Lawyer2b 2011 Annual

annual

an

nu

al

The essenTial guide To

sTudying law and landing

your dream legal job

> So you’re Studying law … now what? answers To all your burning quesTions

> tackling univerSity without loSing your cool Tips for sTaying happy & healThy Through sTudy and beyond

> law degreeS & career deStinationS The endless possibiliTies and how To geT There

> life aS a lawyer: what it’S really like words of wisdom from Those in The know

www.lawyersweekly.com.au THE LAWYER2B ANNUAL 1

LAWYER2BWelcome to the inaugural Lawyer2B Annual: The essential

guide to studying law and landing your dream legal job

ABOUT US: Editor: Claire Chaffey Contributors: Briana Everett, Justin Whealing Art director and design: Alys Martin

Managing editor: Angela Priestley Group sales manager: Adrian FellowesSenior account manager: Stephen RichardsPublisher: Fiona Marcar

Advertising enquiries: Adrian Fellowes: (02) 9422 2134 [email protected] Stephen Richards: (02) 9422 [email protected]

Editorial enquiries: [email protected]

Lawyer2B is a weekly eNewsletter specifically tar-geted to provide news, career advice and updates about the legal profession to Australian law stu-dents. The first hardcopy annual edition offers law students a handbook for studying law, career op-tions available for law students and the best advice for starting your career in the legal profession.

The Lawyer2B Annual is published by the team at Lawyers Weekly, Australia’s leading authoritative source of independent news, analysis and opinion about the business of law in Australia. Published weekly and delivered to the leading lawyers across Australia, Lawyers Weekly is the bible for legal business across the country.

Lawyer2B relies on the support of advertisers to provide information to law student. As such, the team would like to thank:

ALLEN & OVERY

ANU

BLAKE DAWSON

COLLEGE OF LAW

FREEHILLS

GADENS

HONG KONG UNIVERSITY

HOPGOOD GANIM

JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY

LEXISNEXIS

MIDDLETONS

MONASH UNIVERSITY

NAIMAN CLARKE

NORTON ROSE

PIPER ALDERMAN

SYDNEY UNIVERSITY

ABOUT US:

LB_S01_pg001-007.indd 1 24/02/11 5:35 PM

Butterworths

LexisNexis introduces the Quick Reference Card, a laminated A4 card between 4 to 6 pages that offers a concise overview of each core law subject. Each card provides a clear summary of the key principles and a comprehensive overview of important cases and legislation in a full colour format.

Priced at an affordable $15 each, these practical cards are the perfect study tool - ideal for use as memory aids and as a quick reference during open book exams! QRCs strengthen learning outcomes throughout university studies and offer a quick checklist into practitioner years.

Visit your campus bookshop today!

Quick Reference Cards

LexisNexis Connect LexisNexis Connect brings all of your learning resources together in one intuitive online program, organised around the essential study tools you need to get the most out of your LexisNexis textbook:

Web Quizzes• help you prepare for exams with a series of multiple choice questions and answers Case Links* • to LexisNexis AU online research provides quick access to reports, judgements, citations and legislation Citation tests• help you practise citation skills Glossary• enables quick searches of key legal terms and meanings mentioned throughout the textFlash Cards• help you practise your knowledge of legal terms and principals

*Case Links are available to students whose universities have subscribed to LN AU content

www.lexisnexis.com.au/LNConnect

Fast-track your law exam preparation with these study tools from LexisNexis

Save your coffee moneyDon’t pull an all-nighter to study for an exam again! We’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to.

Butterworths

LexisNexis introduces the Quick Reference Card, a laminated A4 card between 4 to 6 pages that offers a concise overview of each core law subject. Each card provides a clear summary of the key principles and a comprehensive overview of important cases and legislation in a full colour format.

Priced at an affordable $15 each, these practical cards are the perfect study tool - ideal for use as memory aids and as a quick reference during open book exams! QRCs strengthen learning outcomes throughout university studies and offer a quick checklist into practitioner years.

Visit your campus bookshop today!

Quick Reference Cards

LexisNexis Connect LexisNexis Connect brings all of your learning resources together in one intuitive online program, organised around the essential study tools you need to get the most out of your LexisNexis textbook:

Web Quizzes• help you prepare for exams with a series of multiple choice questions and answers Case Links* • to LexisNexis AU online research provides quick access to reports, judgements, citations and legislation Citation tests• help you practise citation skills Glossary• enables quick searches of key legal terms and meanings mentioned throughout the textFlash Cards• help you practise your knowledge of legal terms and principals

*Case Links are available to students whose universities have subscribed to LN AU content

www.lexisnexis.com.au/LNConnect

Fast-track your law exam preparation with these study tools from LexisNexis

Save your coffee moneyDon’t pull an all-nighter to study for an exam again! We’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to.

LB_S01_pg001-007.indd 2 24/02/11 5:35 PM


EDITOR’S NOTE

Just getting through the necessary reading ma-terials, assignments and

exams can be a demanding and rigorous exercise. Then there’s the challenge of deciding what to do with the fruits of all that labour.

People choose to study law for many reasons: because they want to make a difference and uphold the rule of law; because they want to earn lots of money; or because they simply can’t decide what else to do with themselves.

The latter is why I chose to study law. While I enjoyed studying it once I started and certainly got the most out of my time at university (and the university bar), I was at a loss as to what to do when I finally said goodbye to university life.

While I had a vague idea of where I could go and what I could do, I found that honest and far-reaching industry information was not easy to come by.

I had a thousand questions: what are the options for law grad-uates? What is it really like to be a lawyer? What sort of firm should I work in? Which practice areas should I look at? Do I even have to be a lawyer to use my law de-gree? Where do I even start?

I went into private practice be-fore making a career-changing decision that led me into legal journalism.

While I wouldn’t change a thing about the path my career has taken, the answers to so many of the questions I had at university seemed elusive.

That’s why we decided to launch this project and why we are committed to reporting on the news affecting law students across the country every week via our Lawyer2B eNewsletters.

The team behind the Lawyer2B Annual is made up of people who understand what it is like to be a law student and what it is like to be a lawyer. And, through our work on Lawyers Weekly magazine, we know the legal industry inside out.

We have used our own experi-ence and industry connections to gather knowledge and insights which we believe will help you get through your studies, prepare you for impending career deci-sions and enlighten you as to the myriad possibilities out there and what you can achieve.

We’ve also warned you about the pitfalls you need to look out for (don’t worry, there’s not too many!), provided a showcase of some of the best young lawyers and most influential leaders out there (and picked their brains for juicy chunks of wisdom) and laid out industry trends that every law graduate should know.

The Lawyer2B Annual is also packed full of career advice straight from the mouths of em-ployers and recruiters as well as helpful hints that will guide you from study to legal super-stardom.

The book is by no means an ex-haustive list of every single option available or every issue arising in the legal profession, but it’s cer-tainly a good start.

No matter where you’re at with your law degree and no matter in which direction you’re head-ing, there is something in here for you. At the very least, we hope it opens your eyes to the adven-tures which await, challenges your perceptions about lawyers and the legal profession, or per-haps merely consolidates your burning ambitions.

Enjoy!

While studying law can be a lot of fun, it can also throw up many challenges and significant life decisions

Claire Chaffey

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4 THE LAWYER2B ANNUAL www.lawyersweekly.com.au

SECTION ONE:

SECTION TWO

CONTENTSSO YOU’RE STUDYING LAW, NOW WHAT?

STUDY, STUDY, STUDY

13WHAT TO EXPECT: Hear from Australian law

deans about what you can expect during your degree

20THE BLUES: What you need to know

about the mental health issues affecting law students and lawyers

10FAQs: We answer some of your burning questions about

study, career options and how to get noticed when applying for jobs

18STUDY TIPS: Some helpful advice to get

you through the late nights, essay writing and exam preparation

14WHAT’S AHEAD: A snapshot of things to come,

from your first year up until your final year of law school

24HEALTH & WELLBEING:

The health issues facing law students and lawyers and what you can do to stay fit and healthy

WhatÕ s in store for you as a law student? Lawyer2B gives you the low down on the road ahead

How to get through the next few years without losing your cool

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SECTION THREE:

SECTION FOUR

SO YOU’RE STUDYING LAW, NOW WHAT?

CONSIDER YOUR DIRECTION

STUDY, STUDY, STUDY

LIFE AS A LAWER

42WORKING OVERSEAS: A glimpse at where your law

degree can take you – from the South-Pacific to Europe and the USA

66LEGAL LEADERS: Some of Australia’s legal

legends share their wisdom

32PRACTICE MADE PERFECT: A list of some

of the hottest practice groups in the legal industry – and why they might be for you

62YOUNG GUNS: Meet some young lawyers

pursuing exciting and rewarding careers

FIRM PROFILES: Take a peek inside some of Australia’s law firms

THE LAST WORD: A note from the Honourable Sir Laurence Street AC KCMG QC

46OUTSIDE PRIVATE PRACTICE: Discover

some options outside law firms, such as the Bar, in-house, government or NGO

70INDUSTRY ROUND-UP: An insight into the

workings of Australia’s legal market

Where will your law degree take you? WeÕ ll show you some of the possibilities

What is life as a lawyer really like? Find out what you can accomplish through a career in law

78 88

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STUDYING LAW


“Law is such a wonderful career but I’m not sure

that it is such a good thing to pigeon-hole yourself

... Yesterday, I saw eight different clients in eight

different areas of law. That’s better than sitting and doing

the same old crap every day. It … keeps your brain active, without having to

do crosswords to ward off dementia”

Julia Barber, principal, Julia Barber & Co in Broome

“NOWADAYS, IT’S THE YOUNG LAWYERS ... WHO PICK UP GREAT CAUSES.

SOMETIMES [IT] TAKES YOUNG LAWYERS, WHO HAVEN’T GOT

COBWEBBED OVER WITH ALL THE ATTITUDES AND CONVENTIONS, TO LOOK

FRESHLY AT AN ISSUE AND PICK IT UP AND RUN WITH IT”THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL KIRBY, FORMER JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

“Follow what you’re passi onate about. Develop an interest in things you like doing [so] you ca n stand out from the crowd. And sometimes, take the more difficult pat h” Chris Freeland, managing partner, Baker & McKenzie

WORDS OF WISDOMQuotes from those at the heart of the legal industry

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STUDYING LAW


“To move forward in any professional services group -

probably in any career - there are times when you need to get out

of your comfort zone” David Kearney, managing partner,

Wotton + Kearney

“No matter how many qualifications you have, you start at the bottom of the ladder. You do work that

is ... boring. It can feel like a real let-down. Maybe it hits law students harder because [they] have a

natural arrogance ... You think you’re

hot shit and then suddenly you’re being treated like

a gofer. It’s pretty crushing to your ego”

Lisa Pryor, journalist and author of The Pinstripe Prison

“[Resources law] is a different sort of law ...

It’s no where near as black letter as other areas of law. There is room for creativity and room for risk-taking”

Michael Blakiston, managing partner, Blakiston & Crabb

“Follow what you’re passi onate about. Develop an interest in things you like doing [so] you ca n stand out from the crowd. And sometimes, take the more difficult pat h” Chris Freeland, managing partner, Baker & McKenzie

“The art of leadership is persuading people to follow you. That involves open and regular engagement with people, but it also demands high levels of confidence in your own views, and you have to be passionate about those views”Danny Gilbert, managing partner, Gilbert + Tobin

Ò I had a conversation once with my boss at the

[Australian Human Rights] Commission who said

that he had always chosen things that really interested

him. ThatÕ s the guiding principle I have É I want

to be fascinated by whatÕ s on my desk in

the morningÓFRANCES SIMMONS, LAWYER, UTS

ANTI-SLAVERY PROJECT

“Depression is

such a horrid thing,

the suicide rate in

Australia is so high,

and the loss of joy

of life amongst

those affected is

so great, if we can

restore that, it is a

wonderful thing”

Matthew Stutsel, partner, Freehills

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SO, NOW WHAT?

SECTION ONE

10FAQs: We answer some of your burning questions

about study, career options and how to get noticed when applying for jobs

13WHAT TO EXPECT: Hear from Australian law

deans about what you can expect during your degree

14WHAT’S AHEAD: A snapshot of things to

come, from your first year up until your final year of law school

WhatÕ s in store for you as a law student? Lawyer2B gives you the low down on the road ahead

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Your postgraduate advantageIf your passion for law stretches beyond working in a law firm then a postgraduate law degree is a great alternative to your practical legal training.

Postgraduate law offers:• Internationally recognised programs taught in Melbourne’s CBD• Part time and full time options so you can work and study• International study opportunities

For further information and to register for upcoming information sessions visit www.law.monash.edu.au/postgraduate/

CRICOS Provider: Monash University 00008C

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STUDYING LAW


HOW DO I MAKE SURE I GET NOTICED WHEN APPLYING FOR JOBS?Q

WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO PRACTICE LAW?

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GLOBAL, BOUTIQUE, MID AND TOP-TIER FIRMS?

Q

Q

A Getting a job as a lawyer can be tough, given the fact that there are so many law students

vying for the best positions. As such, nailing your CV, performing well in interviews and looking the part are all essential if you want to get through the door. Check out our section on what employers want from page 54.

FAQs: YouÕ ve got questions? WeÕ ve got answers

A Don’t worry! Law degrees are viewed by many employers as an excellent qualification which

indicates – among other things - intelligence, a great work ethic and versatility. Having a law degree will open doors to many careers, including some you may never even have though of. See our out-side private practice advice from page 46.

A There are many different types of law firms in which

you can work, throughout both regional and metropolitan areas. Many have a national and inter-national presence, and all firms have something different to offer. The type of firm you choose will very much depend on what your career goals are. Check out our industry round-up on pages 72-77 to get an idea of what type of firm might be best for you.

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STUDYING LAW

I’M NOT SURE WHAT ELECTIVE SUBJECTS TO CHOOSE. WHAT ARE SOME NEW PRACTICE AREAS WORTH CONSIDERING?

Q

WHAT JOB OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE WHILE I’M STILL STUDYING? Q

I WANT TO COMMENCE MY CAREER, BUT I ALSO WANT TO TRAVEL THE WORLD. WHAT CAN I DO?Q

A Thankfully, practising law is not all about tax, contracts and property (although there is

absolutely nothing wrong with those!) There are a number of interesting and emerging areas that you can work in, including environment and climate change, energy & resources, defamation – dealing with the effects of the social media phenomenon – as well as the not-for-profit/charities sector. To find out more about some up-and-coming practice areas, see our practice profiles from page 32.

A Even though you haven’t graduated, there are opportunities to work in the legal industry and

gain valuable experience while you’re still studying. Many law students take up part-time work as a paralegal or law clerk in a firm, which gives them a great insight into being a lawyer and how a firm operates.

In addition, most of the larger law firms offer students summer clerkships towards the end of their studies, which often lead to graduate positions. To find out more, check out our “What’s Ahead” section on pages 14 and 15, so you know when to start applying. Also see pages 54 to 57 for ideas on what employers want.

AThe great news is that these days, many legal jobs have an international flavour. Whether

working in private practice with a global firm (or an Australian one with international offices), in an international NGO or for the government, the possibilities for work combined with travel are numerous. And the even better news is that many employers look for graduates who are well-travelled, speak a second language or have shown the initiative to get out there and enjoy life, and many are willing to allow graduates to defer positions for travel.


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STUDYING LAW

“What the UNSW has always done is to provide interac-

tive teaching in small groups” DAVID DIXON

“They will be dealing with matters at the edge of current legal knowledge” ROSS GRANTHAM

Studying law is about more than simply testing one’s ability to pass a rigid set of subjects such as

contracts law and torts. According to Ross Grantham, the law dean and head of school at the University of Queensland (UQ), law students should expect a much broader education.

“Being a good lawyer is certainly by no means all about information,” he says. “What distinguishes a good lawyer is the ability to think through a problem, to apply an analysis to a problem on the basis of theories of fairly fundamental principles and a grasp of how the legal system works.”

The dean of the University of New South Wales, David Dixon, says that studying law today is vastly different from when he was an undergraduate stu-dent at Cambridge and a masters student in Cardiff a couple of decades ago.

UNSW employs the experiential learning model, where students get practical experience outside the classroom, including doing work at the university’s community legal centre at Kingsford.

“We don’t use the lecture – tutorial model,” Dixon says. “What the UNSW has always done is to pro-vide interactive teaching in small groups, which is based on a different teaching philosophy of not just imparting knowledge, but working together with stu-dents.”

Dixon says that at the end of their degree, students at UNSW should be multi-skilled and flexible, with the skill set to work across a variety of sectors.

“Our graduates should have top-level ‘black letter’ skills and be able to work in a commercial law firm or in business, or work in a community legal service or for an international legal organisation.”

Dixon cites the university’s most recent Valedictorian as someone who has embraced this

ethos, as she has decided to practice law in the rural town where she grew up.

Law schools across Australia are cognizant of the need to in-corporate recent developments, such as the demand for interna-tional and family legal subjects, to ensure their courses remain relevant to students.

Health issues such as depres-sion are tackled, with lawyers hav-ing one of the highest instances of depressive illnesses across the corporate spectrum. “I think the legal profession has been a meat grinder for some time, with people getting thoroughly chewed up and spat out in a short space of time,” Grantham says.

He is hopeful that with the in-creasing number of female law graduates, the legal system will become less adversarial. He would like to see law schools encourage students to improve and reform the profession after graduation.

“I see our role as training stu-dents who in 10, 15 or 20 years time, will be senior members of the profession,” Grantham says. “They will be dealing with mat-ters at the edge of current legal knowledge, they will be heavily influencing law reform, they will be judges, and in a sense, mak-ing the law.

“What they need in a sense is an education in the law, not a lot of legal knowledge.”

LAW DEANS WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR DEGREE

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STUDYING LAW

Regardless of what degree you’re studying, the first year of uni can be a little overwhelming. But rest assured because everyone’s in the same boat and you’ll get used to university life before you know it – we promise!

Most undergraduate law students carry out their studies in a combined degree structure, for example a Bachelor of Commerce with a Bachelor of Laws. So, if this is the case for you, your first year (and sec-ond and third year) will mainly involve completing your compulsory law subjects (one or two per se-mester) while at the same time completing subjects for your other degree.

// Things to be aware of in your first year:· The compulsory subjects you must complete· The number of credit points you must attain each

semester · Timetable clashes (address any problems as soon

as possible)· Get organised and learn to speed read. You’ll be

given a huge chunk of recommended readings to get through each week for each subject, so don’t let yourself fall behind. See our study tips on page 18 and 19 for advice on how to get it all done!

By now you would have settled into university life and completed your first year of law. Hooray! Sec-ond and third year should be fairly similar, but you’ll be taking on more law subjects such as torts, contracts, criminal, property and constitutional law. In third year you should be on your way to finishing your other degree which will be a big relief and a huge weight off your shoulders.

First year

Second & third year


Learning to speed read can help you stay on top of your workload

By third year you’ll be on your way to finishing your other degree, leaving you more time to concentrate on law

for your other degree. of in your first year:··

·

·

Think you might have chosen the wrong combined degree? A lot of students change their mind within the first couple of weeks of first semester. You have the chance to transfer degrees within your university, but there are cut-off dates for this so

make sure you don’t miss out. let yourself fall behind. See our study tips on page let yourself fall behind. See our study tips on page 18 and 19 for advice on how to get it all done!

but there are cut-off dates for this so

WHAT’SAHEAD To make life at uni that little bit easier, we present a snapshot of what to expect in your first year up until your final year of law school, including when you should be thinking about job applications and elective subjects

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STUDYING LAW

THE LAWYER2B GUIDE TO 2011 15

Whether you’re in your first year or your final year

of law, one of the best things you can do to make

uni life better (and to help your employment pros-

pects) is to get involved in extra-curricular activi-

ties at your university. By participating in competitions such as debat-

ing, mooting or negotiation or getting involved in

the activities of your university’s law society, you’ll

not only give yourself a break from the seemingly

never-ending study but you’ll boost your resume

for when the time comes to apply for the job you

want. Your academic transcript isn’t the only thing

that will impress a potential employer. If you’ve

got extra-curricular activities that show you can

work in a team and manage your time efficiently,

this will help advance you through the recruit-

ment process. Your university website should

provide details of organisations, associations and

upcoming events that you can get involved in. And on top of the competitions and student or-

ganisations available, you can also get involved

in a sport that you love. Most universities offer a

range of sports and have on-campus facilities,

giving you the potential to compete and repre-

sent your university.

