Private Law Careers Networking Guide 2020
UNSW Law Society
Acknowledgments Co-Presidents Justin Song Sophie Berton
Vice-President (Private Law Careers) Lilian Wan
Private Law Careers Directors Adarsh Jeggannagari Annabelle Lee Caitlin Yan Herbert Sa Maria Bletsas Rachana Shastri
Private Law Careers (Publications) Directors Guy Suttner Joshua Chin
Special Thanks to Chelsea Wu Jos Cairn Nikita Harlalka Robyn Howard Wilma Lewis
Preface Despite its well-known and undeniable importance to building social networks and stimulating career growth, networking is a skill that many find difficult to perform effectively. Even when granted the opportunity to engage in conversations with legal practitioners, it is common for people to feel lost and become a wallflower, just waiting for someone to come and talk to them. While getting some advice on how to conduct oneself in such events would be invaluable, such help is often difficult to find and often incomprehensive. Under such a premise, the UNSW Law Society Private Law Careers Publications team is proud to present our first edition of the Networking Guide. While this is by no means the bible for networking events, we hope this guide can serve as a benchmark to help facilitate a comfortable and rewarding networking session. Remember the key is to always practise and build on these tips with your own personal experience, and never be afraid to reach out for advice. You should go into these events adopting a mindet of meeting new people and building authentic relationships. We wish you the best of luck for your endeavours! Joshua Chin and Guy Suttner Private Law Careers Publications Directors This Student Club publication is proudly supported by Arc. Š 2020 UNSW Law Society Inc. This publication is copyright. Except where permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), no part of this publication may be reproduced or stored by any process, electronic or otherwise, without the specific written permission of the UNSW Law Society Inc. DISCLAIMER The articles and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the UNSW Law Society Inc., the editors, or those of the UNSW Faculty of Law. Although the editor and authors have taken every care in preparing and writing the guide, they expressly disclaim and accept no liability for any errors, omissions, misuse or misunderstandings on the part of any person who use or relies upon it. The editor, author and the UNSW Law Society Inc. accept no responsibility for any damage, injury or loss occasioned to any person or entity, whether law student or otherwise, as a result of a person relying, wholly or in part, on any material included, omitted or implied in this publication.
Table of Contents Message from the Dean Message from the Presidents Message from the Vice-President (Private Law Careers)
4 5 6
Networking for Clerkships
7
Preparing for the Networking Event Conducting Your Personal Research Possible Questions You May Ask Elevator Pitch
9 10 11 12
Firm Presentations and Cocktail Evenings Attire Food Taking Notes Engaging in Conversations
13 14 14 14 15
After the Event
17
Building a Professional Network Who should be in your Network? Diverse Women in Law Australian Asian Lawyers Association Law Society of NSW
19 21 23 24 25
Networking Tips from an Alumnus
27
Networking during COVID-19 Accommodating Changes to Networking Events
29 31
Message from the Dean Active networking is vital to career growth and is a key component of your Careers toolkit to land your dream job and ensure your long-term career success as a lawyer. Once you have built your brand, developed your resume and honed your interview skills, you need to start putting your personal pitch forward through networking. Whether at work or social engagements, each is an opportunity to showcase your Professor George personal attributes and also Williams AO to gain useful information from potential employers and work partnerships. An effective networking session can assist not only in landing you that first job, but also throughout your career. It will help you to make good connections that will open doors for job offers, mentoring, friendships and much more. However effective networking is a social skill and requires practice! Attend UNSW Law Society and Faculty networking engagements as much as you can to gain practice chatting with peers and industry professionals in a relaxed setting. Use these opportunities to market your talents. Sometimes an opportunity arises when you least expect it. George Williams AO is the Dean, the Anthony Mason Professor, and a Scientia Professor at UNSW Law.
4
Message from the Presidents Dear UNSW Law students,
Sophie Berton and Justin Song
The UNSW Law Society is very excited to be able to share with you our very first Networking Guide! On behalf of our team, we would like to thank you for taking the time to read this Guide. We sincerely hope that the information contained within will be of great use to you.
The purpose of this Networking Guide is to inform students how they can maximise their social interactions with different people at various events. It is no secret that developing a professional network can be pivotal to a student’s success in the private sector. As such, in order to help students improve their networking skills, this guide will thoroughly cover the entire process of how students should effectively network at events such as our famous Clerkship Cocktail Evening, or the popular Careers Fair. This Guide will familiarise you with the process so that you will be able to effectively approach firm representatives and make a great first impression! To conclude, we would like to say our thanks to the Private Law Careers team for creating this Guide. Our Private Law Careers Vice-President, Lilian Wan, and her two Publications Directors, Joshua Chin and Guy Suttner, put in a great deal of effort to create this wonderful Guide, so we hope you enjoy it! Good luck and best wishes!
