CAREERS
GUIDE 2016
Macquarie University Law Society
Careers Guide 2016 | 1
SPONSORS Platinum Sponsors
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CONTENTS 25
06 Job Seeking for Law
08
Section I: Admission, Practice, and the Profession 09 Admission
Section III: Public Interest Careers and Graduate Opportunities 26 Justice and Social Justice 28 Office of the Director Public Prosecutions
11 Barrister 12 Interview with Bilal Rauf 13 The Profession and Technology
29 Interview with Liam Cavell 30 International Law 31 Law Reform, Policy and the Courts
15
Section II: Opportunities at Law School 16 PACE
32 Interview with Tim Grellman 33 Regulators 34 Government, Policing and Intelligence 36 Finance and Defence
18 Interview with Elizabeth Goh 19 Community Legal Centres
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20 Interview with Emma Liang
Section IV: Private Law Careers and Graduate Opportunities
21 Government 22 Interview with Nandini Bajaj 23 Non-Government Organisations
38 Commercial Law
24 Centre for Environmental Law
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS EDITOR Rhiannon Bell DESIGNER Nathan Li CONTRIBUTORS Nandini Bajaj, Liam Cavell, Stevie Giassi, Elizabeth Goh, Tim Grellman, Emma Liang, Caitlin Polo, and Bilal Rauf SPECIAL THANKS TO Patrick Barkachi, Maddie BeggCotter, Manny Kanellis, Debra Ronan, and David Yao for their time, effort, and counsel in the production of this Guide.
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DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, nor Macquarie University, and are in no way associated with Macquarie University. Best efforts have been made to ensure that all information in this guide is correct as of 30 August 2016, but is subject to change without notice. The guide is merely advisory and should not be relied upon as professional advice. This publication is distributed free of charge with the understanding that the authors, Editor, and any persons related to this publication are not responsible
for the results of their actions or omissions on the basis of any information provided within this publication. The user of this guide, therefore, acknowledges that he or she will take responsibility for his or her actions, and will under no circumstances hold the Editor, authors, Macquarie University, or Macquarie University Law Society responsible for any damage resulting to the user, or anyone else from use of this publication. MULS encourages those applying for any position to obtain confirmation of all information through the institution itself.
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EDITOR’S WELCOME
WELCOME FROM MULS
Some people are drawn to law because they want to be the next Harvey Specter, but for many law students, this may not be the case. A law degree teaches you about a range of areas and helps you to develop the skills necessary to pursue those areas that interest you. This Guide builds upon the Clerkship Guide, which I would refer you to for tips and tricks specific to the application and interview process. The Careers Guide aims to canvass the various areas that your law degree may take you; whether it be into the commercial sphere, public interest law, or international law. The 2016 edition features an additional focus on how to begin accumulating experience whilst studying your degree, as well as
a discussion on the possible impacts of disruptive technologies.
Whether you’re a first year law student eager to start exploring your career options, a fifth year looking forward to graduating and entering the workforce, or somewhere in between and anxious about pursuing a career in law. It is important to remember that welltrodden paths are not the only ones that can lead to great places.
With so many opportunities, you may be concerned about having to narrow down your options to begin working towards your aspirations. However, in such a dynamic profession, your best approach is to maintain an open mind and willingness to change.
Your law degree is a passport to employment in a diverse range of fields, only one of which is private practice. With such a generalist degree, your options span across many sectors, to name a few; commercial, community, government, publishing, policy and academia. Law is considered to be one of the most intellectually challenging of all degrees, which means employers consider you as valuable employees, with extensive training in critical and analytical thinking. As well as having a great work ethic, developed from all those late night study sessions.
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I would like to extend my thanks to all of the contributors. To the reader, I hope that their unique insight gives you a different perspective, and motivates you to work hard, seek out new opportunities, and above all, to keep trying even when law school gets tough. To those students who are graduating at the end of 2016, I wish you all the best and hope that MULS has assisted you in achieving your goals in some way. Rhiannon Bell | Executive Officer (Editor) Macquarie University Law Society
And you may ask yourself, well, how do I work this? Where do I go from here? Fortunately, our hardworking Editor Rhiannon Bell has put together this great publication, guiding you through the many avenues and opportunities created by your law degree from Macquarie University. As always MULS is thankful to our Sponsors, without whom we could not operate to provide you with these great initiatives. MULS is pleased to present the 2016 Careers Guide! Patrick Barkachi Macquarie University Law Society
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PRACTICAL LEGAL TRAINING THE COLLEGE OF LAW IS PROUD TO PRESENT ITS NEW AND IMPROVED PRACTICAL LEGAL TRAINING PROGRAM – PLT PLUS
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Visit collaw.edu.au/pltplus Call 1300 856| 5111 Careers Guide 2016 Email enrolments@collaw.edu.au
JOB SEEKING FOR LAW Caitlin Polo MULS Corporate Careers Executive Officer
Seeking a job can undoubtedly be a complicated and competitive process. Despite this, there are many websites and resources available to guide you in making the job seeking process a little easier. The following list is a good starting point for those seeking a legal career, students and graduates alike. It is by no means an allencompassing list, but it is a solid starting point to begin your journey leading to your dream career. • Macquarie University Career Hub: The Career Hub offers a variety of job opportunities and internships that are constantly updated. It even offers general career workshops, including CV help, interview skills and networking skills.
Note also that the Career and Employment Service run various Fairs, including the recent Options with Law Fair. These are a great opportunity to meet with potential employers!
• College of Law: Many know the College of Law as it offers the Practical Legal Training (PLT) program. It also offers a great careers service to law students and young lawyers, being regularly updated with internships and opportunities to meet the practical components of your PLT.
• Beyond Law: As one of the newer careers services, Beyond Law delivers. Alongside the job board, you are able to access resources related to career advice and practice interview questions to name a few. • Survive Law: Alongside offering a careers service that advertises a variety of internship and job opportunities, the Survive Law website has a number of interesting and topical blog posts related to careers in law. • Seek: Being one of the most popular careers websites used across Australia, Seek is a great tool containing numerous law related jobs. By creating a profile, you are able to set up job alerts for the legal sector, so that you can be informed of the latest opportunities. • Ethical Jobs: Offering a variety of community, environmental and notfor-profit jobs, Ethical Jobs aims to advertise career opportunities that contribute to the goals of equity and sustainability.
Options with Law Fair 2016 6 | Careers Guide 2016
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TOP TIPS FOR LANDING YOUR DREAM JOB (continues)
1. Remind yourself of what you enjoy: If you are passionate about what you do then this will reflect positively in the effort you put in to your job. As an idea, think about a particular passion of yours, or your favourite law subject. 2. Do your research: Before applying for a job, ensure that you are aware of the position requirements, and the organisation’s values, areas of practice and current projects, if applicable. 3. Keep your resume updated: By keeping your resume up to date, you will be prepared for any career opportunity that opens up to you. 4. Customise your cover letter: Do not use the same cover letter for every job application. If you do, it will show that you may not be entirely dedicated to the job. On the other hand, if you do customise your cover letter, you will stand out from the crowd by demonstrating your understanding of the organisation’s structure and values.
5. Networking: The ability to form quick relationships and leave a lasting impression is essential in today’s career environment. 6. Dress appropriately: First impressions matter. Let your personality stand out, not your wrinkled suit. 7. Social media: Always ensure that you are cautious of what you post on social media, as well as your privacy settings. Your Facebook status may win over your friends, but they could cost you a job. 8. Persevere: With the legal job market more competitive than ever, you may have to apply to several jobs before landing your dream job. Try not to be disheartened by this. If you persevere, a great job opportunity will come your way.