Choosing elective subjects allows you to study different

areas of law that you’re interested in or areas of law that you may wish to

specialise in at some stage in your career. If you’re

considering which direction to go in, check out our practice group profiles from page 32 to get an idea of which area

of law best suits you.

Keep track of law firm graduate application closing dates

of law best suits you.

By your fourth year, most of you will have completed your other degree and will be able to focus entirely on your remaining law subjects, in-cluding your elective subjects. Elective subjects make up the balance of your degree and the number of electives you choose will depend on how many more credit points you need to complete your degree.

// Things to be aware of in your 4th and 5th years:· Summer clerkships and graduate offers: Many of the larger Austra-

lian law firms offer summer clerkship and graduate programs to law students in their fourth and fifth year of study.

· Be aware of the opening and closing dates for clerkship and/or graduate applications.

· In New South Wales, applications for graduate positions usually open in March and close in April and applications for summer clerk-ships open in June and close in July (these dates may vary from state to state so check with your state’s law society).

· Do some research and work out which employers/firms you’re in-terested in working for. For example, consider private practice, in-house and government employment opportunities.

· Keep an eye out for graduate recruitment/careers fairs. · Practice interview techniques and make sure your resume is up-to-

date. Keep in mind that perfecting your resume for clerkship/gradu-ate applications can be time-consuming.

Fourth & fifth year

GET INVOLVED!

ing, mooting or negotiation or getting involved in

the activities of your university’s law society, you’ll

not only give yourself a break from the seemingly

never-ending study but you’ll boost your resume

for when the time comes to apply for the job you

want. Your academic transcript isn’t the only thing

that will impress a potential employer. If you’ve

got extra-curricular activities that show you can

work in a team and manage your time efficiently, -

ment process. Your university website should

provide details of organisations, associations and

Get invloved in extra-curricular activities to boost your resumé

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STUDY STUDY STUDY

SECTION TWO

18STUDY TIPS: Some helpful advice to get

you through the late nights, essay writing and exam preparation

20THE BLUES: What you need to know

about the mental health issues affecting law students and lawyers

24HEALTH & WELLBEING:

The health issues facing law students and lawyers and what you can do to stay fit and healthy

How to get through the next few years without losing your cool

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STUDY STUDY STUDY

STUDY TIPSLate night essay writing and exam preparation

are all part of life for a law student. Thankfully these key tips can help


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STUDY STUDY STUDY

Reducing exam anxiety

The Charles Darwin University Study and Learning Skills Online guide recommends that students learn how to develop habits to relax and reduce stress leading up to exams.•Itrecommendsstudentsallowfortwo15minute

periods per day, one in the morning and one in the evening, for relaxation.

•Aquietspace,freefrominterruptionsordistrac-tions, is the most conducive environment in which to do this


You have gained entry to study law at university after achieving top marks in the HSC, so the last

thing you need is study tips right? Wrong.The more independence one has at university,

which often goes hand-in-hand with balancing study and part-time work with an active social life, means that students need to stay disciplined and healthy in order to achieve the best academic results they can.

Firstly, start by bringing your essay writing skills up to scratch.

Charles Darwin University in Alice Springs pro-vides useful tips for law students on a study advice website about the ways in which structuring a law essay differs from other subjects.

Itsaysthatawellwrittenlawessaywillidentifyorrecognise legal issues that might be raised by the facts specified in an essay topic or question, andapply the appropriate rules to the facts of the case to explain how those facts should best be interpreted to resolve the issues.

Italsogoesthroughthespecificwaysinwhichstu-dents studying law should cite official titles in texts and the particular style guides to use when referring to statutes or legislation.

When it comes time for the nitty-gritty of exam preparation, it recommends giving revision priority, putting other tasks on hold until you have finished your scheduled study time, having an uncluttered study space and setting yourself clear and specific short-term goals.

However, the best study tips in the world will be worthless unless you are fit and well enough to com-plete essays and exams.

Noted nutritionist Rosemary Stanton stresses the importance of a healthy diet to ensure you get the most out of your time studying, and advocates stu-dents eating small portions regularly.

“The tendency is to break up study with food,” she says.“Itisimportantwheneatingwhilestudying,toget up from your desk, and make eating a positive thing you do rather than just nibbling all the time when you are at your desk.”

Stanton also warns students to avoid coffee at night, as it will impact on your sleeping, and advises building a study routine that includes regular exer-cise and a healthy, small breakfast.

“Alotofpeoplegotobedlatewhenstudyingandthen get up late and think they don’t have enough time to eat breakfast,” she says. “They are starting behind the eight ball the next day, as breakfast in the morning is important for what you are going to do that evening.”

Stanton warns students to be wary of ‘quick-fix’snacks like lollies and chips. “They are not going to give you the steady flow of blood glucose, they will cause your body to produce a lot of insulin, which will take the glucose out of the blood.”

However, Stanton doesn’t say that students should live a monastic lifestyle and concedes the benefits of allowing yourself to indulge in a treat occasionally as a motivating factor when studying.

“There is a huge influence of the psychological benefits of doing something, and if you really feel like chocolate, and feel that it will help you get going, small amounts won’t have an unduly adverse physi-cal affect.”

TRIED AND TESTED: 1. Take a five minute break

every hour2. Write yourself a timetable

- and stick to it!3. Make sure you have an

ordered and uncluttered desk4. Keep exercising! A jog in the

park will clear the head5. Keep social media separate

from study

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STUDY STUDY STUDY

When it comes to talk-ing about the mental health of lawyers, it’s

best to cut to the chase: if you’re a law student or a lawyer, there is a good chance that you will, at some point during your studies or your career, suffer from depres-sion.

In fact, recent researchshowsthat around one in three lawyers will suffer from depression at some stage.

Whether we like it or not, the mental ill-health of lawyers has been pushed to the forefront of issues affecting the legal profes-sion and, while the statistics are alarming, the good news is that

the matter is no longer being swept under the carpet.

In2009,theBrainandMindIn-stitute (BMI) conducted a studyofaround2,500lawstudents,so-licitors and barristers. They found that, for a variety of reasons, they are more prone to suffering from anxiety and depression than any other members of society.

And, for the legal community,the effects of this simmering ill-ness can be tragic.

In2004,ayounglawyernamedTristan Jepson took his own life after a battle with severe depres-sion.

No-one saw it coming, and his death had a resonating impact

on his family and friends, as well as his colleagues and the wider legal community.

Tristan was not the first, nor the last, but sadly, it took the suicide of a young and promising law-yer to force recognition within the profession that depression is real, depression is widespread, and depression kills. So, here’s what you need to know …

// What’s causing it? What the experts say: TheBMIexplored many reasons for the el-evated levels of depression in its 2009 report:Courting theBlues:Attitudes towards depression inAustralianlawstudentsandlegal

THE TRUTH ABOUT

THE BLUES Sadly, depression and mental ill-health are tightening their grip

around law students and lawyers alike. HereÕ s what you need to know

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practitioners. Some of the caus-ative factors were said to be:

•Acultureofcompetitiveness;•Longhoursinatough,

combativeenvironment;•Fearoffailure;•Pessimism(legalworkoften

involves warding off what will gowrong);

•Learnedhelplessness(law-yers must follow a client’s instructions, even if those instructions contradict the lawyer’sbetterjudgment);

•Disillusionment(manylawyersfeel compromised by ethical dilemmasintheirwork);and

•Perfectionism(lawyerstendto be perfectionists, which is related to obsession andanxiety).

Professor Patrick McGorry,mental health advocate and 2009AustralianofYear,believesthat high levels of depression in the legal profession may, in part, be attributable to the legal work-ing environment which, he says, has not evolved in the same way many others have.

“[A law firm is] a nineteenthcentury working environment. Twenty-first century working en-vironments promote autonomy, mastery and purpose. Peoplewho are mentally healthy in their work have ... freedom over the way they work, they’ve got a sense of mastery over what they

do, they’re not in an out-of-con-trol, treadmill type situation and they’ve got a sense of purpose and social value,” he says.

“A lot of themorecreativeoc-cupational roles that are opening up these days have got these features. There is much greater flexibility ... There are obviously different ways of being a lawyer, but many of the ways don’t seem to have these features.”What the lawyers say: The debate about why lawyers are prone to depression has raised some interesting arguments from those within the profession.

Attheforefrontoftheargumentisthe view that the time-billing meth-od, which is practised by the vast majority of law firms, has negative effects on employees, such as ele-vated stress levels and the need to work long hours to meet budgets. (Time billing requires lawyers torecord their time in six minute units and reach daily targets, usually of sevenhoursperday).

One proponent of this argument isMichaelBradley,themanagingpartnerofMarqueLawyers.

“[Time billing] is kind of in-sidious and it actually, over time, changes the way you measure success. You end up measur-ing success by reference to time units, regardless of how you have spent that time. That’s not why any of us studied law,” he says.

What are the signs of depression?

Feeling: Overwhelmed, unhappy, depressed, irritable, frustrated, withdrawn, guilty, indecisive, disappointed, miserable, sadThinking: “I’mafailure”,“It’sallmyfault”,“Nothing good ever happens to me”,“I’mworthless”,“Lifeisnotworth living”Experiencing: Tiredness all the time, feeling sick and run down, headaches and muscle pains, churning gut, difficulty sleeping, poor appetite and weight loss, reliance on alcohol and sedativesNo longer: Goingout,gettingthingsdoneat work, engaging with close family and friends, doing things you enjoy, able to concentrate

Ò YOU END UP MEASURING SUCCESS BY TIME UNITS, REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU HAVE SPENT THAT TIMEÓ

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Theproblem,saysBradley,isthattimesheetsarepartofanextremelyefficient business model and are deeply entrenched in the way the vast majorityoffirmsoperate.Butthismodel,addsBradley,comesattheexpense of employee satisfaction.

“Everyone’s destiny is driven by their personal contribution and their successismeasuredinfinancialtermsagainsttargets.Itdrivesbehav-ioursandattitudeswhicharereallydysfunctional.It’snotdesignedtomakepeoplehappy.It’snotthewayweoperateinournormallives.It’sjust a deeply, ultimately depressing, way to operate.”

Other possible catalysts for depression which have been recognised by lawyers who have themselves experienced depression, or worked with someone who has, include:

•Thenatureoflarge-scalelitigation,whichoftenleadstoyounglaw-yers working on menial tasks for long periods of time, with limited roomforprofessionaldevelopment;

•Adividebetweenexpectationsandreality(workingatalawfirmisnot how it is on AllyMcBeal);and

•Boredom(thestudyoflawismoreintellectuallystimulatingthanmanytasksundertakenbyayounglawyer).

Bothresearchandanecdotalevidencesuggesttherearemyriadpo-tential catalysts for the onset of depression but, according to the imme-diatepastpresidentoftheNSWYoungLawyersAssociation,PouyanAfshar,ifyounglawyersarenurturedandgivenroomtogrowandde-velop their skills, many of the situations discussed can be avoided.

“[Younglawyers]areaveryresilientbunchand,eventhoughtherehavebeenalotwhohavelefttheprofession,Ithinkalotofthemenjoywhat they do,” he says.

“It’saboutgivingpeoplewhoare,bynature,driven,theopportunitytolearnanddevelop.Ifthey’renot,theirsenseofselfandsatisfactionwiththeir work will drop ... and that’s what leads to problems.”

// What’s the good news?McGorryremindsusthatsocietyasawholeisexperiencingelevatedlevels of mental ill-health, not just lawyers.

“Mentalill-healthisverycommoninsociety...we’veallgotabouta50per cent chance of experiencing a period of mental ill-health at some point, frommild tosevere. It isunrealistic to think thatyoucouldgetthrough life without having to have some physical health care ... it is also unrealistic to think that you could do that in a mental health sense,” he says.

“Mentalhealth isallaroundus. It iseverywhere.You’vegot to lookaround you, look for it, and give it the possibility to express itself, be-cause then people have got somewhere to go. We can nip these things inthebud.Ifitisseenasaweaknessandsomethingthatpeoplecan’ttalk about ... then people have nowhere to go.”

For the legal profession, 2010 was the year in which it decided itwould tackle depression head-on: numerous educational institutions, law organisations and law firms took up the challenge to create a level of dialogue about depression in the profession not previously seen.

Leading the change is the Depression & Anxiety Working Group(DAWG),whichwasformedinearly2009followingthereleaseoftheBMI report,and isacollaborativeeffortbetween thechiefexecutiveandmanagingpartnersofAllensArthurRobinson,MallesonsStephenJaques,BlakeDawson,FreehillsandClaytonUtz,aswellastheCol-lege of Law and numerous faculties of law.

The opportunity to grow and develop is the key to self satisfaction


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Last year, the group launched an initiative known as resilience@law which included the release of a confronting short film about mental health in the le-gal profession.

The film, which has been incorporated into the Col-lege of Law’s curriculum, features some of the coun-try’s top partners and lawyers speaking candidly about their own battles with depression. One such partner is Freehills’ Matthew Stutsel, who speaksfrankly about his battle with depression which led him to make a suicide attempt.

Stutsel says he agreed to feature in the film be-cause he wanted to help those who are suffering as he did.

“Knowing how difficult it was for me to speak about itasIwassufferingit,andhavingacoupleoffriendswho are currently suffering from depression, made me want to help,” he says.

“IamreallyhopingthatIcanhelpsomeonebeforetheygettothestagethatIgotto,andcertainlybe-fore they get to the stage where they do something theycan’tturnbackon.That’sthedifferenceI’dre-ally like to make.

“Depression is such a horrid thing, the suicide rateinAustraliaissohigh,andthelossofjoyoflifeamongst those affected is so great, if we can restore that, it is a wonderful thing.”

// Have we scared you yet?Ifwedid,wedidn’tmeanto!Lawyer2B thinks it is im-portant for students and young lawyers to be aware that depression is a serious issue, and to raise some of the possible causes of depression amongst law-yers,soyouwillbeequippedtorecogniseanddealwith mental illness should it affect you or someone you know.

Ò MENTAL HEALTH IS ALL AROUND US. IT IS

EVERYWHERE. YOUÕ VE GOT TO LOOK AROUND YOU, LOOK FOR IT, AND GIVE

IT THE POSSIBILITY TO EXPRESS ITSELFÓ

Need help or more information?

Young Lawyers’ AssociationsGetintouchwithyournearestLawSocietyYoungLawyersAssociationandseewhatthey can offer, from mentoring to boot camp to simply having like-minded people to chat to.The Tristan Jepson Memorial FoundationAnorganisationdedicatedtodecreasingdistress,disabilityandthecausesofdepres-sion and anxiety in the legal profession: tjmf.org.auBeyond Blue: the National Depression InitiativeAcomprehensivewebsitededicatedtoallthingsdepression:beyondblue.org.auBlack Dog InstituteAnot-for-profit,educational,research,clinicalandcommunity-orientedfacilityofferingspecialist expertise in depression and bipolar disorder: blackdoginsititute.org.auLawyers with DepressionAUSsitewhichprovidesresourcesforlawyersandactsaportalforlawyerstodiscussdepression: lawyerswithdepression.com


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As we all know, the typical work life of a lawyer involves challenging work in high-ly stressful situations, with long hours and sleep deprivation thrown in. This can take

a toll on the health, wellbeing, and happiness of law-yers, with around one third suffering from depression atsomestageintheircareer,accordingtotheBrainandMindInstitute.

Achieving a work/life balance is difficult in manyfacets of the legal profession. For some lawyers, feeling tired and stressed is simply part of what life as a lawyer is all about.

But regularly experiencing stress, lack of sleepand various other unhealthy habits will eventually catch up with most legal practitioners.

Similarly, law students are all too familiar with the lack of sleep and stress that comes with the pres-sures of assignments, exams and managing huge workloads, while also juggling job applications, clerkships, casual work or work experience on theside.Butwhile itmayseemnear impossibleto

You know what they say about an apple a day ...

SURVIVAL OF THE HEALTHIESTLaw students and budding lawyers face a number of health issues in an industry that is known for long hours and high stress. Lawyer2B looks at the dangers facing law students and lawyers, and what you can do to stay healthy


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achieve top marks, a dream job and still have a life, there are a number of things law students and law-yers can do to address the health risks they inevita-bly face.

“Healthy living always comes down to: eat well, keep fit, manage stress, don’t smoke and get ade-quatesleep;butofcourse,ifyou’reahighlevellaw-yer in one of those demanding firms it forces many of them to compromise on many of those basic things,” saysDrJohnLangofGoodHealthSolutions.

For those in their final years of law school or start-ing a graduate position at a large law firm, it can be difficult to deal with the pressure to perform and the long hours, while also finding time to exercise, eat healthilyandhavealife.Butadoptinghealthyhabitsand identifying the value of balance early on during university is essential to avoid ending up stressed and unhappy later on.

Andalthoughaskingtime-poorstudentsandlaw-yers to overhaul their lives and approach their health differently is a difficult task, cardiologist Dr Ross Walker emphasises that it’s not about making mas-sive life decisions.

“Life isn’t about making big decisions to be healthy and to feel well and not stressed. Life is about mak-ing30,40,50smalldecisionseveryday.Decisionslike ‘I won’t eat that biscuit’, ‘I’ll walk up the stairsrather than take the escalators’. Just the little deci-sions we have to make every day,” he says.

Ò HEALTHY LIVING ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO: EAT

WELL, KEEP FIT, MANAGE STRESS, DONÕ T SMOKE

AND GET ADEQUATE SLEEPÓ

Exercise is an obvious way to improve health, but its impact on Exercise is an obvious way to improve health, but its impact on Exercise is an obvious way to improve health, but its impact on mood and happiness is particularly important for law students. mood and happiness is particularly important for law students.

Dr Walker suggests three hours of exercise per week and says you Dr Walker suggests three hours of exercise per week and says you should get up from your desk as much as you can. To those who say should get up from your desk as much as you can. To those who say they don’t have the time he says: “What do you want – to exercise for they don’t have the time he says: “What do you want – to exercise for an hour every day or be dead 24 hours a day? You’ve got to nurture an hour every day or be dead 24 hours a day? You’ve got to nurture and develop an exercise habit.”

He adds that the best form of exercise you can do is one that you He adds that the best form of exercise you can do is one that you will enjoy and keep doing.

By exercising three hours per week students and lawyers can: By exercising three hours per week students and lawyers can: · Reduce their risk of developing heart disease, cancer,

Alzheimer’s and diabetes by 30 per cent· Reduce their risk of osteoporosis by 50 per cent· Reduce blood pressure· Sleep better

We like to move it, move it


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Ò LIFE IS ABOUT MAKING SMALL DECISIONS LIKE Ô I WONÕ T EAT

THAT BISCUITÕ , Ô IÕ LL WALK UP THE STAIRS RATHER THAN TAKE THE ESCALATORSÕ . JUST THE LITTLE

DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE EVERY DAYÓ

Dr Lang says lack of sleep diminishes insulin sensitivity and predis-poses one to type 2 diabetes. “Chronic sleep deprivation can actu-ally reduce your insulin sensitivity by as much as 40 per cent. So it’s a major risk factor for diabetes,” he says.

Other sleep facts: · 17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in perfor-17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in perfor-17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in perfor

mance equivalent to a blood alcohol-level of 0.05 per cent· The NRMA estimates fatigue is involved in one in six fatal road

accidents· Drinking will help you get to sleep but it will be a light slumber · After five nights of partial sleep deprivation, three drinks will have

the same effect on your body as six would when you have had enough sleep

Source: The National Sleep Research Project www.abc.net.au/science

Sleep: the risks of going without

// Be aware of the risksBy the nature of their workloadand the stresses they face, law students and lawyers are at greater risk of heart disease, type 2diabetes,depressionandanxi-ety. To address these risks, both Dr Walker and Dr Lang say the best thing students and lawyers can do is to continually monitor their health, through health as-sessments and being aware of the risks and any changes in their health.

The long hours and sleep de-privation experienced by some students and lawyers is often the gateway to an unhealthy lifestyle and puts them at greater risk of depression and anxiety. A 2007Beaton Consulting and BeyondBlue survey showed that law-yers experience higher levels of depressive symptoms than other professions. The study, which surveyed 20,000 people acrossprofessional services firms, also found that almost a third of law-yers reported using alcohol or other drugs (non-prescription)to reduce or manage feelings of sadness or depression.

