CAREERS GUIDE THE 2016 EDITION SYDNEY UNIVERSITY LAW SOCIETY Enormous thanks to all those who made this production and publication of the 2016 Sydney University Law Society Careers Guide possible. We would like to thank the Sydney Law School and the University of Sydney Union for their continued support of SULS and its publications. SULS EXECUTIVE GOLD SPONSORS Evangeline Woodforde (Vice President, Careers) Allen & Overy Spencer Land (Sponsorships Director) Allens Kieran Hoyle (Publications Director) Ashurst Eric Van Winssen (International Officer) Baker & McKenzie Alison Xiao (Design Director) Corrs Chambers Westgarth Henry Davis York CAREERS GUIDE TEAM MinterEllison William Khun (Editor-in-Chief) CORPORATE SPONSORS Nicola Borton Angela Cartwright Arnold Bloch Leibler Aria Kim A.T. Kearney Nikita Malhotra Bain & Co Longen Lan The Boston Consulting Group Vivian Wei College of Law DLA Piper DESIGN Gadens Johnson Winter & Slattery Judy Zhu K&L Gates Lander & Rogers SULS SUBCOMMITTEES Maddocks Norton Rose Fulbright International Subcommittee PwC Thomson Geer PRINTING TurksLegal UTS Faculty of Law Megacolour PLATINUM SPONSORS Clayton Utz Gilbert + Tobin Herbert Smith Freehills King & Wood Mallesons COPYRIGHT & DISCLAIMER © Sydney University Law Society 2016 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 Sydney University Law Society. The cover photo was taken by Maksym Kozlenko, sourced under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index. php?curid=47252349). The text of the Creative Commons license is available at creativecommons.org. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Sydney University Law Society or Sydney Law School. Although the Editors have taken every care in preparing and writing the Handbook, they expressly disclaim and accept no liability for any errors, omissions, misuse or misunderstandings on the part of any person who uses or relies upon it. The Editors and Sydney University Law Society accept no responsibility for any damage, injury or loss occasioned to any person or entity, whether law students or otherwise, as a result of a person relying, wholly or in part, on any material included, omitted or implied in this publication. ISSN: 1839-1044 CONTENTS O5 / Resources 42 / Law Firms Overview of Organisations 5 Clerkships 43 Submitting an Application 6 CVMail 8 Sponsors Selection Criteria 9 Allen & Overy 47 Writing a Cover Letter 11 Allens 51 Example Cover Letters 12 Arnold Bloch Leibler 54 Writing a CV 14 Ashurst 56 Example CV 16 Baker & Mckenzie 60 Attending the Interview 18 Clayton Utz 65 Interview Questions 21 Corrs Chambers Westgarth 70 Questions for the Interviewer 22 DLA Piper Australia 73 Gadens 77 Gilbert + Tobin 79 Henry Davis York 84 Herbert Smith Freehills 88 Johnson Winter & Slattery 92 K&L Gates 94 23 / Practicing King & Wood Mallesons 96 Maddocks 99 Internationally MinterEllison 100 Norton Rose Fulbrighrt 104 PwC Australia 106 United Kingdom (England & Wales) 24 Thomson Geer 108 Canada 26 TurksLegal 111 United States of America 28 Hong Kong 30 Non-Sponsors China 32 Addisons 113 South Korea 33 Banki Haddock Fiora 114 Singapore 34 Barrakeet Stanton Lawyers 115 Japan 35 Clifford Chance 116 Clyde & Co 117 HWL Ebsworth 118 Jones Day 119 Marque Lawyers 120 Maurice Blackburn 121 TressCox Lawyers 122 Watsons Solicitors 123 36 / Practicing in Wotton + Kearney 124 Australia Practicing in Australia 37 Sponsors 126 / Corporate College of Law 38 UTS Law 40 Advisory Sponsors A.T. Kearney 127 Non-Sponsors Bain & Company 128 Credit Suisse 129 Gresham Advisory Partners 130 Macquarie Group 131 Pottinger 132 Validus Advisory Group 133 2 134 / Public 182 / Alternative Sector Dispute Public Service Jobs 135 Resolution Australian Human Rights Commission 137 Australian Law Reform Commission 138 Australian Centre for International 183 Australian Taxation Office 139 Commercial Arbiration Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions 140 Resolution Institute 184 Department of Human Services 141 LegalAid 142 NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office 143 NSW Law Reform Commission 144 Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions NSW 145 Parliamentary Counsel’s Office 146 The Public Defenders 147 185 / Courts Chantal Nguyen 186 148 / Social Hannah Ryan 187 Justice Robert Pietreche 188 Volunteering 149 180 Degrees Consulting 150 Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) 151 Amnesty International Australia 152 Asylum Seeker Resource Centre 153 190 / In-House Arts Law Centre of Ausralia 154 Auburn Diversity Services 155 The Aurora Internship Program 156 Unilever Australasia 191 Australian Youth Climate Coalition 157 University of Sydney 192 Disability Advocacy NSW 