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Careers Guide 2016 | 7
SECTION I:
ADMISSION, PRACTICE, AND THE PROFESSION
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ADMISSION ELIGIBILITY
Under the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) Chapter 2, Part 2.2, an individual aged 18 years or over seeking to be admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW must take an oath or affirmation of office. Before an individual can do so, the Legal Profession Admission Board must have provided the Court with a compliance certificate. A compliance certificate requires the following: • Completion of academic qualifications, • Completion of practical legal training, and • That the individual be a fit and proper person.
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
This requirement refers to the law degree that you are probably studying now. Macquarie University’s LLB and JD courses are both recognised as accredited law courses by the Legal Profession Admission Board.
PRACTICAL LEGAL TRAINING (PLT)
Having completed an accredited law degree, graduates must undergo PLT with an approved course provider. For information on the various courses available, see the websites of the following providers: The College of Law
ANU Legal Workshop
UTS
PLT generally consists of three components: 1. Coursework (full-time or part-time; distance or on-campus), which will include training for: •
How to conduct legal research,
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Analysis of facts and the law,
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Problem solving,
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Interview technique and communication,
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Drafting advice,
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Advocacy, and
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Dispute resolution.
Some course providers allow you to select electives in addition to core practice areas, which allows you to focus on your intended area of practice/specialisation. 2. Work Experience – a set number of working dates that must be completed on a part- or full-time basis in an approved legal environment. 3. Continuing Professional Education – this is often an online self-assessment activity affirming what has been learnt in the coursework component of the PLT.
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ADMISSION AS A SOLICITOR OF THE SUPREME COURT OF NSW
To practise as a solicitor in NSW you must: 1. Apply to be admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of NSW (satisfying the eligibility and suitability requirements). Admission is only required once and this application is not required if you have been admitted in another state. A successful application will require you to attend the Supreme Court of NSW to: •
Take and sign the Oath of Practice,
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Sign the roll of Australian Lawyers, and
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Gain an original Admission Certificate.
2. Lodge an application for a Practising Certificate in the jurisdiction in which you intend to practise. In order to continue practicing, you will need to renew your Practising Certificate every year. For NSW, applications are lodged via the Legal Profession Admission Board. Applications should be made using Form 10 and must have two character references attached in Form 3A or 3B. Before admission, the NSW Law Society usually receives a list of proposed lawyers to be admitted from the Legal Profession Admission Board and will send out to these individuals a kit which includes a Practising Certificate application form. The form needs to be completed and payment sent to the Law Society Register by the specified date. Once admitted, the Admission Certificate will need to be taken to the Law Society to receive a Practising Certificate.
PRACTICE
Newly admitted solicitors are required to complete two years of supervised practice and undertake a Practice Management Course if they wish to practise as a sole solicitor. Practising certificates are renewed each year when the requirements of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) are met. The requirements of CPD are set out in Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) s 52. A set number of hours of professional development must be completed each year (10 CPD units). To practise in a court exercising Federal jurisdiction, it is required that the lawyer is entitled to practise in State Supreme Courts. The lawyer must enter the Register of Practitioners held by the High Court of Australia per Judiciary Act 1903 (NSW) s 55B. It is possible to practise in other Australian states and New Zealand through mutual recognition schemes without re-admission.
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BARRISTER Barristers are lawyers who specialise in court work and advocacy for clients before courts and tribunals. Their work involves the preparation of court documents and advising the client about the likelihood of their case being successful if litigated. Barristers work independently and are briefed by a solicitor before they take on work. To practice as a barrister, a person must satisfy the following: 1. Be admitted as a lawyer by a State Supreme Court, and 2. Gain a pass mark of 75 for the NSW Bar Examination. Since 2016, the legal ethics, evidence law, and practice and procedure exams are examined in one integrated exam. •
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The Exam takes place in February and June, and costs $750.00.
•
The Exam consists of two 2-hour papers, with a break between the papers and 15 minutes of reading time per paper.
•
Note: You may sit the Exam without being admitted to the Supreme Court, however, you will need to be admitted before commencing practice.
3. Hold a practising certificate with conditions attached and have professional indemnity insurance. 4. Undertake the ‘Reading Programme’, which involves ‘reading’ under the supervision of a barrister (with at least 7 years’ experience) for at least 12 months and completing the Bar Practice Course. •
This is a four-week long fulltime course held in Sydney in May and August/September of each year. The Bar Practice Course fee is $3,800.
It is also compulsory to satisfy requirements such as completing 10 days of criminal and 10 days of civil reading whilst with a supervising barrister. Having satisfied the above requirements, the application to practice must be lodged with the Bar Association of NSW and practice must be commenced no later than ten months of passing the Bar exams. Barristers are required to have Professional Indemnity Insurance and accrue Continuing Profession Development (CPD) credit each financial year for certificate renewal.
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INTERVIEW with Bilal Rauf, Barrister at State Chambers
Bilal Rauf spent over a decade working as a Special Counsel at Ashurst, specialising in employment law and industrial relations. He was called to the Bar in 2014. Having recently gone to the Bar, what was the process you had to go through to establish yourself as a barrister (aside from the admissions processes)? Once you have your law degree, you need to sit the Bar Exams. These exams are focussed on the Evidence Act, court procedural rules and the ethics of being a barrister. Typically, there is a pass rate of about 50%, so it's not a walk in the park. Once the exams are cleared, there is a 4 week full time bar practice course. After that, you commence practising under the watchful eye of a tutor barrister for about 12 months. What has been the most challenging part of going to the Bar? As a barrister, you are responsible for conducting cases to the best of your abilities. This involves periods of intense work, late nights and so on. It can be very difficult during these times from a work/life or family commitments perspective. One needs to carefully manage 'your life'. It takes a little time to adjust to this reality and develop strategies to appropriately manage and maintain a balance. And the most rewarding part? Without a doubt the most rewarding part is the responsibility for strategising the approach to, and conducting, a case.
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There is a real sense of fulfilment when you achieve a positive result, whether for the client or in clarifying some aspect of the law. And then, you can take a break, run off into the sunset (for a while), without the need to ask anyone for leave. You have quite a broad range of experience, having worked at the ACCC, PwC, and Ashurst. How has this helped you as a barrister? All of that experience has been significant in providing me with a solid base and expertise in my areas of employment and industrial relations law and workplace safety law. It has also enabled me to come to the Bar with existing relationships and contacts. It has meant that, on coming to the Bar, I was able to hit the ground running. It helps to have these relationships and runs on the board so to speak. Is there any general advice you would give to law students? Most students (certainly me when I first commenced working as a lawyer) don't have certainty about what they would like to do. Don't let that concern you. The answers will reveal themselves in time as you understand the different options and are exposed to them. Enjoy the experience and keep an open mind. As for the Bar, there's no right time to come to the Bar. I came to the Bar later in my career. Others come earlier. Again, you'll work these questions out with time. In the meantime, enjoy the experience before you.