5
Justin Song and Sophie Berton Co-Presidents, UNSW Law Society
Message from the Vice-President (Private Law Careers) I am very proud to present to you our Networking Guide! This is a brand new guide designed to equip students with the tools to effectively build connections at our Careers Fair and at firms’ clerkship cocktail evening nights. Despite many networking events moving into a virtual space as a result of COVID-19, the advice continues to be relevant as students navigate these careers events to determine whether commercial law is a career path they would like to explore further, and if so, which firms they’re interested in applying for.
Lilian Wan
Networking events, and the opportunities that arise to speak with firm representatives, are some of the most valuable chances for students to gain deeper insight into firms’ cultures and work. Effective networking allows students to build genuine rapport with sponsors. This guide will help students build good foundations for one of the most essential skills in their careers, and I hope it will help students recognise that networking can lead to genuine and enriching professional relationships. I would like to thank Josh and Guy, our Private Law Careers Publications Directors, for their incredible efforts in compiling and designing this guide. Lilian Wan
6
Networking f
for Clerkships
g n ki
r o w t e
p e Pr
N r o ts f g en n i v r E a
Conducting Your Personal Research Networking requires much more than just attending an event and hoping for the best while grabbing a few snacks. Such an event presents an unparalleled opportunity for you to affirm your understanding of the firm: the work they do, the opportunities and training that may be available to you, and gain an insight into firm culture. Beyond that, it is an opportunity for you to build some authentic relationships with your soon to be colleagues in the legal industry. However, without undertaking some personal research, it will be difficult for you to realise the full potential of networking events. A lack of preparation is also easily ascertained by the attending legal personnel, greatly increasing the difficulty of interacting with them. A good place to begin your personal research would be to take a glance at the event outline. This will contain some information about firm representatives attending and the topics they would discuss. For the attending firms, consider familiarising yourself with easily obtainable information regarding employment procedures such as clerkship application dates and legal practice areas of the firm so that general questions are filtered from your questions. Firms usually have two websites: one aimed for careers and the other for clients. To reach careers websites, search for ‘[Firm Name] graduate careers’ on Google. It may also be useful to investigate any recent and significant matters the firm was recently involved in, or any that pique your interest, and any firm-wide policy/strategies that were implemented. This will indicate your awareness of current affairs and display your interest in the firm. You may consider consulting the Domestic Firms section of the UNSW Law Society Private Law Careers Guide (pages 36-108) for basic information regarding firm culture and structure. Alternatively, slides regarding the firms’ application processes supplied by the UNSW Law Society may be useful for supplementing your own research.
10
Preparing Relevant Questions With all your personal research, it is recommended you prepare a list of possible questions you could ask the attending personnel to keep the conversation flowing. Keep in mind that the main premise of networking is to build a professional relationship and gain an insight into the profession and the firm culture. Make an effort to ask meaningful and relevant questions tailored to the conversation you are having as this will ensure both you and the firm personnel gain value from your conversation, thereby having a higher chance of leaving a lasting impression. Firm representatives are more likely to react positively to questions that show research and genuine interest. We have come up with some examples of questions that you may ask. However, it is important to note that these are merely a starting point and by no means an exhaustive list of prescribed questions for you to regurgitate to every person you talk to. We recommend you tailor your questions to fit your interests and research to remain flexible, responsive, and most of all human, in your conversations.
Possible Questions to Ask Attending Personnel
- How does the firm promote lawyers’ wellbeing? - What qualities do you regard as integral to succeeding as a lawyer at your firm? - What is the best aspect of your firm’s culture? - What are the typical challenges junior lawyers face in the workplace? - How did you become interested in the area you are currently practicing in? - Did your experience with the work in your legal area align with your expectations? - What about the firm were you attracted to and why did you decide to work here? - Did you have prior legal experience before you got your position? - If so, how relevant and beneficial were they in aiding your performance? - If not, how did the skills and experiences you developed in your non-legal roles transfer to your role as a lawyer? - How do you manage workload and maintain a work-life balance?