158 Earthjustice 159 EDO NSW 160 Far West Community Legal Centre 161 GetUp 162 Headspace 163 Hunter Community Legal Centre 164 International Justice Mission 165 Justice Action 166 Justice Connect 167 Lawyers Without Borders 168 Linkz Incorporated 169 Marrickville Legal Centre 170 NSW Council for Civil Liberties 171 NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby 172 Redfern Legal Centre 173 Refugee Advice and Caseworks Service 174 Reprieve Australia 175 Salvos Legal 176 Teach for Australia 177 Voiceless 178 World Food Programme 179 Wirringa Baiya 180 Women’s Legal Service NSW 181 3 The Legal Profession is constantly evolving. We are indebted to the work of those who FOREWORD With ever increasing numbers of graduates have poured their time and effort into this and the implementation of technology across guide in the past, and grateful for the work international law firms and their partnership of our 2016 editorial team; Nicola Borton, agreements, a career in law appears a very Angela Cartwright, Aria Kim, Nikita different prospect to a career in law even Malhotra, Longen Lan, and Vivian Wei, a decade ago. The legal profession, like whose talents in editing and communication the law it serves, is always in flux. It is by enabled us to include the vast number of definition an evolutionary system, and one firms we have had the pleasure of contacting which is shifting to meet new challenges, for the guide. This guide would not exist developments, and opportunities in Australia without you. and the World. The average law student is changing too, and modern law students are Special thanks must go out to the more diverse, aware, and passionate about unsurpassable Judy Zhu, whose design the law and the world it operates within than brilliance has returned to grace the SULS ever befotr. Careers Guide yet again, along with the SULS Design team, in particular Kieran It is in this context that we are proud to Hoyle and Alison Xiao and Eric James Van present the 2016 Sydney University Law Winssen from the International Careers Society Careers Guide. Navigating the Guide Team, to whom we owe the high- complex and intersecting fields of legal quality collaboration on International Firms employment is a daunting task for any one we’re proud to include in 2016. student, and we are privileged to provide this resource to assist prospective graduates chart To paraphrase C. Wright Mills, freedom is a course through the myriad of possibilities not merely the capacity to do as one wills, facing them, whether it be through clerkships, or choose between alternatives; it is rather the public sector, corporate advisory, or off the capacity to understand one’s choices, into novel directions on the cutting edge of argue over them, and only then to choose legal work. one’s path. We hope that this guide will free students, empowering them to chart In 2016 we are privileged to partner with the their course into the wide world of graduate International Careers Guide in the provision employment with confidence. of the most up-to-date and useful information in an increasingly international and global legal world. We are also excited to continue William Khun & the work of our predecessors in opening students’ minds to careers in corporate Evangeline Woodforde advisory, the public sector, alternative dispute resolution, and social justice, and expanding our coverage of opportunities for in-house legal graduate positions.This reflects both the many interests of contemporary law students and the increasingly complicated and diverse career paths they are taking. We want this guide to be more than career buzzwords. The application process for graduate positions is often approached by students with trepidation and anxiety. We are committed to giving students to have the fullest information to pursue their career and goals to their greatest potential. We are also aware of the advantages enjoyed by students with family and friends in the legal profession. It is our goal that the Careers Guide begin to bridge the gap other students face in understanding the complexity and ‘inside information’ of the legal profession. With this in mind, we have sought to demystify the graduate program and present a user friendly guide. 4 Foreword OVERVIEW OF ORGANISATIONS Summer Clerkships in Graduate Programs in Courts and ADR Law Firms Law Firms Careers in the Courts and in dispute Summer clerkships provide an excellent Many law firms may not participate in an resolution may be an attractive option for opportunity to understand how the world of independent graduate program, preferring students interested in the process, judgement commercial law operates, and often lead to to recruit graduates through