Graduate Opportunities

University attended: The University of Newcastle.

Jessica is in the final year of her Law degree and recently undertook a commercial law clerkship with Sydney-based firm Blake Dawson as an optional part of her studies. She is also the Education (Public Relations) Officer for the nationally-reaching Australian Law Students’ Association (ALSA).

Describe your clerkship responsibilities with Blake Dawson Sydney.

As a summer clerk I was lucky enough to come into my practice group one week before an International Arbitration. This allowed me to work on the matter (including proof-reading, cross-checking documents, attending meetings etc.), before attending the Arbitration and seeing the case unfold. I also attended court to watch a Special Leave Application to the High Court. Sitting in a room with Chief Justice French, Justice Gummow and Justice Hayne was surreal. I have also done research, taken notes at client meetings and gained significant practical experience.

How is the clerkship structured?

At Blake Dawson, we complete two rotations during the 12-week program. I was placed into the Intellectual Property and Corporate practices, which were my first two preferences. In Intellectual Property I have been given a vast range of work including Information Technology, Defamation, Trademarks and Patents. We had a one-week induction training course at the beginning which was fantastic as it gave the summer clerks (or ‘Christmas beetles’, as we are known in some teams!) time to bond. We are now attached at the hip and travel in a pack (including all 19 of us sharing a lift at once).

What are the benefits of completing clerkships as a student?

Volunteer experiences with legal organisations, ALSA or external organisations are essential both in terms of personal and professional development. Most of the legal experiences I have had have been community-based, so it is fantastic to see things from a corporate perspective. The law in practice is different to the theory that we learn at university, so I think that it is imperative that students experience both sides and can make an informed decision about their career. Practical experience is invaluable; how else are you really going to know what you want to do with your life?

What advice would you offer others on what to expect from a graduate/clerkship position?

I would recommend that you only apply for firms you can relate to, with practice areas you are actually interested in. Be prepared to do photocopying, but this will (hopefully) only be a minor part of your job. Depending on the workload you will do legal research, attend client meetings, go to court and generally get a practical view of how practice areas function. Don't expect to run the place, but be enthusiastic, willing, accurate and concise, and hopefully it will pay off.