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THE PROFESSION AND TECHNOLOGY Interview with Stevie Ghiassi, CEO and Co-Founder of Legaler
Can you please briefly describe your work experience? It was probably inevitable, but I always wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps, he was a successful businessman and a professional athlete, captaining his national football team. I was fortunate enough to travel the world playing tennis until I was 23, and at the same time being exposed to the family retail business from a young age. I wore just about every hat from sales, accounts to finally becoming a managing director, but ultimately it was a real world MBA. Eventually I gravitated towards hospitality, opening a range of food and beverage venues, which was great fun. After I sold them a friend approached me to help expand his advertising company from Melbourne into Thailand and Vietnam, which was definitely a case of ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ but a great challenge, not to mention culturally enriching. During this time I worked on a lot of websites for the advertising clients and upon returning to Australia, I used that experience to team up with my current co-founders and and after building a couple of startups, the idea for Legaler came about. What motivated you to start Legaler? Like many startups, Legaler was born out of the problems and shortcomings we encountered in our own experiences. Whilst working on a previous startup, like most young companies it felt like we needed a lawyer for something everyday from investor documents, to website terms, patents and trademarks, the list was endless. We were building a global marketplace and needed to work closely with lawyers all around the world but it felt like we were spending more time with them than building our business. Naturally we used a lot of
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video conferencing, scheduling tools, email, file sharing apps and somehow the experience was always really cumbersome and time consuming. We were really busy and obviously so were our lawyers but nothing had really changed in the legal experience since the advent of email in 1971, especially for clients. It got us thinking about better ways to collaborate and how we could improve the delivery of legal services in a way that saved time for not only clients, but also for lawyers. There are growing concerns about the viability of the legal profession going forward. Do you think these are well-founded? I think they are, but there is also reason to be excited about the future. Right now in Australia alone, there are approximately 15,000 law students graduating every year, into a market of 66,000 lawyers. Those numbers aren’t sustainable, albeit not every graduate wishes to pursue a legal career. At the same time, especially since the GFC, law firms have tightened their spending and there are less jobs than there were 8 years ago. It seems what has everyone really worried is the emergence of automation and things like AI, machine learning etc. For all the doom and gloom, what everyone is missing is that all these advances should actually help lawyers become better advocates, spending less time on menial research and tasks. More efficiency and better insights through computer assisted data will mean that legal services will be democratised, reaching a larger audience, opening up a massive latent market. This means more clients to serve and with every technological advancement, a new area of law to navigate e.g autonomous cars, data privacy, globalisation etc. Let’s not forget that over 4 billion people still
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live outside the rule of law and without access to justice. Plenty of work to keep everyone viable! What is the most challenging aspect of your job? Prioritising the fewest number of things, that can make the greatest difference. This is a constant challenge and what I see as my most important role as a founder and CEO steering our company towards its mission. Whether you’re developing a marketing strategy, making a new hire or simply working out what feature to build and release next, the aim is to test and validate your ideas in the most efficient manner possible, so you can find out what can have the greatest impact on your business. They say a startup is like trying to build a plane whilst you’re flying it, and that’s really the best description. Hopefully if you’re doing the right things you’re growing incredibly fast and everyday brings exciting new opportunities along with another set of problems to solve. Whilst this sense of uncertainty can take its toll emotionally, building the future is also extremely rewarding, not to mention addictive! What skills and/or experience have you found to be most valuable? Problem solving. This should be in a startup’s DNA and their raison d'être. A lot of people get carried away with ideas, which is not necessarily a bad thing, in fact quite the opposite, but what you really want to focus on is the mission critical problems you are solving for people. On a daily basis, the only thing that changes is the scale and cadence of the problems. As a founder, especially in small teams with limited resources, part of your role is to spread yourself across almost every facet of the business, from admin one moment to sales and customer support the next,
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and then cutting code or working on your latest designs, in between turning your hand to marketing and content writing. That’s before you even get to the real fun and time consuming part, fundraising, which can really distract you from building the product and getting sales. So it pays to be a generalist and the most valuable asset you can have here is the skill of learning fast and in general being flexible with both your ego and your mind! If you could have given yourself any advice when you were in your earlyto mid-twenties, what would it be? I heard renowned marketing guru Seth Godin talking about fear the other day and he was explaining how fear is hardwired into us and it’s what kept our ancestors alive, but that lately, in our cushy modern lives, fear has also become somewhat of a bug in our ‘operating system’, a remnant of our evolutionary process. We don’t necessarily have the same fears for survival that our ancestors once had, but our ‘fight or flight’ system is just as active today as it was thousands of years ago. A good example is public speaking, no lions or tigers are going to chase you off the stage, but we still get filled with trepidation, when in fact, we would perform so much better with a relaxed mind, so the fear is actually counter-productive. This also happens in our everyday lives where an overdose of fear can manifest in so many different ways from procrastination, insecurity, poor decision making, irrational behaviour and paralysis, which often lead to our biggest regrets. Don’t get me wrong, fear plays an important part in balancing our critical thinking, but my advice to a younger me would simply be to embrace the fear and do it anyway.
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SECTION II:
OPPORTUNITIES AT LAW SCHOOL
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PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (PACE) UNITS IN THE MACQUARIE LAW SCHOOL PACE units are participation units that have become a compulsory part of the completion of a Macquarie Law degree. They are an excellent opportunity to gain academic credit for practical experience in a range of organisations. To be eligible to complete a PACE unit, you generally need to have completed 48 LAW or LAWS credit points. PACE International internships require a Law GPA of 3. All units involve an application process and waivers are entered to enable successful applicants to enrol on eStudent. Students are advised to confirm their eligibility with reference to the Macquarie Handbook.
Applications for LAWS551, LAWS 452 and LAWS 538 are advertised by the Director of PACE by email, and for LAWS499 by the convenor. Macquarie Law School offers the following units:
LAWS300: Social Innovation, Governance and Professional Leadership This unit is a requirement in the Social Justice major in the BLAWS and BArts. In this unit, students work under the guidance of a supervisor from a partner organisation to work on innovative reform projects. Partner organisations are drawn from a range of sectors, including government, civil society, and the private sector. Students have the opportunity to learn about the demands of working in progress and policy reform. Students assist in meeting the research needs of the partner organisation and present their results to both their peers and the partner organisation. This unit is only offered in Session 2 and requires completing of 39 credit points, including LAWS250 or LAWS260. Applications for Session 2 close at the end of Week 5 in Session 1.
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LAWS452: International Participation and Community Engagement In this unit, students participate in an international internship either in-country, or remotely from Macquarie. Students work in organisations that provide legal advice, education, and advocacy, and contribute to development of legal standards, policies and reform. Typically, these internships involve working on needs-based projects, legal research, policy drafting, reform reviews, preparing case briefings, comparative law analysis, and education about legal issues. In-country internships run for four weeks in winter vacation for Session 2 credit; and 8 to 12 weeks in summer vacation for Session 1 credit. Full details of all international opportunities can be found on the PACE International webpage. Remote internships run during Sessions 1 and 2. Students may also source their own placement for LAWS452. Recently students have worked with Law firms and NGOs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Japan and the UAE.
LAWS499: Legal Governance and Professional Leadership In this unit, students are paired up with mentors from a PACE partner organisation. Students work in the partner organisation in order to complete a research project that will support the law reform work of the partner organisation. Typically, partner organisations are derived from the legal profession, government, industry and civil society. Upon completion, students present their findings to the partner organisation and their peers. This unit is only offered in Session 2, and applications for Session 2 close at the end of Week 5 in Session 1.
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Students should note that other placements may arise and will be advertised via email.
LAWS538: Access to Justice Placement Program
LAWS551: Professional and Community Engagement
This unit consists of three distinct clinical placement programs, plus other opportunities from time to time. First, there is the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) program. In this program, students spend time at PIAC and with the pro bono section of a law firm and a law-related agency in order to learn about how to advocate for the public interest and achieve legal change. Second, there is the Western Sydney Community Legal Centre (formerly Macquarie Legal Centre) program. In this program, students observe community legal centre practice in order to develop a greater understanding of access to justice issues, the operation of law in society, and the roles lawyers play. Third, there is the Western Sydney Community Family Law Placement. In this program, students focus on family relationships law and practice. This unit is offered in both Session 1 and 2, and requires 48 credit points in LAW or LAWS units. Other opportunities may also be offered with regional offices of the Aboriginal Legal Service, the NSW Land and Environment Court, and the Refugee Advice and Casework Service.