Confronted by such alarming statistics, the legal profession has begun to address the issue,


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Law students and lawyers tend to be chained to their desk for long periods of time which means nutrition is especially important. David Gillespie, lawyer and author of Sweet Poison: Why sugar makes us fat, was 40 kilograms overweight, lethargic and sleep-deprived, and fat, was 40 kilograms overweight, lethargic and sleep-deprived, and fatdecided to do something about it. He cut out sugar from his diet – in particular fructose – and immediately started to lose weight.

// The sweet seduction:To improve nutrition, Gillespie says the only thing students and law-yers need to do is to stop eating sugar. He explains that sugar is not only highly addictive, but also dramatically increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, liver failure and various cancers. Other studies reveal a strong association between sugar intake and Alzheimer’s, depression and other forms of anxiety.

According to Gillespie, sugar has a negative impact on your im-mune system – leaving you more susceptible to flus and colds – and he pinpoints fructose as one of the main reasons why lawyers suffer the health issues they do.

“[Fructose] suppresses your immune system. When you eat fruc-tose, and this has been empirically measured, for the next five hours after eating it your immune system operates at about half strength,” he says.

As a result, according to Gillespie, by eating too much sugar your body is in a state of constant stress causing you to feel more anxious and on edge.

Gillespie says most cereals should be avoided. “There are very few breakfast cereals manufactured in Australia that are less than 10 per cent sugar. The only things that have acceptable levels of sugar, as a cereal, are rolled oats and Weet-Bix.”

And for those who cannot stand to eat Weet-Bix without a few heaped spoons of sugar on top, Gillespie says to forget cereal. “There’s nothing wrong with vegemite toast … but not raisin toast.” By giving up cereal, Gillespie says lawyers can eliminate around half a kilogram of sugar a week.

Eat well, feel well

meaning that life as a lawyer does not have to be all about stress. GoodHealthSolutions,whichpro-vides health management strat-egies to Australian companiesincluding law firms, has tailored its strategies for the legal indus-try with a focus on alleviating de-pression. The company routinely conducts a Kessler 10 question-naire with law firms – the Har-vard stress/anxiety/depression tool – so they can identify which lawyers need to be engaged in discussions about anxiety and depression or offered personal telephonic coaching and other tools to help them cope.

“From a health point of view [depression is] top of mind be-cause it’s the area where lawyers fair worst in relation to all other Australians,”DrLangsays.

Ò MAKE YOUR LIFE LEAN AND MEAN AND YOUÕ LL HAVE MORE TIME TO DO THE STUFF YOU REALLY WANT TO DOÓ

· Ignorethe“lowfatnonsense”:Itisthetransfats–the synthetic fats – that are bad for you.

· Do not eat “white” foods: avoid sugar, white bread, rice, pasta, potatoes

· Eat smaller meals· Eat off smaller plates· Don’t have second helpings· Don’tgrazebetweenmeals· Don’t have desserts most

of the time

Dr Walker’s nutrition tips

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Stress busters: Dr Walker recommends

// Achieving happinessAsidefromtheusualadviceofeatwell,getfitandsleep more, Dr Walker reminds us of what he calls “the best drug on the planet – a thing called happi-ness, peace and contentment”.

“How does one achieve happiness, peace and contentment? Probably the most important prin-cipleisthathappinessisnooneelse’sjob.Itisnooneelse’sjobtomakeyouhappy,”hesays.“Alotof lawyers are working themselves into the ground to their premature death. It is all about life deci-sions.Youcaneitherdecide tobehealthyorde-cide to be unhealthy.”

Byvaluingyour timeoutsideofwork,DrWalkersays a balance can be achieved. “We have been given, on average, about eight hours active energy aday…ifyouwork12or14hoursadayyouarestealing time out of your normal energy and that is why people constantly feel tired and stressed.

“Youhavetogetabalance.Work/lifebalanceisexactly that–havingworkanda life. It isnotmaking your work your entire life but it is put-ting sensible time into your work and sen-sible time in your relaxation time and vitally, sensible time into your sleep.”

•Half an hour of silence every day: By actuallystopping you can put things in perspective.This can be meditation or listening to classicalmusic for example – it doesn’t matter. Thathalf an hour is your chance to “empty the gar-gar-garbage bin”.

•Plan your life like you plan anything else: Maketime for family and the things outside workthat make you happy. Getting your priorities inorder will help.

•Downsize and de-clutter your life: Get rid ofthe stuff in your life you really do not need. Forexample, don’t have a messy desk with paperseverywhere. “Make your life lean and meanand you’ll have more time to do the stuff youreally want to do, rather than feel overloadedby all the stuff around you that you don’t need.”

•Balance: “Life balance is exactly that. It’s hav-ing work and life … it’s putting the sensibletime into your relaxation time and vitally, sen-sible time into your sleep.”

Ò PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT

PRINCIPLE IS THAT IT IS NO ONE ELSEÕ S JOB TO MAKE YOU HAPPYÓ


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SECTION THREE

32PRACTICE MADE PERFECT: A list of

some of the hottest practice groups in the legal industry – and why they might be for you

42WORKING OVERSEAS:

A glimpse at where your law degree can take you – from the South-Pacific to Europe and the USA

46OUTSIDE PRIVATE PRACTICE:

Discover some options outside law firms, such as the Bar, in-house, government or NGO

Where will your law degree take you? Let us show you some of the possibilities...

LB_S03_pg030-041.indd 31 24/02/11 6:33 PM

PRACTICE MADE

PERFECT As a private practice lawyer, there are a number of options when it

comes to which area of law you can practice. So how do you choose? WeÕ ve compiled a list of some of the hottest practice groups in the

legal industry Ð and why these might just be the groups for you



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Investor confidence is skyrocketing in Australia’s energy and resources sector, and top quality law-

yers have never been more in demand. This, along with a general consensus among en-

ergy and resources experts that the post-global fi-nancial crisis cloud has lifted in Australia, is fabulous news for young lawyers looking to work in a practice area that is really booming.

While 2010 wasn’t necessarily a bad year for the sector, it still had its fair share of setbacks – most notably the attempted introduction of the Mining and Resources Rent Tax (MRRT) – which rattled investor confidence and stalled deal activity.

However, the early indications are that 2011 will be a good year for energy and resources lawyers.

“It will be a very solid and diverse year in terms of work opportunities, and when we review individual sectors … they are all looking strong … It has proba-bly been the busiest December and January that we have seen in recent memory, certainly the last four or five years,” says Freehills partner Stuart Barrymore.

A shining example of the life which has been in-jected into the energy and resources sector is the signing, in January 2011, of the final investment de-cision (FID) for the $US16 billion ($16.1 billion) Glad-stone Liquid Natural Gas Project (GLNG), whose main parties are Australian gas producer Santos, Malaysia’s Petronas, French company Total and South Korea’s Kogas.

Michael Ryan, a partner at boutique firm Addi-sons which advised Petronas, says working on the deal was demanding, often due to numerous com-pressed deadlines which he believes are being en-abled by top-tier capabilities.

“The practice of law is getting tougher in this area. The quality of advice required, the speed, and the level of commitment is certainly increasing. Deals are moving faster,” he says.

According to Rory Moriarty, energy and resources partner at Clayton Utz, there is no doubt that China is still the heavyweight player in Australian energy and resources projects, but new players are beginning to emerge. Traditional investors such as the US and Europe are starting to show renewed interest; and Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam are making their mark.

ENERGY & RESOURCES


However, energy and resources lawyers across the industry agree there is one player in particular which is starting to loom large on the horizon: India.

“China is still absolutely at the forefront and is critical to Australia moving forward due to the sheer volume of supply,” says Moriarty. “But India is going to be a very big story for the energy and re-sources sector in Australia in the next few years.”

Even amidst the energy and resources boom, a problem is plaguing both clients and law-yers: lack of resources. Legal service providers say that finding quality, well-trained energy and resources lawyers is challenging.

“You can’t ignore the fact that firms are looking at this region and bolstering their teams,” says Barrymore “There is no doubt that energy and resources lawyers are in short supply.”

TOP TIPS+ Working in the energy and resources field can offer lawyers a diverse and exciting career, and one which is very

much the driver of the Australian and global economies.

+ Renewable energy is at the forefront of this buoyant sector and is fast

becoming a permanent and expanding feature of the Australian energy

landscape.

FAST FACTAustralian mining

is expected to generate about $179.8 billion in

2010-11, up from $119.6 billion in

2005-06

- IBISWorld

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Social media technology, with its ability to allow users to instantaneously comment on just about

anything that’s posted online, is rapidly changing the world of defamation law and the work of defamation lawyers.

Now, thanks to the likes of Twitter, Facebook, blog-ging, forums and the increasingly interactive nature of online publications, members of the public are publishing content every day; they are voicing their opinion about anyone and anything, reviewing hotels and restaurants, critiquing new products, complain-ing about bad service or commenting on articles.

It’s these types of communications that are ex-posing people to a growing number of individual defamation claims – thanks to a lack of awareness among social media users and an assumption that different rules apply when it comes to things being said on the internet.

“There’s clearly a continuing divergence between what the public thinks it can say on the one hand and what the law and the courts determine you can say on the other,” explains Blake Dawson partner Robert Todd.

Today’s technology enables individuals to com-ment on articles, blog posts or the tweets of friends and colleagues and many of them don’t hold back, generating greater scope for individual claims.

“People seem to think they can, with impunity, rip onto Facebook or blogs and say quite outrageous things,” says Piper Alderman partner Simon Ward. “It’s becoming quite an issue because [the statement] is spread so quickly and widely. A lot of damage can

MEDIA AND DEFAMATION

be done.” As a result, defama-tion claims have changed and include more elements than they did in the past. Today, according to Kelly & Co partner Peter Camp-bell, almost every claim brought against a media organisation re-lating to an article or broadcast will also have a related claim re-garding the same content which appeared on that organisation’s website, as well as the comments made by the public that are po-tentially defamatory.

“That’s a fairly new phenomenon that people are awake to now and it’s something we’re seeing more and more of.”

FASTFACT

There are over 500 million active Facebook users

and over 175 million Twitter users around the world.

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Despite an Emissions Trad-ing Scheme being shelved

for now, law firms are still in high demand from government and business clients to ensure they comply with regulatory and com-pliance matters.

“With the return of the Labor Government, and with climate change clearly an election issue, we are seeing an increasing lev-el of interest amongst our clients regarding emissions trading and climate change,” notes Malle-sons Stephen Jaques partner Louis Chiam.

Since Baker & McKenzie established the first climate change practice group in the 1990s, many more law firms are now competing in this space, with the range of work and cli-ents similarly diversifying.

The growing awareness and global nature of environmental issues has also attracted many of the brightest legal graduates.

“Many of our clients operate internationally, so we continue to advise them on their obligations, and the opportunities presented, by other domestic, regional and voluntary global carbon markets in which they operate,” says Bakers environment partner Paul Curnow.

Late last year, Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Minister Greg Combet introduced a raft of measures aimed at limiting car-

bon emissions and promoting al-ternative sources of energy, such as the creation of the Domestic Offsets Integrity Committee to be headed by the co-head of Minter Ellison’s environment practice, Duncan McGregor.

In tandem with existing poli-cies, such as the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme which was announced by the Rudd Government in August 2009, lawyers will always be in demand to ensure clients com-ply with such measures.

Clients now expect lawyers to be not just conduits of informa-tion, but to assist with the com-plex drafting of policy or regulato-ry submissions. And, as the head of Bakers’ global environmental markets and climate change practice, Martijn Wilder, says, it will be the lawyers who “bring innovative ideas to the develop-ment of law and policy” and who will retain and pick up clients as an Australian ETS moves towards its inevitable completion.

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE

TOP TIPSThe growing awareness

and global nature of environmental issues has

also attracted many of the brightest legal

graduates

its inevitable completion.

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The telecommunications industry is facing a ma-jor shake-up as the Federal Government rolls out

the nation’s largest ever infrastructure project. In 2009, plans were announced for the establish-

ment of a super fast National Broadband Network (NBN), worth over $40 billion. After a period of ex-tensive negotiation, the necessary legislation was passed by parliament in November 2010, allowing for the implementation of the NBN to continue in 2011.

“It’s fair to say that telecommunications is going to have a very exciting, busy time for the next couple of years,” says Mallesons Stephen Jaques partner Re-nae Lattey. “These are the most significant changes to this industry, definitely since 2002, and arguably since 1997.”

It is hoped the NBN will alleviate many of the is-sues within the telecommunications sector. Howev-er, its completion is not expected for another eight years, necessitating substantial regulatory reform in the short term.

While only in its initial stages, the NBN has already had a significant impact on the competitive dynam-ics within the market, creating a high level of activity and a range of new issues confronting telecommuni-cations lawyers.

According to Maddocks partner Brendan Coady, the NBN has moved the debate and focus of the telecommunications industry away from people ar-guing about the price of access, to a focus on con-tent and what other services players are going to provide.

“We start to see a lot more focus on people try-ing to develop new and interesting applications and people looking at new ways of delivering and con-suming content,” Coady says.

“With NBN Co you’ve got a whole new player en-tering the market that’s really going to change how the market works in quite a fundamental way.”

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Australia’s not-for-profit (NFP) sector is growing, creating opportunities for lawyers with expertise

in what has been dubbed the “third sector”.The NFP sector is made up of roughly 600,000

organisations, delivering services in areas well be-yond the charitable, including education, sport, art, religion and culture.

Growing at a rate of nearly 8 per cent each year between 1999 and 2007, the sector’s “economically significant” organisations contributed just under $43 billion to Australia’s GDP and accounted for around 8 per cent of employment in 2006-07, proving its vi-ability and value as a market for legal services.

Aside from providing an area of growing opportu-nity for lawyers, it also allows lawyers the chance to contribute to the community while still being a part of the commercial world.

As NFP organisations become more sophisticated and complex, the demand for a greater level of legal expertise has gone beyond that of most firms’ pro bono capabilities.

While many firms utilise their existing capabilities to address taxation issues affecting NFP organisa-tions, there are still only a handful of firms that have developed standalone practice groups focusing solely on the third sector. But now, specialist NFP practice groups are slowly emerging within the Aus-tralian legal profession as the increased demand for fee-based legal services is recognised.

According to Gilbert + Tobin lawyer Darren Fittler, who recently launched his firm’s third sector advi-sory group, government and philanthropic organi-sations have begun to acknowledge that one of the avenues to a more successful project is to have high quality legal advice and this will require a certain level of expenditure.

“Organisations themselves are starting to come to the realisation that they can’t always depend on pro bono services,” Fittler says.

“In my [pro bono] experience … about 95 per cent of people who ask for help don’t get it, which leaves a lot of organisations out there running around trying to do it themselves.”

NOT-FOR-PROFIT

FAST FACTS:

Australia’s first mobile cellular network was

launched in 1987. There are now over 22 million mobile services around

the country

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This is the area of law that is arguably the most glamorous, competitive and unforgiving.

Corporate and commercial work in Australian pri-vate practice firms is often elevated to the status of the benchmark measure of the success or otherwise of a firm’s performance.

The leading positions on the legal adviser mergers and acquisitions (M&A) league tables that are pub-lished by global publishing groups such as Thom-son Reuters and Bloomberg are highly prized and valued, and can help firms recruit and retain both clients and lawyers.

The recent Thomson Reuters M&A League Table for 2010 showed that the value of announced M&A deals in Australia for 2010 was $165 billion, up from $69.1 billion in 2009.

Rebecca Maslen-Stannage, who graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1994, was ap-pointed a partner with the litigation group at Freehills in 2000 before moving across as a partner in the corporate group in early 2001.

She said that she moved from litigation because she “wanted to be part of putting something togeth-er, not go over things after they fall apart”, and that one of the best aspects of working in the corporate group at Freehills is that you work in teams, with “someone always there to help you out”.

“To be a successful corporate lawyer you need to cope with change,” she says. “If today’s plan has changed 180 degrees from yesterday, you can’t get frustrated by that.”

CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL

BANKING AND FINANCE

BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION

CORPORATE & COMMERCIAL

CRIMINAL & WHITE COLLAR CRIME

EQUITY MARKETS

FAMILY LAW

GOVERNMENT & PLANNING

HUMAN RIGHTS

INSOLVENCY

INSURANCE

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

LITIGATION & DISPUTE RESOLUTION

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

PROPERTY AND TAXATION

TOP TIPSThe recent Thomson Reuters M&A League Table for 2010 showed that the value of announced M&A deals in Australia for 2010 was $165

billion, up from $69.1 billion in 2009.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS:While this is by no means an exhaustive list, below are some other practice groups to consider


LB_S03_pg030-041.indd 38 24/02/11 6:34 PM

THE LAWYER2B ANNUAL 39

The rise of social media such as Facebook and Twitter and the perennial overhaul of industrial

relations policies with any change of government has meant that the area of employment, OHS and workplace relations is constantly in a state of flux.

Despite this, Joe Catanzariti, who graduated from the University of New South Wales in 1982 and is now the national head of the 70-lawyer strong Clay-ton Utz workplace relations, employment and safety group, says that what makes a good workplace rela-tions lawyer hasn’t changed with new technologies.

“Lawyers in this area need to be pragmatic, com-mercial, and not ‘black letter’ lawyers,” he says.

EMPLOYMENT, OHS & WORKPLACE RELATIONS

“They need to be calm, creative, patient, and not lecture the client but listen to them.”

Catanzariti says that as lawyers in this area are dealing with a range of workplace matters, often acting for clients with a diverse workforce, they will not be suc-cessful if they are judgmental or make moral assumptions about the rights and wrongs of a client’s actions.

“I don’t want to work with law-yers that have pre-conceived ideas that might be sexist, homo-phobic or racist, or look to judge the morality of clients,” he says.


TIP

Workplace law is highly political, so be prepared for

change!

INDUSTRY TREND

The future of workplace law is in mid-tier law firms

ExpectmOrEFrom the law

www.blakedawson.com

For us, more is an environment where your ambition is nurtured and supported by learning programs and partners with open doors.

We believe it will make you a better lawyer. When you choose where to make your mark, choose to have more.

Visit our careers website http://careers.blakedawson.com

“I thought it came with an acorn.”

LB_S03_pg030-041.indd 39 24/02/11 6:34 PM

Country lawyers are a re-silient bunch. They have to be. On a daily basis

they face challenges that most practitioners living in Australia’s major cities would never en-counter. They quickly build nous, initiative and resourcefulness – traits which develop as a result of operating in an environment which demands quick thinking and lots of imagination.

But unfortunately, country firms suffer from a chronic shortage of young lawyers, and the longevity of access to justice in rural, re-gional and remote areas is under threat as firms struggle with suc-cession planning.

Ironically, the difficulty in attract-ing practitioners to the country lingers despite bountiful op-portunities often not available in metropolitan areas: immediate exposure to highly diversified legal work, front-line advocacy, meaningful client interaction and opportunities for partnership while still in your twenties (and thus the chance to earn serious dollars when balanced with living costs).

However, misconceptions about life as a country lawyer, and un-certainty as to the opportunities available, mean firms continue

to face staff shortages – and law-yers are missing out on golden opportunities.

// The benefits of a tree changeAccording to Sharyl Walsh, the director of Allied Recruitment Solutions in Melbourne, starting your legal career in a regional area is a smart move.

“The training [you] gain in a regional practice is far over and above the training [you] get in most law firms in the CBD,” she says. Andrew Price, senior busi-ness manager at Wotton + Kear-ney, agrees.

“After two years, [city lawyers] may have done not much more than discovery, whereas in the country ... they might be running hearings in the local court after one year,” he says.

It is these opportunities which drew born-and-bred Melbournite Anthony Robinson to the small town of Warrnambool, in Victo-ria’s south, soon after completing his articles.

“I always thought I’d like to try living in the country and thought it might give me a good ground-ing to go to the bar. I wanted a job where I would be doing court work,” he says.

With the intention of staying for a couple of years, Robinson soon embraced the quality of life in Warrnambool, the camaraderie of the town’s legal professionals and the wide variety of hands-on work which was a far cry from his insur-ance job in what he calls “Mel-bourne’s high-rise jungle”.

Twenty-seven years later he is still there and entering his thir-teenth year of partnership at firm Dwyer Robinson.

“I very quickly loved the lifestyle,” he says. “We work really hard, but the lifestyle and country setting just make it so much easier. I just love waking up in the country.”

// Regional might is a recruiter’s delightNot only do country lawyers tend to enjoy what they do, they do it very well. And recruiters, for one, are quick to sing their praises.