11
Elevator Pitch The more senior students may be familiar with elevator pitches, but for those who may not know what they are, an elevator pitch is essentially a quick rundown of who you are and your background and experiences. While elevator pitches have become a staple in networking as a quick and concise method of introducing yourself to the other person, it can also lead to making the conversation quite rigid and mechanical. You must remember that networking is different from an interview. An elevator pitch is more likely to encourage a flowing conversation if it is tailored to the specific conversation you were having with the attending personnel, rather than as a regurgitated sentence thrown during introductions. Consider how you can talk about your interests, skills, and experiences in a conversational and relevant manner. One way this could be achieved is to incorporate your elevator pitch into your questions and follow up their answers with elements of your pitch. For example, “I am currently in my penultimate year of Commerce/Law and I am interested in going into employment law, as I’m currently working in the area as a paralegal/did the employment law elective. Can you tell me about your experiences as an employment lawyer?�
12
, s n o i t d a t n n e a es irs, gs r P Fa n i n m Fir reers l Eve Ca cktai Co
Attire First impressions last. As such, you must take care to present yourself appropriately to the attending firm(s) at a networking event and dress appropriately. While this will not always indicate the need to wear a suit, dress standards will rarely drop below business casual.
Food While almost all careers fair presentations and networking events will supply finger food to accompany conversations, we recommend you consider eating before the event. The reason you are attending the event is to engage in conversations and build new professional connections, not to fill your stomach. Eating before the event also ensures you do not get hungry or drunk on the night.
Taking Notes It may be useful to take notes, either written or mental, of the information you are given during firm presentations or cocktail evenings. You may prefer to take mental notes during cocktail evenings as it may be awkward to walk around with a notebook or write down information as you are speaking with representatives during the event. Taking notes will assist you in differentiating between the firms at a later date as well as enabling you to understand the firm better and engage in productive and relevant conversations. It may also answer some of the questions that you had prepared, allowing you to filter out unnecessary questions.
Mindset Networking events are challenging and can be intimidating so it’s important to have the right mindset. Think about networking as a way to make new friends. This encourages you to be yourself and not overthink your actions at such events.
14
Engaging in Conversations Approaching groups of people you are unfamiliar with to engage in conversations is no easy feat. Networking events can be especially difficult given that they are events organised for the purpose of linking prospective candidates to legal practitioners and recruitment managers. Despite their notoriously perceived awkwardness, ice breakers are the most commonly used tools for naturally initiating conversations. The ice breaker can be as simple as, “how has your day been”, “which team are you in”, or “how was your commute to the event”. You could also share some information about yourself. Keep in mind that the main aim of the conversation is to find out information that was unavailable to you on the internet or via the firm presentation, and hopefully establish new professional connections. Networking is a two-way street for all persons involved. Whilst being genuinely interested and engaging in conversation, try to evaluate whether you truly will enjoy working at this firm. Try to meet a few different people. Networking events present a fantastic opportunity for you to meet several people from the firm. It may be of assistance for you to meet people who hold different positions at the firm, e.g. graduate, junior lawyer, senior lawyer and partners. If you would like to end a conversation early, a polite way to do so is to flag that you want to grab another glass of wine etc. Be vigilant during these conversations and notice the other person’s body language. End the conversation by thanking the other person for their time. You may also introduce them to a friend. Another way to both exit and enter conversations is to ask if you can be introduced to another member of the firm, perhaps someone from a team you’re interested in. (Don’t ask partners to do this, but you could ask grads or senior associates.)
15
After the Event
Congratulations on getting through a daunting networking event! Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a first-timer, navigating a networking event is no easy task and you are always left feeling like the night could have gone much better. If you do have an engaging conversation with someone or believe you may have more questions for them, you could always ask them if they would be comfortable with you contacting them after the event. Remember to ask for their preferred method of contact (email or LinkedIn). If you were unable to get the contact details of anyone you spoke with, do not worry as this is not reflective of whether they liked you or not. Take pride in the fact that you were able to breach your comfort zone and speak to professionals working in your dream career. Take the time to reflect on the conversations you had and collate any information you have collected, consider what you could impove on, and look foward to the next event or the clerkship application. For those who were fortunate enough to establish a new connection, the real work begins now! If you are contacting someone you met, remember your main objective for networking events should be to interact with professionals and build a professional network, rather than just looking for a clerkship. Hence, we highly encourage you to get in contact with someone you have successfully connected with through the event. The follow-up email/LinkedIn message should be personalised to be relevant to the conversation you had with your connection. While coffee chats are a wonderful way of following up the networking event and maintaining a relationship with the professional, it is not the only way. Just remember to consistently keep in contact with your new connection and remain responsive, as you would with any relationship.
