V ice-Pre sident ( P ri vat e L aw C a re e rs) ing events and interviews moving into a virtual space. This Guide continues to be a valuable starting point for penultimate students making major decisions about their future career paths. While the clerkship application process can be a challenging time for penultimate students, it is also an excellent opportunity for students to meet legal professionals and learn more about the legal industry. It is an exciting chance to consider how your skill sets and values may fit into the cultures of different firms. Clerkships offer a truly unique opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the culture of a firm and develop enriching professional relationships.
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Lilian Wan
s Vice-President (Private Law Careers), it is with great pleasure that I welcome readers to a new decade and the 2020 edition of the Private Law Careers Guide! This publication provides an excellent overview of opportunities within domestic and international commercial law firms, and it outlines advice and resources that will assist students applying for clerkships and other opportunities within private law. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of our lives greatly. It is a challenging time, and it is more important than ever to ensure that we equip our student community with digital resources like this Careers Guide and support them in their career goals. COVID-19 has affected every single industry, including the legal industry. It is likely to also impact recruitment processes, with network-
I am grateful to all of our sponsors for their incredible support to the Law Society and its students. Their support has given us the opportunity to run so many of our wonderful initiatives which aim to develop students personally and professionally. I am very proud of the way the Private Law Careers portfolio has navigated the challenges caused by COVID-19 and I am grateful for our team’s enthusiasm in redesigning events for the digital space. I would also like to thank Guy and Josh, our publications directors, for the incredible effort that they have devoted to creating this Guide. Finally, thank you to the co-presidents, Sophie Berton and Justin Song, who have offered their support throughout this year. I am also grateful to our student and alumni contributors who have shared their own professional experiences with us. Clerkships provide just one pathway into a legal career – remember to explore all avenues. I wish the best of luck to everyone applying for clerkships and other corporate law opportunities!
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