This unit provides the opportunity for students to engage with the legal profession and community through participation in a variety of workplace experiences including, but not limited to, law firms, legal centres, communitybased legal organisations and services, government agencies, and not-for-profit organisations. The experience may be via clerkship, volunteer work, or internship, and may be undertaken on a weekly or block basis. Students must complete a minimum of 60 hours work with the organisation. The 60 hours must be concurrent with unit enrolment. Students source their own placements and nominate them for approval for PACE. Students must attend seminars, set and evaluate placement goals, engage in reflective practice, and an ethics-based academic program. This unit is offered in all three Sessions.
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LAWZ448: Animal Law This unit concerns the role of the law in regulating human interaction with animals, including the philosophical, ethical, legal, and regulatory questions arising in the treatment of animals. Students are exposed to a range of ideas that will inform their analysis of contemporary animal welfare legislative framework, with the opportunity to consider avenues for public interest litigation. LAWS216/LAW316 is a prerequisite for this subject.
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INTERVIEW
Please briefly summarise what your role involves.
with Elizabeth Goh, Junior Policy Adviser and Electorate Officer at NSW Parliament
I am currently a Junior Policy Adviser and Electorate Officer with NSW Parliament, specifically working for a Member of Parliament. I play not only an administrative purpose in managing the enquiries and representations of the constituents and their interests, but also provide preliminary guidance to them on both administrative and legal matters. Furthermore, I assist the Member in researching, compiling and writing briefs on matters in the electorate and community. You sourced your own PACE unit. How did you get this role? I have been working for NSW Parliament for approximately five years, but I had mainly be working on special projects or matters. I consulted the Member on how I could progress professionally and help to contribute using my law degree, and I was fortunate enough to be able to step into this role. As Parliament is a critical part of the Australian system of representative government (as you should know from Admin Law!), my duties and responsibilities fitted in perfectly with the goals of LAWS551 Access to Justice Placement. What’s a typical day like? My role varies dramatically from dayto-day, and depends very much upon not only the Member and their Sitting schedule, but also current affairs. Whilst there are things which stay consistent - reading the morning news, following up on issues, making interdepartmental calls or actioning constituent enquiries - most days are different. One day, I could be researching and advising the Member on Private Members Statements, the next day, I may be
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advising a constituent on matters concerning housing. I’ve never really had two days which are exactly the same! What’s the most challenging part of your job? The job is filled with many challenges. Upon the odd occasion, we have very passionate constituents who forget that staffers are people, and that staffers are not responsible for making changes, nor can they make a change which is immediately effective. Sometimes these constituents are very disrespectful and make very hurtful and personal remarks, or are greatly misinformed, or are simply frustrated that no one seems to be listening to them or nothing seems to be happening, and as such become aggravated further. The toughest part of the job is trying to help them with their issues, which are usually extremely complicated and can involve some very sensitive areas such as family violence or family law, but also being sensitive to their social and cultural needs at the same time. What advice would you give to someone who was considering doing something similar? I would advise anyone to consider NSW Parliament for their PACE Placement as you are directly contributing to the democratic system of Australia. I would definitely brush up on my Admin Law, and be up to date with current affairs and any changes in legislation and regulation. I would also carefully research which Member to approach as you will benefit more from working with someone whose values are similar to your own and have an informal chat with them before moving forward.
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COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRES Community Legal Centres (CLCs) are independent, community-based organisations that provide equitable and accessible legal services to disadvantaged or marginalised people. Whilst they employ part-time staff, they rely on the contributions of student volunteers. CLC work can include:
CLCs often specialise in providing support for targeted areas or for certain groups in society. For example: •
Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) (immigration law)
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Environment Defender’s Office (environment and planning law)
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Women’s Legal Services (family, discrimination, and criminal law affecting women)
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Financial Rights Legal Centre (credit, debt, banking, and insurance law)
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Aboriginal Legal Centre (NSW/ ACT) (law affecting Aboriginal persons)
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Redfern Legal Centre – there are two intakes of volunteer legal assistants throughout the year.
1. Providing information and referral of matters, 2. Legal advice, 3. Legal casework and representation in specific areas of law, 4. Community legal education, and 5. Law reform and public policy development.
A list of the CLCs accepting applications for volunteer positions is available here. It is recommended that interested students email or call the organisations directly to confirm whether they are taking applications for volunteers.
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INTERVIEW
Please briefly summarise your volunteer experience.
with Emma Liang, Student Volunteer at RACS
Becoming a student volunteer at RACS has allowed me to demonstrate a commitment to human rights and social justice by understanding and supporting the issues that affect asylum seekers. By being able to obtain firsthand experience in human rights law, this has allowed me to recognise the importance of protecting and advocating for refugees. Knowing that part of my work will be put into making a positive change into someone's life, I find that volunteering at RACS is a very rewarding experience. What's a typical day like? While working at RACS, I assisted with client intake through RACS' 'Front End' telephone advice call centre, as well as at RACS' Outreach clinic located in Auburn in Sydney's west. My role involved receiving and directing calls or face-to-face drop-in requests for assistance from vulnerable and highly stressed clients. Additionally, a range of tasks would be allocated to individual volunteers at the direction of RACS' team of solicitors, including transfer of client information on application forms, legal and country research, and working with RACS' client database. What legal skills are you required to apply and what skills have you developed? Being a legal volunteer at RACS, requires effective communication and problem solving skills to clients over the phone, as well as in person. Prioritising and planning is also necessary when conducting legal research tasks. While at RACS, one of my tasks was to provide legal research and draft correspondence for a solicitor to aid with case management. I
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had the opportunity to develop my research skills such as summarising key points from documentation and cases, determining what information is most relevant, and being able to communicate clearly both in writing and verbally. What is the most challenging aspect of your role? The most challenging aspect was performing tasks that were unfamiliar to me. When I started at RACS, I was not confident at completing tasks I had been given. However, I was surprised by my capability when I received positive feedback from the supervisors. I was encouraged and able to achieve these challenging tasks and be proud of my work because guidance was always available from the team. RACS staff were always willing to help and assist with tasks regardless of what was required from the job. How has this experience changed your career ambitions? This experience has helped me understand the law better and how the law can grow into a different area. Volunteering at RACS has allowed me to observe life from a different socioeconomic angle. It has helped me gain a better insight into social justice issues as well as appreciating the amount of work community legal centres achieve. What advice would you give someone who is interested in a similar role? Apply as a student volunteer! Working at RACS will give you an insight on human rights law and may even help you determine what you want to do after your degree. RACS is also an encouraging place to further develop your legal skills and will definitely be useful to you in the future!
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GOVERNMENT AUSTRALIAN LAW REFORM COMMISSION The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) allows penultimate law students to work as voluntary interns with Commission members and legal staff. Interns can work with the ALRC for a day per week for one session or in a three-week block over the summer break during January and February. These internships are an excellent opportunity for penultimate-year students to become more aware of law reform issues whilst also enhancing research and writing skills. Interns receive credit in ALRC publications and undertake their work under supervision of ALRC staff members. 2016 program dates
Session
Intern Period
Application Closing Date
Session 1 (part time)
14 March – 3 June
1 February 2016
8 August – 21 October
4 July 2016
9 January – 27 January 2017, OR 30 January – 17 February
24 October 2016
Session 2 (part time) Summer (full time)
For more information about the application process and criteria, please see the ALRC internship site.
