Q&A KURT CHENG

Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Communication (Social and Political Sciences)

2022/23 Summer Clerk at Ashurst

Why did you decide to apply for clerkships?

With so many career options available with a Law degree, I wanted to know whether commercial law was for me to commence my early career. While studying Law and Communication (Social and Political Sciences), I had a passion for public policy and a strong interest in law, yet I was at a crossroads regarding what I would like to do once I nish up at UTS.

Did you have any legal experience prior to your clerkship?

Absolutely none. I worked at a regulation tech start-up for about three years prior to my penultimate year. Between nishing up at the start-up and starting my clerkship at Ashurst, I worked at the Parliament of NSW. Both these jobs, while not legal in nature, allowed me to develop transferable skills and expertise.

Skills such as customer and client-facing, a strong commercial mindset, and balancing multiple stakeholders and priorities are all transferable. So, in short, legal experience is not a must – if anything, having no legal experience enables you to absorb and learn so much more during the clerkship.

How did you narrow down which firms to apply to?

Learning about the 25+ rms that o er clerkships through the UTS LSS initiatives was a great way to decide where I wanted to apply. For me, a sense of belonging, rewarding work, and a sustainable career trajectory were my three values and priorities in selecting where I wanted to do my clerkship.

Everyone has di erent values and priorities, so I encourage you to think about yours before attending the various recruitment events. Eventually, I ended up narrowing it down eight rms, and ended up choosing a rm that ticked the boxes, and so much more since.

How long did you spend on each application?

This will vary among everyone, but I spent about one day per application. I encourage you to work backwards from the due date, and prepare a timeline of what you will do three weeks prior to plan your workow. For me, I broke down the three weeks as follows:

• Week 1: Preparing a spreadsheet listing each rm including login details for applications, speci c practice areas of interest and why I am interested, recent awards and accolades, the relevant hiring manager contact details, and requirements of each application (such as CV, cover letter, psychometric testing requirements, and how many rounds of interviews).

• Week 2: Extensive research of each rm to form part of the cover letter (if required) and prepared notes to aid interview opportunities. Reviewed my CV and applied a simple design. Commenced drafting standard lines in each cover letter (such as an introduction about yourself which will rarely change).

• Week 3: Prepared an individual cover letter for each rm I am applying to. Once all letters are collated, asking a friend or relative to review them to pick up on mistakes. Once reviewed, prepared each application for submission, as well as any other requirements (additional questions within the application portal).

How would you describe your experience undergoing the application process?

It was stressful and rewarding. But it was also exciting to know this is a point of my degree that I can begin to think about career options after university. University only forms a small portion of our lifetime, and the career opportunities that exist outside of UTS will enable experiences we never thought were possible.

What lessons have you learned from your clerkship experience?

From applications, to interviews, to receiving o ers and spending three months at Ashurst, I learnt three key lessons:

1. Do not choose a rm for the sake of it. It might be the name, the ‘prestige’, or what someone said, but choose a rm that you aligns with your values and priorities. For me, a sense of belonging was a key priority, so true cultural diversity and inclusion beyond lip-service was something I looked for, and felt, at the rm I chose.

2. Look out for one another during the application period. Competitive as clerkships may be, the wellbeing of yourself and your friends is more important than any clerkship will ever be. Create group chats, call one another, complete applications together and even go out to celebrate once applications are submitted.

3. It is ne to not be interested in commercial law. Use the clerkship to give yourself a clear and concise answer that commercial law is not for you. Give yourself three months to get a sense of whether commercial law is for you, and if the answer is no, there are absolutely no hard feelings.

What words of wisdom do you have for applicants this year?

Find a rm where you see yourself starting your early career. Decide on your values and priorities, and whether that rm aligns with them. Work in the legal industry is often the same, but the people and environments in which you work will vary greatly. It is an exciting time to be thinking about your early career, so enjoy the process and use it to make meaningful connections and develop your professional relationships.

If you are applying for the clerkships this year, feel free to reach out for a chat over co ee (or a juice)!

kurt.cheng@student.uts.edu.au