may see our lawyers in the Supreme Court before a jury or visiting a small business in the regions. The evervarying circumstances of workplace incidents and injuries exposes us to interesting occupations and complex medical evidence. The injuries we deal with on a daily basis range from broken legs, fingers and toes to more complicated conditions including spinal injuries, pain syndromes and psychiatric injuries.

Our daily life involves providing detailed advice to clients, appearing in Court, conferencing with employers and witnesses, and engaging with the workers’ legal advocates (both barristers and Solicitors).

Our role is to ensure the administration of the WorkCover scheme is fair and to ensure injured workers receive entitlements in a timely manner. The overarching purpose of the WorkCover scheme is to support workers with their recovery and return to work.

EMPLOYMENT, SAFETY & PEOPLE My name is Felicia and I am a lawyer in Maddocks’ Employment, Safety and People (ESP) team, which is where I settled after rotating through the team as a graduate. During my graduate year, I also rotated through two other practice areas, Dispute Resolution and Litigation (DRL), and Construction and Projects.

Felicia Torcasio Lawyer

Why employment law?

My interest in employment law was sparked after completing an employment law elective in my penultimate year of university. From the beginning of my ESP rotation, I was drawn to the dynamic and human centric nature of the work. The legislation is forever changing to keep up with community standards and respond to emerging issues.

What we do?

The ESP team at Maddocks services all three tiers of governments, as well as private sector enterprises.

The ESP team works on a range of employment aw matters from industrial law to workplace health and safety and privacy. One aspect which was highly enticing to me personally was the opportunity to work on both transactional (“front-end”) and dispute (back-end) matters. The work we do in the ESP team at Maddocks is incredibly rewarding. In my view there is nothing more satisfying than working with your colleagues to ensure clients receive the best practical advice which meets their respective needs.

What a day in the employment team looks like I feel incredibly grateful for the variety of opportunities which I have had access to so far in my career.

As a junior lawyer in the Maddocks ESP team, I have had the opportunity to assist with meaningful work each and every day.

This has included working on a diverse range of tasks such as: workplace investigations; drafting practical and strategic advice to clients on discrimination matters; preparing court documents such as court books and pleadings; and regularly attending meetings with clients and legal counsel.

These experiences have enabled me to feel positively challenged and engaged. I am also fortunate to work alongside a number of the ESP Partners and Senior Associates who are leaders in the field and who are dedicated to facilitating the learning and development of juniors in the team, such as myself.

Should you give the Maddocks ESP team a go?

Whether or not you have undertaken an employment law elective at university, I would highly recommend taking the opportunity to rotate through the Maddocks ESP team. Perhaps, I am slightly biased, but in my view the Maddocks ESP team has some of the most interesting, diverse and challenging matters!

PRO BONO AT NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT Norton Rose Fulbright Australia (NRFA) has a well-developed pro bono practice, where all our lawyers are expected to undertake at least 40 hours of pro bono each year (pro-rated for part time staff). Last year, we exceeded this target, with an average of almost 59 hours per lawyer.

But pro bono work means so much more to us than meeting targets. It enables us to make genuine and positive social impacts within our community, and build deeper relationships with clients and partners. All lawyers at NRFA are encouraged and supported to become involved in pro bono work.

Our pro bono strategy guides the work we take on. We consider new matters based on impact – we know the importance of pro bono resources being directed to the areas where they will achieve the best outcomes.

Our Pro Bono Strategy

Impact Pillars

Focus Themes

Mental health and disability

Benefit First Nations communities

International Human Rights, particularly projects that support refugees, reduce modern slavery, prevent financial abuse and promote human rights through sport

Use strategic litigation to deliver wide reaching positive change

Environment and sustainability

Embrace legal innovation and digital solutions to improve the efficiency and reach of Pro Bono services

The central Pro Bono team is the engine room of our pro bono practice. It sources and places pro bono work to the, roughly, 500 lawyers in the firm, develops our pro bono client base, and undertakes practice management. Our team is also made up of highly qualified and skilled lawyers, which allows to take on our own pro bono matters.

During the Graduate Program, you can elect to rotate through the Pro Bono team either internally within our central team, or externally on a secondment. Currently, we have an internal graduate in the Pro Bono team and four secondees on placement across Australia.

In Melbourne, we have a graduate at the Human Rights Law Centre. In Sydney, we have two graduates on secondment at Anti-Slavery Australia and the Refugee Advice & Casework Service.

In Brisbane, a graduate is working in the Family, Domestic violence and Elder Law Practice at Caxton Legal Centre.

PRO BONO AT NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT At NRFA, we understand the importance of partnering with community legal centres and not-forprofit organisations. It is through these strong relationships that we are able to provide our graduates with exciting secondment opportunities and our lawyers with high quality pro bono legal work. In Melbourne, we have long-standing relationships with the Human Rights Law Centre, Refugee Legal and Justice Connect. We are always open to building new partnerships and welcome conversations with graduates and lawyers on their ideas within the context of our strategy.

Secondment opportunities are not just limited to our graduates, with more senior lawyers able to undertake internal and external pro bono secondments. For example, this year, we will be sending two lawyers on secondment to Fiji to work on climate change projects with Fiji-based not-for-profits.

We give our graduates and lawyers opportunities to participate in clinic programs at several legal centres, such as Refugee Legal and the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre.

Settling in the Pro Bono team after completing your graduate rotations is also an option, with one of our graduates, Remy Michelson, recently joining our team permanently after completing an internal rotation. Remy commented to us, “For me, being able to settle in the Pro Bono team is another great example of how seriously the firm views pro bono legal work and providing young lawyers with career pathways that reflect their interests and goals.”

ARBITRATION IS NOT LITIGATION As a disputes Partner at Thomson Geer I have a unique practice – on the one hand I run commercial litigation in all of the superior and federal courts (across a full range of industries and subject matter); on the other hand I act as counsel and as arbitrator in international commercial arbitration.

Bronwyn Lincoln Partner

The genesis of my practice was construction and project disputes. And it was informed by a short secondment with Clifford Chance in London at a time when London was already a major seat for international arbitration whereas Australia was only at the start of the arbitration journey.

Many of my friends at Clifford Chance worked in the arbitration group, already a standalone practice where the lawyers focussed solely on arbitration. Litigation matters were run out of the litigation group. Whilst I was placed in the litigation group, I became intrigued by the work of my arbitration colleagues.

When I returned to Melbourne, it was at a time when my clients were investing offshore. Within 12 months of my return I was conducting an ICC arbitration to resolve significant disputes for Australian entities who had supplied components for a 900 km pipeline in northern India. The tribunal included a presiding arbitrator in Paris (where we would go for our case management conferences). The contracts were governed by Swiss law and the seat of the arbitration was Lausanne.

For four years a significant part of my practice was conducting this arbitration. I spent months at a time travelling, including visiting the clients' offshore offices in Delhi, interviewing witnesses in Singapore, Rome and London, attending case management conferences in Paris and working alongside local counsel in Geneva. I was also responsible for advising on strategy for parallel litigation in India, the Czech Republic and Italy and project managing the teams of experts and foreign counsel working in multiple jurisdictions. The role culminated in two separate ten day hearings in a hotel on the shores of Lake Lausanne.

By this time, I was hooked.

Arbitration is often referred to as alternative dispute resolution and bundled in with mediation and conciliation. It is quite different. Arbitration is essentially the determination of disputes through a private 'adjudicator'. It has some similarity to litigation, in that the tribunal decides the issues based on a form of pleadings (which often take a less formal form than statements of claim and defence), evidence (fact, expert and documentary) and legal submissions. But there are also unique features: First, the parties can choose their tribunal – this is particularly important in cross border disputes because contracts might be governed by different laws, documents might be in different languages and parties are likely to be culturally diverse.

Secondly, arbitration is private and confidential – this means that only the parties and the tribunal have the right to attend the arbitration hearings (although other persons might be permitted in particular circumstances) and the parties and the tribunal must keep information about the arbitration confidential.

Thirdly, the tribunal, in consultation with the parties, can conduct the arbitration proceedings flexibly and in a manner which best suits the dispute, including deciding issues on the papers, requiring concurrent evidence (from both experts and fact witnesses) and conducting hearings at different locations around the world (or virtually as we have done over the past few years).

Fourthly, international arbitration practices tend to draw on elements of both common law and civil law legal systems. This means, for example, that discovery of documents (which is known as disclosure in international arbitration) is not a given – tribunals need persuasion that particular documents sought from another party are indeed relevant and should be produced.

Finally, the award made in an international arbitration (known as a foreign arbitral award) can be recognised and enforced in over 180 countries around the world who have signed up to the New York Convention without the local court reviewing the merits (provided, in short, that the arbitration has been conducted in accordance with principles of procedural fairness and that the award is not contrary to public policy).

The key to international arbitration for parties is the arbitration agreement. An arbitration agreement is usually recorded in a clause in a transaction document. Parties are not, however, precluded from entering into a standalone arbitration agreement after a dispute arises. An arbitration agreement can be short and sweet: the essential elements are an agreement to refer disputes to arbitration, the language of the arbitration and the seat of the arbitration. The seat (which is usually a city) dictates the procedural law which will govern the arbitration. For example, if the seat is Singapore, then the procedural law will be Singaporean law. This does not impact on or supplant the governing law of the parties' contract; the tribunal will apply the law chosen by the parties and either expressly set out in the contract or as a result of a conflicts of laws analysis.

Arbitration can be ad hoc or institutional. Institutional arbitration is administered by an arbitral institution, for example, the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration. Each institution has its own arbitration rules which set out the procedure for the arbitration (including the appointment of the tribunal). In ad hoc arbitration, the parties and the tribunal determine the procedure.

A career in international commercial arbitration, either as counsel or as arbitrator (or both, as I have) requires discipline. There is truly an international arbitration community around the world; it is important to be recognised by your peers as having the requisite expertise and experience.

Conducting arbitrations for clients is not enough to gain this recognition; you need to be involved in arbitral institutions, to publish widely and to be seen at conferences (preferably in a speaking capacity).

Australian courts have limited power to intervene in international commercial arbitration. Their main role is in the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. The Supreme Courts and Federal Court have concurrent jurisdiction under the International Arbitration Act 1974 (Cth).

The combination of litigation, where I assist clients in complex and high value disputes, and international commercial arbitration, where I am constantly exposed to foreign laws and practices, is for me a perfect balance.

DISPUTES Ashleigh Cole, Andrew Mason and Alison Van Beers

Senior Associates at White & Case

Senior Associates, Andrew Mason, Allison van Beers, and Ashleigh Cole share their thoughts on a career in Litigation and what White & Case’s Disputes practice can offer graduates.

Andrew Mason says that it’s the nature of the work that makes his role so fulfilling: “One of the most enjoyable parts of my job is working with clients whose businesses are exceptionally interesting — often at the forefront of the industry they work in.

Through the work we do in disputes, we gain a unique and in-depth understanding of our client’s businesses and the industries they operate in. As a result, this often also means that we face complex legal issues which are novel and at the forefront of the applicable area of law.”

Allison van Beers agrees: “I love working in disputes and international arbitration. No day is the same— even if the type of work I am doing is similar, the content is always different. We work on large, complex matters—often disputes concerning infrastructure or energy projects (including renewables). That means I can (and must) work on a variety of tasks and issues all for the same matter / client. In one day I might meet with the White & Case team and counsel to discuss strategy concerning a section of the case, email with the other party’s solicitors in relation to procedural matters, review relevant case law, and meet with an expert witness.”

A stimulating mix of strategic thinking and detailfocused work So what does a disputes lawyer do on a daily basis?

Ashleigh Cole says that it’s a stimulating mix: “I enjoy the variety of work, especially the degree to which we need to think ahead strategically. Like a game of chess, you need to think ahead—anticipating the other side’s next move and advising our client on the path forward.”

How to succeed on this dynamic team Andrew explains the key skills that disputes lawyers need: “I think there are two key competences required to succeed in the long term. First, is a continued willingness to learn. Our clients’ work in fast-paced industries that are continually changing, and it’s incumbent on us to keep up. Second, is taking ownership and being proactive. By this I mean not just doing a great job on a task you’re being given, but trying to understand where that task fits within the overall picture of the matter, and how you are contributing to the objective the team is trying to achieve.”

Varied work for graduates For Ashleigh, the variety of work and constant support of colleagues is especially welcome.

“There’s always a new challenge. We work closely in teams, which means that you have visibility on where your work contributes to the overall team effort.”

Work satisfaction: creativity and a supportive workplace Ashleigh adds that the supportive culture within the Australian offices makes for a great working environment. “From partners to paralegals, everyone gets involved in the work and pulls together. Combined with a really friendly office culture, it’s just a really enjoyable place to work.”

Finally, Andrew says that grads can expect to make a contribution from Day One: “Never under-estimate the value you can bring to a matter, even as a grad.

Your perspective is always helpful and sometimes a fresh pair of eyes to a matter sees something that no one else does. I find that teams work best where everyone has an equal voice to contribute.”

FIRM PROFILES

student.careers@allens.com.au

Melissa Lim (Early Careers Consultant) Kellie Drew (Early Careers Adviser)

https://graduates.allens.com.au/ Level 37, 101 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Melissa Lim (Early Careers Consultant)

We are one of the largest law firms in Australasia, with more than 800 legal staff in offices across Australia and Asia. We specialise in handling complex and difficult transactions that require exceptional legal, negotiation, and project management skills. As a lawyer at Allens, you will form part of a global network of legal professionals and leaders. Through our alliance with Linklaters, this international network spans 41 offices in 26 locations. This alliance allows our people to accelerate their careers, offering international secondments and opportunities to work with the world's best lawyers on the most complex multi-jurisdictional matters in the market. Our client work spans every sector across the economy and whether working for an emerging start-up or a multi-jurisdiction corporation, we mobilise the best team for the matter. Our market leading work has seen us recognised as an elite 'band one' firm in 19 practice areas by Chambers, consistently within the top M&A and infrastructure league tables, and we have been recognised as an AFR Most Innovative Company for five years running. This year we have been recognised as a top legal graduate employer by GradAustralia and the Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE) and by GradConnection and the Australian Financial Review.

Banking and Finance Corporate - M&A and Capital Markets, Funds, Super & Wealth and Technology, Media & Telecommunications Disputes and Investigations - Commercial Disputes, Employment & Safety and Restructuring & Insolvency Projects & Development - Projects and Real Estate & Development Competition, Consumer & Regulatory Intellectual Property Tax

Sydney Airport on its $23.6 billion acquisition by the Sydney Aviation Alliance.

AusNet on its $10.2 billion acquisition by a consortium led by Brookfield Asset Management.

AustralianSuper and Singtel in their $3.58 billion acquisition of Axicom.

ARENA on Australia's first renewable hydrogen plant.

Equinor on collaboration for the Bass Offshore Wind Energy Project.

Great change is here.

Shape the future with Allens ALLENS CONFIDENTIAL PODCAST

graduates.allens.com.au/allens-confidential-podcast

ALLENS VIRTUAL INTERNSHIP

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STUDENT NEWSLETTER

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LINKEDIN

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GRADAUSTRALIA

gradaustralia.com.au/graduate-employers/allens

Allens is an independent partnership operating in alliance with Linklaters LLP.

Find out more at graduates.allens.com.au 19503D

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

90-100

Clerkship positions available each intake:

30-34

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

No rotations

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer 1, Summer 2 and Winter

As a law clerk at Allens, you will: Work with some of the most experienced and highly regarded lawyers in Australia Gain first-hand experience in the type of work you could do as a lawyer at Allens Work as part of a team on real matters for real clients Be allocated a dedicated supervisor, performance and coach buddy, who will be there every step of the way Our clerks will be given daily tasks and responsibilities which are similar to those of a junior lawyer.

This can include conducting legal and market research, drafting memos, attending court hearings, and client meetings.