Walsh goes so far as to say that regional lawyers are among her best candidates, being not only extremely talented, but person-able too.

“I just love dealing with [region-al lawyers] because they are so switched on, but so relaxed and just delightful,” she says.

“They have made the decision

A COUNTRY PRACTICE Far from being an inferior option or last resort, many regional lawyers are happier, more successful and doing more diverse work than their city cousins



LB_S03_pg030-041.indd 40 24/02/11 6:35 PM


Interested in working in regional, rural or remote areas? Start here

Australia wide: Law Graduates for Community Legal Centres in Rural, Remote and Regional Australialawgraduatesrrrclc.com.auACT: ACT Regional Committee (business law)lawcouncil.asn.au/sections/busi-ness-law/committees/regional-committees/act.cfmNew South Wales: Law Society of NSWlawsociety.com.au/about/region-allawsocieties/index.htmNorthern Territory: Law Society of the Northern Territorylawsocietynt.asn.au/legal-careers/living-and-working-in-the-ntQueensland: Department of Justice and Attorney-Generaljustice.qld.gov.au/corporate/contact-us/contacts-law-society-regional-officesSouth Australia: Legal Services Commission of South Australialsc.sa.gov.au/cb_pages/ careers.phpTasmania: Tasmanian Regional Committee (business law)lawcouncil.asn.au/sections/busi-ness-law/committees/regional-committees/tasmania.cfmVictoria: Law Institute of Victorialiv.asn.au/Practicing-in-Victoria/Careers-Centre/Managing-my-Career/Opportunities-in-Regional-Victoria.aspxWestern Australia: Country Lawyers Programhttp://www.legalaid.wa.gov.au/LegalAidServices/employment/Pages/CountryLawyers.aspx

to go to the country. Most of [them] would have no problem being in the top-tier law firms, but it’s a life-style choice.”

Paul Burgess, director of Paluch Burgess Legal Recruitment, sees many benefits for those start-ing out in the country: early exposure to clients, the chance to commence practice by working on a wide range of issues and, for the right candidate, oppor-tunities for partnership while still very young.

And employers too are not blind to the potential of lawyers with regional experience.

“We recruit for some firms in particular who recognise that country practitioners receive good coalface experi-ence and in certain areas – such as property, general commercial law and personal injuries – they are regard-ed as having strong experience,” says Burgess.

Walsh has observed similar trends. “Some [em-ployers] are smart enough now to realise that if they are getting a third, fourth or fifth year lawyer coming back to the city, that person will have a lot more ex-perience in dealing directly with clients, dealing with a wider variety of work ... and they don’t hide behind legalese.”

// The regional realityDespite all this, the reality is that many still baulk at the idea of practising regionally. But Pouyan Afshar, immediate past president of the New South Wales Young Lawyers’ Society, believes many more young lawyers would be tempted to move to regional areas if they knew what to expect and were aware of the opportunities available – both in terms of career and lifestyle.

“It is ignorance to some extent, and that comes from a lack of information about what a true country firm is like, what sort of work they do and what sort of practice they have,” he says.

Walsh adds that misconceptions about the culture of country towns lead to a reluctance to consider re-locating.

“Everyone thinks they are going to miss out on the café society in Melbourne or Sydney but, for exam-ple, in Griffith I actually had the second-best cup of coffee in my entire life – the best being in Syracuse in Sicily,” she says.

“It is very, very cultured. There is a fabulous cross-pollination of cultures [and it] offers so much for people to do.”

Ò I JUST LOVE DEALING WITH [REGIONAL LAWYERS] BECAUSE

THEY ARE SO SWITCHED ON, BUT SO RELAXED AND JUST DELIGHTFULÓ

Going bush: could the time for cow be now?


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Live like a local in the Pacific Islands

Combine work and adventure in the Soloman Islands

// Become a volunteerIf working off the beaten track ap-peals, there are numerous ways to go about landing a job which offers incredible life experience, professional development and adventure.

One great way to do this is to use your legal skills as a vol-unteer in developing countries. Agencies such as Lawyers Be-yond Borders (run by Australian Volunteers International) and Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (run by AusAID) are a great place to start, and of-fer placements in pretty much ev-ery corner of the globe, including Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

While these are officially “vol-unteer” positions, participants are usually paid a small salary to cover living expenses and ac-commodation costs.

According to LBB program manager Emma Hess, the possi-bilities for lawyers assisting in de-veloping countries are limitless, including working in a people’s lawyers organisation in Tuvalu or Kiribati, capacity building in East Timor, or establishing a Law Re-form Commission in Samoa.

In particular, Hess says that Australian lawyers can assist by simply training lawyers in devel-oping regions on everything from setting up filing systems to pre-senting in court and managing case notes.

You can find more information about volunteering at Lawyers Beyond Borders: www.lawyers-beyondborders.com/ and Aus-tralian Youth Ambassadors for Development: www.ayad.com.au/home.

// Law and developmentIf you’re looking for something a little more permanent and better paid, lawyers can also gain employment through projects such as those run by AusAID, the international devel-opment arm of the Australian Gov-ernment.

Different projects arise depend-ing on where Australia decides to put its international development funding, so keeping an eye on the AusAID website is a good idea.

An example of one such project currently running is the Law and Justice Program under AusAID’s Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

Australia intervened in the Solomon Islands in 2003 at the request of the Solomon Islands Government after a long period of civil unrest, during which time the country’s legal system all but collapsed. Part of Australia’s re-sponse was to rebuild the court system and send Australian law-yers to assist with the process.

One of these lawyers is Steve Barlow, who is currently em-ployed as a legal advisor in the Public Solicitors Office in the

When it comes to working abroad, itÕ s good to know that your options arenÕ t limited to Europe and the USA. With a little imagination and an adventurous spirit, your law degree can take you pretty much anywhere

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

capital, Honiara. After initially working as a lawyer in places like Darwin and the tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu, Barlow landed a job with the Law and Justice Program and says his time in the Solomon Islands has been a fascinating ex-perience.

“Working here is very fulfilling professionally, but living here, and what I get out of life here, goes beyond that,” he says.

“Coming here is an amazing op-portunity, not just for work, but for the overall development of who I am. When I leave the Solomon Is-lands, the thing that will stay with me forever is not so much the job I have done, but the people I have met through that job, whether it be my colleagues, my clients or oth-ers in the community. It is fascinat-ing to come here and be a part of the place.”

Check out the AusAID website (ausaid.gov.au) to get an idea of what projects are in progress.

WORKING OVERSEAS

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A steep but rewarding learning curve awaits you in the Middle East

“Dubai is a great place for young lawyers with a few years of experience

under their belt”

The twist in the tale is that Standish has achieved much of this in Dubai. “I wanted to move over-

seas for a number of different reasons,” Standish says of her decision to leave Middletons and join the Dubai office of the European-based international firm Taylor Wessing in February 2008. “I saw it as providing a great experience, a chance for career progression and a good opportunity for travel and exposure to new markets.”

Standish joined Middletons after gaining a Bach-elor of Laws (Hons) from Monash University in 2004. By late 2007 she wanted to broaden her experience and this, coupled with a chance for a change of scene, saw her engage a recruiter to look at job op-portunities in the Middle East.

Many Australian lawyers have a stint in a foreign jurisdiction, but the vast majority go to Europe, par-ticularly London, or North America.

Wasn’t the thought of sipping pints or going to see plays on Broadway appealing?

“London was too similar to Melbourne,” she says. “I knew lots of Aussies in London, many were former colleagues of mine, and I didn’t think London or Eu-rope would be as much of a challenge as Dubai.”

She was certainly right about that.In addition to the need to adjust to a vastly different

culture, language, climate and lifestyle, Standish has also had to work within the confines of Dubai’s civil law system, as opposed to the common law system that operates in Australia, and a different corporate legal culture altogether.

“Whatever happens in practice is much more im-portant than what is written in a piece of law, which is something you learn on the job,” she says. “That is a big difference from western jurisdictions and a big challenge faced by lawyers working in Dubai.”

Despite rising to the level of senior associate in the corporate and commercial practice at Taylor Wess-ing, Standish got itchy feet once more and in March starts as the general counsel for an international

Since graduation, Sarah Standish has trodden the well-worn legal path of starting out at an Australian firm, having a stint with an overseas firm and then going in-house

DUBAI DREAMING

company operating in the oil in-dustry that has 550 employees worldwide.

“I was ready to take on a new challenge and believe the role of in-house counsel will be a great experience for me both personally and professionally.”

Standish still enjoys life in Dubai, which offers tax-free salaries and a lively ex-pat community, and can only recommend it as a des-tination for young lawyers looking for a change of scene and new challenges in their careers.

“Dubai is a great place for young lawyers, with a few years of experience under their belt,” she says. “It is a steep learning curve, but a great way to develop your skills in a different way to how they might be developed in Australia.”

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Many young Aussie lawyers find their feet in London

Make sure you check your visa

options first

TOP TIPS:

Working in London is a

great resume builder

It’s best to find a job before

making the move

Despite being hit hard by recession, the UK mar-ket is looking healthier in 2011 and remains a

smart option for those looking to build their resume with international experience.

After a sluggish recovery, 2011 kicked off with a level of cautious optimism amongst the UK legal pro-fession, giving Australian lawyers renewed hope that opportunities are emerging in the UK, albeit slowly.

Attracted to the international experience and op-portunities for travel, Shearman & Sterling associate Emi Zakrzewski made the move from Sydney to Lon-don in July 2007, just as much of the world began its slide into recession.

As a young lawyer working amid the turbulent times of the global financial crisis – and keeping her job in the process – Zakrzewski gained a wealth of interna-tional experience guaranteed to open doors once she decides to return home.

“If you are interested in working in a global market, with varied and international clients and opportuni-ties to travel, London is the place to be,” she says.

“There was a perception before I moved to Lon-don that UK firms would only be interested in senior Australian lawyers, but UK firms do also hire junior Australian lawyers if the market conditions are right, so it’s worth making enquiries with London firms as soon as you may be interested.”

Citing the similarity between English law and Aus-tralian law, London’s proximity to Europe, plus the large pay differential between lawyers in Australia and London as reasons for her move, Zakrzewski says the main advantage of working in London is the interna-tional nature of the work and the clients (not to men-tion the weekend trips she’s managed to squeeze in to the coasts of Croatia and southern France).

With confidence on the rise, the London market re-mains a very competitive space for both local and international candidates as firms set an extremely high standard for talent.

However, while London firms are looking inter-nationally to scoop top talent, the ability of London

London has always been a hot spot for Australian lawyers, providing a great way to advance their careers while having a little fun on the side

THE LONDON EXPERIENCE

firms to sponsor overseas candi-dates was recently diminished, making an already competitive market that much harder for Aus-tralian and New Zealand lawyers to break into.

In July 2010, the British Govern-ment introduced a temporary limit on visas for non-EU nationals in preparation for a permanent visa cap to commence in April this year. The temporary cap applies to all new applicants under tier one (general) and the applica-tions under tier two (general) will be limited by the number of em-ployer sponsorship licences that are issued.

“There is a strong preference being shown towards people who have an ancestral visa right or have their own capability of ap-plying to the tier one highly skilled migrant visa, and so whilst firms are open to looking at people coming from our jurisdiction [Aus-tralia], there are still barriers that have been placed in front of these people,” says Taylor Root associ-ate director Karlie Connellan.

WORKING OVERSEAS

LB_S03_pg042-053.indd 44 24/02/11 5:52 PM


San Francisco: a popular base for West Coast law firms

New York: The heart of the American legal sector

WORKING IN THE USA

“If you are certain that you would like to work as a lawyer overseas, there is no question that being at a top-tier or international firm enhances your chanc-es,” Paluch says. “Whether or not the US market is booming, the law firms will often tell us that they strongly prefer lawyers with large law firm experi-ence.”

Mahlab Recruitment managing director Lisa Ga-zis agrees and says it would be ideal to have good initial training at a recognised firm before giving the US a go.

“You could go direct but it would be good to have a step up,” she says. “One of the advantages of go-ing overseas after a few years of initial training here is that you have networks here, so that by the time you want to come back, there are avenues you can approach and people you can rely on.”

In addition to experience in a recognised firm, strong academic results are also a must if you’re planning a move to the US.

“It’s very important that you finish university with the best possible academic results,” Paluch advis-es. “Most of the firms we deal with internationally, in any jurisdiction, will ask for an academic transcript whether a lawyer is one-year qualified or five-years qualified.”

So if all of this doesn’t scare you too much and you still have big dreams of living it up in New York City, aim to get the best possible experience in an Australian top-tier firm or an international firm, and make sure your keep on top of your studies in order to achieve the best possible results you can.

Just like the market in the UK, the United States legal market is gradually improving. However, itÕ s yet to reach pre-GFC levels and the industry remains cautious

Throughout 2010 and in 2011, the US media has focused on the concerning over-supply of law

graduates compared with jobs available in the legal industry.

The New York Times (NYT) recently reported that law school graduates are drowning in debt while failing to get a job at all. “A generation of JDs [juris doctor graduates] face the grimmest job market in decades,” the NYT reported.

“And with corporations scrutinising their legal ex-penses as never before, more entry-level legal work is now outsourced to contract temporary employees, both in the United States and in countries like India.”

With job opportunities for lawyers plummeting and an over-supply of US law graduates, the US market is a difficult one to break into for Australian qualified lawyers, both junior and senior.

“I have to say London and America are getting better but are still very, very cautious in terms of hir-ing Australian qualified lawyers,” says legal recruit-ment consultant, Doron Paluch.

“I don’t think it’s ever easy for a first year or very junior lawyer to get snapped up by an American law firm. They often have enough paralegals and gradu-ates themselves. The demand is going to come once they’ve got at least two years’ post admission under their belt.”

Despite a fairly dismal looking market, Australian qualified lawyers shouldn’t rule out a US stint com-pletely. If you have your heart set on the US there are ways to get there – eventually.

London is a global market with international clients

THE LAWYER2B ANNUAL 45

LB_S03_pg042-053.indd 45 24/02/11 5:53 PM



OUTSIDE PRIVATE PRACTICE

Working in government can lay the groundwork for a high profile career

BECOME A GURU IN GOVERNMENT

With Prime Minister Julia Gillard being a former lawyer, it would seem that politics is a good

place for law graduates. While other high profile poli-ticians, including the Attorney-General Robert Mc-Clelland and deputy opposition leader Julie Bishop, also have legal backgrounds it is the graduate pro-grams of government departments that provide the best opportunity for graduates to firm up a career in government and/or politics.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is one such area that has always appealed to law students. Via its website, DFAT shares the story of Mariko, a law graduate from the University of New South Wales and former top-tier lawyer who joined the department in 2010. Mariko says that she has been able to apply her legal skills from day one of joining DFAT, with her first placement being in the Sea Law, Environment Law and Antarctic Section where she provides legal advice on international and domestic law, treaty interpretation and assist-ing with developing legal policy advice. “My current placement in trade does not require me to apply my legal qualifications so directly, but the analytical and drafting skills I developed as a lawyer have been very useful,” Mariko says.

Another government department where the skills of law students are utilised in various ways is the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

After completing a commerce degree at UNSW, Rupert Smoker graduated with a law degree from the University of Technology in 2003. He was ac-cepted into the graduate program at ASIC in 2004 with his various roles including working as a se-nior lawyer in applications and advice, corporate finance, and a stint as the technical advisor to the chairman, Tony D’Aloisio, who himself was a lawyer and the chief executive partner at Mallesons Ste-phen Jaques.

Smoker’s last role at ASIC was as a senior man-ager, investment managers, before leaving in July last year.

“There was a lot of attention in the media given to

various things that I was partly responsible for and effectively supervising,” he says.

Smoker’s time at ASIC included the corporate boom years of 2004 to 2007, the global financial crisis and the post-GFC environment which has re-sulted in increased powers for ASIC.

He adds that having a role with an organisation like ASIC gave him a great sense of personal satisfaction.

“Making a difference to the standards of behav-iour and the standards of governance inside the operators within various financial markets gave me a sense of achievement,” he says. “This was par-ticularly the case when ASIC achieved an outcome or particular improvement in the way that an entity behaved or [was] producing something that had a broader impact across a sub-sector of the industry.”

Smoker now works in the private sector with The Trust Company, a 125 year-old trustee services com-pany that manages philanthropic funds, personal estates and large investments operated by corpo-rate clients.

As the head of responsible entity services, he is heavily involved in governance and compliance is-sues, ensuring investments are managed appropri-ately and that investment decisions are made within regulatory and legal compliance frameworks.

“I have a better understanding of the financial services market through the prism of the law, and that was a real positive outcome from doing a law degree.”

Could your career path lead you to Canberra?

LB_S03_pg042-053.indd 46 24/02/11 5:53 PM


If the idea of working within a law firm doesn’t ex-actly excite you, consider working as a lawyer within an industry you’ve always been interested in. As an in-house lawyer you could find yourself working for a global giant like Google, an investment bank like UBS, a media company like Channel Seven or a food empire like Jamie Oliver.

Working within a corporate legal department will expose you to a variety of different people, a diverse range of legal work plus give you inside knowledge of the workings of a big business.

“The key word is variety – variety in the work and variety in the people that you deal with,” says An-nette Spencer, head of legal at UBS. “You get a di-rect client interaction.”

In-house lawyers need to be comfortable interact-ing with all sorts of clients as well as different people within the company, including management.

“I look for people that are team players. While you need to be self-sufficient, you need to want to oper-ate with other people and someone who’s motivated to achieve results. You don’t always have a formal structure around timesheets or someone standing over you,” Spencer says.

An in-house lawyer must also know the business of the company that they’re working for, including key client relationships, so it helps to have an interest in the company and the industry as a whole.

There are a number of different corporations in Australia, such as Telstra, Macquarie Group and Foxtel which have their own legal department. De-cide which industry interests you and look for op-portunities there.

While it’s more common for lawyers to start their career in private practice be-fore making the move in-house, obtain-ing a job in-house straight away is still possible.

Spencer advises getting general work experience that demonstrates you can handle different scenarios and interact with different people.

Practising in-house provides a stimulating alternative to working in a law firm

GOING IN-HOUSE “We look for skills and experience which show you

have flexibility,” she says. “If you wanted to ultimately get a job in-house in the financial services industry, for example, spend some time actually working at a bank. Not necessarily a legal role but one that shows that you understand what that business is trying to achieve and what’s expected of in-house counsel.”

Just like in private practice, academic results are very important. However, they’re not the only consideration.

In-house lawyers need to demonstrate strong com-munication skills as well as time management skills.

For those of you not quite ready to go in-house, building up your experience at a larger, commercial law firm will help you land a job in-house later on.

Taylor Root consultant Brian Rollo says building up a good foundation of private practice training and experience in your first few years can be extremely beneficial and will make you more attractive as a candidate.

“Most senior in-house counsel have come via law firms before moving in-house so they tend to view your private practice training as valuable, even if you don’t!”

Although it’s relatively uncommon for law graduates to move straight into a graduate position in-house, Rollo says opportunities do exist in certain business-es if you are determined and do your research.


Employers looks for skills and experience that demonstrate your flexibility

LB_S03_pg042-053.indd 47 24/02/11 5:53 PM



If you’re studying law, chances are you’ve spent your fair share of time at the uni bar. But what

about that other Bar? The one where you wear wigs and robes and argue to your heart’s content in a courtroom? Becoming a barrister is an increasingly popular option for young lawyers and some of the country’s greatest legal minds are – or once were – barristers. So, here’s the lowdown:

// Why should I consider going to the Bar? Going to the Bar is a great option for lawyers who want flexibility, a variety of work, and relish stand-ing up in a courtroom to argue a case. Being able to choose your own hours and decide what kind of matters you work on also holds great appeal for many lawyers, as does the excitement of advocacy and the chance to become a true expert in a pre-ferred area of law.

// Would I enjoy being a barrister?Many barristers cite a love of mooting and public speaking as the reason they decided to go to the Bar, while others find the autonomy and prestige a

If you love a good argument and fancy being your own boss, look no further than the Bar

LEANING ON THE BAR

powerful lure. Anyone considering going to the Bar should be a good networker, as your connections and contacts will likely be your primary source of work. And being a people person doesn’t hurt either. “For the most part, people like to brief people that they know,” says barrister’s clerk Tammy Young. “It is not just about the knowledge you have. A solicitor wants to know that they’ll comfortably work with and get along with the barrister they have briefed. Some solicitors will ring up and say to me, ‘Will I like them?’ They don’t ask, ‘Are they qualified?’”