18
Building a profes
ssional network
ld u o h s o Wh your n i e ? b k r o w t Ne
Your professional network does not need to be exclusively composed of professionals already working in the firm or career of your dreams. As a vast majority of lawyers and HR personnel who attend networking events would be complete strangers, narrowing your focus to building your professional network around these people may seem especially daunting and increase the difficulty of networking. However, this does not have to be the case, as your professional network can include almost anyone you may have already met and will meet. Do not overlook connections you already have. Such connections may include: Senior students with whom you are acquainted with Arguably the most difficult aspect of networking is having to converse with a stranger in hopes of landing that elusive clerkship. With friends and acquainted senior students, this issue is more or less eliminated as you’d feel comfortable reaching out for help to people you are familiar with, people who are in a similar situation as you, and/or students who are slightly ahead of you in terms of career progression for help. These people may even already be employed as clerks or connected with legal practitioners and may act as a bridge to help you get your foot in the door of a legal firm. Lecturers Lecturers are academic professionals who have a comprehensive and extensive understanding of their practice area. As such, they are usually extremely well connected with legal practitioners who practise a corresponding practice area. More importantly lecturers have a passion for teaching and nurturing their students to become great legal practitioners and are always willing to help out with any concerns. Don’t be afraid to ask your lecturers to sit down for a chat or seek their help regarding legal positions. Former and Current Coworkers Former and current co-workers are relatively easier to reach out to as you already have an established connection with them and they have the added bonus of having seen you perform in a professional environment. As such, they will be able to refer you to positions in which they believe you could excel at and connect you to other professionals. Furthermore they may have had or also be interested in following the career path you are interested in taking and thus may provide you with more constructive advice. Leading Industry Organisations One way you can build your professional network is by attending events held by leading industry organisations, such as Diverse Women in Law, Law Society of New South Wales, and Asian Australian Lawyers Association.
22
Diverse Women in Law (DWL) is a Sydney-based non-profit organisation aiming to empower and support Diverse Women lawyers and law students. DWL seeks to empower Diverse Women by providing meaningful structural enablers, such as mentoring, networking, and awareness-raising initiatives, early career development and professional growth programs, that proactively enlists industry stakeholder engagement. By empowering diverse women through facilitating access to structural enablers and by engaging with stakeholders to raise awareness of the untapped diverse talent that presently exists in the law, DWL hopes to enable positive and long-lasting change across the profession. Diverse women are identified as female-identifying individuals from underrepresented backgrounds including culturally and linguistically diverse, migrant, indigenous and refugee backgrounds, LGBTQI+, with caring responsibilities, from regional, rural and remote areas, living with a disability or experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. DWL initiatives include an IP law networking event, a targeted mentoring program, an advocacy program comprising a moot and witness examination competition, on-campus presentations and research to measure the experiences of diverse women in the legal sector. Since COVID-19, DWL has engaged via online events and initiatives, including ‘cuppa on the couch’ where students and practitioners talk informally about wellbeing & resilience, remote working and how to lead, its new clerkship series which helps diverse women navigate the clerkship process through professional development and networking opportunities and exposing students to legal careers in the government.
23
As a member, you will be kept up to date with DWL’s events and activities, as well as being provided with the opportunity to connect with a diverse range of students and legal practitioners that come from relatable backgrounds. More information can be found at https://www.diversewomeninlaw.com.au/.
The Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA) is the first incorporated association in Australia to focus on the growing number of Asian Australian lawyers in the profession, as well as other lawyers with an interest in Asia. Its members hail from more than 10 countries in Asia and, between them speak almost 20 different Asian languages and dialects. It welcomes members from all walks of legal life, including students, solicitors and principals from small to large firms, as well as barristers, in-house and government lawyers. With each State having a sub-branch, AALA runs various networking and professional development events, offering members plenty of opportunities to interact with others in the legal profession, and mentorship opportunities for students. AALA recognises that Asian Australians are heavily under-represented at the senior levels of the legal profession and aims to promote cultural diversity in the law and break down the “bamboo ceiling” faced by many Asian Australian lawyers. As the next generation of young lawyers, student members of the AALA give Asian law students across Australia a collective voice to be heard on important student issues. By registering as a member, you can keep updated about AALA’s upcoming events and activities. Your membership will also help the National Executive Committee gauge the level of interest from students in each state, so that they can plan their student engagement events and activities most suited to students’ needs. Find out more about AALA here: http://www.aala.org.au/.
24
The Law Society of NSW The Law Society of NSW is a professional organisation that represents almost 30,000 NSW solicitors. The organisation serves as both a representative and authoritative organisation and hence serves to regulate the legal profession to enforce professional and ethical standards whilst facilitating collaboration between legal practitioners and the public. As a professional organisation, the Law Society of NSW has counterparts in every state and territory with whom they work closely. The Law Society of NSW organises annual programs focused on easing the transition for law students into the legal profession. They have their annual Careers Fair which was moved online this year, and also offer a Graduate Mentorship Program. The Graduate Mentorship Program connects final year students and recent graduates to young lawyers to provide support and guidance as they look to begin working as a lawyer. As a student associate member of the Law Society of NSW, you will be sent a monthly newsletter through your email and alerted to upcoming events and projects. To find out more about the Law Society of NSW, visit https://www.lawsociety. com.au/legal-communities/law-students.