The Allens clerkship program is a stepping stone to bigger things, and many clerks will become graduates with us.

Applications are welcomed from penultimate and final year law students, including international students, provided you have the relevant working rights in Australia.

You will need to provide your CV, cover letter, academic transcript, and any other supporting documents. You'll have the opportunity to complete an optional diversity survey, through Rare. This will allow us to better understand your achievements and the context in which they have been gained, beyond what we may see on your CV. You will then be asked to complete an online strengths-based assessment, through Cappfinity, which will provide insight into the work we do.

If you're selected for an interview, you'll be invited to attend our 'Insider Access' event, which is a great opportunity to learn more about Allens before your interview and form connections. The interview itself is a chance for you to get to know us, and vice versa. You will also be allocated a junior lawyer to act as your buddy throughout the recruitment process, who will help answer any questions and provide support.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

30-35

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

30-35

Graduate rotation structure:

2 x 12-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

As a Graduate at Allens, you will complete two 12 month rotations in different practice areas. We don't work in silos, so you won't be limited to working with only one Partner or by your practice areas. There's no substitute for the depth of insight that comes from working with different teams.

You'll work on complex transactions with leading organisations and you'll have the opportunity to apply for a client secondment, or international secondment to London or Asia via our Linklaters alliance.

During our graduate program, you'll learn from some of the sharpest legal minds in Australia. We'll work with you to build a strong foundation of skills and develop the agility needed to become an excellent lawyer and thrive in our ever changing world.

You'll engage with our Allens Academy, which means you'll benefit from a range of personalised tools and training to unlock your potential, including: The Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice program Practical legal seminars during our Cornerstone program Online learning portal Personalised one-week induction program On the job training Ongoing supervision, coaching and mentoring During your graduate program, you'll have the flexibility to drive your career with support from your performance coach. We encourage our graduates to pursue their interests so they can succeed with us and in their future endeavours.

If you have completed a clerkship with Allens, you will be required to submit an expression of interest to be considered for a priority offer and provide an updated CV. Previous clerks are not required to interview for a graduate position.

hbrown@abl.com.au https://www.abl.com.au

Hayley Brown (Human Resources Manager) hbrown@abl.com.au 03 9229 9802

Level 21, 333 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Hayley Brown (Human Resources Manager)

Arnold Bloch Leibler is a premium Australian commercial law firm renowned for advising clients on their most significant legal matters: high-stakes transactions, litigation, and commercial issues. Our standing within the legal profession has been built over more than 60 years. Many of the values, characteristics, and defining qualities from the firm's early beginnings continue to shape the firm as it stands today. While our storied history is long, we are a modern firm. We see the law as an instrument of change, as a way forward. Our Partners and Lawyers are often at the centre of law reform and regularly advise on landmark matters. We offer legal advice and support to a diverse range of clients, however we are best known for advising entrepreneurial businesses (ASX-listed, family owned and international) and for our work with private clients. We also work with international corporations with interests in Australia and enjoy long-standing relationships with a select group of other professional advisors - including accountants, private equity firms, insolvency practitioners, private bankers and other overseas-based specialist law firms.

Banking and Finance

Native Title and Public Interest Law

Competition

Reconstruction and Insolvency

Corporate and Commercial

Taxation

Dispute Resolution and Litigation

Technology and Intellectual Property

Property and Development

Workplace Advisory

Clients and Solutions

We aim to develop long-term relationships with our clients

Excellence and Success

ABL is a meritocracy - we reward success and excellence

Community

We have a stand-alone pro bono practice group

Diversity

We have initiatives such as the internal ABL Indigenous Solidarity Network, ABL Pride Committee and ABL Women's Group

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

45

Clerkship positions available each intake:

15

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

No rotations

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer 1, Summer 2 and Winter

The clerkship program at ABL includes a mix of training sessions, interactive activities, and workshops, getting involved in meaningful work with Partners, lawyers, and clients across the firm.

Clerks will be allocated a buddy as their go-to support person for any day to day questions. You will be immersed in our culture, be given real work, real responsibility, and real contact with Partners and clients in meetings, calls, and court hearings.

During your clerkship, we arrange a number of extra-curricular activities such as lunches with our current graduates and an 'Amazing Race' event around the Melbourne CBD. We also have a day out with one of our clients which gives clerks the unique experience to meet the people that lie at the heart of the firm's identity. It also provides the opportunity to hear from our clients and why they have chosen ABL.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

20-25

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

20-25

Graduate rotation structure:

Single practice group

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority and market offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Yes

As an ABL graduate, you will immediately experience our firm's point of difference. From your very first day, you will work alongside thought leaders in the profession on important and complex cases that will provide opportunities to flex your thinking, offer direct input and gain in-depth knowledge.

At ABL, we are very proud of our in-house graduate training program. Our graduates do not go offsite to PLT, instead they learn from our best and brightest Partners and Senior Associates from across the firm, who are leaders in their respective fields. The SLT (supervised legal training) program is run to be practical, engaging, and designed to upskill our lawyers for practice. The training program is a real point of difference, and something our graduates genuinely enjoy about their overall graduate experience. Training is usually once a week which means you aren't away from the office for long periods of time, and can be involved in matters throughout the duration of your graduate year.

graduate.programs@ashurst.com https://www.ashurst.com/

Joanne Dean Senior Manager, Early Careers joanne.dean@ashurst.com

Level 16, 80 Collins Street, South Tower, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Joanne Dean

As a leading global law firm we have a lot to offer you. We strive for the highest standards of client service and performance. We value diversity and inclusion. We're respectful and supportive. We encourage innovation and embrace change, and we welcome new ideas. Join Ashurst and make the difference to your career, your clients and your community.

Competition

International Projects Group

Digital Economy Transactions

Mergers and Acquisitions

Disputes

Planning, Access & Environment

Employment

Real Estate

Finance

Tax

Intellectual Property

At Ashurst, we offer clients legal led consulting combined with new law which is a very unique way of supporting and delivering service to our clients. The new law component we call Ashurst Advance involves delivering the advice in a cost effective, digital and innovative way. This fits with our vision of being the most progressive law firm.

Our vision is to be the most progressive law firm. Our values are that we are passionate about quality, we deliver through collaboration, and we think differently.

Key clients include ANZ, Commonwealth Government, Victoria Government, University of Melbourne, Macquarie, Woolworths, and Goldman Sachs.

Create your story at Ashurst As a global law firm with a rich history spanning 200 years, we’ve established ourselves as a leading adviser to corporates, financial institutions and governments on all areas of the law, including finance, M&A, disputes and competition. We’re renowned for helping clients navigate a complex and constantly evolving global landscape. With 30 offices across the world’s leading financial and resource centres, we offer the reach and insight of a global network combined with deep local market knowledge.

18

time zones

countries

4,131

1,737

people

Our people are our greatest asset. We invite you to explore the stories of our people, history and culture at all levels of the firm, both past and present and hope that in doing so, you will reflect on creating your own story of Ashurst.

Scan the QR code to find out more.

Begin your story now at ashurst.com/students

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21

lawyers

32

offices

482

partners

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

60

Clerkship positions available each intake:

20

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

No rotations

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer 1, Summer 2 and Winter

Our Melbourne clerkship program is a great opportunity to work with a supervising Partner, a lawyer, and a buddy who’ll get you involved in real work. You’ll also attend team insights and workshops, as well as get a chance to take part in team social events.

Depending on the team you clerk in, the tasks vary. No matter what team you are in, your role is to support the lawyers at all levels. Tasks may include research, drafting legal expertise updates, document review, and note taking during client meetings. You may also be asked to draft memoranda of findings and due diligence. Make the most of the experience by making connections with your cohort and colleagues and showing enthusiasm to whatever task you're given.

You will have the opportunity to get involved with pro bono work, networks and committees, social events, and coffee catch ups with lawyers from different teams.

There’s absolutely no Ashurst “type”. We want to actively involve a diverse range of minds with a broad range of backgrounds, all united by a common set of strengths. These strengths include a passion for Ashurst and commercial law, outstanding communication skills, analytical ability, commercial awareness, teamwork, and resilience. To stand out ensure you can clearly articulate why you are interested in the firm and what are your unique strengths.

Applications are welcomed from penultimate and final year law students, including international students provided you have the relevant full working rights in Australia.

Applicants can apply via our website. Applicants are required to answer the questions in the online application, upload your CV, academic transcript, and cover letter. When applications close you will be sent a link to complete Criteria psychometric testing. Then, there is an interview with a Partner and Senior Associate. We will also host an open house prior to making offers.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

20

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

20

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 4-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Yes

The 12-month programme starts with a national induction. It’s followed by an introduction into the office where you’re based and an in-house Practical Legal Training (PLT) course, customised with modules specifically chosen for you. We cover the course fees and offer paid study leave days.

With you, we plan three rotations and review these regularly throughout your program. This gives you a solid foundation in legal expertise and problem-solving techniques. There will be opportunities for client secondments and an overseas secondment in your last rotation.

Once you’ve completed your PLT, you're admitted as a lawyer. As the end of your program approaches, we work with you to decide which practice you join. The choice depends on our business needs, your preferences and your job performance.

If you have completed a clerkship with Ashurst, you will be required to apply online and submit an expression of interest to be considered for a priority offer and provide an updated CV but no other steps are required.

virginia.nettle@bakermckenzie.com www.bakermckenzie.com/australia Level 19, 181 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Virginia Nettle Talent Management Consultant virginia.nettle@bakermckenzie.com T +61 3 9617 4236 | M 0403 104 125 Clerkship representative: Virginia Nettle

Baker McKenzie invented the global law firm - so we are different in the way we think, work, and behave. Like no other law firm, we were 'born global'. We have followed clients into new markets, establishing offices driven by local lawyers and talent. And our growth has been organic, giving us a strong, common culture that runs through our firm. Our unique culture, developed over 70 years, enables our 13,000 people to understand local markets and navigate multiple jurisdictions, working together as trusted colleagues and friends to instil confidence in our clients. We also understand the challenges of the global economy because we have been a global law firm from the start.

Baker McKenzie has been thinking globally in Australia for more than 50 years. In 2014, we opened our Brisbane office making our Australian practice the fourth largest in our network of 76 offices with more than 80 Partners and 220 lawyers across Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. In Australia, we act for leading multinational and domestic companies on market-leading local and global transactions.

Banking and Finance

Environmental Markets

Corporate (M&A, Capital Markets, Private Equity)

Commercial Real Estate

Funds

Construction

Energy

Youfoodz Holdings Limited with the proposed acquisition of it by leading meal-kit company HelloFresh SE by scheme of arrangement for a total consideration of approximately $125 million.

Genex Power on the construction, operation and project financing on its 250MW Kidston Pumped Hydro Project.

Best IPO for HomeCo Daily Needs' at A$300 million ($219 million) Reit IPO, and Best Secondary Offering for Afterpay's A$920 million ($635 million) follow-on and co-founder sell-down.

Your journey to a world-class career begins here

Baker McKenzie is Australia’s first global law firm. We’ve been developing global lawyers in Australia for more than 50 years – each started out as a law student, just like you.

Become a world-class lawyer.

Join the firm that was born global. www.bakermckenzie.com/australia#careers

Ready to explore our world?

Virginia Nettle+61 3 9617 4236 Virginia.Nettle@bakermckenzie.com

Find us on LinkedIn

Find us on Facebook

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

32

Clerkship positions available each intake:

12

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September - October

Rotations:

1 practice group

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer 1, Summer 2 and Winter

Right from the start, our clerks get involved in real work. You will be exposed to our Australian and international clients through client meetings, shadowing, research, and other everyday activities within your assigned practice group.

Our clerks work closely with other lawyers, are guided by a supervising Partner and enjoy the extra support of an experienced Associate as a "buddy". You will develop practical and legal skills through our national learning program and by attending workshops specifically designed for clerks, as well as firm-wide sessions.

Baker McKenzie looks for people who genuinely want to work with us and who understand Baker McKenzie's unique offering and position in the market. We look for well-rounded, motivated individuals who have a performance mindset and strive to be the best in whatever they do; who are intellectually curious and have sound academics; who display business acumen and are practical in their approach; and who have a global mindset and are passionately committed to service excellence.

We look for people who enjoy a challenge and seek new opportunities; who constantly look for ways to achieve better results while learning and growing; and who take proactive ownership and responsibility for their careers. And we look for people who act with integrity, honesty, and candour in their dealings, decisions, and actions; who express themselves confidently while staying open to new ideas; who seek a friendly, inclusive, and diverse culture; and who take seriously our role in making a difference to our local and global communities.

Applications are welcomed from local and international penultimate law students.

Applications should include a cover letter, as well as details of your work experience, your extracurricular activities and interests, and your academic results.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

12

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

12

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 4-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority and market offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Yes

Over the course of the program, graduates gain experience in different areas of law before they join a particular practice group as an Associate. You will be supervised by a Partner and have an Associate “buddy” in each rotation to oversee your on-the-job and formal learning.

At Baker McKenzie, we have a deep commitment to development. Our dedicated Leadership & Learning team facilitates sessions in five key areas for our graduates - legal learning, managing your career, the business of law, business development & client service, and people & self-leadership.

We work hard to facilitate on-the-job learning and the many ways it happens too - through informal mentoring relationships, client secondments, involving graduates in global teams working on international deals, and in providing them with the opportunity to manage their own files as part of our pro bono program.

We also bring graduates from our Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane offices together to help our people foster networks across the Firm, and support professional development by covering the costs of Practical Legal Training and your admission.

Baker McKenzie's difference is in our unique values: our passion for being global, our culture of friendship, our commercial pragmatism, our support for entrepreneurship, our commitment to development, our focus on contributing to the community, and our genuine focus on maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment for all of our people.

Baker McKenzie is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive culture for all its employees, with equal opportunity for all to progress and have a meaningful career with our Firm. Our mission is to foster an environment where individuals of every ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, age, disability, carer status, and working style may succeed professionally and fully contribute to the goals of the Firm. As part of our inclusive culture, we encourage applications from all genders, abilities and cultural backgrounds including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. We provide information and support relating to the recruitment process for transgender and gender diverse candidates.

careers@claytonutz.com https://www.claytonutz.com/ Level 18, 333 Colins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Danielle Sandys Graduate Resourcing Consultant dsandys@claytonutz.com 03 9286 6681 Clerkship representative: Danielle Sandys

Clayton Utz is a top tier Australian law firm. We are known for the strength of our independent culture and confident and engaging approach. We have built a team of down-to-earth, client centric and collaborative lawyers. We also embrace individuality - we want people to stay true to who they are and bring their whole self to work.

Core to our commitment to client service is a sophisticated understanding of client needs. We deliver the clearest advice that cuts through the complexity so our clients can concentrate on the things that really matter. With 177 Partners and over 1,600 employees across six offices, we continue to build on our reputation for confident, innovative, and incisive legal advice.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Employment and Safety

Major Projects and Construction

Public Sector (Government Services)

Workplace Relations

We are proud to have recently advised the Clean Energy Finance Corporation on a landmark investment that will help deliver more reliable power through renewable energy to southern Queensland and Australia’s east coast. This work will power 700,000 homes, fast-track connection of Australia’s largest wind farm precinct to the National Electricity Market, and decarbonise Australia’s energy sector.

We also recently advised Woolworths Group Limited on its successful acquisition of Shopper Media Group, and Macquarie Capital and Macquarie's Green Investment Group on their participation in the proposed Asian Renewable Energy Hub. We were also proud to have played a role in a historic milestone for the Aboriginal Flag - helping the Commonwealth of Australia to acquire the copyright in the Flag to be able to make it freely available for public use.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

40-50

Clerkship positions available each intake:

20-25

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September - October

Rotations:

2 rotations

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer and Winter

Graduate positions available in 2024:

15-20

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

15-20

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 6-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

simone.rodgers@clydeco.com https://www.clydeco.com/en

Simone Rodgers (Early Careers Advisor) simone.rodgers@clydeco.com (02) 9210 4416

Level 26, 140 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Simone Rodgers (Early Careers Advisor)

Clyde & Co is a dynamic, rapidly expanding global law firm focused on providing a complete legal service to clients in our core sectors - Insurance, Trade and Commodities, Energy, Transport, and Infrastructure. These core sectors place Clyde & Co at the heart of global trade and commerce.