// What jobs are available?In the past year or so, the number of young lawyers sitting their Bar exams has increased significantly, especially in NSW. As such, anecdotal evidence suggests it is increasingly difficult for junior barristers to maintain a constant flow of work. However, the beauty of being a barrister is that you are your own boss and, therefore, the master of your own destiny and the kind of work you do.

// What can I do to increase my chances of being a successful barrister?Being confident on your feet is essential for any barrister, so getting involved in mooting, debating and public speaking will help. You can also try to score part-time work in a barrister’s chambers, or even ask a barrister if you can tag along just to get some experience. Once you’ve graduated, most barristers would recommend spending a few years in a law firm first, but that’s not to say graduates can’t go straight to the Bar (see Luci Wilson’s profile on page 62). Sydney barrister Andrew Stone says a so-licitor should let people know they are going to the Bar well before they get there, as seeking work from your old firm is a tried and true method of starting a practice.

// General advice:One thing many barristers don’t prepare for is the financial strain the first few years of practice can have on them. Barristers rarely make a lot of money when they first go to the Bar, and start-up costs can hurt. “Start-up expenses are somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000. One of the real assets when coming to the Bar is an understanding partner with a job, or having some money put away,” says Stone. Young agrees. “You need to have worked out how you are going to pay for your first year or two at the Bar, because even if you’re busy, there are initial cash-flow issues to manage.”

Don’t wig out at the start up costs of becoming a barrister, which can be up to $20,000


LB_S03_pg042-053.indd 48 24/02/11 5:53 PM



So you’re a lawyer, but you don’t want to work in a law firm, a big company or for the government.

How about working for a Non-Governmental Organi-sation (NGO)? An NGO is an organisation, usually with a social or humanitarian aim, which operates independently from any government. Working for an NGO can offer a career path and a level of job satis-faction not often found in more traditional legal roles.

// Why should I consider working for an NGO? Whilse the wages are not as high as that of a com-mercial law firm, the opportunities for travel, meet-ing and working with really interesting people and feeling that you are contributing to something worth-while is very rewarding. Dr Helen Durham, an inter-national lawyer with Australian Red Cross, says the type of work done by lawyers in NGOs and humani-tarian organisations is “intellectually stimulating, var-ied and has direct practical application both within Australia and internationally”. Durham says she also values the chance to work with colleagues with simi-lar belief systems and a commitment to humanitarian principles.

// Would I enjoy working for an NGO?According to Durham, working for a humanitarian organisation requires patience and a strong belief in matters such as international justice. “For an or-ganisation such as Red Cross, it is helpful to be idealistic in aim but have a strategic understanding about some of the practical considerations involved in international law,” she says. “Being open and flex-ible to a range of tasks is very important also, due to fewer resources available in such organisations.”

// What jobs are available?There are hundreds of NGOs within Australia which require people with a legal background, and many of them have international reach. Some of the better known organisations include Amnesty International, Oxfam, World Vision, Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity. AusAID has an extensive list of accredited

Working for an NGO is a great way to pursue your passion and make a real difference

HOW TO GO NGO

NGOs which can be viewed at: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/ngos/accredited.cfm. Check out http://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/ for the latest NGO job listings across Australia.

// What can I do to increase my chances of getting employment with an NGO?Having a history of voluntary involvement in any type of NGO or humanitarian organisation is great for stu-dents to gain an understanding of how such organi-sations work and to assist in determining whether specific areas of law (be it international humanitarian law, human rights law, refugee law or environmental law) are of genuine interest. Choosing subjects with-in your degree which develop skills in specific areas is important as well. Durham recommends interna-tional operational experience, whether through an internship at an international institution or volunteer work “in the field”, as a great way to demonstrate in-terest to potential employers.

// What do NGO employers look for?“At Red Cross, we look for demonstration of humani-tarian interest via volunteer work, internationally or domestically, or an internship,” says Durham. “Flex-ibility and the capacity to be a team player is also very important, as well as good marks in relevant subjects. For some positions, post-graduate qualifi-cations are useful in specific areas of the organisa-tion’s expertise.”

// General advice:If a law student is really passionate about a topic, Durham advises that attending seminars, meeting people and generally staying engaged with the or-ganisations of interest is a great start.

International volunteer work “in the field” is a great way to demonstrate interest to potential NGO employers

LB_S03_pg042-053.indd 49 24/02/11 5:53 PM



Both roles share the attributes of requiring good research skills, the ability to communicate clear-

ly, build contacts, be able to meet deadlines and, importantly, be a good listener.

Journalists and lawyers also often share the attri-butes of an inquiring mind and a determination to seek the reasons for why things are they way they are and to hold to account policy makers or pow-erful entities for their actions. The history of both professions is littered with examples of crusading individuals willing to bring to wider attention in-stances of injustice and the real reasons why certain things happen.

A number of lawyers or law graduates have be-come successful journalists including the Walkley Award winning journalist David Marr, who graduated with a law degree from the University of Sydney and worked as an articled clerk at Allen Allen & Hemsley (now Allens Arthur Robinson) and is presently with the Sydney Morning Herald.

Another notable ex-lawyer working in journalism is Michael Ware. He graduated from the University of Queensland and spent a year working with the president of the Queensland Court of Appeals be-fore gaining a job at the Courier Mail newspaper in the mid 1990’s. He has since worked for Time Maga-zine, reporting on Afghanistan and East Timor, and has continued to report from the Middle East with CNN, often being embedded with soldiers and serv-ing as the Baghdad Bureau Chief with the American media organisation.

The investigative ABC Four Corners journalist Liz Jackson says she decided to become a journalist af-ter becoming disheartened with what she perceived as her inability to make a real difference in her job as a juvenile justice lawyer at the Brixton Community Legal

Many of the qualities required to be a successful law student and lawyer can successfully transfer across to journalism

SWAPPING TIMESHEETS FOR A DICTAPHONE

Centre in the United Kingdom.“We were just processing our

clients, rather than really assisting them,” she says. “Over the years, they started coming back to us. It wasn’t the view I’d had of assisting the downtrodden and lots of the problems facing clients were policy failures … It seemed to me that the solutions to these weren’t legal.”

After working as a policy adviser on women’s issues, Jackson was inspired to go into journalism after seeing the opportunities it had provided a group of journalist house mates she was living with at the time.

She started at ABC Radio be-fore going on to make her name with Four Corners.

“I was given six months to prove myself. [I was told] I’d either make the transition to television in that time, or I’d be out,” Jackson says. “[They were] happy with the six months – and so was I – so that was it really.”


Liz Jackson became a journalist

after becoming disheartened as a juvenile justice

lawyer

LB_S03_pg042-053.indd 50 24/02/11 5:53 PM



Fast track your studiesas a Cross-Institutional student

Mid-year intensive subjects plus an online subject in Study Period 2

For more information phone 07 4781 4264 or email [email protected]

SucceSSion4 – 15 July 2011Townsville and Cairns Block ModeCourse Code: LA4007

AdvocAcy And criMinAl Sentencing25 – 26 June 20112 – 3 July 20119 – 10 July 2011Block ModeCourse Code: LA4039

AlternAtive diSPute reSolutionCairns, Study Period 930 September – 2 October 20118 – 9 October 2011Block ModeTownsville, Study Period 1025 – 27 November 20113 – 4 December 2011Block ModeCourse Code: LA4034

nAtive title lAw And Policy18 – 22 JulyBlock ModeCourse Code: LA4035

environMentAl lAwTownsville and CairnsExternal, Study Period 2 25 July – 28 October Course Code: LA4011

CRICOS Provider Code: 00117J

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION & MEDIATIONBANKING & FINANCECRIMINOLOGYLEGAL RECRUITMENT LEGAL PUBLISHINGPOLITICS POLICYINVESTIGATIONINDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION

OTHER OPTIONSIf working in-house, as a barrister,

for an NGO or for the government doesnÕ t appeal, there are still plenty of other options out there to consider

LB_S03_pg042-053.indd 51 24/02/11 5:53 PM

SPONSORED CONTENT


The ANU Legal Workshop in the Australian Na-tional University is Australia’s largest university-

based legal practice program.We provide Practical Legal Training in the Gradu-

ate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP).

Becoming a Practitioner intensiveBecoming a Practitioner (BAP) is the first part of the program and is a 5 day pre-requisite face-to-face intensive conducted at a number of locations throughout Australia. Students can then complete the rest of the program on-line.

Professional Practice Core (PPC)We have launched an innovative way of delivering the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. The Pro-fessional Practice Core has students operating in virtual firms conducting property, commercial and civil transactions (incorporating trust accounting and ethics) with each other and interacting with vir-tual senior partners, clients, clerks and all the play-ers you would normally find in the legal world.

Each firm has a Practice Mentor to guide the firm through the transactions, through legal practice is-sues (such as time and risk management; work/life balance and dealing with clients) and to facilitate the team working collaboratively and equitably.

Legal Practice ExperienceStudents may do 20, 40, 60 or 80 days of Legal Practice Experience. The more Legal Practice Experience students do the fewer electives they need to study. We approve work placements in le-gal firms, government legal sections, corporations, community legal centres – in all states and overseas as well.

Concurrent EnrolmentIf you want to fast track your studies you may be able to start your GDLP at the ANU Legal Workshop after you have done two thirds of your law degree.

Admission to PracticeWe have direct admission to legal practice in VIC, QLD, ACT, NSW, WA and NT.

Ongoing StudyOnce you have completed your GDLP you may re-ceive substantial credit towards an ANU LLM.

Our StaffWe have an efficient and friendly administrative team who are available to answer any questions students may have about the program.

Many of our academic staff are practising law-yers. And members of the profession are involved in teaching activities and as members of ANU Legal Workshop committees.

For further information please call 02 6125 4463 or visit our website: http://law.anu.edu.au/legalwork-shop or email [email protected]

LB_S03_pg042-053.indd 52 24/02/11 5:53 PM

SPONSORED CONTENT

I completed ANU Legal Workshop in 2005. At the time I had recently gradu-ated from Macquarie Uni-versity and was eager to be admitted to practice

as a Solicitor. I was also particularly interested in the Master of Laws (Legal Practice) course of-fered by ANU College of Law which I went on to complete in 2007. I found this to be particularly attractive due to the substantial credit received for having successfully completed ANU Legal Workshop.

There was an initial intensive on campus fol-lowed by an online component. The online com-ponent was extremely easy to complete with all materials supplied, along with assignments and exams completed online from the comfort of my office.

My learning experience with ANU Legal Work-shop has been extremely positive. I was always made to feel welcome and encouraged to do my very best. I found the administration staff and lecturers to be extremely helpful. The cam-pus in and of itself was most pleasing for me, as there was ease of access and ample parking which were crucial for me being confined to a wheelchair.

The skills, learning, knowledge and qualifica-tions gained at ANU Legal Workshop have held me in good stead. I have practised as a Solicitor with a Community Legal Centre as well as in pri-vate practice, working across number of jurisdic-tions and matters, including, Family, Will Probate, Commercial, and Conveyancing just to name a few.

More recently I have set up my own practice, GOODWIN Dispute Resolution, as I have spe-cialized as a Family Dispute Resolution Practitio-ner (FDRP) working with clients and their solici-tors and counsel to negotiate parenting arrange-ments for children as well as fair and equitable adjustments in property interest. I have found this to be both challenging and rewarding as my current role allows me to utilize my mediation, conciliation and legal practice skills and experi-ence gained through ANU Legal Workshop.

In my view and experience, the post-graduate program offered by ANU Law is second to none, and as such I am seriously considering further studies by way of a Ph.D.

All the best with your studies.

SCOTT GOODWIN LEGAL WORKSHOP PROFILE

Important Dates: Becoming a Practitioner face-to-face intensives for 2011:

Canberra: 28 March

Darwin: 20 June

Melbourne and Sydney: 27 June

Brisbane and Canberra: 4 July

Canberra: 12 September

Townsville and Canberra: 21 November

Sydney, Toowoomba and Perth: 28 November

Adelaide TBA (November or December)


LB_S03_pg042-053.indd 53 24/02/11 5:53 PM



// Get yourself to the interview roomWhen it comes to your resume be-ing noticed and stepping inside the interview room, a strong aca-demic record is your ticket.

“First and foremost, we’re look-ing for very strong academic results given the complexity of our work and the nature of our clients,” says Blake Dawson’s na-tional learning and development manager, Nicola Atkinson. “It’s obviously a very competitive pro-cess so those strong academic results are very important.”

Along with your strong aca-demic record, a resume that dem-onstrates good personal qualities and well-roundedness will also help your cause.

“We’re really looking for people who are going to suit the culture and environment of our firm,” says Baker & McKenzie’s director of talent management, Kate Muir.

In terms of the application pro-cess, Mallesons Stephen Jaques partner and co-chair of the firm’s recruitment committee, Jason Watts, says the best thing you can do is be succinct.

WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT

So now youÕ ve got a bit of an idea of where you want to take your legal career, but how exactly do you get your foot in the door? Here are a few tips from those in the know to help you get noticed and get the job you want

LB_S03_pg054-059.indd 54 24/02/11 5:55 PM



“You obviously need to get ev-erything down on the page to sell yourself but you need to do it in a fairly succinct and logical way so that someone looks at it and thinks you’re brilliant,” he says.

Once the interview stage has been reached, you need to make sure you’re well prepared and feel comfortable talking about your in-terests and work experience in an interview environment.

“[During the interview] we have a conversation about what the person has done – whether it’s at university, outside university, or to do with some work they’ve been doing,” Watts says.

“We find that by talking about those things and probing into them and finding out exactly what their role in them was, we can generally get a fair idea of [what the person will be like as an em-ployee].”

Demonstrating your knowledge about the firm or organisation you’re applying to and sharing a genuine interest in the business will also get you noticed. It doesn’t matter how good your resume is if you know nothing about the firm or organisation you’re applying to. To set yourself apart, show that you are not only interested in the employer’s business but that you understand the client relation-ships the business has.

“As a global firm we look for people who demonstrate a genu-ine interest and passion for work-ing in that sort of environment,” Muir says. “We think that the relationships we build within our global network are incredibly im-portant so we look for people who are very relationship-based too.”

And no matter which firm or practice area you want to work in, it’s good to have a basic under-standing of the economy and how a business works in general.

“[Graduates] should be think-ing about honing their commercial awareness and they can do that by developing a habit of reading [the newspapers],” Atkinson says.

// The skills you needAside from strong academic re-sults, employers look for some-one who can demonstrate their potential to grow within a role.

“We’re always looking for peo-ple with a range of skills that will allow them to do the job on day one, but also to grow into the role and progress through the firm,” Watts says.

According to Watts, Mallesons looks out for people who have a range of people skills, including the ability to influence other peo-ple, and strong project manage-ment skills.

“[We look for people that] have the skills that will allow them to go out proactively and win work and develop a reputation for themselves. As you grow as a lawyer, you need to be able to develop a reputation so people know who you are,” he says. “On one level [project management] is just about being able to cope,” he says, “but it’s being able to cope in a way that’s efficient and that allows the person to manage work and other things that they’re doing.”

Work experience – not neces-sarily in the legal industry – is always valued by firms.

“We really value work experi-ence because they [employ-ees] are building commercial skills that are transferable into practice,” Atkinson says. “It might be working in retail, or as a paralegal. Really anything that … demonstrates they bring dis-cipline to what they do.”

On top of work experience, firms also want a lawyer who has developed themselves through extra-curricular activities.

“Many of our graduates are people who excel in sport, the arts, have been involved in volunteer work or have dem-onstrated leadership through their university,” Atkinson says. “That’s really important be-cause again, when it comes to practice, we’re looking for people who are able to work with a whole range of people and able to build rapport. They need to have an understanding of what’s going on in the world and not just have their heads in their books.”

Ò AS A GLOBAL FIRM WE

LOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO

DEMONSTRATE A GENUINE

INTEREST AND PASSION FOR WORKING IN

THAT SORT OF ENVIRONMENTÓ

LB_S03_pg054-059.indd 55 24/02/11 5:55 PM

Regardless of how qualifi ed you are the notion of walking into a room and being interviewed can be extremely daunting. So here are a few simple rules:

If you type “CV format” or “résumé format” into Google you will get over 30 million results – each with a different approach to the fi ne art of summarising your career to date. How can you create a CV that leaves an appropriate impression?

Most importantly your CV should clearly demonstrate that you can do the job (and not just get the job).

What ultimately sets you apart from all the other applicants will not be your personal details set out in an elaborate font and all the colours of the rainbow. You should start with a list of personal positioning statements, key attributes and a career objective. It needs to be powerful, punchy and engaging.

Think about your core skills, competencies and personal attributes. Link these with what you are ultimately looking for in your career, and demonstrate what you have done in the past.

Your key attributes need to accentuate your personality traits, strengths and key competencies. Some of them can be fairly general, but others you may want to tweak depending on the role you are applying for.

Most interviews these days follow what could either be referred to as a competency based or behavioural based interview format. The majority of questions will all be phrased purely with an emphasis on the past, prompting you to talk through previous real life experiences – work, university, extracurricular activities etc. In order to answer these types of questions successfully, it’s important to think S.T.A.R. – Situation, Task, Action and Result. This will trigger your mind to think of the exact situation you were in at the time, the task that lay ahead of you, the action (or steps) you took to complete the task, and fi nally the result in terms of what transpired successfully or perhaps even not so successfully … after all nobody’s perfect.

Think about what competencies (personal traits) you possess that can’t be assumed by simply looking at your CV.

A few of the most commonly assessed competencies in interviews are assertiveness; enthusiasm; fl exibility, leadership; organisational ability; and team contribution. However, do not limit yourself by preparing only for these.

Remember to thank the interviewer for their time. Follow up is also advisable; sending a quick note to the person you have met thanking them for their time will be viewed positively.

Then it’s time to move on to the body of the CV – and this is where you start with any relevant qualifi cations starting with the most recent and working backwards. Don’t forget to include a summary of your grades as this is one of the most important factors graduate employers will be considering.The next section should summarize your employment history. Given that you probably won’t have worked full time, you need to outline any relevant work experience you may have undertaken (including internships or clerkships) and any voluntary or unpaid work you have done. Finally, it is appropriate to provide a list of your personal achievements - real accomplishments and not just hobbies. These may come from university, extracurricular activities or community / charity work.It isn’t always advantageous to list referees. You don’t want potential employers doing their own preliminary investigations and forming an opinion before they meet with you. One suggestion is simply to state “References: Shall be provided upon request”. If you are including referee details in your CV make sure you have sought and obtained their consent fi rst.A clean and crisp layout is what you should be aiming for. Black font on white paper is all you need. Don’t include strange fonts, patterns or watermarks. No excessive underlining, no unnecessary changes in font size, and defi nitely no frilly borders. It is also a good idea to have your name and mobile number as a discrete footer on every page in case part of it gets separated or lost.

And remember … before you send out your CV, please proof read it very carefully to check for any grammatical or spelling mistakes.

TheÊ bestÊ legalÊ opportunities

Ensure that you conduct some background research on the fi rm and the people you will be meeting. If you do not know who you will be meeting you should ask the person organising the interview.Be familiar with your CV. Be prepared to discuss your personal accomplishments and academic achievements in detail.Do not underestimate the importance of asking appropriate questions during the interview, the questions you ask an interviewer can be just as important as your answers to their questions. Prior to the interview prepare some questions that cover relevant areas such as fi rm culture, future direction, training programs, career progression etc.

Punctuality is crucial. Arriving late or even too early is unprofessional.You’ll be judged on appearance so dress appropriately. You should wear a suit and men should wear a tie. It’s never appropriate to wear jeans or other casual clothes even if the interview is on a Friday.Switch off your mobile phone. A vibrating phone in your pocket during an interview can be disconcerting.Greet your interviewer with a fi rm handshake and greet them by name. Try not to intoxicate the interviewer with an overdose of perfume of aftershave and don’t wear so much ‘bling’ that you cause a distraction.Be mindful of your body language, tone, eye contact, and general disposition.

Many graduates turn to recruitment consultants to help them fi nd their fi rst job only to be disappointed. This is because all law fi rms undertake their own graduate recruitment. But once you have 18 – 24 months experience behind you it’s a completely different story and a recruitment consultant will be able to assist you with your next move.