NSW LAW REFORM COMMISSION The NSW Law Reform Commission (NSWLRC) performs a similar role to the ALRC. The NSWLRC offers legal internships during the winter vacation. Interns work on a full-time basis for a minimum of four weeks. For more information, visit their website.
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INTERVIEW
Please briefly summarise what your role involves.
to get coffee because my brain is about to melt from so much reading).
with Nandini Bajaj, Intern at NSWLRC
I am an intern at the NSWLRC, which operates within the NSW Government’s Department of Justice. At the moment, I’m helping the Commission out with their project on guardianship law, which is an important area of law that has been due for reform for quite some time. My role is to help out with whatever research and writing needs to be done. I am also working on a consultation paper about the use of restrictive practices (e.g. physically restraining someone or using medication in order to manage a person’s behaviour) on people who are under guardianship. So basically I read a lot of law, and I write about a lot of law.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
What skills have been most useful in this role? Which skills have you needed to develop? The most useful skills have also been the ones I’ve needed to develop: researching and writing in plain English. If you’re someone who consistently gets good marks for essays and hypotheticals, you are probably already very good at research, and you’re probably a really effective communicator. What’s different though is that obviously, I wasn’t given four weeks to write a 2000 word essay. I was given four weeks to write an entire draft paper. By the end of the first week, I thought my eyes were going to bleed from having looked at screens for so long. By the end of the second week, I was already on 5000+ words and I had barely made it past definitions and the state of the existing NSW law. So I had to figure out how to get onto everyone else’s level, fast. It’s been a real learning curve, but definitely something that I know will be really useful. What’s a typical day like? A typical day starts with checking emails, chatting with colleagues, and of course, grabbing some coffee. There’s some new legislation to read almost every day, or academic articles to sift through for about three relevant points. Whenever things start to make sense, I write it up. If they don’t, more reading! Or I switch over to a task for someone else (or I volunteer 22 | Careers Guide 2016
The most challenging part is probably having to constantly remind yourself that your work actually does count. In a lot of internships, you aren’t given much responsibility. Yes, you learn, but it’s rare you will actually write up something and add meaningful insight to the knowledge of your supervisors. Moreover, the actual subject matter is something that affects the lives of so many people who either are guardians, or are under guardianship, and they need laws that will actually improve their quality of life. So I’m always conscious of not missing anything, of not letting anything that could be helpful slide. This project ultimately will affect people’s everyday lives, and it’s important it’s done to the highest standard. What advice would you give to someone who was considering doing something similar? Go for it! Seriously, if you can afford to do an unpaid internship, you should. It’s not easy, and it’s not for everyone, but if an interesting opportunity arises, you should do it. This is my fourth unpaid internship now (a big shout out here to my super supportive parents, and all my lovely bosses at my casual jobs). Each internship has been really amazing and taught me so much. If you’re not sure about the feasibility of something like this, try the university’s PACE program, which also has grants attached to it. I was accepted for an international PACE internship in Borneo, where I got to work with native people facing land rights issues. I have also done LAW551 (also a PACE unit) where an internship at the Australian Human Rights Commission counted as a subject. There are lots of options, and it’s worthwhile talking to the university about options with counting internships as subjects, or potentially providing funding. Paid work is great, it really helps fund my online shopping and coffee addiction, but internships open up doors you would never have thought existed, and give you experiences you will never forget. Macquarie University Law Society
NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS SALVOS LEGAL
TOONGABBIE LEGAL CENTRE
Salvos Legal is a ‘revolutionary’ not-forprofit law firm owned by the Salvation Army. Salvos Legal performs paid property and commercial work as a means of funding its sister ‘legal aid’ firm Salvos Legal Humanitarian. This is a free full service firm that assists the disadvantaged or marginalised groups in society.
Toongabbie Legal Centre aims to help those vulnerable and disadvantaged people who are in need of legal assistance and who do not qualify for Legal Aid. The Centre does not receive any on-going funds from either the Federal or State government.
Volunteers can gain experience in both of these firms at the Sydney Headquarters.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Amnesty International is an NGO that focuses on raising awareness for and fights against international human rights abuses and issues.
JUSTICE ACTION Justice Action is an independent advocacy group that assists victims of abuse of authority. The group particular focuses on those in the criminal justice system and the health system. Volunteers assist prisoners with mental health issues and in court. Volunteers may also help develop legal policy and initiate campaigns to expose systemic abuses.
AURORA PROJECT The Aurora Project was established in response to the need for professional development of lawyers in Native Title Bodies. It has expanded indigenous education and understanding of other matters generally affecting Indigenous Australians. The project facilitates internships for students in indigenous corporations, government bodies, community groups, not-for-profit, and policy organisations in both regional and urban Australia. Placements are available with over 40 different organisations and law firms around the country. Internships generally run for four weeks in the winter and summer breaks.
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GREENPEACE Greenpeace is an independent organisation that uses non-violent direct action to expose environmental issues and to lobby for government to take action.
DLA PIPER PRO BONO DLA Piper offers internships in the Sydney Office on a full-time basis (5 days per week) in their pro bono practice area. Applications are usually due by 30 September each year and applicants are notified of the outcome on or before 31 October. There are no internships offered for 2017, however, there may be internships offered in 2018. This list is not exhaustive. Other internships include: • The Australian Human Rights Commission • The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade • Cancer Council
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CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LAW In line with its strong environmental law expertise, Macquarie University has its own Centre for Environmental Law (CEL). This Centre applies the expertise of academic staff to areas such as: •
International and comparative law,
•
Trade and environment,
•
Law of the sea and marine environmental law,
•
Water law and governance,
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Sustainable corporate governance and financing,
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Pollution and environmental regulation,
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Indigenous peoples,
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Customary law and natural resource management,
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Climate change,
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Planning and local government law, and
•
Natural and cultural heritage.
In 2016, CEL ran a Careers and Competition evening. The panel included The Hon. Justice Nicola Pain, Judge of the Land and Environment Court; Judith Preston, Academic and Solicitor; David Newhouse, Principal at Newhouse & Arnold Solicitors; and Matthew Fraser, Barrister at Martin Place Chambers. These guests presented some insight into their career paths, and students had the opportunity to present papers to the panel. If you are interested in the work of CEL, you may wish to contact the Director, Dr Shawkat Alam at shawkat. alam@mq.edu.au. Student volunteers are allocated a particular role and portfolio, such as ‘Strategic Directions’, ‘Strategic Partnerships’, ‘Website and Newsletter Development’, ‘Local Projects’, ‘International Projects’, and ‘Outreach’. Students are also able to assist in editing the Australian Journal of Environmental Law.
The aim is to promote creative and critical thinking in all areas of environmental law and policy reform.
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SECTION III:
PUBLIC INTEREST CAREERS AND GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES
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JUSTICE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS TRIBUNAL (AAT)
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SOLICITOR (AGS)
The AAT reviews decisions made by the executive branch of government; i.e. decisions made by Ministers, departments, and agents.
The AGS advises and represents government clients in most areas of law, including government and administrative law, corporate and commercial law, dispute resolution, litigation, and other general areas.
