Alumni

Alumni Profile

How did you transition into your current position?

I started at my firm as a Summer Clerk as a part of the 2017/18 cohort. Following that, I was Paralegal for about 9 months, before commencing as a Graduate in 2020 in the Finance team.

What is a typical work day like for you?

Nikita Harlalka Law Firm in Sydney

A typical work day as Summer Clerk varies depending on the practice area you are rotating through. However, there was no one typical day I had, every day was different and there was always something new to learn!

As a Clerk, I rotated through three groups - Finance Solutions, Real Estate and Transaction Solutions. The work ranged from researching commercial and legal problems and summarising my findings in a memo to the Partner to drafting and reviewing documents to attending settlements and client meetings. As a Summer Clerk, we had the opportunity to partake in ‘Clerk Projects’, giving you exposure to an additional practice area that you did not rotate through. Outside of work, we participated in inter-firm clerkship sports competitions, which is a lot of fun! And at my firm, the Clerks have an exciting mission to put together a fun video which the rest of the firm comes together to watch on the last day of the clerkship.

What do you enjoy most about your role? What are the biggest challenges?

I particularly enjoyed understanding how the commercial rationale for a transaction is reflected in the legal documents. I also enjoyed researching and writing memos for senior lawyers. I was lucky enough to be rotating through the M&A team during the Banking Royal Commission and it was very exciting to contribute to high profile matters featured on the front pages on the Australian Financial Review.

Alumni Profile

The biggest challenge is working with limited context. I would highly recommend asking lots of questions (as you are not expected to know anything) to understand how the task you are completing fits into the broader transaction.

What did you get involved in when you were at university?

At university, I was involved in student societies and participated in several competitions. I was the Co-President of UNSW Law Society in 2018, Coordinator of the Student Legal Education Group and a Law Revue cast member. I enjoyed these experiences and felt they were invaluable in equipping me with essential skills directly transferable into the workforce. I was interested in negotiation competitions and along with competing at the Australian Law Student Association Conferences, I was on the UNSW team for the CDRC Vienna Negotiation and Mediation Competition and ICC International Commercial Mediation Competition (Paris). I was also a Law Clerk at the Kingsford Legal Centre.

Outside of Law, I was involved in 180 Degrees Consulting as a Project Leader and the United Nations Society through which I attended the National Model United Nations Conference held in New York. I also participated in Business case competitions, like the Cornell International Real Estate Competition.

What advice do you have for university students?

Be yourself ! You will hear this a lot and it’s because it’s the most important advice. Second, the selection process is a two-way street, you are being interviewed and you are interviewing the firm too. Take time to learn more about the firm as this will help you in making an informed decision, when you have to choose. Third, if corporate law is where you want to be, there are several paths to getting there, clerkships is just one of those! So, don’t stress and give the process your best shot. You should also try to enjoy the process as it’s a great opportunity to meet students from other universities and professionals within the legal industry. In saying that, applying for clerkships can be tough and you may have to deal with rejections. Try to have a support network (could be a few close friends and family) you can share your concerns with.