PREPARATION IS THE KEY

FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT

sydney: 02 9233 7977 melbourne: 03 9938 8700 [email protected] www.nclegal.com.au

MASTERINGÊ THEÊ INTERVIEWÊ PERFECTINGÊ YOURÊ CV

LB_S03_pg054-059.indd 56 24/02/11 5:55 PM

Regardless of how qualifi ed you are the notion of walking into a room and being interviewed can be extremely daunting. So here are a few simple rules:

If you type “CV format” or “résumé format” into Google you will get over 30 million results – each with a different approach to the fi ne art of summarising your career to date. How can you create a CV that leaves an appropriate impression?

Most importantly your CV should clearly demonstrate that you can do the job (and not just get the job).

What ultimately sets you apart from all the other applicants will not be your personal details set out in an elaborate font and all the colours of the rainbow. You should start with a list of personal positioning statements, key attributes and a career objective. It needs to be powerful, punchy and engaging.

Think about your core skills, competencies and personal attributes. Link these with what you are ultimately looking for in your career, and demonstrate what you have done in the past.

Your key attributes need to accentuate your personality traits, strengths and key competencies. Some of them can be fairly general, but others you may want to tweak depending on the role you are applying for.

Most interviews these days follow what could either be referred to as a competency based or behavioural based interview format. The majority of questions will all be phrased purely with an emphasis on the past, prompting you to talk through previous real life experiences – work, university, extracurricular activities etc. In order to answer these types of questions successfully, it’s important to think S.T.A.R. – Situation, Task, Action and Result. This will trigger your mind to think of the exact situation you were in at the time, the task that lay ahead of you, the action (or steps) you took to complete the task, and fi nally the result in terms of what transpired successfully or perhaps even not so successfully … after all nobody’s perfect.

Think about what competencies (personal traits) you possess that can’t be assumed by simply looking at your CV.

A few of the most commonly assessed competencies in interviews are assertiveness; enthusiasm; fl exibility, leadership; organisational ability; and team contribution. However, do not limit yourself by preparing only for these.

Remember to thank the interviewer for their time. Follow up is also advisable; sending a quick note to the person you have met thanking them for their time will be viewed positively.

Then it’s time to move on to the body of the CV – and this is where you start with any relevant qualifi cations starting with the most recent and working backwards. Don’t forget to include a summary of your grades as this is one of the most important factors graduate employers will be considering.The next section should summarize your employment history. Given that you probably won’t have worked full time, you need to outline any relevant work experience you may have undertaken (including internships or clerkships) and any voluntary or unpaid work you have done. Finally, it is appropriate to provide a list of your personal achievements - real accomplishments and not just hobbies. These may come from university, extracurricular activities or community / charity work.It isn’t always advantageous to list referees. You don’t want potential employers doing their own preliminary investigations and forming an opinion before they meet with you. One suggestion is simply to state “References: Shall be provided upon request”. If you are including referee details in your CV make sure you have sought and obtained their consent fi rst.A clean and crisp layout is what you should be aiming for. Black font on white paper is all you need. Don’t include strange fonts, patterns or watermarks. No excessive underlining, no unnecessary changes in font size, and defi nitely no frilly borders. It is also a good idea to have your name and mobile number as a discrete footer on every page in case part of it gets separated or lost.

And remember … before you send out your CV, please proof read it very carefully to check for any grammatical or spelling mistakes.

TheÊ bestÊ legalÊ opportunities

Ensure that you conduct some background research on the fi rm and the people you will be meeting. If you do not know who you will be meeting you should ask the person organising the interview.Be familiar with your CV. Be prepared to discuss your personal accomplishments and academic achievements in detail.Do not underestimate the importance of asking appropriate questions during the interview, the questions you ask an interviewer can be just as important as your answers to their questions. Prior to the interview prepare some questions that cover relevant areas such as fi rm culture, future direction, training programs, career progression etc.

Punctuality is crucial. Arriving late or even too early is unprofessional.You’ll be judged on appearance so dress appropriately. You should wear a suit and men should wear a tie. It’s never appropriate to wear jeans or other casual clothes even if the interview is on a Friday.Switch off your mobile phone. A vibrating phone in your pocket during an interview can be disconcerting.Greet your interviewer with a fi rm handshake and greet them by name. Try not to intoxicate the interviewer with an overdose of perfume of aftershave and don’t wear so much ‘bling’ that you cause a distraction.Be mindful of your body language, tone, eye contact, and general disposition.

Many graduates turn to recruitment consultants to help them fi nd their fi rst job only to be disappointed. This is because all law fi rms undertake their own graduate recruitment. But once you have 18 – 24 months experience behind you it’s a completely different story and a recruitment consultant will be able to assist you with your next move.

PREPARATION IS THE KEY

FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT

sydney: 02 9233 7977 melbourne: 03 9938 8700 [email protected] www.nclegal.com.au

MASTERINGÊ THEÊ INTERVIEWÊ PERFECTINGÊ YOURÊ CV

LB_S03_pg054-059.indd 57 24/02/11 5:55 PM


CONSIDERING YOUR DIRECTION

WHAT NEXT? THE PATH TO PRACTICE AND LEAPING AHEAD

For graduating law students seeking admission to prac-

tice in Australia, there’s one final training element that will need to be undertaken before entering the profession.

In some cases, such training can be undertaken via articles of clerkship, but in most instances students will need to complete Practical Legal Training (PLT).

The thought of undertaking even more study can seem a little overwhelming after more than five years of university, but PLT can usually be undertaken while working full-time, and can even be done in the comfort of your own home.

The College of Law, as well as many universities such as the Australian National University, the University of Wollongong and the University of Technology Sydney, offer PLT as an on or off-campus option.

According to Neville Carter, managing director of the Col-lege of Law, most PLT providers are now introducing more flexibil-ity into their courses – including the introduction of cooperative programs with law firms – after realising that a ‘one size fits all’ approach does not suit students.

PLT training is fundamentally designed to allow students to make the transition to becoming a lawyer and to prove their eligibility for admission by demonstrating they not only have the theoretical knowledge, but also the values, attitude and skills required to suc-cessfully practice law.

As legal professionals, the ex-pectation is that learning and ed-ucation in law never really ends. In order to retain a prasticing certificate, lawyers must com-plete a certain number of manda-tory continuing legal education (CLE) or professional develop-ment (PD) points – the number of which vary from state to state.

Such training requirements can provide for some interesting skills and educational development, with a number of providers con-tinually evolving their offerings to adapt to changes in the market, and many courses now being of-fered face-to-face or online.

The College of Law, for in-stance, now offers courses on everything from negotiation skills to practical advocacy skills; “time mastery” for lawyers; and seminars crossing all manner of legal practice. Universities are also extending their professional development seminars beyond the usual stream of practice area updates with the University of NSW offering courses on legal research and litigation master classes. Other providers, such as Thomson Reuters and Lexis-Nexis, offer a number of full-day conferences. Even the Salvation Army is in on the act, with its legal support arm, Salvos Legal, now hosting one-day conferences to lawyers, the proceeds of which are donated directly back to the Salvos Legal humanitarian arm.

Upon graduating, students can also look to pursue longer cours-es specifically tailored to their

legal interests and/or where they hope their career will take them, such as a Master of Laws or a graduate diploma. Following the global financial crisis such cours-es have been seen as a means for law graduates and lawyers to gain a competitive edge. Such courses also offer the benefit of specialisation, which can assist law graduates and students to jump ahead of the competition in areas like environmental law, hu-man rights and mediation.

A number of new courses have emerged in recent years in the post-graduate space, possibly reflecting changing trends in the legal profession, such as the new in-house practice masters degree, launched recently by the College of Law in partnership with the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association. Meanwhile, the University of Sydney last year launched Australia’s first Master of Global Law degree, while the University of NSW has launched a Master of Dispute Resolution.

ThereÕ s more to Practical Legal Training and Continuing Legal Education than merely obtaining and retaining a practising certificate

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LIFE AS A LAWYER


LIFE AS A LAWYER

SECTION FOUR

62YOUNG GUNS: Meet some young lawyers

pursuing exciting and rewarding careers66LEGAL LEADERS:

Some of Australia’s legal legends share their wisdom

70INDUSTRY ROUND-UP: An insight into the

workings of Australia’s legal market

What is life as a lawyer really like? Take the plunge and find out what you can accomplish through a career in law

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“I cannot overstate the importance of the Sydney Law School’s global perspective when it comes to the vibrancy of law school culture, fostering critical legal thinking, as well as opportunities for personal and professional development.”Adam Russoniello, Master of Laws (LLM)

For more information, head to

sydney.edu.au/law

THE SYDNEY MASTER OF LAWS (LLM)SYDNEY LAW SCHOOL

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LIFE AS A LAWYER


When Luci Wilson graduated from the University of Syd-

ney, she made a rare decision: to go straight to the Bar. Having worked on an inquiry with barris-ters and solicitors, using her ac-counting rather than legal skills, her colleagues soon suggested she’d make a great barrister.

“I had never seriously consid-ered it before then, so I got a job working for a judge to see if I liked what barristers did,” she says. “I worked in the Supreme Court as a tipstaff for over a year and loved it, and decided I defi-nitely wanted to be a barrister.”

From there, Wilson found a spot in Chambers – which she deferred to represent environ-mental activists in Tasmania on

a pro bono basis and work with the Tasmanian Law Reform Insti-tute – and she has since enjoyed the freedoms and challenges that come with being her own boss.

“Sometimes you work really, re-ally long hours, but at least you know it is your career and your bank account you are working for,” she says. “You also have the ability to plan your own holidays or relaxing times to make sure you’re not overdoing it.”

And if there’s one piece of ad-vice Wilson can offer, it’s to pre-pare well before going to the Bar.

“Don’t rush it,” she says. “Get lots of experience and contacts … be-cause once you are there, you have lots of overheads to pay, regardless of how much work you have.”

Allens Arthur Robinson lawyer Fergus Green’s surname is

crying out for a pun, given the area of law in which he works and is fast becoming a prominent player: climate change. Green, in both name and nature, is an outstanding young lawyer who, in the eary years of his career, has demonstrated that innovation and thought leadership are possible at any level.

For Green, it was a semester spent at Georgetown University in the US which instilled in him a passion for the environment. While studying climate science and policy, he became curious about climate change issues and how solutions to global climate problems could be developed through policy and law.

Since then, Green has been heavily involved in both local and international climate change is-

sues and has made a name for himself in environmental circles through his regular blogs and editorial pieces, contributions to various mainstream media outlets (as well as the Lowy Institute) and his participation in the 2009 Co-penhagen Climate Change Con-ference – an experience which Green says helped him clarify his career aspirations.

“It gave me an insight into how things work – or don’t work – on the ground in international ne-gotiations. I thought it was really important to actually attend a ne-gotiation and understand what it is like in practice,” he says.

Longer term, Green sees him-self delving into the challenges concerning not just climate change, but also energy, food, land use and water, and how they relate to governance and the economy.

LUCI WILSON BARRISTER, BLACKSTONE CHAMBERS

FERGUS GREEN LAWYER, ALLENS ARTHUR ROBINSON

YOUNG GUNSSo you’ve finished your degree. Where to from here? Well, the good news is that the world is your oyster. From leading the debate on climate change to prosecuting in the Northern Territory’s bush courts, doing deals in Japan and fighting human trafficking, you can go anywhere. Meet some young lawyers who have done just that.

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LIFE AS A LAWYER


It’s one thing to be a lawyer who surfs, but quite another to be a

lawyer who covers legal issues around surfing. And, if you think it sounds like a pretty good job, just ask 26-year-old Gold Coast lawyer Matt Burgess, and he’ll tell you you’re right.

Burgess is the founder and principal of Burgess Sport and Entertainment Law and, aside from working in a fairly limited area of law, has taken the unusu-al step of creating his own firm at a young age.

“The whole purpose and the reason I did it was to create flex-ibility for myself,” he says.

And with a client list which in-cludes the World Body Boarding Tour, the Association of Surfing Professionals, Fashion TV and the Australian Air Guitar Champi-onships, it seems Burgess made

a wise decision.But running your own busi-

ness does have its difficulties, and Burgess says having strong networks is vital, as is the ability to use novel ways to establish a presence in the community.

“The new age of communication is [how] my firm operates,” he says. “I’m communicating by Facebook, Skype and Twitter as opposed to hand-written letter and pigeon.”

And for those thinking of going out on their own, Burgess has some advice: “Make sure [you] know who to talk to if you find yourself in a situation ... Know when to say, ‘I’m not qualified enough’ or ‘I need to speak to someone else’. You need to be very comfortable with saying that sentence and, until you are, you’re not in a position to start your own firm.”

Within the legal profession, being young often equates

to having less responsibility and more menial tasks. But if you happen to be a young lawyer on the Northern Territory’s bush court circuit, this couldn’t be fur-ther from the truth.

Director of Public Prosecutions prosecutor Steve Ledek is one of those lawyers and for him, every day is an adventure, especially when simply getting to court of-ten requires a hair-raising ride in a single engine light plane, or a lengthy trip along isolated and barely passable bush tracks.

“The planes can be a little unreli-able … it has been known for a door to fly open mid-flight,” he laughs.

“Particularly during the wet sea-son, when we get seasonal rain and stormy, cyclonic weather, it can be a hairy ride.”

Ledek, who moved to the NT

in 2005 and spent time working as an associate to the Supreme Court’s Justice Riley, says he has learned to adapt to the unusual requirements of prosecuting on the bush circuit.

“Sometimes it’s a transient pop-ulation ... [and] you also have to consider the kinship and cultural ties of the indigenous communi-ties ... There are so many different elements and considerations that come into play,” he says.

The challenges thrown up by working on the bush court circuit are substantial, says Ledek, but he sees this as a positive.

“It’s a place to cut your teeth and learn the mechanics of law. It’s real nuts and bolts stuff ... and you learn to apply realistic solutions to difficult problems,” he says.

“It’s certainly unlike anywhere else, or any other court, you’ll ever have to be in.”

YOUNG GUNS

MATT BURGESS, PRINCIPAL, BURGESS SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT LAW

STEVE LEDEK DPP PROSECUTOR, NORTHERN TERRITORY BUSH COURTS

“IT’S A PLACE TO CUT YOUR TEETH AND LEARN THE MECHANICS OF LAW. IT’S REAL NUTS AND BOLTS STUFF ”

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YOUNG GUNS

For Jack Tyler-Stott, it was a desire to become a top-notch

advocate and conquer his fear of public speaking which led him to become a special fixtures prosecutor in the Parramatta Chil-dren’s Court.

As a police officer, Tyler-Stott was given the opportunity to study law externally on a police scholarship and learn the art of prosecution on-the-job. And it is a job he now relishes.

“I find demystifying the criminal justice system to witnesses and victims incredibly gratifying,” he says. “However, seeing an of-fender brought to justice after a hard-fought hearing is probably the most enjoyable thing.”

Tyler-Stott says working in the area of criminal law requires many things, not least of all an ability to remain objective and focused on the evidence of the case.

“The greatest challenge is re-maining objective and detached when your gut tells you [a defen-dant is] guilty but the evidence doesn’t sustain such a finding,” he says.

As well as securing justice on behalf of the community, Tyler-Stott says his job often requires innovation and creativity in order to secure a prosecution – and this is an element which he en-joys immensely.

So, would Tyler-Stott recommend a career as a prosecutor?

“Without hesitation,” he says. “It is an incredibly rewarding and stimulating career path.”

For those who have completed a law degree, there is an Accel-erated Prosecutor Recruitment Program. For information visit: http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/re-cruitment/accelerated_prosecu-tors_recruitment_program

Lawyer and migration agent Frances Simmons wasn’t so

sure about law when she com-menced her degree at the Uni-versity of Technology Sydney (UTS). But eventually the study of law became both “addictive and satisfying”.

Starting her legal career at Blake Dawson, Simmons went on to work at the Australian Human Rights Commission until continu-ing her studies at the University of Columbia in New York.

Simmons sank her teeth into a topic she had explored as a volunteer while studying at UTS: human trafficking. Simmons had worked as a researcher for the director of the UTS Anti-Slavery Project, and doing a Masters at Columbia allowed her to explore human trafficking further.

Upon returning to Australia last year, Simmons took up a full-time position with the project, and she’s never looked back.

“I really enjoy working with the clients … I feel like this project does really good work and we get really good outcomes for people,” she says.

“I love my job, it’s a great job. It’s good to have days where you feel genuinely useful.”

And for Simmons, working on the project was simply a matter of pursuing a passion.

“I had a conversation once with my boss at the commission who said that he had always chosen things that really interested him. That’s the guiding principle I have at the moment,” she says. “I want to be fascinated by what’s on my desk in the morning.”

JACK TYLER-STOTT SPECIAL FIXTURES PROSECUTOR, PARRAMATTA CHILDREN’S COURT

FRANCES SIMMONS LAWYER AND MIGRATION AGENT, UTS ANTI-SLAVERY PROJECT

“THE GREATEST CHALLENGE IS REMAINING OBJECTIVE AND DETACHED WHEN YOUR GUT TELLS YOU [A DEFENDANT IS] GUILTY BUT THE EVIDENCE DOESN’T”

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LIFE AS A LAWYER


YOUNG GUNS

While working for the gov-ernment often means you

are up close and personal with some of the most topical issues of the day, it can also be a great ice breaker at parties.

“You will go to a bbq and peo-ple will ask you questions about what you do because lots of what you do is very topical,” says Pow-er, who was directly involved in the development of policy for the Emissions Trading Scheme and, over the course of his eight year career in the public service, has served a number of environment and climate change ministers for three different prime ministers. Starting at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisher-ies in 2003 before moving to the

Australian Greenhouse Office in 2004, Power, who graduated from Macquarie University in 2002 with a commerce/law degree, says his interest in climate change is-sues started at university.

“I got very interested in interna-tional law and international envi-ronment law, especially the Kyoto Protocol and issues around that,” he says.

Power then came across publi-cations from the AGO and thought it sounded like “the most fascinat-ing place to work on the planet”. And that passion hasn’t waned.

“I have never, for one moment in my public service career, thought, ‘I wish I wasn’t involved in the climate change area and was working with a law firm’.”

For Gerard Adams, falling in love and travel has meant

that his legal career has not been by the book.

Adams enrolled in a business and law degree at the University of Technology in Sydney in 1996, and two days after sitting his last exam in December 2001, he was on a plane to Japan to be with his girlfriend whom he had met in Sydney the year before.

“I spent the summer after fourth year, when most law students are applying for clerkships, working two to three jobs and learning Japanese,” he says, recalling the days when he was a love struck law student. “When I got to Japan, I applied for a range of law and accountancy positions with local firms, and was lucky enough to gain a position with Nishimura & Partners.”

Adams stayed with the firm, Now Nishimura & Asahi, the largest law firm in Japan, for 18

months, before fate once again intervened. He met Ian Williams, a partner with Blake Dawson, who had extensive contacts in Tokyo through his legal work and rugby career.

Adams was looking to return to Australia, and Williams encour-aged him to apply for a position with Blakes graduate program, which he duly did, starting at Blakes in February 2004 after com-pleting his Practical Legal Training.

For Adams, his legal career at Blakes has come full circle, as he is now on secondment at Japa-nese brewing giant Kirin, hav-ing worked his way up to senior associate in the firm’s Sydney corporate group. This follows secondment stints in the Perth Oil and Gas group and with Mitsui & Co in Australia.

“Doing secondments and tak-ing a different path has been good for my legal career,” Adams says.

TREVOR POWER ASSISTANT SECRETARY, ANALYSIS AND PROTECTING BRANCH, DEPARTMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

GERARD ADAMS SENIOR ASSOCIATE, BLAKE DAWSON

“DOING SECONDMENTS AND TAKING A DIFFERENT PATH HAS BEEN GOOD FOR MY LEGAL CAREER”

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Baker & McKenzie manag-ing partner Chris Freeland

attributes his success to his ad-ventures overseas and taking the road less travelled.

From Melbourne to New York City to Beijing and Sydney, Free-land has tried his hand in a number of different roles, including corpo-rate lawyer, strategy consultant and general manager for Boston Consulting Group (BCG), as well as partner and chief operating of-ficer at Gilbert + Tobin (G+T).

Launching his legal career as a corporate lawyer at Freehills, it wasn’t long before Freeland sought to differentiate himself from the pack, and he was grant-ed the rare opportunity to com-plete his MBA at Columbia Univer-sity in New York City.

“I did an MBA with the view [that] I would perhaps go back as a better corporate lawyer,

[but] I was enticed by a couple of consulting firms.”

Lured by BCG, Freeland ex-tended his stay in New York and launched his career as a strategy consultant.