The AAT has eight major divisions of operations: General Administrative, Freedom of Information, Migration and Refugee, National Disability Insurance Scheme, Security, Social Services and Child Support, Taxation and Commercial, and Veterans’ Appeals. Employment opportunities at the AAT can be found here. To be eligible for employment, prospective AAT employees must:
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•
Undergo a security and character check,
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Hold Australian citizenship,
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Undergo a medical examination (for ongoing engagements only), and
•
Be eligible for re-engagement if the applicant has received a redundancy benefit from an Australian Public Service or Commonwealth employer.
The AGS offers a National Graduate Program that takes place over a year and features a placement as a practitioner in the AGS. Application dates follow the NSW Law Society Graduate Program. This program includes an orientation program, rotation through one or more of the three AGS practice areas, placement with a government department or agency, pro bono work, sponsorship of PLT requirements, in-house training, and mentoring support. The AGS does not offer clerkships.
LEGAL AID NSW Legal Aid provides legal advice and representation for socially and economically disadvantaged clients across New South Wales. Practice areas include criminal law, civil law, family law, law reform, and community legal education. Employment opportunities are advertised on Jobs NSW. Legal Aid NSW offers a two-year career development program, aiming to teach new lawyers case management skills. New lawyers are able to choose two areas from criminal, civil, and family law. Their website contains very detailed information on the benefits of a job at Legal Aid NSW and provides valuable guidance on how to apply.
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NSW CROWN SOLICITOR’S OFFICE The NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office provides legal advice and services to the NSW State Government, Departments and Agencies. Practice areas include administrative law, child protection law, commercial law, community law, constitutional law, coronial law, criminal law, employment law, native title law, property law, and tort law. For more information, please visit their website.
OFFICE OF PARLIAMENTARY COUNSEL This Office drafts Bills and Amendment Bills for introduction into the Houses of Parliament, as well as publishing information about legislation. For further information on their vacancies, please visit their website.
PUBLIC INTEREST AND ADVOCACY CENTRE (PIAC) PIAC is an independent, non-profit law and policy organisation that provides legal assistance to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in society. Their main areas are legal policy, discrimination law, and human rights. PIAC advertises their voluntary and paid positions on their website.
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NSW COUNCIL FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES (NSWCCL) The NSWCCL is an independent human rights and civil liberties organisation that fights against infringement of democratic rights and liberties and the abuse of power by the government and their agencies. The NSWCCL assists victims of systemic abuses by conducting cases and promoting awareness of issues. Their areas of law include policy, human rights, and administrative law. For information on their internships, visit their website.
THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS Public Defenders are barristers appointed under the Public Defenders Act 1995 (NSW). They represent legally aided people who are charged with serious criminal offences. Most Public Defenders have at least 5-10 years’ experience at the private Bar before appointment, and must demonstrate extensive criminal law advocacy experience at a high level for consideration. Owing to the level of experience required, there is no graduate intake program, however, students should visit their website for information about volunteer opportunities.
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OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS NSW JURISDICTION (ODPP) The ODPP is the independent criminal prosecuting body for the state of New South Wales, established by the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1986 (NSW). The ODPP is responsible for prosecutions for serious offences in the Children’s Court, and the Local, District, and Supreme Courts; prosecutions for all child sexual assault cases; and conducts appeals and other matters in the District and Supreme Courts, Court of Criminal Appeal, and the High Court of Australia.
COMMONWEALTH JURISDICTION (CDPP) The CDPP has offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Townsville. Job opportunities and eligibility requirements are advertised on their website.
The ODPP offers a graduate legal development program. The program is available in Sydney, Sydney West, and regional offices on a full-time (35 hours per week) basis for a period of up to 12 months. Their program boasts paid legal experience in criminal prosecutions, the opportunity to network with senior lawyers and Crown Prosecutors, extensive training and feedback, flexible work practices, and challenging work. To be eligible, you must have completed the coursework component of PLT. The ODPP will take students who have not or are undertaking the work experience component of PLT. For further information, please visit their website.
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INTERVIEW with Liam Cavell, Federal Prosecutor at CDPP
Liam Cavell is a Federal Prosecutor at the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) and the Chair of the NSW Young Lawyers Criminal Law Committee. Previously, he has worked as an Associate to a District Court Judge and a Solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills, and completed a secondment in the latter role at the Shopfront Youth Legal Centre. What does your role typically involve? There are two main components to my job. The first is assessing briefs of evidence that are referred to our office from various federal agencies to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to institute a prosecution. The second is prosecuting matters in court, such as conducting a hearing where a not guilty plea has been entered or making sentencing submissions where a person has pleaded guilty. What is the most challenging part of your role? As my role involves both assessing new matters and prosecuting existing matters, there can be a tension between the need to assess matters in a timely manner and the demands of court work. Ensuring that both aspects are given appropriate attention can be very challenging. And the most rewarding part? Having carriage of a matter from the time that a Court Attendance Notice is issued to the time that it is concluded in court is extremely satisfying. Often solicitors only work on one aspect of a matter. For example, a solicitor may only conduct the committal hearing, and then give the file to another solicitor who will instruct in the trial. However, Federal Prosecutors generally maintain carriage of their matters throughout each stage of the proceedings.
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What skills have you found to be most useful? Because no two cases are identical, the ability to think laterally about the law and the evidence is the most important skill required to be an effective prosecutor. Lateral thinking skills are important when conducting legal research, assessing a brief of evidence, preparing a matter for hearing, and even making submissions. Another extremely important skill is having a strong attention to detail, particularly in cases that involve large amounts of documentary evidence, such as fraud matters. What advice would you give to students considering taking a similar path? Federal Prosecutors have diverse backgrounds and there are many paths to working at the CDPP. The CDPP really values practical experience, so it is important to work for a little while after you graduate before applying for a position at our Office. For example, you might consider undertaking a tipstaff position in the Supreme Court or an Associateship in the District Court, as both are extremely useful ways of gaining a practical understanding of criminal practice and procedure. Whilst working as a solicitor in criminal law would of course be useful, the CDPP also values applicants with a commercial law background. When it recruits, the CDPP advertises on www.apsjobs.gov.au. On that site, you can subscribe to be notified of future job opportunities in the CDPP as well as elsewhere in the Australian Public Service.
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INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE (DFAT)
DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION (DIBP)
DFAT is concerned with Australia’s security, prosperity, and citizens who are overseas. It provides foreign and trade policy advice to the government. DFAT has a strong graduate program, which is divided into policy and management. Both programs involve a two-year development program in Canberra, which consists of rotational work placements and formal training modules.
DIBP is responsible for managing migration, protecting refugees, developing Australia’s humanitarian policy, contributing to border management, and ensuring compliance with immigration law. The Department also supports migrants and refugees in settling into the Australian community as well as promoting a multicultural society.
The policy program is best suited to applicants who are seeking a career in policy development and who are considering working in areas such as the multilateral desks (such as disarmament, counter-terrorism, or human rights), bilateral desks, trade desks (covering areas such as the World Trade Organisation, free trade agreements, or international finance), and corporate desks (such as consular or human resources). The management program is for applicants who are seeking to manage the Department’s human and financial resources, including financial services and management, corporate planning and auditing, post management, and other consular issues. Graduates who complete the program are eligible for long-term placement in the Department and can apply for overseas postings. For further information about the DFAT graduate programs, visit their website.
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DIBP runs a general 10-month graduate program, which will expose graduates to the different aspects of the portfolio, including: •
Settlement and citizenship,
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Multicultural affairs,
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Case management and care arrangements for people in immigration detention,
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International engagement and border management,
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Interpreting and applying legislation,
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Refugee and humanitarian issues,
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Technology services,
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Financial services, and
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Human resource management.
