Ashurst

Areas of Legal Practice

Our presence in the world’s leading financial and resource centres in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and the USA gives us the scale to attract global mandates, with cutting-edge capabilities in four key areas: Corporate, Finance, Projects & Real Estate and Strategic Advisory. In Sydney, clerks and graduates will have the opportunity to choose from 15 different practice areas within the four main capabilities. Including Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Competition and Anti-Trust, Corporate and M&A, Digital Economy, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Financial Regulation, Infrastructure, Intellectual Property, Environment & Planning, Investment Funds, Projects, Real Estate, Restructuring, Insolvency & Special Situations, Tax.

Number of Lawyers

National: 147 Partners and 548 Lawyers; Global: 412 Partners and 1583 Lawyers

Clerkship Opening and Closing Dates

In Sydney applications open on Tuesday 9 June and close on Sunday 12 July 2020

Sydney Clerkship Intake:

We are looking for 25 – 30 clerks in our Sydney Office.

What specific qualities does Ashurst look for in a potential Clerk?

There’s absolutely no Ashurst “type”. We want to actively involve a broad range of minds with a broad range of backgrounds, all united by a common set of strengths.

Excellent academic record and a passion to develop a career in an elite international law firm Outstanding communication skills Analytical ability, motivation, determination and drive Commercial awareness Teamwork and interpersonal skills

What kind of responsibilities/tasks can a Clerk expect at Ashurst?

The work undertaken by clerks is varied and depends on the team you are in. Tasks include case law research, drafting legal expertise updates, note-taking during meetings and contract review. You could also be involved in attending court, drafting advice to clients. You can also attend a one week client secondment or accompany a lawyer to a pro bono clinic.

After becoming a clerk, what are the prospects of obtaining a graduate role?

The prospects are high, we recruit all of our graduates from our clerks. In Sydney 100% of our recent clerks have been offered graduate roles with us.

What is unique about Ashurst’s culture?

With our technical expertise, local knowledge and international network, we deliver an experience for our clients that other professional service providers find hard to match. We are committed to being a sustainable global law firm, having positive impacts for our clients, employees, profession, the environment and the communities in which we are based.

Are there any international secondment opportunities? What training and development opportunities does Ashurst offer?

Throughout the clerkship we offer a range of learning & development sessions to assist with developing technical legal skills, and personal growth. These programs are designed to challenge clerks to start thinking like lawyers. A support network of supervising partner, lawyer and buddy are also provided and are fundamental to your on job learning, providing informal and formal feedback.

How does Ashurst value Corporate Responsibility?

Corporate responsibility (CR) at Ashurst encompasses our community involvement, place-to-work and environmental initiatives. Pro bono is considered a stand-alone legal practice and we regard pro bono legal work as an integral part of our professional responsibility. Both the CR program and pro bono practice are led by a fulltime partner. We are passionate about using our skills and resources to support projects and initiatives where we believe we can make a real difference. Our lawyers help us to achieve this by providing their time, expertise and experience in any number of different ways, ranging from the provision of pro bono legal advice to charitable fundraising.

How does Ashurst encourage a work-life balance?

Ashurst recognises the importance of balancing work with your life outside of the office and our firm offers a number of initiatives to support you with this. You may be interested in joining one of our many social sporting teams, access our corporate gym memberships or take the opportunity to participate in a fun run event on behalf of the firm to ensure that you are getting the time you need outside of the office as well as having the chance to build your networks and friendships within the firm. We also recognise the way we work and how we work has changed dramatically over the years and to address these changes and recognise the role that flexibility plays in work life balance, we have launched an initiative ‘Smarter Working’, which redefines our approach to flexibility.

The firm has implemented a number of initiatives and programs to support the firm’s focus on gender: • The ‘Committed to Change’ Initiative which sees the partners of firm commit to taking an active role in promoting diversity and inclusion and taking part in programs such as reverse mentoring which are designed to build awareness and perspective of a range of diversity areas. • The Australian Women’s network which organises a range of events and discussions related to gender diversity issues. The Women’s Network aims to create a network of professionals to encourage, inspire and support women. Each year a program of events is organised to celebrate and raise awareness of International Women’s Day as well as other key topics throughout the year. • Our Global Managing Partner, Paul Jenkins is personally committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture as he is a member of the Male Champions of Change initiative and is a WGEA Pay Equity Ambassador.

Ashurst’s Spectrum network were nominated as ‘Employee Network of the year’ at the 2019 Australian LGBTI Awards. Spectrum’s remit is to: • Advise management and the Ashurst committee on issues which may affect the LGBTI population; • Provide a safe forum for discussion and debate of relevant issues; facilitate business development with LGBTI clients; • Provide a link with external LGBTI organisations such as Pride in Diversity, Wear it Purple and other support or networking groups; • Work with Graduate Recruitment on targeted recruitment initiatives; and foster a sense of LGBTI inclusiveness through informal social events and organised events with other internal or external networks. • Spectrum provides our Australian staff with a forum to discuss ideas, policies and events to help further develop the network. Formal events, talks and participation are open to all.

make the difference to your career, clients and community

Aim beyond pure legal knowledge. Beyond commercial advice. Be known for something more: a clarity of thought and an instinct for problem solving that can influence governments and leading businesses the world over. Join us and we’ll help you enrich and expand your worldview, grow your skills and influence new ways of thinking. In other words, we’ll help you make the difference.