Following a number of years as a consultant, Freeland was then headhunted by G+T – a move which once again saw him living the life of an expatriate, this time in Beijing.

In August 2010 Freeland made his most recent landing at Baker & McKenzie’s Sydney office as the firm’s new managing partner.

Freeland says if there’s one thing that has helped him get where he is today, it’s choosing the harder path.

“Follow what you’re passionate about. Develop an interest in things you like doing [so] you can stand out from the crowd. And some-times, take the more difficult path.”

It took about 10 seconds for bar-rister and human rights advo-

cate Julian Burnside QC to work out he wanted a career in law.

After choosing to study law because that’s what his friends were doing, Burnside’s deci-sion to go to the Bar came after the then Chief Justice of New Zealand suggested it to him, fol-lowing his win as best individual speaker at a New Zealand moot-ing competition.

“He was the most important person I had ever met. So in 10 seconds, my career was planned,” Burnside says. “[But] I had only vague ideas of what being a barrister was about.”

Inspired by the work of Ameri-can trial attorney Clarence Dar-row, Burnside embarked on what

would become a very successful career as a barrister and human rights advocate, for which he received an Officer of the Or-der of Australia. Spending the first 20 years of his career do-ing commercial work, over the years Burnside’s work became increasingly dominated by large-scale human rights cases.

But despite his passion for fighting human rights injustices, Burnside reminds young lawyers they don’t have to change the world to make a difference.

“If you’re engaged in the legal system in any capacity, what you’re doing is important to someone … The important thing is that you’re helping the legal system function properly and that is seriously important.”

LEGAL LEADERS

CHRIS FREELAND MANAGING PARTNER BAKER & MCKENZIE

JULIAN BURNSIDE QC BARRISTER

If there’s one thing you want to know when you’re a student, it’s the heights you can reach in your chosen career. But getting there takes hard work and determination. We’ve gathered some of Australia’s legal legends to share their hard-earned wisdom and how they got it

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LIFE AS A LAWYER


For Karen Perret, chief counsel of Kraft Foods Australia and

New Zealand, working in-house has provided her with great op-portunities for innovation and leadership.

Having started out as a pri-vate practice lawyer with Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Perret worked her way up to senior as-sociate level in the firm’s corpo-rate group. But before she pro-gressed to partnership, she was made an offer she couldn’t re-fuse: a newly created role on the Cadbury legal team (now Kraft).

“While I was very focused on reaching partnership … it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” she says.

In 2004, Perret made the switch to in-house and has never looked back; citing leadership oppor-

tunities and a chance to take a hands-on approach to clients’ matters as some of her role’s more enjoyable aspects.

“I love … the ability to get in-volved at the outset of a matter and provide strategic legal advice, as well as see things through to imple-mentation,” she says. “The variety and quality of legal work, as well as the leadership and management opportunities I have been given, has been fantastic.”

Perret obviously loves her job, but acknowledges that her cur-rent role throws up some chal-lenges.

“The pace of change [is a chal-lenge], but I personally see that as a good thing, because you don’t want to stay the same. This presents a real opportunity for in-house lawyers to innovate.”

When it came to choosing a career in law, Dr Helen

Durham started out on a tradi-tional route, but ended up in a career which many lawyers can only dream about.

As well as being a senior fel-low at Melbourne Law School, Durham is the strategic advisor, international law at Australian Red Cross (Red Cross), and has been involved in some of the internation-al community’s most significant events, including the creation of the Rome Statute – which saw the birth of the historic International Criminal Court – in 1998.

“As a lawyer, it was so interesting to go from private practice to inter-national negotiations,” she says.

Durham started out as a solici-tor with firm Holding Redlich and, in 1996, joined Red Cross as national manager of international humanitarian law. In 2002 she be-

came the regional legal adviser and head of office Australia for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and three years ago returned to Australian Red Cross for her current role. Durham has done field missions in Burma and Aceh and assisted governments in the Pacific to ratify and implement international humanitarian law treaties.

Durham obtains much satisfac-tion from her work, despite the fact that international law comes with challenges and frustrations. “From my experience we need to always try to improve the plight of humanity without being naive about the obstacles we face … Elenor Roosevelt once said, ‘It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.’ In the face of human darkness, lighting a tiny little candle in the corner can mean a lot to many people.”

LEGAL LEADERS

KAREN PERRET CHIEF COUNSEL, KRAFT FOODS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

DR HELEN DURHAM INTERNATIONAL LAWYER, AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS

“FROM MY EXPERIENCE WE NEED TO ALWAYS TRY TO IMPROVE THE PLIGHT OF HUMANITY WITHOUT BEING NAIVE ABOUT THE OBSTACLES WE FACE”

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LIFE AS A LAWYER


Give respect. Be bold. Have fun. These three rules are

the principles behind Sydney-based Marque Lawyers which, since its inception in 2008, has thumbed its nose at the way law is traditionally practised and proved that non-conformity in the legal world is far from fatal.

Marque is the brainchild of sev-eral disillusioned lawyers who thought there had to be a better way to practise law.

And for Bradley, a clear under-standing of what he didn’t want in a firm made configuring Marque surprisingly easy. “[I had a] grow-ing dissatisfaction with law, the way it’s practised, the way firms operate. I didn’t really enjoy be-ing a lawyer,” he says.

The result is a firm in which offices are strictly out; social in-teraction, relationship building and self-deprecation are com-

pulsory (along with the footy tipping competition); noise and bustle are encouraged; and per-formance is measured on skill and relationships rather than the number of billable hours clocked each day.

This last point is particularly important to Bradley, who rates the dominance of timesheets as a fundamental flaw in the legal business model. “You end up measuring success by reference to time units, regardless of how you have spent that time. That’s not why any of us studied law,” he says.

But change is coming, says Bradley. “Continuing survival of firms is, to a large degree, sup-ported by the endless flow and supply of graduates … but that tolerance level is diminishing and that translates into increasing dif-ficulty in hanging on to them.”

After more than three de-cades in the law, Ken Crisp-

in completed a book last year, The Quest for Justice, which in-cludes an impassioned plea for a bill of rights.

Crispin has had an impressive career, commencing practice as a Sydney barrister in 1973 before moving to Canberra in the late 1970s where he acted for a number of high-profile de-fendants, including Lindy and Michael Chamberlain. He later became a Queen’s Counsel, di-rector of public prosecutions for the ACT, a Supreme Court judge and president of the ACT Court of Appeal. He also chaired the ACT Law Reform Commission, before retiring in 2007.

In recent times, Crispin has tak-en a more controversial role, call-ing for the legalisation of drugs

and criticising the media and poli-ticians who he says distort crime statistics for their own ends.

Crispin says that as a judge, you have to interpret the law and the facts of the case before you, and try to put emotional consid-erations to one side. “Sentencing laws don’t exist so the families of the victims feel better,” he says. “There needs to be some scope for mercy and some scope for the rehabilitation of the offender, which are both in the long-term interests of the community.”

Crispin is also a major critic of recent anti-terrorism laws.

“When you start to take rights away from everybody, because you want to get at a terrorist,” he says, “you are taking rights away from our children and grandchil-dren as well as the kind of peo-ple we are targeting.”

LEGAL LEADERS

KEN CRISPIN RETIRED SUPREME COURT JUDGE

MICHAEL BRADLEY MANAGING PARTNER, MARQUE LAWYERS

“THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SCOPE FOR MERCY AND SOME SCOPE FOR THE REHABILITATION OF THE OFFENDER”

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LIFE AS A LAWYER


There are few lawyers who can boast as distinguished a ca-

reer as Sir Laurence Street.After studying law at Sydney

University, Sir Laurence was ad-mitted as a barrister in 1951 and appointed a judge of the NSW Supreme Court in the Equity Di-vision in 1965, before serving 14 years as the Chief Justice of NSW from 1974 to 1988.

In “retirement” since then, Sir Laurence has acted as a media-tor, overseeing the settlement of over 1500 commercial disputes.

During this time, Sir Laurence has combined his legal career with a multitude of other commit-ments and pro bono work, includ-ing being the president of St John Ambulance Australia (NSW) and the world president of the Interna-tional Law Association.

Combined with seven honorary

doctorates or fellowships, it is no wonder he has been recognised as a companion of the Order of Australia and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.

“The characteristics of human-ity, humility, a liberated intellect and being a nice person, those are the qualities that you should find in a judge,” he says.

Despite all these accolades and achievements, Sir Laurence, at 84, still remembers his univer-sity days well, and continues to take an interest in university cur-ricula and act as a mentor for young lawyers.

“I have always devoted a lot of energy and encouragement to our law schools and student ac-tivities, because that is the cruci-ble from which our justice system flows.”

Michelle Sindler’s flair for studying languages has

certainly come in handy over the course of her legal career. The CEO of the Australian Interna-tional Disputes Centre (AIDC), which opened in Sydney last year, started her career with Minter Ellison in 1985 after ob-taining degrees in law and lan-guages (she is fluent in French, Italian and Czech) from Sydney University, rising to partnership in 1990. She has practised in four different jurisdictions in four separate firms, including as a partner at three firms.

This includes becoming the first female partner at Swiss firm Bär & Karrer in 2002.

At Minters, Sindler cut her teeth in litigation, and quickly became attracted to arbitration and alter-native dispute resolution.

However, with Australia not having the volume of arbitration work as compared with many other jurisdictions, and Sindler being appointed president of the International Young Lawyers As-sociation in 2000, she decided to move to Europe.

She says her return to Aus-tralia was for both personal and professional reasons. “The development of arbitration has moved east from Europe,” she says. “This has been recognised by European practitioners and international companies, who realise that you don’t need to go to Stockholm or Zurich to gain access to quality arbitration sys-tems and practitioners.

“There was a sentiment within the legal community in Australia that such a centre on our shores was long overdue,” Sindler says.

LEGAL LEADERS

MICHELLE SINDLER CEO, AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES CENTRE

SIR LAURENCE STREET FORMER NSW CHIEF JUSTICE

“HUMANITY, HUMILITY, A LIBERATED INTELLECT AND BEING A NICE PERSON, THOSE ARE THE QUALITIES THAT YOU SHOULD FIND IN A JUDGE”

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LIFE AS A LAWYER

INDUSTRY ROUND-UPAustralian law firms have faced some significant competition over the last couple of years with the entry of global law firms and the rise of some well-resourced boutique practices. So where’s the best place for a young lawyer to find their feet? Well, that all depends on just what kind of private practice legal career you’re after …

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LIFE AS A LAWYER

You now have a good insight into life as a lawyer, as well as a taste of what it’s like to work overseas, in-house or in private practice, but what does the Australian legal industry actually look like?

BY THE NUMBERSINDUSTRY ROUND-UP

MAJOR MARKET SEGMENTS

Commercial, finance and business: 33.8%

Property conveyancing and related work: 21.8%

Other services: 14.3%

Family law, wills, probate and estate services: 9.9%

Personal injury, workers compensation and motor vehicle: 8.7%

Intellectual property: 5.3%

Environment and industrial relations: 4.3%

Criminal: 1.9%

HERE ARE SOME OF THE KEY STATISTICS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

$23.1 billion The expected revenue to be generated by the Australian legal industry in 2010-11. This represents growth of 2.9 per cent above 2009-10 levels and an average rate of 2.3 per cent growth per annum over the preceding five years

16,450 The number of legal enterprises in Australia in 2010

123,333 The number of persons employed across legal services in Australia in 2010

57,911 The number of lawyers in the industry as of 2009

Solicitors: 78.8%

Barristers: 10.8%

Government solicitors: 3.9%

Legal aid authorities: 3.1%

Patent attorney practices: 2.7%

Community legal centres: 0.7%

SERVICE SEGMENTATION

* Source: IBISWorld Industry Report, Legal Services in Australia

NSW: 41.7%

South Australia: 5.4%

Tasmania: 1.1%

Victoria: 26.4%

ACT: 1.6%

Western Australia: 6.4%

Northern Territory: 0.7% Queensland:

16.7%

GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD

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Over the last couple of years the Australian legal market

has seen a new trend emerging: the arrival of firms from around the world, including the Magic Circle.

Presently, there are three global firms with a significant presence in Australia. They are Allen & Ov-ery, Norton Rose and Baker & McKenzie. DLA Piper and Clifford Chance will also be opening of-fices on 1 May 2011.

The global firms are those with a truly world-wide presence, includ-ing offices throughout the Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, the US and the Middle East.

For lawyers, global firms present an exciting opportunity to have a career which knows no borders and the chance to work overseas very early on in your legal career.

In a legal market which is at-tracting more global players every year, global firms in Australia are making no secret of the fact they will use their international leverage to secure the best and brightest legal minds.

Norton Rose’s director, people and development, Rolf Moses, is certain that access to international opportunities is a significant at-traction for graduates who join the firm.

“The benefits of joining a global legal practice are clear and our ability to move our graduates and young lawyers into offices over-seas is one factor that attracts lawyers to us,” he says.

“We aim to provide quality can-

didates for the growth and devel-opment of our Australian prac-tices while building a pipeline of talented lawyers into Asia-Pacific. This is a long-term investment for our firm.”

Norton Rose offers the program, which mirrors the global second-ment program initiated in the UK, three times a year, while also host-ing Norton Rose graduates from offices around the world.

A spokesperson from DLA Phillips Fox, which recently an-nounced it will be merging with global giant DLA Piper, says that once the merger is finalised, providing Australian clerks and graduates with overseas stints will certainly be viewed as a “key ben-efit”, and planning has already commenced on the development of international clerkships.

Meanwhile, Baker & McKenzie, the first global firm to lay founda-tions in Australia, has long been offering clerks and graduates the chance to do rotations abroad.

According to the vice-president of the Australian Law Students As-sociation, Jakeob Brown, Allen & Overy’s recent decision to send its summer clerks to an Asian of-fice of their choice for one week of their placement has generated talk amongst students.

“The opportunity to go overseas is very exciting for students, par-ticularly the chance to do a sum-mer clerkship overseas, like A&O offered this year,” he says.

“That’s something you’re not

The arrival of global firms in the Australian legal market has brought with it exciting opportunities for graduates looking to broaden their horizons

GLOBAL FIRMS

INDUSTRY ROUND-UP

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necessarily going to get from the Australian firms.”

Although some larger domestic firms are starting to send junior lawyers abroad, Brown believes they will have to start matching the global firms in offering overseas opportunities very early on in or-der to compete.

“That is where the market is go-ing, and I think they recognise that if they are going to continue to re-cruit the best students they need to move into that area,” he says.

The allure of working in a global firm such as Allen & Overy be-came glaringly obvious when the firm received more than 550 appli-cations for its first-ever Australian summer clerkship program.

However, not all law students are convinced that the new global entrants to the market are the ide-al place to commence a career.

“Some of [my peers] thought coming to A&O was riskier than going to a big Australian firm,” says A&O summer clerk Alison Cranney.

“They asked me whether I was worried that [the firm] would fail in the first couple of years and that I would be left jobless.”

Fellow summer clerk Joseph Lam found himself answering similar questions.

“People were asking whether A&O would pack up and leave af-ter a year or so,” he says.

But for both Cranney and Lam, the opportunity to work with a Mag-ic Circle firm on Australian soil was too good to pass up, even without the knowledge they’d be jetting off to Hong Kong for a week.

“I was absolutely positive, before I even turned up to the first-round interview, that [A&O] is where I wanted to work,” says Cranney.

“The fact that it’s a global firm had its attractions in that there are a lot of international resources and a lot of cross-border transac-tions. I was attracted to the idea of working on multi-jurisdictional transactions … I was [also] aware that in the legal market there were a lot of murmurings about inter-national firms coming, and I was concerned that the big Australian firm model might not be some-thing that would work in the next 10 years.”

Lam agrees. “When [A&O] came to Australia, it was a no-brainer. I put A&O in a different group com-pared with Mallesons and Freehills and the domestic firms. With A&O having offices everywhere … it definitely caught my attention more than the other firms.”

And according to both Cranney and Lam, getting a foot in the door with a global firm is the way of the future.

“People are becoming more aware of the international oppor-tunities, and certainly the interna-tional aspect of a firm has a higher premium when people are consid-ering which firm they want to go to,” says Cranney.

“I think, increasingly, people want to work at firms with an inter-national presence.”

Ò THE BIG AUSTRALIAN FIRM MODEL

MIGHT NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD WORK IN

THE NEXT 10 YEARS”

TOP 5 REASONS TO GO GLOBAL•Internationalopportunities•Excitingcross-borderwork•Summerclerkshipsandgrad

rotations abroad•World-widereputation•Seamlessglobalnetworks

The opportunity to work in an international firm’s office is a big attraction for Australian graduates


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When deciding whether to work in a top or mid-tier firm, it is useful to know how they are defined and what you can expect when you get there

The Australian legal market has traditionally been separated into three distinct groups: top-tier,

mid-tier and small/boutique (see our report on small law on page 77).

However, the definitions of what constitutes the top and mid tiers are changing, and finding a general consensus on which law firms fit where is becom-ing an increasingly difficult task, especially with the arrival of global firms (see our report on global firms on page 72).

According to IBISWorld industry analyst Sam Ellis, there are many accepted factors which contribute to what he describes as the “fairly arbitrary process” of defining legal tiers. Such factors, he says, include the number of employees, number of offices, the range of service capabilities, and the size and profile of clients and engagements.

However, revenue has long held the most sway as the metric which defines which law firms make up Australia’s coveted top-tier.

It is revenue that places Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Freehills, Minter Ellison, Clayton Utz, Allens Arthur Robinson and Blake Dawson in the traditional top-tier (also known as the Big Six) with Corrs Cham-bers Westgarth straddling the revenue border be-tween top-tier and mid-tier.

Though Ellis says it is difficult to pinpoint the exact moment when tiers emerged in Australia, he offers the following explanation: “It is something that devel-oped over a period of time throughout the 20th cen-tury in industrialised nations as mergers and acqui-


TALKING ABOUT THE TIERS

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sitions between successful firms yielded the creation of standout large firms across a number of industries ... This was, in turn, driven by the need to service cli-ents that were expanding nation-ally and internationally.”

// Does size matter? Many firms, particularly those outside the traditional top-tier, suggest the classification of firms based on revenue is not useful for clients or the legal industry as a whole.

Middletons managing partner Nick Nichola certainly sees it that way.

“You can measure a law firm, or indeed any business, on a range of metrics and categorise accordingly. However, I find little meaning in such classifications and I am not sure clients find it helpful either,” he says.

“Middletons’ goal isn’t dissimi-lar to many other law firms, and who we compete with will vary according to which area of law or industry,” adds Nichola. “I’d rather our clients decide where we sit in the market rather than some arbitrary classification.”

Wayne Spanner, a partner at global firm Norton Rose, ac-knowledges that the division of tiers based on scale, both in terms of revenue and reach, has been a relevant way of un-derstanding the market, though he argues that it is not as impor-tant as it once was. “Clients do not simply use firms because they have the top-tier tag,” he says.

“I think they’re quite capable of discerning who is best in the market, and I think nowadays ... they think size is not that impor-tant or as significant as it might have been when the tag came to prominence.”

Sharon Cook, managing part-ner of Henry Davis York, fervently believes size is secondary to ex-pertise when measuring a firm’s worth.

“In my view, the term ‘top-tier’ describes the size, not the qual-ity, of a firm,” she says.

“I object to the term [mid-tier] as it suggests we are of an infe-rior quality [when compared with other firms]. We provide top qual-ity service and carry out high-end work, but we don’t have the size of some of the bigger firms ... We have no plans to be all things to all men. We don’t need to be a top-tier firm to perform high-end work.”

The chief executive partner of Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Robert Milliner, makes clear his view that reputation ultimately distinguishes which firms occupy the top-tier; not size or revenue (though these, he says, are cer-tainly factors).

“It comes down to the reputa-tion of the firm based on its peo-ple, quality of service and depth of expertise, as well as peer and client reviews,” he says.

“Clients are highly aware of firm capability and relative perfor-mance. Regardless of the views of the profession, it is how clients regard a firm that is critical.”

But according to Telstra’s gen-eral counsel, Will Irving, the fact that a firm is in the top-tier is only relevant when it comes to large-scale litigation and voluminous transactions.

“The rest of the time,” says Ir-ving, “I’m interested in the indi-vidual lead partner and the team which is doing the work. Whilst often the most experienced and knowledgeable people are at a top-tier firm, there are superb lawyers at smaller firms too.”