Our values are the guiding principles deep in our DNA which guide the decisions we make and unite us in our endeavours. They represent who we are when we are at our best, strengthen our brand, and will help support our collective future success.

Work as one We are a globally connected team of talented people who act with a firm-first mentality to achieve success.

Excel with clients We aim high and challenge ourselves to deliver unique excellence for our clients, keeping them at the centre of everything we do.

Celebrate difference We help each other to be at our best and believe our differences result in greater achievement.

Act boldly We seek new opportunities, take action, and learn as we go, recognising that curiosity drives our development and contributes to growth.

Insurance Corporate Regulatory Marine and Shipping Cyber Risk

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

2-5

Clerkship positions available each intake:

2-5

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

2 x 4-week rotations

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer (November - February)

"Usually before starting work, I'd meet up with some of the other clerks for coffee. Then, I'd start my day by checking whether I could assist the team I was rotating through with anything new, or by continuing with a task assigned the day before. Sometimes, I'd attend court or a workshop. The type of work you do will vary so no two days are the same!" - 2021/22 Summer Clerk

Applications are welcomed from penultimate and final year law students.

The application process involves a written application comprising of your CV, cover letter, and academic transcript. Further, there is a networking and information night and two rounds of face-toface interviews.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

2-5

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

2-5

Graduate rotation structure:

2 x 6-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

The Clyde & Co graduate program is designed to provide new legal professionals with the tools for a successful career in law. Graduates at Clyde & Co will learn vital technical and soft skills, with support and mentorship from our global team. Melbourne graduates will have the opportunity to travel to Sydney for their induction week and meet their cohort from all four of our Australian offices. Clyde & Co is committed to providing ongoing training opportunities to the future leaders of the firm.

https://www.corrs.com.au/ Level 25, 567 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 alarna.barling@corrs.com.au jacqueline.kourlinis@corrs.com.au

Alarna Barling People & Performance Consultant alarna.barling@corrs.com.au 03 9672 3070 Jacqueline Kourlinis People & Performance Coordinator jacqueline.kourlinis@corrs.com.au 03 9672 3161

Corrs Chambers Westgarth is Australia’s leading independent law firm. We’re known for delivering legal excellence, exceptional client service, and outstanding results.

We’re the firm of choice for many of the world’s most significant organisations – from large corporations to governments, banks, and financial sponsors.

We advise on the most significant global matters and connect with the best lawyers internationally to provide our clients with the right team for every engagement. We are also at the forefront of some of the most high-profile and complex matters in our region.

At Corrs, you’ll enjoy the benefits of working alongside a high performing team in a culture defined by excellence, collaboration, commitment, and respect.

We have offices across Australia and in Papua New Guinea, as well as a leading network of strategic alliances across the globe.

Nationally, we have practice groups which specialise in the following areas of law: Arbitration; Banking and Finance; Class Actions; Commercial Litigation; Competition; Corporate; Energy and Natural Resources; Employment and Labour; Environment and Planning; Financial Sponsors; Investigations and Inquiries; Intellectual Property; Projects; Real Estate; Responsible Business and ESG; Restructuring, Insolvency, and Special Situations (RISS); Tax; and Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT).

Our clients include more than half of the top fifty ASX‑listed companies, some of the largest privately owned companies in Australia and a number of global Fortune 500 companies. We work with well‑known organisations such as: AGL, Australia Post, BP, Blackstone, CBA, Coles, eBay, Google, Johnson & Johnson, Medibank, NAB, PayPal, Stockland, TPG Telecom, Rio Tinto, BHP, TransGrid, Wesfarmers, and Westpac.

Our lawyers have been on international secondments to leading firms in Amsterdam, New York, London, Milan, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, and more.

Our culture is defined by excellence, collaboration, commitment, and respect. Our lawyers work together across practice groups to deliver exceptional results and support you in building your future, wherever you want to take it.

Our success is based on the success of our people. We encourage individuals to play to their strengths and we bring our diverse and talented lawyers together to create top-performing teams.

The combination of these factors creates a firm that celebrates its independence, is open to new ideas, has the courage to think and act differently from the rest of the market, and thrives on new challenges and opportunities.

Flexibility has long been a standard business practice at Corrs and an option for all our people, including partners. Our flexible work policy empowers individuals to fulfil their work and life responsibilities in a way that best suits them. While more recently we have adopted hybrid working arrangement across the firm, we also promote formal and informal flexible work options which has resulted in different types of work practices across the firm - from job sharing, to part-time work and extended leave options. We also offer paid study leave, salary sacrificing and opportunities to give back to the community We provide opportunities for professional and personal growth for both legal and business services staff. We encourage staff to be socially active and participate in social and sporting events as well as learning and development activities. Some of our other social activities include mixed netball, family days, trivia nights, legal retreats, and End of Financial Year and Christmas parties.

We recognise the importance of health and wellbeing and are committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace through a variety of programs and policies. Our wellbeing program provides a range of initiatives to assist people in maintaining good overall health. Importantly, we also recognise the role a person’s manager plays in their wellbeing. We place emphasis on effective ‘everyday leadership’ and have processes in place to monitor a person’s welfare and workload.

We have a long and proud history of helping those in need. We focus on how we can strategically make a long-term difference for a wider range of people by addressing systemic inequalities and inspiring a new generation of lawyers to embrace their passion for pro bono work to create lasting impact.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

70

Clerkship positions available each intake:

22

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

No rotations

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer 1, Summer 2 and Winter

Our clerkship program gives you the opportunity to connect with partners and lawyers across the firm, learn what a ‘day-in-the-life’ at Corrs is like, and experience the type of work we do and the clients we partner with. The Corrs seasonal clerkship program gives you the opportunity to work alongside some of Australia’s leading lawyers on high-profile work for major Australian and international clients.

You’ll be exposed to a broad range of interesting matters and have the chance to complete tasks such as conducting research, reviewing and presenting documents, attending court hearings, mediations and settlements, as well as shadowing partners and lawyers in client meetings and business development activities.

We look for people who can make a positive contribution to the firm and help us in delivering legal excellence and outstanding client service. In exchange for your energy and commitment we’ll provide extraordinary learning and work opportunities.

We want people who bring out the best in those around them, work well in a team, and take pride in their work and achievements. We assess against a broad criteria which considers business and commercial acumen, initiative, ethical behaviour, previous employment, legal excellence, a commitment to commercial law, energy, and drive, involvement in community life, and strong interpersonal skills.

Applications are welcomed from penultimate and final year law students.

Firstly, applicants will need to complete an online application form. Applicants will need to provide their CV and academic transcript and complete short answer questions.

If successful, one round of interviews will be held with a partner, senior associate, and a member of the people and performance team. There is also a network evening held called 'A Taste of Corrs'.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

25

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

TBA

Graduate rotation structure:

3 rotations (24 months total)

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

The Lawyer Development Program is designed to support you in the formative stage of your career.

It aims to build the capabilities and relationships that will drive career progression and underpin future successes, as rapidly as possible.

Unique features of the program include: Mentor partner You will be allocated a mentor partner who remains in this role throughout the program and potentially beyond.

This will build a personal and enduring relationship that transcends everyday transactional work.

You will also be supported in each rotation by a supervising partner and SA/SC who will source meaningful and challenging work.

12 x 6 x 6 rotation structure The first practice group rotation is 12 months to ensure you have time to learn on the job and build strong capabilities and relationships in your first year.

In the second year, when you have an increased level of experience and confidence, you will complete two six-month rotations in order to gain exposure and build relationships across different groups.

Formal learning The program incorporates comprehensive formal learning opportunities including our national Graduate Academy, local Graduate Orientation, practical legal training with the College of Law, practice group induction sessions, and the national Legal Excellence Program.

graduaterecruitmentAUS@dlapiper.com

Jenny Dawkins (Grad Recruitment Advisor) graduaterecruitmentAUS@dlapiper.com

https://www.dlapiper.com/en-au Clerkship representative: Jenny Dawkins (Grad Recruitment Advisor)

80 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

DLA Piper is a global business law firm based in the Americas, EMEA, and the Asia Pacific. We help clients succeed through innovative and pragmatic legal solutions. Leading businesses across the world trust us with their most complex matters and rely on our seamless cross-border prowess and sector knowledge. Wherever you are, and whatever your challenge, we speak your language. Life moves fast at DLA Piper, and with good reason. We help the world's top companies with their business-critical issues. Many of the deals we work on are complex and challenging - transcending not just practice areas, but borders, languages, and legal systems. As a firm, we never stand still. We think nimbly and seize opportunities. We're ambitious and are never afraid to innovate. So, if you possess these qualities too, there could be a bright future for you at DLA Piper.

In everything we do, connected with our people, our clients, and our communities, we live by four values: be supportive, be bold, be collaborative, and be exceptional.

Corporate

Real Estate

Intellectual Property and Technology

Employment

Litigation and Regulatory

Tax

Finance, Projects, and Restructuring

Pro Bono

Pantoro Limited on its acquisition of Tulla Resources plc and $75 million capital raising.

Quad Real (a global real estate investment firm headquartered in Vancouver) in a joint venture with Lendlease to develop a $300 million build-to-rent development in Brisbane.

Solar United Network Pty Ltd on the project financing of the Merredin solar farm.

PATRIZIA and Mitsui in joint venture lanch of their new APAC Sustainable Infrastructure Fund, which has $110 million USD of equity at first close.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

20

Clerkship positions available each intake:

10

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

1 x 4-week rotation

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer and Winter

Our clerkship program starts with a two-day induction which provides an in-depth introduction to the legal sector and the firm's practice groups. It also builds your professional skills and workplace capability. Throughout the induction, there will be opportunities to hear from and network with senior members of the firm. Once you are inducted, you will have the opportunity to complete work placements in our different practice groups where you will be given real responsibilities. Whether you are attending a court hearing, contributing to a client meeting, or assisting a large corporate transaction, you will have plenty of opportunities to reach your potential.

During your clerkship, you will experience a number of social and networking events. These include ones with your clerkship cohort, your team, and some potential office wide events as well. There is also the opportunity to be involved in pro bono work.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

9

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

9

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 6-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

At the start of your graduate programme, you will participate in a National Graduate Induction in Sydney, which brings together our graduates from all four offices in Australia to take part in a fun, engaging, and experiential learning programme. The induction brings together the entire national graduate cohort and is an inspirational and memorable week filled with business leaders, engaging team building activities, and the networking opportunity of a lifetime.

Graduates will partake in a 5-day intensive PLT course at the beginning of the program with the rest of the course completed online over 30 weeks part-time.

You will experience three x six-month rotations throughout our eight different practice groups, giving you breadth in your knowledge of the law as well as the practical skills involved.

earlycareers@gadens.com https://www.gadens.com/

Jessica Parker (Early Careers Partner) jessica.parker@gadens.com 03 9612 8381

Level 13, Collins Arch, 447 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Jessica Parker (Early Careers Partner)

Gadens is a leading Australian law firm with more than 100 Partners and 880 staff across offices located in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. We regularly undertake highly complex transactional legal work for a wide range of clients across multiple industry sectors. Our clients include major Australian and multinational organisations. We are advisors to a significant number of the Top-200 companies listed on the ASX – as well as many small to medium-sized businesses, and high-net-worth families and individuals.

Our aim is to help our clients achieve their objectives – providing an outstanding client experience for every client, every time. This is underpinned by our intense focus on understanding our clients, their needs and expectations, and building meaningful, long-term relationships – a number of which span decades. Our mission is to help people achieve their purpose in a complex world. To do so, we aim to lead by example, inspire others, innovate, and build something we are all proud of.

Real Estate and Construction

Workplace Advisory and Disputes

Disputes and Investigations

Intellectual Property and Technology

Corporate (including Tax Advisory)

Banking and Finance

Our core values are the firm's foundation and reflect the essence and character of the firm - they define how we interact with one another and our clients.

We value: excellence collaboration stewardship positivity responsibility integrity

At Gadens, we help people achieve their purpose in a complex world. We will lead by example, inspire others, innovate, and are continuing to build something we are all proud of.

To build a strong culture and future success at Gadens, we focus our energy, effort, and resources across our five key strategic pillars: People – we develop and inspire our people Sustainability and Social Impact – we do the right thing and make an impact Clients and Markets – we work with quality clients in our chosen markets Innovation and Technology – we solve problems with people and technology working seamlessly together Brand and Reputation – we are a widely recognised and respected brand, fun is also strongly on the agenda We believe that a lively workplace reduces stress and improves learning, productivity, and creativity with regular events to ensure that you have interaction with your colleagues in a fun and informal setting.

We have a strong reputation and are well regarded for our specialist, market-leading practices in advisory, transactional, and disputes work. We work with clients across an extensive number of market segments and industry specialisations.

Our significant breadth and depth of expertise encompasses banking and finance, corporate advisory, dispute resolution, employment advisory, government, intellectual property and technology, private clients, property and construction, planning and environment, recovery and insolvency, and tax.

We regularly undertake highly complex legal work for a wide range of clients across multiple industry sectors. Our clients include Governments at all levels, major Australian and multinational organisations. We are advisors to a number of the Top 200 companies listed on the ASX – as well as many small to medium-sized businesses, and high-net-worth families and individuals.

Our aim is to help our clients achieve their objectives – providing an outstanding client experience for every client, every time. This is underpinned by our intense focus on understanding our clients, their needs and expectations and building meaningful, long-term relationships.

We recognise that a modern, flexible workplace is essential in attracting and retaining high performing people.

Our approach to hybrid working, called ‘Your Work, Your Way’ empowers our people to work in a way that demonstrates commitment to our clients, communities, colleagues, and culture. It means our people can work in a way that best suits them, our clients, and teams. We recognise that our people may seek to work flexibly at various stages of their lives for a variety of reasons including caring responsibilities, study, health, phased retirement, or participation in community and volunteering activities.

Our flexible work arrangements allow for changes to the time, location, and manner in which a staff member works, and we offer a range of flexible working arrangements including: flexibility upon return from parental leave, flexible working hours, job share arrangements, leave of absence, part time working arrangements, purchased annual leave, and working from home.

We are committed to attracting, developing, and retaining the very best people. When you join Gadens, you will be working in a firm where success is determined by the character and spirit of our people.

We are looking for talented people who approach their work with passion and who excel at establishing quality relationships with clients and colleagues. Your work will be interesting and challenging, and from day one, you will have plenty of responsibility.

We foster a culture that is inclusive, diverse and flexible so our people can bring their true selves to work. We are actively reducing our environmental footprint and are proud that 100% of our energy consumption is generated from renewable sources. Gadens is carbon neutral certified with Climate Active.

We are proud of our progressive and market-leading parental leave support which includes 30 weeks’ Paid Parental Leave, Superannuation contributions while on Parental Leave for up to 52 weeks (based on 5 days per week, regardless of your working days), paid leave for Surrogacy and IVF treatment, and much more.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

30-32

Clerkship positions available each intake:

10-12

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September - October

Rotations:

1 x 4-week rotation

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer 1, Summer 2 and Winter

It is an exciting time to join Gadens. In 2023, we are introducing Clerkships to our Melbourne and Sydney offices. Clerks will have the opportunity to get to know our people, our clients, and our practice teams during the program, participating in a range of work and activities designed to give you insights into private practice.