For further information, visit their website.
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LAW REFORM, POLICY, AND THE COURTS JUDICIAL COMMISSION OF NSW
JUDGE’S ASSOCIATE
The Judicial Commission of NSW is an independent branch for the judicial arm of government. It aims to achieve consistency in sentencing, organises and supervises the continuing education of judicial officers, and investigates complaints against judicial officers. It also advises the Attorney-General on relevant matters and liaises with other stakeholders. Employment opportunities are advertised on Jobs NSW.
A Judge’s Associate works as an individual judge’s personal assistant and researcher, and performs tasks such as listing cases, and liaising with members of the legal profession. The exact work does vary, however, between jurisdiction, court, and judge. These roles last for one or two years, and judges typically recruit their Associates individually without advertising the position; although some positions are advertised on the College of Law website. Some judges will hire recent graduates, whilst others prefer graduates with a couple of years of experience.
THE JUDICIARY Traditionally, judges are appointed from the Bar, however, some have come from academia or were a solicitor.
For guidance on applying for an Associate position, please consult the Australian Law Students’ Association’s annual Judge’s Associate Guide.
TIPSTAFF Tipstaff positions often come up in the Supreme Courts and lower courts. These positions involve a large amount of time in court, assisting the judge in performing legal research, and administering procedural aspects of the court (such as announcing that the court is in session). Some positions, including other general administrative positions, may be advertised on the Supreme Court website.
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INTERVIEW with Tim Grellman, Associate to the Vice President of the Fair Work Commission
Please briefly summarise your role. My role is to work closely and assist Vice President Catanzariti AM of the Fair Work Commission. The Vice President is head of the government industry panel at the Commission and is the senior member on many full bench appeals from single member decisions. Half of my role is to ensure the government industry panel runs smoothly. This means allocating the right matters to the right members of the Commission throughout Australia (mostly Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Darwin). In the other half of my role I prepare and facilitate the conciliations, conferences and arbitrations between parties before the Vice President. Much of this requires me to prepare decisions that are published by the Vice President. This is a fantastic way to learn new areas of industrial law: by writing a decision you learn the law of a certain topic very well. I have had a wonderful time at the Commission. It has been a privilege to work for the Vice President and I would recommend the role to all law students, especially those who have an interest in workplace relations/employment law and who are considering a career as an advocate whether as a barrister or in another capacity. How can students apply for the job? Jobs are available at the Fair Work Commission website. Anyone can apply, but I would recommend that students apply when either close to or in their final year. Please describe a typical day. A typical day will depend on whether or not we have a conference, conciliation or hearing. On days that we do have a conference, conciliation or hearing I will spend the early parts of my morning preparing for the case. This means getting all the documents together, getting the parties ready and familiarising myself with the contentious issues; the Vice President
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likes to reflect on the issues with me. Our conferences, conciliations and hearings take place across Australia: half of the time I am in Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane or Darwin which is a great experience in itself. On days that we don’t have a conference, conciliation or a hearing I will be doing work that stems from the conferences, conciliations or hearings that we have had in the past or that are upcoming. For ones we have in the past my day will revolve around drafting, editing and publishing decisions and orders on behalf of the Vice President. For ones that are upcoming my day will revolve around familiarsing myself with the cases and preparing for the case. What’s the most challenging part of your job? Staying on top of the many different cases we have which involve complex areas of law is the toughest part of my job. Frequent travel adds a layer of difficulty. Nevertheless, this is a wonderful challenge and is thoroughly rewarding. I wouldn’t change it at all and have enjoyed this challenge. What advice would you give to someone who was considering applying for this role? Don’t worry too much if you don’t know too much about the area of law that you aspire to enter. In my case, I didn’t do labour law as an elective and have been able to pick up the general concepts pretty quickly. Another thing to remember is that this is a great opportunity to sit between members and barristers (often QCs/ SCs) and see how the best advocates advocate the law. There are few better opportunities to learn a new area of law whilst learning from some of the most renowned Australian advocates. On this basis; go for it! Last tip: If you go for an associate role remember to have lots of fun, work hard and enjoy the experience. If you travel to Darwin as an associate be sure to stay somewhere with air-conditioning; the humidity on the top end is outrageous!
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REGULATORS AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY (APRA)
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION (ASIC)
APRA regulates the Australian financial industry; specifically, banks, credit unions, building societies, insurance providers, and superannuation funds. They monitor the financial position and outlook of institutions, assess risks in financial institutions, licence new institutions, and enforce law to protect investors. For information on their graduate programs, please visit their websites here and here.
ASIC is Australia’s corporate, markets, and financial services regulator. They uphold Australia’s economic reputation and wellbeing by ensuring that Australia’s financial markets are fair, transparent, and supported by confident and informed investors. ASIC offers a year-long graduate program, featuring four month rotations across one of their six Australian offices. For further information, please visit their website.
AUSTRALIAN CONSUMER AND COMPETITION COMMISSION (ACCC)
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY (ACMA)
The ACCC promotes competition and fair trade in Australian markets in order to protect consumers and businesses. Graduates take part in three 14-week rotations and may undertake interstate rotations as part of their training. For further information, please visit their website.
ACMA is the statutory authority responsible for regulation of broadcasting, the Internet, radio communications, and telecommunications. Its main offices are in Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney. ACMA hires based on demand and does not have a regular graduate program. These opportunities are advertised on their website.
NSW OMBUDSMAN The Ombudsman is an independent watchdog that scrutinises public and private sector agencies and employees to ensure that they fulfil their functions properly. They also fulfil an educative purpose to inform agencies and their employees of their responsibilities to the public. Job vacancies are advertised on their website.
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GOVERNMENT, POLICING, INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEYGENERAL AND JUSTICE (NSW) This Department is responsible for overseeing the delivery of legal, court, and supervision services for NSW. It manages the court and justice services, implements programs to reduce crime and re-offending, manages custodial and community-based services, and advises on law reform. The Legislation, Policy and Criminal Law Review Division of the Department offers a summer clerkship program, which is coordinated to coincide with the Law Society of NSW dates. This internship involves work such as preparing briefings for the AttorneyGeneral, liaising with key stakeholders, performing in-depth research and analysis of proposed Bills and/or policy reform, and writing speeches. For further information, please visit their website.
participation in three rotations across various areas of the Department, with ongoing career development opportunities throughout. •
This stream is open to graduates of all disciplines, including arts, business, commerce, communications, economics, humanities, international studies, law, management, and science.
•
It is expected that graduates will have achieved at least a credit average at university.
Legal •
This involves working with the Australian Government Solicitor on issues such as defence, immigration and border protection, and initiatives geared toward major economic, regulatory, and social reforms.
•
This stream involves participation in four rotations across two or three practice groups, a client placement, and a pro bono placement.
•
This stream is open to those graduates who have completed an LLB or JD with at least a credit average. You do not need to be admitted to practice; although it is expected that you at least be eligible for enrolment in a PLT course leading to admission. This program includes the opportunity to complete your PLT.
COMMONWEALTH DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL The Attorney-General’s Department is responsible for providing support to the Australian Government in order to maintain law, justice, national security, emergency management, and natural disaster relief. The Attorney-General’s department offers both graduate employment and summer internships. The graduate employment program runs for 12 months, and there are two streams: Policy/Program and Legal. Policy/Program
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•
This involves providing legal and policy advice on issues such as civil law, human rights and international law, or on national security issues such as countering violent extremism, international crime cooperation, people smuggling, and extradition.