25
Networking Tips f How did you prepare for cocktail evenings and other networking events during the clerkship application process? Cocktail evenings and other networking events present a great opportunity to reflect and take stockof what you know about the firm and where gaps lie in your knowledge. Think about what you would like to know about the firm you are contemplating kicking off your career at. Next, consider whether this is information you can find on the firm website or not. When thinking about questions to ask firm representatives, I would prioritise information you cannot find on their website or by Nikita Harlalka a simple Google search! For example, through the clerkship process, I was on a quest to learn more about each firm’s culture and differentiate between them. The reason for that was, above all other considerations, I wanted to ensure I’m working at a firm where I am aligned with their culture. Think about what’s important toyou and use these events to figure that out whether your firm values that too. Beyond that, research basic information about the firm. This includes learning more about their domestic and international presence, their focus (e.g. innovation), research key practice areas and also familiarise yourself with their strategy plan/vision/motto etc. How did you tailor your research to every firm? I would recommend researching each individual firm as opposed to researching broadly and tailoring your research to every firm. I was familiar with legal trends, industry-wide issues and understoodhow the particular firm is combating these challenges. For example, each firm has a different approach to COVID-19. Understand the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, society and
27
from an Alumnus legal industry, more broadly, and then take time to research what measures each firm has implemented to overcome those challenges. Undertaking such research will highlight the firms varying approaches and will also make apparent their values and priorities as a business. How did you use what you learnt at networking events in later clerkship application stages, e.g., in your cover letter or at the interviews? Networking events are a fantastic way to learn more about a firm as they enable you to put a face to the firm you have been researching. There are several ways you can use the information you get from these events and it turns on what you have learnt about the firm. I would recommend focusing on information that goes beyond the website as it shows you made an effort to attend the event and know information about the firm that goes beyond a Google search. For example, at the networking event for the firm I’m working at, one lawyer shared with me her experiences of working at the firm, spoke about the culture at the firm and was kind enough to passon her email so I could bother her with questions as I go through the clerkship process. Her attitude to help students and openly share her experiences was an insight into the firm culture. I mentioned this in my interview as it confirmed for me this was the firm I wanted to work at. How do you build your network while you’re still at university? The people who formed my network were friends in the years ahead that I met through various university activities/events. In terms of meeting people from different years at university, I would recommend you get involved in the vibrant student life on-campus, join societies, do competitions, participate in the mentoring programs or whatever you find interests you. Besides that, try to attend as many events where firm representatives visit the campus. This includes firm presentations, careers fair and clerkships cocktail evening. I would also suggest following firms’ Facebook pages and checking their websites for key dates as there are events run by the firms independent of university societies. Last, participate in the mentoring opportunities offered at university as they enable you to gainan insight into the profession and extend your professional network. Some of my mentoring relationships have turned into amazing friendships whom I’m still in touch with 4 years on!
28
In Light of
COVID-19
Accommodating Changes to Networking Events With strict lockdown procedures continuing to help stop the spread of COVID-19, many careers fairs and networking events have been moved to virtual fairs or cancelled completely. This has made it more important than ever to provide students with networking opportunities, in addition to virtual events. Some firm representatives have enabled students to open up their cameras to talk directly with them during virtual presentations or careers fairs rather than merely answering questions via chat. HR personnel have also offered to introduce students to a junior lawyer or get in touch with the people you already know at the firm. Networking through LinkedIn has become more important. As there are changes to the clerkship process, it would be of assistance to you to investigate the adjusted clerkship process. A suggestion is to look at clerkships process run in other states such as Melbourne which has concluded before Sydney’s commencement date. This may provide you with some guidance. Just remember, everyone is in the same boat with the adjusted procedures. It is important to note that such networking methods are not new. They existed before COVID-19 but were merely less prevalent due to face-to-face interactions. We would like to reiterate that there is no yellow brick road to networking. You must stay on your toes and remain responsive to any opportunities given by firm representatives at virtual presentations and take initiative to secure a position. Most of all, treat it as an opportunity to meet new people and form new relationships. While it is a shame that the landscape of networking has temporarily changed for the near future, such a tumultuous and confusing period may be just what is needed for you to showcase your marketable qualities and impress firm representatives.
31