A dedicated Mentor and Buddy will guide and support you during your Clerkship, whilst you are gaining practical experience by working directly with Partners and experienced Lawyers, who are leaders in their field. You will also learn more about our firm, culture, and how we support the wider community. We will recruit Graduates for 2025 from Clerks who have participated in our clerkship programs in 2023/2024.

Throughout the Clerks@Gadens program, we will help you grow your skills and provide comprehensive support to ensure your Clerkship is a success. A dedicated Mentor will work with you to develop your technical skills, allocate work, and provide ongoing feedback.

You will also be supported by a Buddy who will share tips and friendly advice. Some of the work you may be involved in includes: legal research attending client meetings, court, or mediations drafting correspondence and advice assisting in the preparation of affidavits or court documents You can stand out as a Clerk by being engaged, enthusiastic, and curious. We encourage our Clerks to be involved in all areas of life at Gadens - with our clients, people, and community.

We welcome applications from students in their penultimate or final year of the LLB or JD. You can apply for Clerkships directly through the Gadens website and will be required to upload your CV, cover letter, academic transcript, and provide responses to short answer questions. You will not be required to complete any psychometric testing. Successful candidates will be invited to attend a Networking and Information Evening in our office prior to interview, to learn more about Gadens and meet our people. Interviews will be held in-person in our offices and include a Partner and a member of the People and Development Team.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

10-12

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

10-12

Graduate rotation structure:

2 x 6-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority and market offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

Grads@Gadens is the program through which we attract and retain talent within the firm. Once on our program, you will immediately receive challenging and varied work with a high level of responsibility. Grads@Gadens is based on two, six-month rotations through different practice areas.

Practice areas in the rotations include: Real Estate and Construction Disputes and Investigations Corporate (including Tax Advisory) Workplace Advisory and Disputes Intellectual Property and Technology Banking and Finance Spending time in different practice areas means you have the opportunity to make an informed decision about your chosen specialisation. On-the-job training and working directly with Partners will ensure you develop a broad set of skills which you can carry with you throughout your career.

Throughout the program we will invest in you and provide comprehensive support to ensure each rotation is a success. You will team-up with a dedicated Supervisor who will work closely with you to develop your technical skills, allocate work, and provide ongoing feedback. You will attend training and seminars each month, led by Partners and senior people, to ensure you are continually learning and developing. These sessions focus on business skills and technical development, and ensure that you are given the support you need to excel in a commercially driven environment.

The 2024 Grads@Gadens program is open to candidates who are PLT-qualified and will be Admitted before commencing with us in March each year (or within the first three months of commencing the program). Having PLT-qualified Graduates allows them to experience complex and interesting work from day one, where they are directly involved in client meetings and getting hands-on experience as a Lawyer. From 2025, Gadens will be recruiting Graduates who have participated in our Clerkship programs and will complete their PLT during their Graduate year. We anticipate this will be between 10 and 12 Graduates.

lchaloner@gtlaw.com.au https://www.gtlaw.com.au/

Lara Chaloner (Early Talent Coordinator) lchaloner@gtlaw.com.au 0410 539 846

Level 25, 101 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Lara Chaloner (Early Talent Coordinator)

G+T is a leading Australian law firm, advising clients on their most significant corporate transactions, regulatory matters, and disputes. We provide commercial and innovative legal solutions for ASX 100 leading companies, major infrastructure and services providers, as well as government and public authorities across Australia and around the world.

An international leader in M&A, private equity, capital markets, competition and regulation, and technology and digital, we work on complex issues that define and direct the market. G+T presents a unique opportunity for you to make a name for yourself through the matters and transactions you work on, with support available if you need it.

As a younger organisation that has built its success on legal excellence and entrepreneurial drive, G+T is an energetic and passionate workplace. We are non-bureaucratic and value diversity, individuality, innovation, and fun. We have a long heritage of giving back to the community through our pro bono practice and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Joining a firm with an open, entrepreneurial culture makes it easier for you to work closely with the firm’s highly talented Partners and senior lawyers. This is reinforced by structured mentoring programs, open plan workstations, and direct contact with clients.

Technology and Intellectual Property

Disputes and Investigations

Corporate Advisory

Banking and Projects

Competition and Regulation

Our vision is to build a truly outstanding law firm, renowned for our commitment to client service and distinctive in our superior team of talented, creative, and enthusiastic lawyers. We will foster a vibrant and open culture providing personal and professional growth for all our people. We will live out our responsibility to support our community and contribute to our society.

IMPACT

STARTS HERE

G+T has the momentum and energy to be Australia’s best corporate law firm. Our clients turn to us at pivotal moments in their growth trajectory – from industry-shaping M+A deals to high-stakes disputes and regulatory work.

From your first day with us, you’ll be given work that matters – not paperwork. You’ll be exposed to milestone deals and major clients across Australia, Asia, Europe, North America and emerging markets. And you’ll feel like you’re making a difference and learning from the best lawyers in their fields.

You’ll also have the opportunity to work in practice areas focused on ESG and the transition to renewable energy, as well as emerging regulatory change and tech transformation.

Join our team in the heart of the CBD, and work alongside Australia’s leading practitioners in:

+ Banking + Projects + Corporate Advisory + Competition + Regulation + Disputes + Investigations + Tech + IP

If you share our entrepreneurial spirit and restless energy, you’ll feel like you belong with us here at G+T. And you’ll see how quickly our network can open doors to experiences that will take you further, faster.

Launch your career with G+T » Visit gtlaw.com.au/starthere “As a progressive firm, we are constantly changing and always thinking about the future.

That’s why we’re always looking for fresh ideas and energy. For talented people who will make an impact in their careers, wherever that takes them.”

Danny Gilbert Managing Partner

Flat hierarchy: Our structure is egalitarian with very little hierarchy and bureaucracy. All legally trained employees are referred to as 'lawyers'. With no formal band structures, lawyers are given opportunities and rewards as early as they are ready to take them, rather than being constrained by their job title. We allow our people to tackle new and complex work and to develop quickly, both professionally and personally. This flat structure enables our clerks and graduate lawyers to work directly with more experienced lawyers as well as Partners on a variety of matters.

Outstanding pro bono: We have always recognised the power of the law to improve the lives of people who are disadvantaged. We were one of the first firms to have two pro bono Partners in Australia. We are committed to helping clients who don’t have access to the justice system or don’t qualify for legal aid. Our pro bono legal practice is led by a team of six full-time pro bono lawyers with expertise in the areas of law of importance to our clients, working with lawyers across the firm who contribute their time and their own expertise.

Corporate Social Responsibility: As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility agenda, we are committed to activities that make a difference within our firm and to the wider community. Our Corporate Social Responsibility programs focus on three streams – reconciliation, community programs, and the environment.

Innovation: We are built upon and thrive on technological disruption. It is in the DNA of the firm. The G+T attitude of embracing innovation has always gone hand in hand with business success. We have a comprehensive innovation strategy that brings together the G+T team with clients and startups to explore better ways of meeting the needs of our clients, new business models, and more efficient business processes.

Afterpay on the $39 billion acquisition of Afterpay by Square Inc. the largest public M&A deal in Australia’s history and the largest cross border fintech deal globally.

Tabcorp on the competition clearance for its mergers with Tatts. The $11.3 billion deal represented the largest and most complex merger authorisation in Australia in recent times involving a transaction that, in a previous iteration, was blocked by the ACCC. Cleanaway on the proposed $2.5 billion acquisition of SUEZ’s Recycling and Recovery business in Australia, and eventual $510 million acquisition of SUEZ’s Sydney based assets including two landfill sites and five waste stations. This was a key aspect of the highly contested Veolia and Suez merger.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

30

Clerkship positions available each intake:

10

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September - October

Rotations:

1 practice group

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer 1, Summer 2 and Winter

A seasonal clerk at G+T can expect a realistic insight into what it would be like to join us as a graduate. Clerks get involved in a wide variety of tasks throughout the program following three days of induction. Each experience is individual, allowing for it to be genuine and meaningful. We encourage clerks to be curious and to connect.

During your time with G+T you’ll get a taste of what it’s like to work in corporate law. Spending time in one practice group, you will start to understand the mechanics of legal practice through researching legislation and case law, preparing and drafting memos, observing negotiations, meeting clients, attending court, or perhaps working as part of a deal team.

Throughout the program, you’ll partake in our customised in-house training program and have the opportunity to contribute to Pro Bono and our Knowledge Management practice. We intentionally have smaller groups of clerks so that we can really get to know each individual.

It is important for clerks to have a great attitude while clerking with us, to really immerse themselves in the culture of G+T and soak up all the different opportunities available to them throughout their clerkship. Most of all, don’t take themselves too seriously and have fun!

While strong university results and academic achievements count, we’re also looking for people who align with our firm’s culture and values. We’re not a prescriptive firm when it comes to our people; we invite individuality and diversity. We also hold ambition, imagination, creative thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit in high regard. Our people are collaborative, passionate, and dedicated, but most of all they enjoy what they do and never forget to have fun. We seek clerks and graduates that will complement our practice groups and don’t feel the need to take themselves too seriously.

Applications are welcomed from penultimate, final year law students, and international students.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

10

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

10

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 6-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

Graduates commence with the firm in one formal intake in February. As a graduate, you will undertake real work, build relationships with Partners, lawyers and clients, and become an integral part of each practice group.

Our 18-month program consists of three rotations of approximately six months each. Rotations are available in all practice areas and you will also be actively involved in other work activities, including business development, knowledge management, training, and pro bono work.

The Graduate Development Program is designed to complement the learning attained through Practical Legal Training (firm-funded PLT). You will also undertake practice group specific training during your rotations, which will provide invaluable practical and commercial skills to help you transition into practice as a junior lawyer.

Graduates are also eligible for secondments to our Perth and Sydney offices. Many of our lawyers choose to undertake postgraduate study. G+T offers funding assistance for master's degrees and other postgraduate courses as part of our ongoing commitment to your continuing education. Each year we also award several scholarships to support our people to study at any educational institution in the world.

gilda.carter@hallandwilcox.com.au

Gilda Carter Senior National Early Careers Advisor gilda.carter@hallandwilcox.com.au +61 2 8267 3845

https://hallandwilcox.com.au Level 11, South Tower, Rialto Building, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Gilda Carter

Hall & Wilcox is a leading independent Australian law firm. We are a firm of more than 1,000 people, including over 120 Partners, delivering outstanding legal services to corporate, public sector, and private clients, both Australian-based and those offshore doing business in Australia.

We were recently named: Winner of Law Firm of the Year, Law Firm Leader of the Year, and Diversity Initiative of the Year at the Australasian Law Awards 2022 Winner of Law Firm of the Year at Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards 2022 Winner of Australasian Lawyer Employer of Choice 2022

Banking and Financial Services

Insurance (General and Statutory)

Commercial Dispute Resolution

Property and Projects

Corporate and Commercial

Public Sector

Employment

Tax

Health and Community

Technology and Digital Economy

We are well known for our collegial culture - one way we live our culture is through our Hallmarks.

Our Hallmarks are how we articulate the behaviours consistent with our culture. Our inclusive culture enables us to recognise and celebrate the characteristics that makes each individual different and creates a workplace environment in which both individuals and groups feel welcome, respected, and valued.

Our commitment is reflected in our Workplace Gender Equality Agency Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation, our First Nations Pathway Program, recruitment opportunities for people living with a disability, and participation in LGBTIQ+ Interfirm Networks. At Hall & Wilcox, we support flexible and agile working to assist our people to balance their professional and personal life, health, and wellbeing.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

30

Clerkship positions available each intake:

15

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September - October

Rotations:

2 rotations

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer and Winter

Our clerkship program includes: An induction program that provides an understanding of the firm's structure, the work we do, our clients, training in IT systems, and office procedures; Exposure to real work on real files - this may include drafting correspondence and documents, attending client meetings, conferences and mediations, and undertaking research tasks; A support network including a buddy, mentor, and supervising Partner; Participation in practice group training sessions, workshops, and development sessions; The opportunity to attend informative sessions with Partners and hear more about the work they do and their experiences; The chance to get involved in the firm's social and sporting activities.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

16

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

16

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 4-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority and market offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

Our graduate program was included as one of the Fast Movers in GradAustralia's Top 100 Graduate Employers of 2022 and we were identified in the GradConnection Top 100 category lists as one of the Most Popular Law Graduate Employers across Australia.

During your graduate year you will experience: A combination of on-the-job training and support in completing Practical Legal Training; A comprehensive induction with the national graduate cohort which lays the foundations; A support network including a buddy, a mentor, and supervising Partner; Regular learning opportunities through our Elevate program, designed to develop our graduates and provide them with the skills and expertise to excel; Opportunities to participate in pro bono, industry group, and smarter law initiatives.

graduatesmelbourne@hsf.com https://www.herbertsmithfreehills.com/

Hong Le (Graduate Recruitment Consultant) hong.le@hsf.com 03 9288 1937

Level 24, 80 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Hong Le

With 25 offices spanning Asia, Europe, Australasia, and the Middle East, we can show you exactly what a world class commercial law firm has to offer, giving you the chance to work as part of an international team, on high-profile matters, for some of the most significant organisations in the market. Our focus is on the future: the future needs of existing and new clients, the future of the legal profession, and investing in our future lawyers. That’s why we aim to attract the best talent from a broad range of backgrounds, ensuring we are optimising our position as a progressive, forward thinking, professional services business. At Herbert Smith Freehills, you’ll be given the opportunity to develop the skills you need to help solve our clients’ most complex challenges in thoughtful and innovative ways.

Alternative Legal Services (ALT)

Employment, Industrial Relations, and Safety

Competition, Regulation, and Trade

Finance

Corporate

Projects and Infrastructure

Dispute Resolution

Real Estate

At HSF, we have adopted an agile working policy with an expectation that our people work in the office for an average of 60% of their working time. This is tailored to suit each individual, team, and situation. Some people may be in the office more, others less, while some may need to come to the office everyday depending on their role. This culture of working flexibly allows us to gain more time for families, health, and other commitments.

GradAustralia Top 100 Employer Band 1 Global-Wide Litigation Services Chambers and Partners 2020 2021 Law Firm of the Year Australasian Law Awards Received the most Band 1 rankings of any firm in Chambers Asia-Pacific Guide

ELEVATE YOUR EXPERIENCE CAREERS IN COMMERCIAL LAW careers.herbertsmithfreehills.com/au/grads

@HSFGRADUATESAU

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

60-65

Clerkship positions available each intake:

30-35

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

1 practice group

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer and Winter

We select many of our graduates through our vacation clerkships. During this immersive experience, you’ll receive hands-on practical experience, as you work on some of the diverse challenges facing the team you will be collaborating with.

You will have the opportunity to sit within a specific team, delivering real work for key clients. You will attend our 3 day induction and training program, before you hit the practice group floor. Once you join the teams, you will have the opportunity to attend workshops and presentations covering all our practice areas, contribute to the pro-bono practice, and experience our cutting edge technology through our innovation projects.

You will be allocated a Partner, supervisor, and a buddy who is junior Solicitor in the team, so you will have many points of contact and support.

You will gain a deeper understanding of life at the firm and what your future could look like if you join us. Some key features of our seasonal clerkship program include the opportunity to: Attend client meetings, and be part of delivering real work to our key clients; Research tasks, BD work; Attend workshops and presentations with your team; Contribute to the pro-bono team; Be part of our Digital Law Group and Innovation team by volunteering to work on their projects; Attend networking events with clients and HSF staff.

We welcome applications for our Australian clerkship program from penultimate and final year students.

We also welcome applications from international penultimate and final year law students, provided that you have unrestricted legal working rights to work in Australia when you commence in your clerkship.