•
o This stream involves
For further information, please visit their website. The summer internship program takes place between November and February in Canberra, and interns will need to cover their own accommodation costs. Applications close in early October. Interns are allocated based on demand into areas such as: •
Civil and criminal law,
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Information and security, Macquarie University Law Society
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International law,
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Emergency management response,
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National security,
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Law enforcement and coordination,
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Family law,
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Legal assistance, and
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Corporate functions like information technology, human resources, and finance.
If you are considering applying for this program, their website provides extensive information on how to prepare your application.
DEPARTMENT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET (PM&C) This Department provides policy advice to the Prime Minister and Cabinet in areas such as economic and industrial policy, social policy, national security, international policy, and strategic policy. It assists in developing policies, coordinates and implements government decisions, provides administrative support, and facilitates intergovernmental relations and communications between state and territory governments. The PM&C offers a graduate program, which runs for two years, generally starting in February. It includes rotations through key areas of the Department. Applicants have the opportunity to nominate areas of interest for these rotations. Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree, be an Australian citizen, have maintained at least a credit average, and be willing to relocate to Canberra. For further information, please visit their website.
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AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION (ASIO) ASIO is Australia’s intelligence agency, which investigates threats to security and provides advice in order to protect Australia. Their work entails acting against threats to security including: •
Espionage,
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Serious threats to territorial integrity,
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Sabotage,
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Politically-motivated violence,
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Promotion of communal violence,
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Attacks on Australia’s defence system, and
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Acts of foreign interference.
ASIO job vacancies are advertised on their website.
AUSTRALIAN SECRET INTELLIGENCE SERVICE (ASIS) ASIS is responsible for obtaining and distributing secret intelligence about the capabilities, intentions, and activities of individuals or organisations outside of Australia that may affect Australia’s interests and its citizens’ wellbeing. ASIS has a 12-month graduate program called ‘ACTIVATE’. This gives graduates a broad overview of ASIS. ASIS looks for experience in research and analysis, technical, and corporate; with law falling into the third category. Applications for the 2018 graduate program open in October 2016. The program is open to students in their final year or who have graduated within two years of applying. For further information, please visit their website.
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FINANCE AND DEFENCE AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE (ATO) The ATO is the Australian government’s revenue collection agency, and is responsible for managing the nation’s taxation, excise and superannuation systems. The ATO offers a 12-month graduate program that involves two different work rotations and a client-contact component in order to facilitate skills development and to assist graduates in identifying the type of work that interests them most. For further information, please visit their website.
NSW TREASURY The Treasury is the NSW government’s primary economic and financial advisor. It works with government agencies in health, education, transport, policing, and housing. Its role includes preparing the NSW State Budget, developing and implementing the State Government’s fiscal and economic policies, and assessing economic and financial risk. The Treasury offers a 12-month program with the opportunity to undertake three rotations through its different branches. For further information, please visit their website. It is also worth checking the Commonwealth Treasury website for information on their graduate program.
AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE (ADF) The ADR offers the opportunity for lawyers to become Legal Officers in the respective branches of the defence forces, including the Air Force, Army, and Navy.
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SECTION IV:
PRIVATE LAW CAREERS AND GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES
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COMMERCIAL LAW While most of the large commercial law firms draw their graduates from their summer clerkship programs, some firms also offer graduate programs separately from clerkship intakes or advertise positions in the job opportunities section of their website. Some of these firms include: •
Brown Wright Stein
•
Hall & Wilcox
•
HWL Ebsworth
•
Hunt & Hunt
•
Jones Day
For specific information about commercial law, please see the 2016 Clerkship Guide.
Key Dates The below dates are the 2016 timeline for graduate programs and have been provided as an approximate guide for the 2017 graduate program dates, which the NSW Law Society will set. Date
Event
Tuesday 1 March 2016
Applications open.
Friday 15 April 2016
Applications close at 5pm.
Monday 9 May 2016
Interviews commence.
Friday 10 June 2016
Offers made.
Friday 17 June 2016
Offers must be accepted or declined by 5pm.
The NSW Law Society Graduate Program dates will be updated and found on their website.
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CORPORATE ADVISORY, CONSULTANCY, AND FINANCE
Although this is not a strictly legal field, having a legal background is advantageous. Corporate advisors/analysts/consultants offer commercial companies advice on a wide variety of business transactions occurring within the company. They are found in the areas of investment banking, management consultancy, insolvency, recovery, accounting, and taxation. Areas of practice for consultants include change management, corporate renewal, corporate strategy, cost and supply chain management, growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, performance improvement, and private equity. Such companies include:
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL
•
Boston Consulting Group
•
Deloitte
•
Ernst & Young
•
KPMG
•
McKinsey & Company
•
PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Most commercial companies and larger corporations have their own dedicated legal department. The in-house team provides legal advice to the corporation, assists in the management of corporate risk, ensures compliance with legislation, and instigates change where new legislation affects business operations. In-house teams usually seek juniors with an interest in the particular industry, such as entertainment or media. Such corporations could include Foxtel, Canon, Metcash Ltd, or Seven Network.
PERSONAL INJURY
FAMILY LAW
Some firms specialise in personal injury law, including: •
Maurice Blackburn
•
Shine Lawyers
•
Slater & Gordon
•
Gerard Malouf and Partners
•
Stacks Goudkamp
Family law firms are mostly small boutique firms as opposed to full service firms. The largest specialist family law firm is Watts McCray.
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LEGAL PUBLISHING
Work in legal publishing requires liaising with professionals and academics, proofreading material for publication, conducting market research, and updating online databases with legislative changes. For experience in this area, the university offers a Law Journals subject (LAWS533), and interested students are encouraged to work on publications such as The Brief. Many of the NSW Young Lawyers committees also have their own newsletters, such as the Criminal Law committee’s Amicus. Publishing companies are often looking for casual or part time editors. Work will be advertised on the following pages: •
LexisNexis
•
Thomson Reuters
•
CCH
Large commercial law firms often have large Knowledge Management departments where staff may be required to perform research and edit newsletters. These newsletters update precedents within practice groups and provide information on general developments in the law.
MEDIATION
Mediation is a non-litigious method of dispute resolution. It involves the facilitation of negotiation between parties by a neutral third party (a mediator). The mediator assists the parties by identifying the issues that need to be resolved, guiding them in a process of discussion, and helping them with creative problem solving that may result in the parties coming to an agreement. Work in mediation can include in the areas of:
ACADEMIA
•
Commercial disputes,
•
Neighbourhood disputes,
•
Family law disputes,
•
Workplace disputes, and
•
Environmental and planning disputes.
Teaching requires the acquisition of knowledge; the critical survey of texts, cases, and writers; and constant reappraisal of one’s own thinking. It creates opportunities to travel to conferences and present ideas, obtain critiques, and develop knowledge; to interact with colleagues, students, and the media; to develop a breadth and depth of legal knowledge that is not constrained by a client, a case, or time; and fundamentally, it allows one to influence the way that people think about the law. A career as an academic often begins with short-term or casual positions as a tutor. In addition to substantial teaching experience, you will need to develop a research and publications track record. A post-graduate research degree is expected for a career in academia. Whilst it is not immediately necessary, many academics obtain doctorates when they join faculties.
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pwc.com.au/student-careers/
Did you know that with over 2,400 lawyers across more than 80 countries, we have the broadest geographical coverage of any Legal services network in the world? Our Legal team is growing. Grow with us, and join the PwC Legal network as a graduate or summer clerk. Visit the website for more information and application dates. pwc.com.au/student-careers/graduate/tax-legal.html Macquarie University Law Society
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