Irving agrees with Milliner when he says that reputation is a cru-cial consideration for clients. “I don’t think the tier matters, but the firm’s lawyers, and to some extent its reputation, certainly do. Firms in the same tier quite often have very different strengths, and [reputation] matters a whole lot more than the tier itself,” he says.

// Blurring the linesThe fact that firms are debating the relevance of tiers, or have accepted that size doesn’t mat-ter as much as reputation, might suggest that the pool of firms in the top-tier has expanded.

IBISWorld’s Ellis seems to think so. “The notion of tiers provides a helpful form of ‘short hand’ which

TOP 5 REASONS TO GO MID-TIER•Fantasticculture•Chancetoworkclosely

with partners•Lotsofsupportfrom

supervisors•Fewerpeoplebutstillmany

opportunities•Chancetofocuson

business development


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aids discussion, but the borders between tiers are blurring,” he says.

“While there remain some en-gagements that tend to be solely the domain of the recognised top-tier firms due to their size, many clients are seeing benefits in using smaller firms for mat-ters that don’t require enormous scale. As this occurs, the gap between the recognised top-tier and mid-tier is narrowing.”

Irving also believes that if ques-tions of size are set aside, then the top-tier has expanded. He specifically names Gilbert + To-bin and Arnold Bloch Liebler as two firms which he considers to have crossed the line.

Milliner, however, does not agree. “In our view, the number of firms in Australia that can gen-uinely carry the top-tier label on a national basis has actually con-tracted,” he says. “In this market, as in any other, firms are judged on their track record.”

Opinions about which firms oc-cupy the coveted top-tier, and whether it is really a relevant con-sideration, will no doubt continue to vary. Many firms are already shifting from a revenue-based definition of the top-tier to one which prefers sector reputation, but such a change has yet to fully infiltrate legal industry psyche and language.

// What the young lawyers sayDespite the continuing debate about tiers, the fact remains that many lawyers choose their firms based on what they believe they can offer, and this is something which is often dependent on the size of a firm.

Daniel Solomon, a property and projects lawyer at mid-tier firm Dibbs Barker, says he chose to work at Dibbs because of what the firm could provide in terms of

his career development.“It’s not so much that I chose

to work in a mid-tier firm, it was more about [choosing] the right firm for me,” he says.

“I am quite ambitious and I wanted to develop my legal skills in a way that my ambitions could actually be achieved. I looked for a place that would encourage me to achieve my goals and re-ward me for doing that, and the reason I chose Dibbs Barker is because [my supervisors] pay close attention to my develop-ment and they can assist me in reaching my objectives.

“I think that is a valuable com-modity that is not necessarily abundant in top-tier firms. That is why I chose this mid-tier firm.”

Solomon says he was also drawn to the culture of mid-tier firms, which generally has a good reputation in the legal market.

“The culture here is great. Ev-eryone socialises with each oth-er, inside and outside of the firm,” he says.

“You make friends very quickly. It’s not a small firm, but I feel like I know everyone, so that is some-thing that I really enjoy.”

Allens Arthur Robinson merg-ers and acquisitions lawyer Mar-cus King says working in a top-

tier firm has given him exposure to training and development that would not be available in smaller firms.

“At a big firm, you get the best training and development oppor-tunities and certainly I’ve expe-rienced that over the past year,” he says.

“You also get access to work-ing with very good lawyers and you learn a lot from them. You get challenging and very interesting work … and at the big firms, you are dealing with some of the big-gest legal matters that are on at the time.”

And while King admits that the working environment is always very busy and often stressful, he says the amount he is learning is worth it.

“You are rarely sitting around twiddling your thumbs. There is always work going on,” he says. “The opportunity to learn is signif-icant, and as a young lawyer that is crucial in your development. Whether you end up staying at a large firm or you move on to somewhere else, the knowledge and skills that you pick up in your first few years are crucial.”

According to King, highly mo-tivated individuals who are pas-sionate about their work will thrive in a top-tier firm, even if they are not sure in which area of law they want to practice.

“Big firms really do cover all as-pects of commercial law, where-as some of your smaller firms will only cover certain areas. Bigger firms tend to cover all the bases, whether its litigation or mergers and acquisitions or tax or envi-ronment,” he says.

“When you’re a young lawyer and you’re not exactly sure what area you want to go into, it’s great to have the opportunity to explore a few different practice areas.”

TOP 5 REASONS TO GO TOP TIER•Exposuretobiggestlegal

matters •Chancetoworkwith

top lawyers•Broadrangeof

practice groups•Significanttraining

and development•Largegraduategroupsand

support networks

•

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TOP 5 REASONS TO WORK IN A BOUTIQUE•Moreclientcontact•Manyopportunitiesforadvocacy•Lesspressureandshorterhours•Morecontactwithpartners•Youcanclimbtheladderquicker


LIFE AS A LAWYER

eas of law. It also offers lawyers the opportunity to climb the lad-der much faster than they would in a larger firm.

For Brendan Moylan, working in a small law firm has not only been very enjoyable, but also a great career move: at the age of just 30, he has already been a direc-tor at Webb & Boland, based in Moree in north-western NSW, for almost four years.

Moylan says working in a small firm was a great decision, giving him vast practical experience and early exposure to taking on responsibility.

“You get a lot more opportu-nity. Within three days of being admitted as a lawyer I was back in Moree running a local court hearing. You have to learn very quickly,” he says.

“A lot of the guys I went to the College of Law with stayed in

Sydney and they are still working their way up.”

Working in a boutique firm also has its perks, and Greg Henry, principal of Sydney-based bou-tique firm Turtons, swears by it.

“At university I looked at clerk-ships and I worked at a large firm for while,” he says.

“Looking at what that had to of-fer versus what life was like in a smaller environment, I chose the smaller environment.

“There is such a massive at-traction for people coming out of law school to go to the big firms, because they have such a strong presence in the marketplace. They’re an obvious choice, but the burn-outs are just unbelievable.”

“[In a boutique] there’s no politics, you don’t have impos-ing budgets, you’re not working ridiculous hours and you have such a fantastic relationship with your clients.”

While there are many simi-larities between small law

firms and boutique firms, the pri-mary difference is that boutique firms focus on one or two specific areas of law, such as commercial law or employment law, whereas small law firms tend to cover numerous areas of law, such as criminal, property, family and gen-eral commercial law.

Understandably, small firms tend to be more prevalent in rural, region-al and suburban areas, while the number of boutique firms, offering highly specialised services, scat-tered around metropolitan areas is rapidly increasing.

Working in a small, generalist practice can be very rewarding for young lawyers, especially for those who want high levels of cli-ent contact, the chance to stand up in court on a daily basis, and to become proficient in several ar-

Choosing to work in a small or boutique practice can open up opportunities that you can’t find in larger firms

SMALL LAW AND BOUTIQUE FIRMS

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For more information on our summer clerk scheme visit: www.allenovery.com or contact Sarah Harris on: 02 9373 7711 or [email protected]

A clerkship at Allen & Overy

Allen & Overy is unique in the Australian market – a global elite firm with 21 leading local partners, who are part of a fully integrated global network. It’s no wonder we were inundated with applications for a position in our inaugural Clerkship program in Syd-ney and Perth.

Our program is aimed at giving clerks real life ex-periences – mock transactions, pitch exercises, cli-ent meetings and a stint in one of our offices in Asia. In addition, the program was developed by our partners and they remain heavily involved through-out the program.

Sydney snapshot A 10 week, full time program over the months of De-cember, January and February.

In addition to working alongside partners on live issues and cross-border transactions, clerks par-ticipated in two projects which lasted the duration of the clerkship:

A mock transaction was set up to help clerks ex-perience what it would be like acting as counsel for a client during an acquisition, with partners playing the client role.

A mock pitch exercise, including a panel presen-tation with clients of the firm.

Clerks also had the opportunity to spend a week in one of Allen & Overy’s offices in Asia, choosing from Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sin-gapore. The opportunity gave them a chance to get a feel for the heart of the firm, our global network, and experience working in different cultures.

Joseph Lam, a final year law student at the Univer-sity of NSW spent his offshore week in Hong Kong

“The work load has been demanding, but being involved in international cross-border transactions has been a great experience. Being exposed to A&O’s international network during my time in the Hong Kong office was totally unique – very few of my peers experienced anything like it.”

Perth snapshot In Perth the program ran a little differently. The clerks were in the office for two weeks but still had experience with live transactions and a mock pitch exercise.

The size of our Perth office means clerks benefit from a huge amount of invaluable one-on-one part-ner time and greater exposure to real work.

Prue Criddle, a final year law student at the Uni-versity of Western Australia said “The opportunity to work so closely with some of Australia’s leading lawyers is something that wasn’t previously on offer in Perth. It’s definitely a unique placement and a real opportunity to learn from the best”.

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© Allen & Overy 2011 www.allenovery.com

We saw the opportunity. Can you see the opportunity in us? you see the opportunity in us? youThe globalisation of commerce is having a major impact on the provision of legal services. The emergence of new markets means that now, more than ever, clients are looking for internationally capable lawyers – people who combine legal and commercial expertise with the ability and the resources to operate in multi-disciplined, cross border teams. Is that the kind of lawyer you want to be?

It is almost a year since Allen & Overy was the first global elite law firm to commence operations in Australia. The response to our arrival has been overwhelming and we are continuing to grow. We are looking to recruit summer clerks and graduates, who want to develop their careers on a global scale.

Joining Allen & Overy means playing a part in a diverse, international team spanning a network of 36 offices in 26 countries, tackling challenges in established and emerging markets and helping the firm continue to set the pace in a rapidly evolving legal landscape.

If you are interested in starting your career with the firm setting the pace in the legal industry globally, who can offer you a world of opportunity, please visit: www.allenovery.com/careers

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www.middletons.com twitter.com/Middletons_Law

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Middletons

What do you like best about Middletons’ culture?Middletons really does have a friendly atmosphere and this is what makes it a great place to come to work everyday. By the end of my clerkship, I felt like I knew most of the firm. My supervising partners’ doors, as well as everyone else’s, was always open to discuss my work or any difficulties I faced. I was assigned a recent graduate as my ‘buddy’ who was also always there to answer any of those ‘stupid’ questions I thought I had.

From the outset I was treated as part of the firm - everyone genuinely interested in keeping me in-volved and pushing my development as a young lawyer. While professional, the firm remains laid back and willing to have fun wherever possible. This ethos and relationship based interaction between all people at Middletons, no matter what level they are, is something that really jumped out at me during the clerkship experience, and is something that contin-ues now into my graduate year.

Why choose Middletons?I chose Middletons because it provides a great bal-ance; it is big enough to engage those important clients but small enough so you are not just another face in the crowd. Middletons prides itself on deliv-ering without the fanfare, and so that’s what I have tried to do here! During my summer clerkship expe-rience and now as a graduate lawyer the firm contin-ues to provide me with great opportunities in a great environment.

Let’s face it, the summer clerkship process can feel like a bit of a marathon. From the applications to the interview process and the countless information evenings, you can be forgiven for feeling completely overwhelmed by it all.

George Calligeros was recently a summer clerk at Middletons and talks about his experience and why Middletons was the right choice for him.

What was the interview process like at Middletons?The process started with a breakfast, which was something a bit different and a great way to get ac-quainted with the firm and some of its people in an informal and social setting. The interview process in-volved a partner and HR representative and I felt like both were genuinely interested in finding out about me personally, as well as my professional ambitions. There were thankfully no “if you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?” questions, but instead a relaxed conversation about not only what I can contribute to the firm and what they could offer me, but also my general obsessions in life namely snowboarding and sport! Immediately I was given an insight into the kind of people that made up Middletons.

What type of work does a summer clerk at Middletons get involved in?The nature of the firm means that summer clerks are not seen as extra baggage that is carried around for the warmer months. Small practice group teams combined with significant clients meant I was given meaningful work from the day I moved into each of my practice groups. My time during my two rota-tions involved working with a team engaged in ma-jor litigation proceedings, drafting client advices in tandem with my supervising partner and attending client meetings. The work was varied and interest-ing and my fears of manning the photocopier for a few months never even nearly materialised. I worked with people at all levels of the firm and never felt out of place or that my ideas and opinions weren’t being heard.

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FIRM PROFILE


Norton Rose Australia

Who are we?Norton Rose Group is a leading international legal practice of-fering a full business law service from offices across the Asia Pa-cific, Europe and the Middle East. We have over 1800 lawyers in 30 offices, 700 of whom are based in the Asia Pacific.

Our offices in the Asia Pacific include Sydney, Melbourne, Bris-bane, Perth, Canberra, Hong Kong, Beijing,

Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo and Jakarta. Our offices in Europe and the Middle East include Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Athens, Bahrain, Brussels, Dubai, Frank-furt, London, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Piraeus, Prague, Riyadh, Rome and Warsaw.

Knowing how our clients’ busi-nesses work and understanding what drives their industries is fun-damental to us. Our lawyers share industry knowledge and sector expertise across borders, enabling us to support our clients anywhere in the world. We are strong in cor-porate finance, financial institu-tions, energy and infrastructure, transport and technology.

What is our culture?At Norton Rose we’re renowned for our down-to-earth, straightfor-ward approach. Our style is infor-mal and we value both personality and professionalism.

The culture at Norton Rose is based on a team environ-ment where everyone shares a

common goal while still recognis-ing individuals for their diversity in skills, attributes and interests. We are an organisation that is exciting and progressive, offer-ing interesting and challenging work and providing great career opportunities.

Our culture encourages the in-dividual to excel within a frame-work of cooperation and best practice. People tell us we are a bit different from other legal practices, with a friendly, colle-giate culture.

Who do we look for?We believe our firm can only be judged on the quality of the law-yers within it. Seasonal clerks and graduates are the future of our firm. The characteristics we look for include:•strongandconsistent

academic results;•activeparticipationin

extra-curricular activities;•teamwork;•initiativeandcommonsense;•enthusiasmandapositive

attitude;•energyanddrive;•strongcommunicationskills;•commitmenttoexcellence

and meeting client needs; and•genuineinterestinbuildinga

career in a global firm.

Seasonal clerkships The seasonal clerkship program runs for 10 weeks in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane; and 12 weeks in Sydney from Decem-ber to February. The program is designed to ensure that you receive well-rounded, practical experience in two practice groups, along with formal train-ing to further develop your legal knowledge and skills. Training includes a formal induction, training on internal systems and

processes, practice-wide CLE (Continuing Legal Education) atten-dance and participation, legal skills training and extensive mentoring.

The clerkship program links very closely with the graduate program and provides a valuable insight into what life as an associ-ate lawyer would be like at Nor-ton Rose Australia.

The graduate program The graduate program runs for a 24 months and consists of four rotations comprising a wide variety of legal work. With this, you’ll be able to identify with con-fidence the area that best suits your talents and career goals.

As a graduate you will under-take a customised learning and development program that com-bines practical training with a for-mal PLT (Practical Legal Training) program. The objective is to de-velop your knowledge and skills to provide a strong foundation for your future career.

As part of the graduate pro-gram you will be assigned a key client and work closely with the client relationship partner. The purpose of this core learning op-portunity is to enable you to gain knowledge and skills in the busi-ness development area and be part of the activities undertaken as part of our key client manage-ment program.

The Asia Pacific rotational programAs part of our national graduate program, we now provide gradu-ates in their second year of the program the unique opportunity to undertake a four month rota-tion in one of our Asia Pacific offices. This formalised learn-ing opportunity introduces our graduate lawyers to the broader Norton Rose Group network.

Louise Ferris, Human Resources Manager, Level 17, 175 Eagle Street, Brisbane, Australia. Tel +61 (0)7 3414 2812 Mob +61 (0)425 253 459 Fax +61 (0)7 3414 2999 [email protected]

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Piper Alderman’s Law Clerk Program

At Piper Alderman we offer the unique opportunity for part-time law clerks to work on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Generally penultimate and final year students work two days per week and are provided the flexibility to ensure your study commitments come first. If you’re seeking practical work experience with real career opportunities while continuing with your legal studies, this might be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

Simon Frauenfelder - Law Clerk, Melbourne

“I began at the Piper Alderman Melbourne office in 2010 during my penultimate year of university, working two days a week during semester with periods of full time work during university vacations. Since then, I have worked as a Law Clerk in the Dispute Resolution division.

My work has been interesting, engaging and challenging from the moment I began at Piper Alderman. Lawyers within my team have involved me in

a variety of matters across a number of areas of law, and given me responsibilities that have included attending court and client meetings, as well as drafting correspondence and court documents. During September and October 2010 I had the privilege to work in a close team with lawyers from the Sydney office in a large and involved matter in the Federal Court.

Working at Piper Alderman was my first experience of working in a professional legal setting, but the mentoring I have received from lawyers has helped me to become confident in my work. The firm has been extremely flexible in helping me to balance work and study, giving me extra time off to prepare for exams. It has been an ideal complement to my university studies and a great introduction to professional life.”

Richard Leishman - Law Clerk, Sydney

“Piper Alderman is a firm big enough to attract major clients yet small enough to retain a direct connection with all involved. The firm operates in industry specific business groups under each Partner but the groups are not limited to particular areas of law allowing professional staff exposure to a wide range of legal work. I work primarily in admiralty law but have run cases in contract, tort, bailment, agency and estoppel.

Piper Alderman requires clerks to work directly on cases allowing you to gain valuable experience in real world events. By the end of my first month, I was writing letters of demand and negotiating settlements and now after five months I’m issuing statements of claim, meeting clients and having heated discussions with international claims handlers.

As an aspiring lawyer the last thing you want is to get stuck as one small cog in a large wheel of bureaucracy. At Pipers you will get exposure to the big legal cases (I’ve helped on an Investment Bank case, an asbestos litigation and a telco class action) but the greatest benefit will be your direct involvement in your own smaller cases that give you direct hands-on experience in how the law (and the real world) actually works.”

Piper Alderman’s graduate program aims to give each entrant a challenging and practical experience from the start. Our boutique size means that our graduates work directly with partners and senior lawyers and get exposure to clients and their matters.

We want to help you to get to where you want to go. It’s your legal career.

To find out more about our firm and the experiences we offer visit us at the Careers Fair in your city or at piperalderman.com.au. You will have the opportunity to speak with partners and lawyers at all levels and hear their experiences first hand.

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Piper Alderman’s graduate program aims to give each entrant a challenging and practical experience from the start. Our boutique size means that our graduates work directly with partners and senior lawyers and get exposure to clients and their matters.

We want to help you to get to where you want to go. It’s your legal career.

To find out more about our firm and the experiences we offer visit us at the Careers Fair in your city or at piperalderman.com.au. You will have the opportunity to speak with partners and lawyers at all levels and hear their experiences first hand.

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THE LAST WORD

THE LAST WORD Q

ualification as a lawyer opens many doors and presents many great and challenging opportunities. The law is the great unifying philosophy that enables us to live in a political environ-ment of orderly co-existence.

It represents a distillation of wisdom derived from a wide range of experience of human interaction.

As trained and qualified lawyers we have the privilege and the responsibility of helping our fellow citizens through the many problems that we en-counter in our lives. It is a privilege and responsibil-ity that can create great personal and professional fulfilment as we identify and review the needs of our fellow citizens.

Naturally we look for remuneration as an aspect of providing our services. But this is by no means the end of our professional reward. Indeed the field of pro bono work is often the source of immense satisfaction quite apart from the opportunity it cre-ates for involvement in issues of significant legal and social importance. University law school legal centres have been a fruitful source of the develop-ment of the law in our society. Indeed it is here that many new principles are evolving as fertile and imaginative minds are addressing evolving human and social needs.

As lawyers we can make significant contributions to improvement and orderly co-existence in our society whether we choose to work within the pro-fession or to pursue a career in politics, commercial, business or public sectors of the community. There are many opportunities created by obtaining a law degree and many members of the Bar have gone on to be Justices of courts or board members of international companies. Indeed many of the prime ministers of Australia undertook law degrees before pursuing careers in politics.

Some years ago there was a survey of the profes-sional qualifications of leading citizens in Western democracies. The result was an astonishing pre-ponderance of legally qualified women and men in the political environment and in commercial and business worlds. Training and experience in legal matters, legal analysis and – most important of all – human interaction, are an invaluable background qualification for taking a leading part in the political, social and commercial environment.

As trained and qualified lawyers, we can travel together towards the constitutional goal of peace, order and good government. It is here that the at-tainment of personal and professional achievement is to be found.

The Hon Sir Laurence Street AC KCMG QC

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