ELEVATE YOUR EXPERIENCE ABOUT US

With over 25 offices spanning Asia, Europe, Australasia, and the Middle East, careers at Herbert Smith Freehills offer our graduates the opportunity to experience being part of a truly global law firm. Working with some of the most significant organisations in the world, opportunities to have social impact, and learning from our world-class team every day will enable you to create solid foundations on which to build your career in law.

We’re proud to say that we put people first. Our firm is built on a diverse culture, reflective of the societies in which we live and work. That’s why inclusivity is key to our success. At Herbert Smith Freehills, you’ll be valued for what makes you different and accepted for who you are. We recognise the power of diversity and inclusion to drive innovation, collaboration and business outcomes. So, whether it’s working on the latest advancements in digital law, taking part in some of the biggest mergers and acquisitions around, or helping people through our extensive pro bono work – you’ll develop the skills to solve the most complex challenges in thoughtful and innovative ways.

WE WELCOME DIFFERENT

Great lawyers are both curious and creative.

We encourage you to challenge assumptions and open yourself up to new ideas. So, what exactly are we looking for?

There’s no single path to becoming an exceptional commercial lawyer. We look beyond your academic record and your technical aptitude. We’re focussed on finding people who have the curiosity to explore all the angles and the empathy to place themselves in their client’s shoes.

HERBERTSMITHFREEHILLS.COM

We're Herbert Smith Freehills, one of the world's leading international law firms. Join us and you'll be at the centre of high-profile cases, highimpact deals and you'll grow from new experiences every day.

In line with our 10 Actions for Change we are 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.

JOINING US

CLERKSHIP PROGRAM

KEY DATES/DEADLINES

We select many of our graduates through our vacation clerkships. During this immersive experience, you’ll receive hands-on practical experience, as you work on some of the diverse challenges facing the team you’re collaborating with.

You will gain a deeper understanding of life at the firm and what your future could look like if you join us. Some key features include the opportunity to: • Sit within a specific team, delivering real work for key clients • Before you join, submit a preference for a team to tailor your experience • Navigate the first step of your career with partner and graduate mentoring support

We offer a range of summer and winter clerkships across our Australian offices. If you have queries about graduate or vacation clerk positions, please visit our website: careers.herbertsmithfreehills. com/au/grads/vacation-clerkships or contact one of our graduate recruitment consultants.

MELBOURNE Positions

60-65

Clerkship programs

1 Summer & 1 Winter

Applications for all 2022/23 programs open

3 July 2023

Applications for all 2022/23 programs close

13 August 2023

Offers made

18 October 2023

Please note: An application should only be submitted to the office where you intend to start your career as a graduate.

Multiple applications will not be considered.

• Attend workshops and presentations covering all our practice areas • Contribute to our pro bono practice • Work with cutting edge technology through our innovation projects • Networking opportunities to meet people across the firm

Contacts Hong Le Graduate Recruitment Consultant T +61 437 811 268 GraduatesMelbourne@hsf.com

© Herbert Smith Freehills 2023 NOF227445_A4_Advertorials /200323 (2023)

Graduate positions available in 2024:

25-30

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

30

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 6-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority and market offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Yes

Our graduate program gives you the chance to start shaping your future and hone your skills in a range of practice areas, providing you with a broad-based training and ensuring that you are ready to become a qualified Solicitor.

You’ll rotate through three distinct practice areas for six months each and will be assigned a Partner and buddy for support. You will get the opportunity to submit practice area preferences before every rotation, including before your first rotation, enabling you to tailor your graduate program to your specific interests. You can also discuss your preferences with our dedicated Graduate Recruitment team.

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 you may need in order to succeed (e.g. transport, accommodation, language lessons). Our graduates have previously been seconded to our London, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Hong Kong offices.

In 2019, we sent 14 Australian Graduates on international secondments. With a network around the world, you’ll also have the opportunity to work with international clients, develop a global reputation, and establish the career path that suits you. You’ll gain experience on high-profile cases and deals involving some of the world’s biggest clients, explore multicultural matters, and receive first-class training. During this experience, you’ll be developing a global view of the law and building a resume with a legal firm that’s widely recognised around the world.

Expressions of interest can be made following the clerkship program.

ELEVATE YOUR EXPERIENCE CAREERS IN COMMERCIAL LAW careers.herbertsmithfreehills.com/au/grads

@HSFGRADUATESAU

agallen@hwle.com.au https://hwlebsworth.com.au Level 8, 477 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Anneliese Gallen People and Development Coordinator agallen@hwle.com.au clerkshipapplications@hwle.com.au +61 3 8644 3443

Let us introduce you to a genuinely different firm, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers. The firm comprises of over 1,700 staff nationally, including 270 Partners across our nine offices located in every state and territory in Australia. We provide legal advice to commercial and government clients across a broad range of areas, which allows our team to experience working on an extremely diverse range of projects. Our rapid rise has required us to be dynamic, nimble, forward thinking, and committed to fostering a supportive working environment. As Australia's fastest growing legal partnership, we do things a little differently. We pride ourselves on a merit based career development framework that ensures all employees are allowed to reach their full potential by being given the opportunity to advance to their desired level. We don't put time limits on your growth, you decide how far and fast you grow.

Banking and Finance

Insurance

Commonwealth Government

Litigation

Corporate and Commercial

Planning, Environment and Government

Construction and Infrastructure

Property

Health

Workplace, Relations and Safety

HWL Ebsworth is committed to providing an environment that supports and encourages all team members to progress. Our focus is on removing any barriers that may restrict any of our team members from developing their careers with us. Our clients are as diverse as we are, and our lawyers' varied backgrounds and skill sets support us in providing our clients with innovative and tailored legal solutions.

Our learning and development programs help our team members to improve their technical knowledge and professional skills through tailored seminars, workshops, and one-on-one real time training. We actively support our team members in undertaking further study to develop and enhance their expertise and practical knowledge.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

30

Clerkship positions available each intake:

15

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

1 practice group

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer and Winter

At HWL Ebsworth, we believe in investing in our people from the very beginning of their careers. We see our clerkship program as the start of that investment, where we are committed to nurturing and supporting our employees to reach their full potential as lawyers. We don't just say this, we prove it by supporting our graduates through to partnership. That's why we are different. You will have the opportunity to gain genuine insight into our firm, culture, and practice groups. Our clerkship program is designed to present you with hands-on experience and training to develop your legal skills and knowledge whilst providing feedback and growth opportunities as well as exposing yourself to a broad range of work within your designated practice group. Our program has been designed to enable us to get to know you on both a personal and professional level. There will be multiple opportunities to network and get to know our people by attending various social events and professional development workshops.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

40

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

30

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 4-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

Our carefully tailored 12-month program will support graduates through their admission process to meet their practical requirements during hands-on rotations. By undertaking our supervised legal training course, our graduates can focus on the work without the added pressure of further study.

Throughout the 12-month period, you will be aligned with a Partner and mentor to enhance your feedback and growth opportunities. We have high quality and long-standing clients which means the work we have on offer is excellent and provides fantastic growth opportunities for you to develop your technical expertise. We want you to be involved in challenging and meaningful work from day one. You will engage with our clients as a graduate which is made possible by us having the lowest ratio of solicitors to Partners than any other Australian law firm. This is one of the key features that makes us different to other firms, it helps to accelerate your professional development.

mark.enright@klgates.com https://www.klgates.com

Mark Enright (HR Manager) mark.enright@klgates.com +61 3 9640 4263

Level 25, South Tower, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Mark Enright

K&L Gates is one of the largest law firms in the world with more than 48 offices located in key capital cities and world commercial and financial centres across five continents. Our broad platform offers clients local market knowledge and access to both national and international capabilities.

With the combined talent, experience, and resources of nearly 2,000 lawyers, our global reach extends beyond our four Australian office locations (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane) to assist clients around the world.

We are a fully integrated network of lawyers and legal professionals who believe that clients need more than technical legal skills; they need insightful and practical advice on the diverse issues that affect their businesses, delivered with unparalleled client service.

Our combination of practice strength, global platform, and unsurpassed client service is a true differentiator in the legal services marketplace. We represent a broad array of ASX, Global 500, Fortune 100, and FTSE 100 corporations in nearly every major industry, including consumer, energy, financial services, health care, life sciences, infrastructure, manufacturing, sustainable development, technology, telecommunications, and transportation.

Are you looking for a law firm that really is different? Then join our global community of talented visionaries.

Corporate - M&A, Capital Markets, and Tax

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Finance - Banking, Restructuring, and Insolvency

Commercial Disputes

Asset Management and Investment Funds

Medical Negligence

Intellectual Property

Real Estate

Labour, Employment, and Workplace Safety

K&L Gates is one of the largest firms in the world, but it did not start out that way. Over the course of the firm’s strategic growth, we have remained mindful of what matters most — serving our clients and treating our people with respect, dignity, and care.

Here you will find a place where you can shine while being part of a team of highly respected professionals, where you will have access to the tools and resources to help you do your best work, where you will expand your horizons professionally and geographically, and where you will be inspired to make a positive difference for the common good.

While we steadfastly maintain the values of our humble roots, our aspirations to be a leading, global law firm are no less important. As our economic world becomes more closely connected, our size and footprint affords us the ability to provide the utmost value in counsel and representation to our clients.

The legal market is rapidly changing, and so is the practice of law. It is both science and art. Clients want their legal representation to be diligent and meticulous, but they also want it to solve problems with innovation and creativity.

At K&L Gates, we foster an inclusive and collaborative environment across our fully integrated global platform that enables us to diligently combine the knowledge and expertise of our lawyers and policy professionals to create teams that provide exceptional client solutions. We marry process with vision, success with dedication, method with passion, and innovation with creativity.

We have built a workplace that is intrinsically diverse in experiences, perspectives, and ideas. We believe we build better teams, forge better client relationships, and provide better service because of our diverse, collaborative team of professionals. We seek and welcome the talents of those from different walks of life and cultural backgrounds. These are the threads that make up the fabric of our firm.

With lawyers located in four established offices in Australia’s leading financial and commercial centres, we act for industry leaders, major corporations, capital markets participants, major financial institutions, and governments on groundbreaking legal transactions, both domestically and internationally. With the extraordinary inbound investment into Australia from the Asia Pacific region, especially from four of Australia’s five largest trading partners located in the region—China, Japan, South Korea, and India—we work with clients to provide them with sophisticated legal requirements.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

28

Clerkship positions available each intake:

14

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September - October

Rotations:

1 practice group

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer and Winter

The K&L Gates clerkship program is the ideal opportunity for you to experience what it is like to work as a lawyer in our firm and participate in a comprehensive program to learn important skills which lay the foundations for a successful legal career. Not only will you get to experience what it is like to work in a global corporate law firm firsthand, you will have the chance to enjoy our down to earth culture we are known for. Your supervisor and buddy will help you settle into the office and you will work closely with the Partners, Special Counsel, Senior Associates, and lawyers in your team.

You will be provided with opportunities to build strong relationships, both within your team and the wider firm network. We provide and encourage a collaborative environment in which you can grow and develop. In conjunction with on-the-job experience, we provide formal training. These sessions have been designed to develop your legal knowledge and business skills, as well as to give you a broader insight into the various areas of law in which we practice. During your clerkship at K&L Gates, you will benefit from being involved in real legal work. This will include the participation in client and practice group meetings, court visits, research and drafting of advice, and general support within one of our practice areas.

Applications for our clerkship program should be made online via our website. We will ask you a few short answer questions to learn more about you and we will also request that you insert a short cover letter, and provide us with your academic transcript.

You will experience a two stage interview process with us. Your first interview will be with one of our Partners that are part of our recruitment team, as well as a member of our Human Resources team.

The first interview is our opportunity to get to know you and will expand on your application, your interest in K&L Gates, and will also be a chance for you to get to know us. The second round interview will consist of a group activity. You will work through a fictional legal scenario with a group of candidates and two members from our recruitment team. The group interview is aimed at assessing your ability to demonstrate your analytical skills and to think critically and commercially as well as your teamwork skills, an essential skill for our lawyers. As part of our second interview, we also host a panel event, giving you another opportunity to meet our people and get to know more about life at K&L Gates. Offers for a clerkship role will be made in accordance with the LIV guidelines.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

12

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

12

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 4-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

Our graduate program is designed to give you the technical capability and commercial context to succeed. The program runs for 12 months, in which time you will complete three practice group rotations. You will be exposed to a variety of areas of commercial law in all your rotations.

Throughout the year you are supported with a buddy, supervisor, and mentor. Partners and senior lawyers will support and guide you through each rotation and ensure you get the necessary development. Your professional development program runs weekly. It combines Practical Legal Training (delivered in-house by the College of Law), with sessions presented by Partners, lawyers, external presenters, and our professional development team.

Our program delivers skill development in two key areas, fundamental legal abilities and professional legal skills which incorporate: Legal technical skills (analysis and judgment) Client service (client and business knowledge, networking) Personal effectiveness (communication, work ethic, motivation, and maturity) You will have many opportunities to be involved in an array of firm events and activities to match your interest, whether they be social, sporting, business, or community-focused.

K&L Gates is about more than practising law or making a living. It’s about building something amazing – creating a legacy for you, the firm, our clients, and the communities we serve.

We thrive in an inclusive and socially conscious environment that embraces our diversity and takes a holistic approach to the career evolution of all our professionals, an approach that ultimately enables us to serve clients more effectively.

We are all in it together – a global community of entrepreneurs and self-starters. We are nimble and ambitious with a high level of integrity, resolve, and strength of character.

Although we take pride in our willingness to run through walls for clients, we also value the importance of laughing with clients, colleagues, or friends. We genuinely enjoy working with each other and for our clients.

melgraduaterecruitment@au.kwm.com

Madeleine Horsey People and Development Advisor madeleine.horsey@au.kwm.com +61 3 9643 5550

https://www.kwm.com/au/en/home.html Level 27, Collins Arch, 447 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Madeleine Horsey

We’re King & Wood Mallesons. The top tier international law firm, from Asia, for the world. The world’s leading organisations turn to us to unlock opportunities and deliver smart, considered, and confident advice. Where others see problems, we see possibilities. Innovation is in our DNA. We equip our people with the skills to partner with our clients and bring to life pioneering solutions which will help them to adapt, reinvent, and evolve. We believe innovation comes from giving our people room to grow. At KWM, our people are encouraged to shape their own career path, supported every step of the way with world-class training, coaching, and hands-on experience. Diversity of thought, perspective, and experience is critical to our culture. We provide a broad, inclusive, and open environment in which our people are fully supported to bring their whole selves. There is no ‘one size fits all’ career model, and we offer multiple opportunities for our lawyers to gain experience and thrive.

Banking and Finance

Projects and Real Estate

Dispute Resolution

Tax

Mergers and Acquisitions

Our clients range from a mix of global, financial, and corporate powerhouses through to new industry-makers and all levels of government.

Recent noteworthy deals include: Block (formerly Square) on its AU $39 billion takeover of Afterpay; Clean Energy Finance Corporation on South Australia's Virtual Power Plant, a network of solar and Tesla Powerwall battery systems that will form the world's largest virtual power plant; EMR Capital and 29 Metals on 29 Metals' IPO and ASX listing, the largest IPO at the time; Acted for the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

Our One-Firm Vision, Purpose, and Principles. Our Vision is to become the leading top tier international law firm, from Asia, for the world. Our Purpose is to use our mastery of the law for the lasting prosperity of our clients, people, and communities. Everything we do is grounded in a set of eight core, global Principles.

Our principles guide the way we operate as a leading international firm – how we enable our clients to succeed; how we grow our people to be their best; and how we support our communities to thrive. Together, our Vision, Purpose, and Principles articulate our approach to serving clients and supporting each other. They guide the way we think, behave, and practice as a global firm. No matter your location or which role you play at the firm, practicing our principles will make our operations smoother, relationships stronger, and experiences with our colleagues and clients far richer.