Begin now at ashurst.com/careers

My Clerkship Experience Jonathan, Seasonal Clerk

Studied: Bachelor of Laws (Honors), University of NSW Sydney

Rotations: Resources, Environment and Planning

1. WHY ASHURST I chose Ashurst for its recognition as one of Australia’s leading environmental law practices and for the people I met at Ashurst during the application process. The opportunity to learn from and work alongside genuine and down-to-earth people who excel in their specialities was one of the main reasons I chose Ashurst. What also set Ashurst apart was the training the firm provides. Ashurst is a firm that not only values the quality of the work it produces, but also the quality of training it provides to junior lawyers and clerks.

2. YOUR WORK AS A CLERK I was fortunate enough to receive a diverse range of work during my rotations. I had the opportunity to draft advice to clients, sit in on client meetings, research areas of law, prepare briefs to Counsel and assist with pro bono matters. The lawyers I worked with were incredibly diligent, patient and were always happy to take the time to explain each task to me and to answer any questions I had. I believe this greatly developed my legal skills and enhanced my learning experience.

3. SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE CLERKSHIP I thoroughly enjoyed the social aspects of the clerkship. As clerks we participated in inter-firm clerk sports, attended the clerk-cruise, had clerk-cohort dinners and even organised a weekend trip to the Central Coast. As a whole, the clerkship was highly social and a great opportunity to meet new people and develop close friendships.

4. CAREER DEVELOPMENT AT ASHURST Even as a clerk, it was clear to me that Ashurst invests in the development of its people. We received training formally, through weekly training sessions covering a range of practice areas, as well as informally, through the mentoring received from lawyers during our rotations. This was also evident at the end of the clerkship, where there was clear communication about next steps for our careers at Ashurst.

5. ASHURST IN THE COMMUNITY Ashurst’s stand-alone pro bono practice and commitment to corporate social responsibility stand out to me as it is a clear demonstration of the firm’s commitment to making a difference beyond its professional work. As a clerk, there is the opportunity to clerk in the Pro Bono team, and every clerk has the opportunity to get involved with some form of pro bono work. I found this to be an immensely fulfillingexperience.

6. APPLICATION TIPS My advice to candidates would be to bring your whole self to the application process. I found that every firm really values getting to know more about candidates than just their university credentials. I would also try to enjoy the process, as stressful as it is. Having come out the other side, I found the applications to be a really rewarding experiences and a great chance to reflect on all the things I’d done.

7. WHO SHOULD APPLY? I would recommend Ashurst to anyone seeking to work at a firm that produces technically excellent work and invests in the development of its junior lawyers.

Make the difference at Ashurst

As a global law firm with a rich history spanning almost 200 years, we’ve established ourselves as a leading adviser to corporates, financial institutions and governments, on all areas of the law including finance, M&A, disputes and competition. We’re renowned for helping our clients navigate through a complex and constantly evolving global landscape. With 28 offices across the world’s leading financial and resource centres, we offer the reach and insight of a global network combined with deep local market knowledge. Our people are our greatest asset. We bring together lawyers of the highest calibre with the expertise, industry experience and regional know-how to provide the incisive advice our clients need. As a global team we have a reputation for successfully managing large and complex multi-jurisdictional transactions, disputes and projects.

Ashurst around the globe

Glasgow

London

Paris Madrid Brussels

Frankfurt

Munich Milan Abu Dhabi Luxembourg

Jeddah Riyadh Dubai Beijing

New Delhi

Mumbai

Jakarta Singapore Shanghai Tokyo

Hong Kong

Port Moresby

Los Angeles

Perth

Melbourne Sydney Brisbane *

Canberra

* Brisbane has two office locations

New York

10 time zones

16 countries

28 offices

3,660 people

1,583 lawyers

412 partners

Tips for clerkship success

Be self-aware and remember that first impressions count • In locations with multi-clerkship opportunities, a 3.5 to 4 week clerkship is essentially a long interview for a graduate position • Consider your personal brand and how you want to be perceived and remembered in terms of your strengths and fit with firm • A great attitude, enthusiasm for any sort of task and the ability to quickly build rapport with others goes a longway

Show initiative and seek opportunities • What do you want to get out of your clerkship? What do you want to learn about the firm and what work do you want to get involved in? • Take the initiative to get to know your team as well as other practices across the firm, meet as many people as possible and try to get involved in different types of work, projects and activities

Keep your supervisor updated on workload and schedule • Communication is key in a law firm. Take on a variety of work for different people across the team, but don’t forget the importance of managing your priorities and keeping your work providers up todate • Clerkships involve a number of training sessions and other activities so it’s important to keep people informed as to where you will be if you are away from your desk for a long period of time

Remember to request feedback after completing tasks • A clerkship is a great opportunity for you to learn and develop your legal knowledge and skills • Take the time to follow up your work providers and get their thoughts on the work you have completed - however be aware of their workload and the timing of asking for feedback • Acting on this feedback is a great way to demonstrate your ability to learn quickly – a key skill for juniorlawyers

Develop your networks – speak to asmany people as possible • As well firms looking at your abilities and fit to the firm, it’s also your opportunity to find out if this is the place you want to start and establish your career • Take every opportunity to meet people from across the firm to learn about the practice groups and if they are people you would like to work with in the future • Lastly, take the time to get to know your fellow clerks – you may be colleagues oneday