Creating a workplace where our people are proud to work, where they can be themselves, and where their ambitions can be realised is a priority for us. We care about our people. We promote a culture based on respect, trust, inclusivity, diversity, and flexibility.

King & Wood Mallesons recognises that flexibility in the way we work is a core element of an effective, engaged, and productive workplace that delivers a great experience for its clients. We fully support our people to work flexibly, and actively foster a culture of trust and autonomy.

Decisions around what flexibility looks like is made at a team and client level, and often involves a combination of time together in the office to collaborate, learn and engage, and time at home.

Our global footprint and unique depth and breadth in Asia give our people exciting cross-border and cross-cultural experiences.

We enable our people to build their cultural intelligence and international skills by working with each other across regions and collaborating around shared opportunities.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

90 (approximately)

Clerkship positions available each intake:

30 (approximately)

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

1 practice group

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer 1, Summer 2 and Winter

We’ve designed a program to help you make the most of your time with us.

During your clerkship you will learn: The day-to-day skills to get you started – taking instructions, meeting with clients, drafting memos and documents, managing your practice, and professional relationships.

The core practice teams at King & Wood Mallesons – who they are, what they do, how they’re structured, the clients they work for, and of course, your role within them.

Our culture – working within your team, you’ll be exposed to (and encouraged) to get actively involved in the many activities and events that help create our unique culture.

Our people – you’ll find that people from every part of the business will help you by sharing their knowledge and supporting you through the early stages of your career and beyond.

During the induction process, and over the course of the clerkship, you’ll meet with several teams across the firm who will inform you of potential pro bono opportunities, and other experiences you can get involved in during the clerkship.

Many graduates tell us one of the main reasons they joined the firm was the people. We work together, but we also enjoy spending time with each other outside of the office. The Melbourne office has social and sporting committees to help organise a wide range of activities for you to enjoy alongside your clerkship – it’s a busy three weeks!

All applications are made through our recruitment system which is accessed via our careers website and are in line with the local law society recruitment guidelines.

In your application, we will ask you a series of short answer questions, information on your employment and academic history, and any extracurricular activities and volunteering work. If you are applying for clerkships, the application will also involve completion of an online strengths-based task.

We hold one round of in-person interviews, and you will also have the chance to attend our Clerkship Information Night, to meet our people and find out more about life at KWM.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

25-30

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

25-30

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 6-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

KWM’s market leading Graduate Experience Program (GEP) is designed to positively enhance the graduate experience. It is aligned with the firm’s strategic priorities and provides our graduates with the knowledge and skills they need for professional and personal growth – in order to become the best they can be.

Tailored for our graduates, the GEP has an emphasis on legal excellence, technical expertise, commercial skills, knowledge management, legal project management, innovation, social and selfdevelopment, and client focus. The holistic GEP complements formal training and development with on-the-job learning through a training schedule aligned to the graduates’ six-month rotations.

All graduates attend an intensive five-day Induction when they join the firm. In each rotation graduates attend a comprehensive Practice Group Induction, specific to their group. All graduates come together again throughout the rotations for the Graduate Series sessions, which build on the foundations covered in Induction.

As part of the Graduate Program, we also offer Practical Legal Training (PLT) for our Australian Law graduates. Delivered online during their first eight-months as a law graduate, it’s a customised program conducted in association with the College of Law. Our graduate program consists of six-month rotations in three different practice areas. Graduates are offered the opportunity to apply to complete one of their rotations either at one of our pro-bono Partners, clients, or in one of our other offices. We have offices in Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Upon completing a clerkship at KWM, you will be invited to submit an expression of interest to be considered for a graduate priority offer. We will ask for an updated CV and academic transcript.

cisaacson@landers.com.au https://www.landers.com.au/ Level 15, 477 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Chelsea Isaacson Graduate Program and Talent Acquisition Consultant cisaacson@landers.com.au 03 9269 9712

Lander & Rogers is a leading independent Australian law firm, comprising over 600 people including 85 Partners. We have grown organically, resulting in a highly cohesive firm sharing a strong work and client service ethic, as well as high staff and Partner retention rates. We believe that legal services involve more than just the law - practical, commercial advice and exceptional client experience are equally important to our clients and to us. Our firm is global in its approach, but we remain fiercely independent and truly Australian. We work closely with international firms that do not have an Australian presence, and we are the exclusive Australian member of the largest global network of independent law firms, TerraLex.

Corporate

Workplace Relations and Safety

Commercial Disputes

Family and Relationship Law

Compensation Law

Insurance Law and Litigation

Real Estate and Projects

Authentic in what we do - inclusive, respectful, and empathetic. We are proud of who we are, mean what we say, and deliver what we promise - the best characteristics of a proudly Australian independent law firm. Connected through strong relationships with our clients, each other, our community, and the environment. Connected also through our networks and sectors, and digitally through technology. Our innovation is defined by being open minded, prepared to adapt, experiment, inspire, and lead.

With innovation at our core, you are encouraged to think differently. Work alongside Australia's first LawTech Hub where the best and brightest technology entrepreneurs and legal experts co-create pioneering and innovative legal tech solutions. Experience a supportive culture within a flexible hybrid environment where we invest in your ongoing learning and celebrate success. Whether you are contributing to client work or for the good of the community through pro bono experiences, you are part of a proud people-first culture, that values your impact.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

20-25

Clerkship positions available each intake:

6-8

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

1 practice group

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer 1, Summer 2 and Winter

At Lander & Rogers, our clerkship program provides practical legal experience through real client work, and a behind-the-scenes look into life as a lawyer. Whether you're solving interesting and complex legal problems alongside real clients, expanding your knowledge and skills through training and mentoring, or growing your network of legal and business contacts, the clerkship program provides insight into a fulfilling career at Lander & Rogers.

A clerkship can involve a range of interesting work, including: Researching points of law and summarising your findings; Drafting correspondence, court documents, and sections of commercial agreements; Development sessions to map your career possibilities; Practice group case study sessions to build your understanding; Social opportunities including weekly coffee catch ups, catered events, sporting and wellbeing activities.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

6-10

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

6-10

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 4-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

As a graduate at Lander & Rogers, you will have access to hands-on support while deepening your skills and experience during your first year across a number of practice groups. You will gain a breadth of experience and access to challenging work to inform your preferred specialisation. A role with Lander & Rogers will build upon your unique skills and equip you to launch your career forward.

You will learn in a culture where new ideas are not only welcomed, but encouraged, and where knowledge and information is openly exchanged. During each rotation, you will be partnered with a buddy for day-to-day support to navigate client interactions. Active mentoring and social networks ensure you are supported along the way to help you achieve more while leading a healthy work-life balance.

monica.barrett@maddocks.com.au https://www.maddocks.com.au/

Monica Barrett (People & Culture Advisor) monica.barrett@maddocks.com.au (03) 9258 3029

Level 25, Tower 2, 727 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Monica Barrett

We are a proudly independent Australian commercial law firm. Maddocks has close to 90 Partners, who work alongside more than 600 people across our offices in Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.

Our clients include medium to large private organisations, high net worth individuals and families, ASX200 companies, national, state, and local governments, leading tech companies, education institutions, not-for-profit organisations, and high profile property developers. We are guided by our core values of integrity, stewardship, collaboration, commitment to doing things better, and respect for the individual and diversity.

Our sector areas of focus are in Education, Government, Healthcare, Infrastructure Energy & Utilities, Technology, and Property Development. Working at Maddocks you will have access to top quality work for high calibre clients.

Working autonomously and collaboratively, you will be supervised, mentored, and supported by recognised experts in their respective legal fields at every stage of your career.

The firm offers a range of outstanding training and development programs tailored to a wide variety of needs and interests. Maddocks is very proud of and committed to its pro bono program which engages lawyers to contribute to the community in a meaningful way. Potentially, your interests and passions may lead to your involvement in one of our Diversity, Inclusion, and Innovation projects.

Construction and Projects

Government Advisory

Development

Banking and Finance

Property

Insolvency

Dispute Resolution and Litigation

Corporate and Private Clients

Employment, Safety and People

Tax

Planning and Environment

Government

What distinguishes Maddocks is the diversity of our client base and our people. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and to making a difference in the communities in which we operate, means there are opportunities for you to play a greater part than your everyday role. Alongside our extensive mentoring program, applicable to all of our people, we have a strong commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace. This is encapsulated in the work that is undertaken by the Maddocks Gender Equality Network, Maddocks Pride, and the Maddocks Culturally and Linguistically Diverse groups.

These groups are open to all Maddocks people as a way of promoting career development and networking opportunities for women, LGBTQIA+ and culturally diverse employees, and their allies.

We provide pro bono legal services and financial assistance to community organisations and individuals in need.

There are opportunities for all of our people to complete pro bono work, assist community groups to receive crucial funding, and volunteer with community organisations. We take the fun of creativity seriously. Law firms need to be constantly evolving, so we train and encourage our people to closely examine the way they work with each other, for our clients, and improve by empowering our people to create ideas and drive change.

Clients are at the heart of everything we do. Our areas of focus are in the Education, Government, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Technology, and Development sectors.

A significant portion of our work is in the public sector working for Commonwealth, State, and local governments. Government clients can be seen across almost all of our practice teams. Our Development team has advised on major property development matters, including Australia 108 which altered the Melbourne city skyline.

We work on a range of technology acquisitions with clients such as Optus, Aristocrat Technologies, and Samsung. Many of our teams advise clients in relation to renewable energy, such as EnergyAustralia on the development of its innovative retail energy market offering for the NSW Government's ‘empowering home’ solar battery program. This was an Australian-first program, enabling customers to access renewable energy via the Government’s zero interest loans to install solar batteries.

Our culture is built on a foundation of five core values that are promoted and observed across the firm. These values are Integrity, Stewardship, Collaboration, Commitment to doing things better, and Respect for the Individual and Diversity.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

35-45

Clerkship positions available each intake:

10-15

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

2 rotations

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer 1, Summer 2 and Winter

The Maddocks Seasonal Clerk program is a great opportunity for ambitious students to experience what it’s truly like to work at Maddocks from Day One. The clerkship begins with a comprehensive program of learning and development activities and training sessions to ensure you are set up for success when you join your practice teams.

You will rotate through two practice teams based on your preferences, where you will gain real world experience through challenging and meaningful work for our clients. With support in each rotation from an allocated Buddy and Coordinator, you will receive regular feedback, plus a formal feedback review to ensure you know what you're doing well and any areas for development. Of course it's important to have some fun too and you will have plenty of opportunities to experience life at Maddocks through a range of social activities.

At Maddocks, our vision is to be the modern Australian law firm, invested in our clients and our people. To make this happen we have a culture that emphasises great work and rewarding career opportunities. We are guided by our core values of integrity, stewardship, collaboration, innovation, and respect for the individual and diversity.

Applications are welcomed from penultimate and final year law students.

We know applying for clerkships can be really difficult, so at Maddocks, we try to keep the process simple. All applications are submitted via CV Mail.

In your application you will be asked to provide a cover letter, CV, transcript, and your answers to some short answer questions.

We hold information evenings for our shortlisted candidates to provide them with a greater understanding of our firm prior to interview. We conduct one interview per candidate with a Partner and a member of People and Culture in attendance. We do not conduct psychometric testing.

About Maddocks

Beyond Day One

Maddocks has close to 90 partners, who work alongside more than 600 people across our offices in Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.

You will have access to top quality work for high calibre clients. This will enable you to develop both your technical legal skills and business acumen on a diverse range of complex and interesting projects.

Our sector areas of focus are in: – Education – Government – Infrastructure, Energy & Utilitues

– Healthcare – Technology – Property Development

We offer specialist legal expertise in the practice areas of: Employment & Workplace, Corporate & Commercial, Government Advisory, Real Estate, Dispute Resolution & Litigation and Construction.

Our Clients include medium to large private organisations, high net worth individuals and families, ASX200 companies, Commonwealth, State and local governments, leading tech companies, education institutions, not-forprofit organisations and high profile property developers.

We are guided by our core values of integrity, stewardship, collaboration, commitment to doing things better, and respect for the individual and diversity.

From Day One From Day One you will experience what it’s like to work at Maddocks. This means you will have challenging, meaningful work, gain exposure to clients, be given a good level of responsibility, work in a supportive and collaborative team and have regular access to our partners.

The training you receive throughout your clerkship will ensure you are thoroughly prepared and ready to get involved in and contribute to client work straight away.

The program begins with a comprehensive orientation which includes training and development activities. You will also meet the people you’ll be working with. During the program you will rotate through two practice groups of your preference, with support in each rotation from a buddy and coordinator. You will receive feedback from partners and others you work with, and a feedback review at the end of each rotation.

Of course it’s important to have some fun too and you will have plenty of opportunities to experience life at Maddocks through a range of social and sporting activities.

Working autonomously and collaboratively, you will be supervised, mentored and supported by recognised experts in their respective legal fields at every stage of your career progression. In addition, the firm offers a significant range of outstanding training and development programs tailored to a wide variety of needs and interests.

Maddocks is very proud of and committed to its pro bono program which engages lawyers to contribute to the community in a meaningful way or perhaps your interests and passions will lead to your involvement in one of our Diversity, Inclusion and Innovation projects.

Key Dates, Process and Contact Here are the important dates for our 2023/24 seasonal clerkship program: Applications open

3 July 2023

Applications close

13 August 2023

Offers made

18 October 2023

Offers must be accepted by 19 October 2023 Our seasonal clerk application process includes: – Submitting your CV, cover letter, academic transcript and responding to short answer questions – Attending an information and networking evening – Participating in one interview with a People & Culture representative and a Partner – Attending a cocktail evening with staff and Partners For more information on career opportunities at Maddocks, please contact: Monica Barrett | People & Culture Advisor +61 3 9258 3029 monica.barrett@maddocks.com.au

We recruit our Graduates from our seasonal clerkship program and assist them in completing their Practical Legal Training.

Scan this QR code to discover more about what it’s like to work at Maddocks.

From Day One you will have challenging, meaningful work, gain exposure to clients, be given a good level of responsibility, work in a supportive and collaborative team and have regular access to our partners.

The training you receive throughout your clerkship will ensure you are thoroughly prepared and ready to get involved in and contribute to client work straight away.

The program begins with a comprehensive orientation which includes training and development activities.

Join our clerkship program and become part of a firm where you’re involved from Day One.

Scan this QR code to find out what it’s like to work at Maddocks.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

10-14

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

10-14

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 4-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

Our Graduate program is the next step in your career at Maddocks. We carefully select our clerks with the intention that they will become our Graduates. Graduates will be mentored and supported at every stage of your career with regular structured feedback and review systems. This will enable you to develop both your technical legal skills and business acumen on a diverse range of complex and interesting projects.

You will rotate through three practice teams, giving you the opportunity to explore different areas and develop your skills. Our induction program is designed to ensure you will be ready to settle into your practice teams straight away. It consists of a practical legal training program with Leo Cussen Centre for Law and a Maddocks induction program. Many of these sessions focus on building the foundations for you to be successful lawyers, regardless of which team you end up working in.

The Graduate program at Maddocks has supported many young lawyers through to senior roles, even partnership. We take pride in our program building excellent lawyers who value quality work and clients, community contribution, and a terrific workplace culture.

Graduates are typically recruited from our clerkship program as well as paralegals. From time to time, we go to market for our graduate roles.

callum.oconnor-cox@minterellison.com

Callum O'Connor-Cox Early Careers Consultant callum.oconnor-cox@minterellison.com T +61 3 8608 2801 | M +61 421 873 131

https://www.minterellison.com/ Level 20, Collins Arch 447 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship contact: Callum O'Connor-Cox

MinterEllison is one of Australia's largest law firms, with nearly 200 years of business history. We're known for our legal and consulting expertise — and for our inclusive culture and authentic character.

Our lawyers and consultants work with clients to solve complex business problems every day.

Our purpose, to create lasting impacts for our clients, our people, and our communities, guides our decisions. It shows that who we are and how we work are inseparable. We develop authentic, enduring relationships with our clients, people, and communities. With nearly 200 years in business in Australia, we have a proud history of providing excellence to clients, nurturing our people, and giving back to the communities in which we live and work.

We are lawyers and consultants. Our teams are innovative, interdisciplinary, and tailored to meet clients' needs. We align our work with our purpose and amplify our positive impact through pro bono work and community investment. We create a culture of safety and inclusion right from the top. Clients rely on us for our responsive, commercial approach. Our clients include government departments and agencies, private and publicly listed companies, and small and large businesses in Australia and overseas.

We help them manage risk, take on challenges, and take advantage of opportunities as they transform to meet an evolving economic, business, and social landscape. We're switched on to the issues facing business leaders everywhere.

Finance

Statutory Compensation Management

Transaction Solutions (Corporate M&A)

Projects, Infrastructure, and Construction

Climate Risk Governance

Real Estate

Competition, Risk, and Regulatory

Infrastructure, Construction, and Property

Insurance and Corporate Risk

Tax

Dispute Resolution

Workplace Law

Deal Highlight: Aēsop sale to L'Oréal

Siobhan Doherty, Partner, Sydney Louella Stone, Partner, Sydney

MinterEllison teams with Latham & Watkins on Aēsop sale to L'Oréal MinterEllison has acted as the Australian and New Zealand legal advisor to L'Oréal on its acquisition of Melbourne-based skincare group Aēsop for AUD $3.7 billion. The deal is the largest for any luxury brand in Australia.

The transaction was conducted across numerous jurisdictions and is the largest brand acquisition by the French global beauty company, L'Oréal. The agreement is subject to regulatory approvals.

Aēsop is an Australian luxury cosmetics brand, known for its plant-based and natural ingredients for skin, hair and body products and is owned by Natura & Co. Founded in 1987 in Melbourne, Aēsop has grown into a global brand in luxury retail.

MinterEllison supported the Latham & Watkins deal team which was led by Paris corporate partner, Pierre-Louis Cléro.

The team was led by Partners, Louella Stone and Siobhan Doherty and supported by lawyers in Australia as well as New Zealand-based MinterEllisonRuddWatts. A multi-disciplinary team of experts including corporate, foreign investment, competition, employment, privacy, finance, property and tax worked to tight deadlines to support signing on 3 April 2023.

Louella Stone, Partner, Sydney, said: "We are delighted to have worked with Latham & Watkins on this landmark acquisition for their global client, L'Oréal, of a homegrown Australian brand icon".

Siobhan Doherty, Partner, Sydney, said: "It was fantastic to bring together a high-calibre, multidisciplinary, cross-jurisdictional team of experts to bring this deal to a successful outcome. It demonstrates the depth of experience of the MinterEllison team on executing complex crossborder transactions".

Early careers at MinterEllison

Our clerks and graduates tell us that three key things make the MinterEllison experience:

Five reasons we’re different

1. Experiencing high profile matters in a top tier firm

Our industry go-to-market strategy is key to achieving our growth ambitions. You could be working on the matters changing the landscape of law and legal practice.

2. Our culture

Great roles in great matters

3. Our learning and development programs Feed your curiosity

Learn by working on real challenges Right from the start you’ll work on real client engagements, preparing you for any challenge. Discover new areas of practice, and learn the technical knowledge and tools you need to achieve your career ambitions.

An award winning start to your career Winner, Most Popular Clerkship Employer

Finalist, Most Popular Law Employer

Top100 Graduate Employer Awards 2023

Top100 Graduate Employer Awards 2023

Top Graduate Employers 2023

Top Intern Programs 2022

Australian Association of Graduate Employers

Australian Association of Graduate Employers

graduates.minterellison.com

Our learning programs will help you build the skills you need to be the trusted advisor of tomorrow.

A focus on you Our wellbeing program, leave policies and entitlements ensure our people are supported.

An inclusive culture It’s no surprise that the MinterEllison workplace culture is awarded key inclusion awards and benchmarks. We’re truly inclusive and value diversity in all its forms.

A passion for social justice You’ll have the chance to join our pro bono and community investment program to help address disadvantage.

For information and to apply visit graduates.minterellison.com

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

60

Clerkship positions available each intake:

25-30

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September - October

Rotations:

2 x 2-week rotations

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer and Winter

At MinterEllison, in Melbourne, our clerkship program offers meaningful work experience, a comprehensive orientation program, and learning on the job to build both technical skills and commercial knowhow. Your responsibilities can vary depending on the team and the type of law practiced. Generally speaking, you assist your Partner Mentor, Supervising Senior Associate, and Junior Lawyer Buddy with legal research, drafting documents, and performing administrative tasks.

Whilst you are here to learn and gain exposure to our clients and the legal work our teams do, throughout the clerkship you'll have many breakfast, lunch, and drink opportunities not only with your clerk cohort, but your team and the whole Melbourne office!

Graduate positions available in 2024:

25-30

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

25-30

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 6-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority and market offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Yes

MinterEllison is committed to investing in the professional development and continuing education of our lawyers. Throughout your graduate program you will receive continuing education and career development in the form of in-house/in-team training sessions, attendance at legal conferences and seminars, and access to online resources and webinars.

In addition, there are other professional development opportunities, such as mentoring programs, skills workshops, and leadership training. These programs are designed to help you build the skills and knowledge necessary to advance your career, all in an effort to progress and excel your development. We have had numerous junior lawyers go on secondment to our clients (both corporate and pro bono) and to our international offices in Hong Kong, Ulaanbaatar, and London.

We also have an international exchange opportunity through our World Law Group (WLG) relationship. Last year two of our lawyers completed WLG exchanges – one to Mexico and one to Ireland.

phoebe.mcgarry@nortonrosefulbright.com www.nortonrosefulbright.com/eu-au Level 38, 477 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Phoebe McGarry National Early Talent Manager phoebe.mcgarry@nortonrosefulbright.com 02 9330 8694 Clerkship representative: Phoebe McGarry

At Norton Rose Fulbright, we provide the world's preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service. We have more than 3,000 lawyers and other legal staff based in Europe, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa.

Recognised for our industry focus, we are strong across all the key industry sectors. Through our global risk advisory group, we leverage our industry experience with our knowledge of legal, regulatory, compliance, and governance issues to provide our clients with practical solutions to the legal and regulatory risks facing their businesses. Wherever we are, we operate in accordance with our global business principles of quality, unity, and integrity. We aim to provide the highest possible standard of legal service in each of our offices and to maintain that level of quality at every point of contact.

Corporate M&A

Pro Bono

Banking and Finance

Employment and Labour

Projects and Construction

Real Estate

Restructuring

Intellectual Property and Technology

Litigation

Environment and Planning

Quality We are a team of the highest calibre, providing consistently high-quality work, because our clients always come first.

Unity We share our knowledge and we work to support one another across teams and borders, because our team culture makes us who we are.

Integrity We are trustworthy, open, and fair. We respect our colleagues and clients deeply, and we work to the highest ethical, professional, and business standards.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

20-30

Clerkship positions available each intake:

10-15

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September - October

Rotations:

1 practice group

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer and Winter

Our seasonal clerkship program is carefully curated by our dedicated learning and development team to provide our clerks with a taste of real life as a graduate at an industry leading global law firm. Our clerkship program is an excellent opportunity to learn more about commercial law and engage with our talented and diverse group of legal professionals in a range of practice areas. The program offers a real taste of life as a graduate and we encourage a hands-on approach to get our clerks involved in a wide variety of work, with no two days ever being the same.

The application process includes an online application (CV, cover letter, and academic transcript), information evening, and two-step interview process.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

8-15

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

8-15

Graduate rotation structure:

4 x 6-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority and market offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Yes

Our graduate induction has been thoughtfully crafted by our learning and development team to ensure that graduates are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in a corporate law environment. During the first year of the program, graduates will complete their Practical Legal Training with College of Law, after which they will be admitted to practice and will continue onto the second year of the program as "Lawyers". Lawyers will then rotate through another two practice teams to gain exposure to various industry sectors, clients, and matters.

Additionally, lawyers have the opportunity to undertake a pro bono secondment, usually in a community legal centre or not-for-profit organisation. As a global firm, we also provide our graduates with the opportunity to complete a six-month secondment in one of our international offices. To date, our international trainee program has seen our Australian graduates complete secondments in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Johannesburg, Abu Dhabi, Athens, Paris, and Shanghai.

nationalcampusrecruitment@au.pwc.com

National Recruitment Team nationalcampusrecruitment@au.pwc.com

https://www.pwc.com.au/ Level 19/2 Riverside Quay, Southbank VIC 3006

At PwC Australia, we are a human-led, tech-powered community of solvers coming together in unexpected ways to solve the world's important problems. It all adds up to The New Equation. At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. In our increasingly complex world, we work with businesses, government, and the community to deliver solutions and sustained outcomes. To help Australia continue to thrive and grow.

We are a team of more than 8,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory, and tax services to more than 5,000 clients across Australia.

At PwC, our culture is grounded in a set of values that support and celebrate doing the right thing.

They are part of our day-to-day conversations and the heartbeat of our business. They guide our decisions and determine our success. The values are: act with integrity, make a difference, care, work together, and reimagine the possible.

Our work culture and the friendly people you meet at PwC are also invested in your growth and learning. In 2022, PwC had the highest graduate salary of all the Big 4.

We also have benefits, which range from: Work flexibly (Together Anywhere and Flex your Work policies) Solve important problems with social impact Great mentorship & genuine support structure Digital upskilling opportunities & accelerator programs Financial support for further study (CA) Domestic & International secondment opportunities Birthday leave Dress for your day policy Monthly $60 phone allowance Regular team events Work with people from a wide variety of cultural and educational backgrounds (diversity)

At PwC, we believe that you can be anything.

And we mean it.

Here, we solve problems that matter. Problems like digitising healthcare, tackling societal inequality, helping to grow sustainable infrastructure and building secure and safe digital societies. Our people help businesses, not-for-profits and governments enhance the way they work.

Legal Clerkship Our Legal Clerkship Program helps you build skills and networks whilst working with our lawyers on client engagements. You'll gain invaluable exposure to the fundamentals of commercial law in one or more of our key pillars: Corporate Advisory, Regulatory, Employer and Workplace Relations, Projects & Finance, and Digital, Cyber and Technology Law. In our Legal Clerkship program, you'll gain a practical understanding of how to use legal skills to solve our client's most complex problems. With the opportunity to work across a wide range of matters for different legal and business specialists teams, you'll gain exposure to the commercial aspects in action and learn what makes our holistic service legal practice truly unique.

For Melbourne, the key dates are: Applications open 3 July 2023 Applications close 13 August 2023 (11:59 pm AEST) Assessments and interviews will be held mid September 2022 Offers made 18 October 2023 Please note that we follow the Law Institute of Victoria timelines.

peopleandculture@rk.com.au https://www.russellkennedy.com.au Level 12, 469 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Vanessa Maio People and Culture Coordinator vmaio@rk.com.au 03 9609 6812 Clerkship representative: Vanessa Maio

At Russell Kennedy, we are a forward-thinking national law firm, providing exceptional legal solutions, guided by market leading expertise across our sectors of focus. In operation for more than 120 years, we have over 50 Principals and 300 people across our offices in Melbourne and Sydney.

The backbone of Russell Kennedy is the strong, lasting relationships we build with our clients and our people. We pride ourselves on creating positive and meaningful change within our community.

Our lawyers are widely recognised as leaders in their fields, helping shape the way our industries appear today. Our clients and capabilities are widespread. A member of international legal network Ally Law, our reach spans the globe. Many roads lead to Russell Kennedy, whether you’re an experienced professional, an in-house specialist, or just starting out. Ever growing, we recruit top calibre talent, so that we can expand and enhance our client service offering.

Corporate and Commercial

Workplace Relations and Employment

Dispute Resolution

Estate Planning

Property and Development

Family Law

Government

Rural Services

Aged Care and Retirement Living

Renewable Energy

At Russell Kennedy, you’ll be working with some of the best and brightest minds in the legal industry, with loyal clients who truly appreciate your skillset. Take Principal Michael Gorton AM for example. Over the course of his 40-year career, he’s helped establish Reconciliation Victoria, a statewide body promoting deeper understanding, respect, and justice for and with First Nations people.

Additionally, the Victorian Government enacted multiple changes to IVF laws, based on the findings of his report, the Gorton Review. The reforms ensure Victorians have better access to safer, higher quality treatment, and that is free from discrimination. Our people – both lawyers and those who power us – are encouraged to participate in the pro-bono practice, which provides free legal services, addressing unmet legal needs and ensuring disadvantaged people access to justice.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

40

Clerkship positions available each intake:

10-12

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

1 practice group

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer 1, Summer 2 and Winter

Our seasonal clerkship program is designed to give you a real taste of life at Russell Kennedy. From the outset, clerks are paired with a mentor and a buddy in their allocated practice group who will ensure that they receive the necessary support to get the most out of their time with us. Our clerks will be doing real work such as drafting correspondence, assisting with research, attending court, and participating in client meetings. Clerks will also be able to attend our in-house seminars for professional development and get involved in the pro bono work available.

Alongside our main program, we offer three alternative streams. These pathways underscore Russell Kennedy's commitment to equal opportunity and are open to students with a disability, students with a refugee background, or students who identify as a member of one or more of the First Nations of Australia.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

10-15

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

10-15

Graduate rotation structure:

4 x 3-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

No

Our graduate program is designed to provide in depth, on the job experience working across different teams within the firm. Spending three months in a practice group provides an opportunity to be exposed to different principals, clients, and industries that particular teams work with, allowing graduates to take a deep dive into matters and apply skills learnt from formal studies in practice.

Russell Kennedy also partners with the College of Law to complete their Practical Legal Training within the first six months of commencing. Upon commencement, law graduates are allocated a graduate lead who they will meet with on a regular basis to discuss their career progression, rotations, and assist with personal development. In addition, we also allocate law graduates a rotational supervisor and graduate support.

pshoppee@tglaw.com.au

Philip Shoppee People and Development Advisor pshoppee@tglaw.com.au +61 3 9641 8919

https:/www.tglaw.com.au Level 23, Rialto South Tower, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Clerkship representative: Philip Shoppee

Thomson Geer is a major Australian corporate law firm. We have more than 560 people, including 134 partners operating out of our offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra, and Adelaide. We pride ourselves on the quality of our work, and our transparency. We are driven by our clients' needs. Our industry coverage and client work is diverse. We have access to high quality work for major institutional clients giving our lawyers exposure to excellent work while maintaining small teams where each lawyer gets to develop and learn from senior lawyers, including partners.

Corporate

General Insurance

Mergers and Acquisitions

Property

Banking and Finance

Projects and Construction

Litigation

Tax

Workplace and Employment

Media

Octopus Deploy on the second biggest ever venture capital investment, of $221 million, in an Australian tech company.

Parade College in their partnership with English Premier League champions, Manchester City, to launch the first Manchester City Football School in Australia.

Acting for all media in the Victorian Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, and Royal Commission into the "Lawyer X" scandal which sparked the Royal Commission inquiry into the police handling of informants.

Acting for 30 respondents, comprising both news organisations and individual journalists, in contempt of court proceedings brought in the Victorian Supreme Court arising from the reporting of Cardinal George Pell's 2018 conviction for child sex offences.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

8-10

Clerkship positions available each intake:

4-5

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September

Rotations:

1 practice area

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer and Winter

Our structured clerkship program helps clerks to learn through a combination of hands-on experience, training, coaching, and observation. We know you’re not just a student on work experience. We want to give you a realistic, stretching introduction to the legal profession. From day one, you’ll be an active participant in the team, involved in all aspects of legal practice, and working directly with experienced practitioners. We will dedicate time to your development as an up-andcoming lawyer in our team: an investment in you is an investment in our future, and the future of our valued clients. You will find that our Partners and staff are approachable and happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. Our lawyers work collaboratively in diverse teams across legal disciplines and jurisdictions.

Graduate positions available in 2024:

4-6

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

4-6

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 4-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

Students who complete a clerkship with the firm will be eligible to be considered for a position in the firm’s next graduate program, commencing in 2025. In Melbourne, we offer our graduates the opportunity to complete a Supervised Workplace Traineeship (SWT), which runs for 12 months and includes rotations among three different practice areas to expand the skills of our graduates and help determine the area of law which best suits them. Each rotation will be for a four month period.

All Thomson Geer graduates complete comprehensive training in-house, as well as structured external training which will support them to become well-rounded and technically competent practitioners, fully qualified to gain admission to practice. Our graduates are provided with considerable access to our Partners, resulting in unparalleled learning and development opportunities. You will have access to a high level of information to assist in the development of your commercial career, and will be mentored by senior lawyers and supported by junior staff. Most importantly – your supervising Partner will be genuinely interested in and committed to your success and the progression of your career towards admission and beyond.

Reach your potential

Join a major Australian law firm.

Starting your legal career at Thomson Geer will offer you real, hands-on experience across a wide variety of commercial disciplines and industry sectors, in a supportive and collaborative environment.

We’re ready for you

Are you ready for us?

With over 560 people, including 138 partners across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra, we’re one of Australia’s 10 largest law firms and its 5th largest independent one.

We’re looking for hard-working and motivated law students who have excelled academically, are customer focused, commercially minded, work well in a team environment and are ready to commence their career with a major law firm.

Our industry coverage and client work is diverse and we are regularly engaged on challenging, complex, commercial work.

We are especially keen to talk to students who have, or are working towards a second degree in technical fields, such as commerce, engineering and science.

We offer a flexible, friendly and professionally stimulating environment that puts both our trusting client relationships and our staff’s wellbeing and development at the forefront.

Who are we looking for?

From day one, you’ll be an active participant in the team, involved in all aspects of legal practice, and working directly with experienced practitioners.

All of our clerks are viewed as potential graduates, and all of our graduates as potential leaders. We therefore look for the same qualities in our clerks and graduates that our lawyers need to possess.

Our lawyers are genuinely interested in our clients and their businesses. They need a critical and curious mind and are passionate about developing solutions in their commercial context.

“ I felt included and part

of the team from day one which made me comfortable being myself, and made it a pleasure to come to work.

What it’s like to work for us The law is an incredibly rewarding profession, but

”

we recognise it can be demanding. For this reason we create an environment that is flexible, friendly, personable, collegiate and professionally stimulating.

Developing you

Our clients are at the centre of everything we do; so it is not only the collaborative, supportive relationships we have with each other, but also the well-established, trusting relationships we have with our clients, which make Thomson Geer a great place to work.

We will dedicate time to your development as an upand-coming lawyer in our team: an investment in you is an investment in our future, and the future of our valued clients.

You will find that our partners and staff are

Our wellbeing@work program supports employees to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

approachable and happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. We encourage our clerks, graduates and trainees to get as much exposure to

We also have an active social committee, providing lots of opportunities to develop close relationships with your colleagues.

different practice areas and ways of working as they can – this is a reflection of how we work as a fully integrated, cohesive, national team.

Our Graduate Program Students who complete a clerkship with us will be eligible to be considered for a position in our next

“ I applied with Thomson

graduate program. This program runs for 12 months and includes rotation among different practice

Geer because it is a large Australian corporate law firm that is continuing to develop even further. I very much wanted to be a part of that growth and development. The depth and nature of work was also significant.

”

areas to help determine the area of law which best suits you. Comprehensive external and internal training is provided to allow you to meet all required competencies to gain admission to practice.

We want to hear from you If your ambition is to develop a career in commercial law and you possess the drive to make your ambitions a reality, we want to hear from you!

tglaw.com.au Thomson Geer @ThomsonGeer Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane | Perth | Adelaide | Canberra

graduaterecruitment.apac@whitecase.com

www.whitecase.com/australiagrad Level 32, Rialto Towers, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Oliver Summers Graduate Recruitment Coordinator oliver.summers@whitecase.com 03 8486 8126 Clerkship representative: Oliver Summers

Over the past 100 years, we’ve built an unrivalled network of 44 offices in 30 countries. That investment is the foundation for White & Case’s client work in 180 countries today. Our concept of being truly global is underpinned not only by the vast diversity within the firm, but by the types of clients we service. Many White & Case clients are multinational organisations with complex needs, meaning the very nature of our work requires multiple offices to work seamlessly together. Our teams in Melbourne and Sydney work with clients in every state of Australia and around the globe on all aspects of the energy, infrastructure and mining & metals sectors, and on high-profile public market and private equity M&A transactions. Graduates and lawyers who join our firm find themselves part of an open, collegial culture where innovation and entrepreneurial spirits are not just valued, but encouraged. In addition, to recognise and celebrate the firm’s diversity, we also have a number of global and local affinity networks and committees – such as ALLiance (gender and cultural equity), Spectrum (LGBTQIA+), and our Reconciliation Action Plan.

Antitrust and Competition

Land, Environment, and Planning

Commercial Litigation, and International Arbitration

Project Delivery

Corporate M&A

Project Finance

Debt Finance

Tax

Victorian Government on the investment and procurement of the $40 billion Suburban Rail Loop.

China Steel Corporation and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners on the development and NTD $45 billion project financing of the 298MW Zhong Neng offshore wind project located off the coast of Changhua County, Taiwan.

MidOcean Energy on its proposed acquisition of a 27.5% stake in Australia Pacific LNG by way of its takeover bid, together with Brookfield, for Origin Energy.

Brookfield on its proposed acquisition of AGL Energy Limited in consortium with Mike CanonBrooke's Grok Ventures.

Clerkship positions available in Melbourne office:

18-20

Clerkship positions available each intake:

9-10

Application period:

3 July 2023 - 13 August 2023

Interview period:

September - October

Rotations:

1 practice group

Seasonal clerkship periods:

Summer and Winter

A vacation clerkship is a great way to experience first-hand what life is like as a graduate at White & Case. As a part of our four-week vacation clerkship in Melbourne, you’ll be welcomed into our team, where you’ll undertake a number of meaningful and challenging tasks. You’ll have the opportunity to attend client meetings, work on pro bono matters, and broaden your understanding of large crossborder transactions and matters. During your time with White & Case, you'll also have the chance to connect with other members of our APAC offices, be that through the simultaneous programs that run throughout the network, or through the matters you'll be exposed too. Throughout the clerkship, you will work closely with your supervisor (a Partner), a mentor (a Senior Associate), and a buddy (a Junior Associate or current graduate).

Graduate positions available in 2024:

15 (cohort - Melbourne and Sydney)

Graduates recruited from 2023-24 clerkship pool:

15

Graduate rotation structure:

3 x 6-month rotations

Pathway to graduate position:

Priority offers

Deferring a graduate offer:

Considered on a case-by-case basis

You will be joining a fast-growing, dynamic firm with ambitious growth plans in the APAC region, supported by a top-tier global network of offices. We structure our graduate program to meet both your short-term career goals and long-term aspirations. You will work through three six-month rotations, taking into account your preferences, to fully equip you with the necessary skills to become a skilled, globally commercial lawyer. We also offer a guaranteed international seat as one of your rotations, at one of our APAC offices. From day one, you will join our diverse teams and work on fast-paced, cutting-edge, and complex multijurisdictional projects, experiencing the operational realities of cross-border law. You will gain client exposure early on, as you handle substantive matters with first-rate guidance and supervision from leaders in their field. As a truly global firm, we provide our graduates with unique opportunities to work on international matters— both commercial and pro bono — with teams from across our large global network of offices. Our Associates develop a global mentality, plus top legal skills, and build a network that will last a lifetime.

When are the clerkship Intakes?

Intakes for clerkships take place in either summer or winter and run for approximately three to four weeks. The actual dates will differ from firm to firm, however generally speaking the dates are as follows: Summer 1 intake: November to December Summer 2 intake: January to February Winter intake: June to July Usually when the applicant gets through to the interview stage, the firm will ask the applicant what their preferences are regarding the different intakes the firm offers.

Which intake is the best?

The answer here is subjective, ultimately the aim of a clerkship is to make a good impression so as to be remembered and chosen for a graduate role. Consequently, whether you choose a summer or winter intake, you will be subject to the same standard of assessment. However, there are some practical differences that may be worth taking into account: The first summer intake can be more fun and festive given that the firm typically engages in Christmas/holiday festivities like Christmas parties and lunches and consequently you may have an easier time socialising with people at the firm during this time.

With the first summer intake, once it is finalised, you ought to do little things throughout the year (up and until graduate applications) to remain remembered, for instance having regular coffees or catch-ups with the people of their firm.

Regarding the second summer intake, the firm will usually be less busy when it comes to work (compared with first summer intake and the winter intake), this is because a lot of the legal world goes into hibernation until late January. Further, you will find that some Partners and Senior Associates will be on holiday with family for some of the time in which you are clerking.

Some claim that the winter intake is more beneficial because it is prior to submission of graduate applications and therefore your impression is likely to be the most recent impression left on the firm.

People who are fortunate enough to accept three clerkship offers, may want to place their favourite firm in the winter intake and in turn use the preceding two offers during the summer intakes as practices that will best prepare them for their final winter intake.

Ultimately, there is no best practice, both summer and winter intakes have their respective advantages and disadvantages.

Who typically can apply for clerkship?

Law firms and accounting firms typically prefer penultimate year students (students in their second last year of law school), this is because the clerkship for a lot of firms can be a good pre-requisite to the offering of graduate roles. Consequently, once you have finished your clerkship, it is desirable that the following year (2024), you are completing your last year and can therefore state a graduate role by 2025.

What does the typical clerkship application process entail?

When applying for a clerkship, you will find the application process is broadly similar across all the firms, but this is subject to some small exceptions. The typical application process is outlined as follows: Completing the actual application Most law firms (if not all) require you to submit a resume, cover letter, official transcript, and personalised responses to questions that are designed to elaborate more about you, your achievements, strengths, and knowledge of the firm.

Where the variations can occur is that some firms dispense with a cover letter and require you to instead submit responses to the questions asked. This is because the questions asked typically require responses that you would otherwise put in your cover letter. For HR, this method can be seen as a more efficient and effective method of discovering who you are as an applicant.

Completing the psychometric/aptitude testing process Once you have submitted your application and assuming you progress through to the next stage, some firms require you to undertake psychometric and aptitude testing. However, some firms put the psychometric/aptitude testing component as part of the first stage (in conjunction with the actual application).

Psychometric testing is a series of questions that are designed to capture your personality traits and overall emotional intelligence. While aptitude testing aims to measure one’s ability to recognise patterns, ability to work out numerical problems, and one’s reading and writing acumen.

Interview Stage After completing the application and psychometric/aptitude stage, then the applicant will progress through to the interview stage. This stage typically takes the form of a face to face interview between the applicant with one or more representatives from the firm. The representatives of the firm may include HR, a Senior Associate, or even a Partner of the firm.

Some firms will have more than one interview stage and some firms employ the use of a one-way video interview platform. This type of interview is conducted on your computer, where you are asked questions and you video record your responses to those questions via the relevant computer program being used by that firm. These video interviews tend to be a prerequisite to a real face to face interview. Lastly, the applicants that receive an interview are usually invited to a firm cocktail night, this presents an opportunity for the applicants (who are about to undertake an interview) to get to know the firm on a more personal level. They will be able to mingle with various Partners, Senior Associates, Associates, and graduates of the firm. This is also an opportunity for the applicant to make a lasting impression on the firm prior to the interview.

What happens on offer day?

Offer day will occur on October 18 2023. For the applicants that made it through every stage of the clerkship process, offer day is when the firms will inform the applicants of whether they received a clerkship offer. At 10am, firms will promptly make first contact with the successful applicants via email.

This email is followed by a phone call from the Partner, Senior Associate, or HR representative that interviewed you. In accordance with the LIV guidelines, the applicant does not have to immediately accept or reject the offer, they may hold the offer for a minimum of four hours as the applicant would want to know whether they will receive offers from other firms (unless you hold more than four offers, in that case you cannot hold the offers for more than two hours).

Also, in accordance with the LIV guidelines, an applicant may accept a maximum of three clerkship offers, hence it is strongly advised that prior to offer day, you prioritise what offers you would accept.

The applicants who were not given an offer will be informed of this fact either by the end of offer day or sometime the following day. This is typically done via email.

What if I do not get a clerkship?

If you do not get a clerkship, the first thing to realise is that it is not the end of the world. A clerkship is not the requisite magical key that unlocks the door to a successful law career. Assuming that you want a commercial law career in one of those firms, there will always be another avenue that allows you to meet that dream. In light of this, you should be aware of the following alternative pathways that can be taken. There is nothing wrong with applying for clerkships a second time, as explained above, law firms will accept applications from students in their last year, this is notwithstanding the fact that they have already applied the year before. It is recommended that if you try again, you should have an understanding as to your weakness in the application process, so that you can aim to rectify those weaknesses when you apply again.

Law firms do facilitate open market offers. These are graduate offers made to applicants in the open market, that is law students who have not completed a clerkship at that firm in the year prior to their graduate year. Not every law firm does this and it also may be subject to the demand for law graduates versus the supply of successful clerks. Hence, it is necessary to find out which law firms are offering an open market offer in that year. To have a successful career in commercial law, you do not need to start in a top tier law firm, I would recommend trying your hand at a boutique commercial law firm or even at a government institution like ASIC or the ACCC. This is because once you look beyond your graduate year, law firms (especially top tier law firms) do not necessarily look for the best transcript.

Is it mandatory that you be in your penultimate year to apply for a clerkship?

Notwithstanding the above, it is not mandatory that you be in your penultimate year. It is not uncommon that applicants who have applied in one year, apply again for another year, this can be due to the fact that the individual was unsuccessful in the preceding year.

Typically, in the application process law firms will ask you whether you are in your penultimate year (and when you aim to graduate), hence law firms do expect that not all of their clerks will be in their penultimate year. However, most law firms will expect that if you are not in your penultimate year, you will certainly be in your final year (as opposed to being in your pre-penultimate year).

Is there an optimal time to have submitted your clerkship application?

The short answer is no, all law firms will review and give equal weighting to all clerkship applications that are submitted within the required dates (outlined by the law firm). Hence, submitting your application in the first week of applications will not give you an advantage over the person who submits their application in the second week (and vice versa). Notwithstanding what has been said, it is generally unwise to submit your application in the last couple of days in which it is due, this is because you will not have enough time to prepare for last-minute problems that may arise such as the crashing of servers.

How important is the applicant’s WAM/GPA? Is there a minimum WAM/GPA? Different firms are going to place varying emphasis on the applicant’s WAM/GPA, hence it is difficult to make a blanket statement that pinpoints the degree to which the WAM/GPA is important for the clerkship process. The bad news is that the legal industry and in particular, the commercial legal industry is very competitive, therefore we would be lying to ourselves if we said that the WAM/GPA is not the only factor that is looked at for the purposes of the clerkship application. In my own personal experience I know people with HD averages who had failed to secure a clerkship or at the very least, they struggled to get many interviews. This is because firms want to know that they are not hiring people that are one dimensional (that is, only good at academics), firms want to see that you are capable of juggling university with jobs (legal or other), volunteering and other extracurricular activities, above all, firms want to know they are hiring someone who is human. While firms will not accept applicants with a poor academic average, one cannot place a specific cut off point knowing that other variables are at play, like the firm’s psychometric/aptitude testing (if any) and the applicant’s other strengths that they can present in their application.

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