CHARLES WEHBE – CLAYTON UTZ There are many firms that offer summer clerkships, how did you determine which firm was the right one for you? Throughout the Clerkship process all firms spruik themselves in an attempt to appear better than their competitors, but it is quite important to look past that and determine whether you genuinely get along with the people they bring along to the events. All firms are fantastic at what they do, but the difference can often be the people you will be spending a lot of time with. How did you find the interview process? Do you have any tips for students applying this year? The interviewers genuinely just want to know whether you are sociable and handle yourself well in conversation. Your actual answers to the questions are often secondary to the way in which you answer and hold yourself in a professional environment. The interviewers are completely normal people, so relax, do your homework and be yourself. How did you find the workload? The workload was very manageable. Generally a clerkship is an introduction to the legal profession and accordingly they give you introductory work. Unless you are working on urgent litigation or a deal in the final stages, it is unlikely you will have to work late hours. What practice areas did you do your rotations in? Did you enjoy one more than the other/s? I rotated within the banking and finance teams. Within banking, I was specifically in securitisation and capital markets. I found the work to be challenging, considering securitisation was an area I knew nothing about, but at the same time it was highly rewarding. My other rotation focused on managed investment schemes and funds management. The team was fantastic and the work made a lot of sense so I found that I enjoyed my second rotation more. Did your clerkship experience help you make any decision/s about possible directions your career might take? It certainly did. It affirmed that law is the career path I would like to take, and it helped me make industry contacts that will help that path become a reality. At the same time, I think it is quite important to do a clerkship even if you are unsure whether law is for you; it will help you come closer to that decision. NICHOLAS SWART – ALLENS LINKLATERS There are many firms that offer summer clerkships, how did you determine which firm was the right one for you? Key factors for me in choosing to clerk at Allens was the firm’s reputation, the opinions of students that had clerked there in the past, and the fact that people I knew within the legal profession spoke very highly of the firm. The people that I met and had contact with throughout the application and interview process confirmed that Allens was the firm for me. The firm you do a clerkship at is potentially where you will be commencing your legal career, so it is important to choose a firm that you would be happy to work for long term. For me, this was undoubtedly the case with Allens. How did you find the interview process? Were you asked anything unexpected? The interview process can be stressful at times, especially if you are like me and have not had a great deal of experience in a formal interview setting before embarking on the clerkship application process. I was lucky, in that I was never asked anything too ‘out of the ordinary.’ However, I was surprised by how often discussions centered on things that were not related to the law or my law degree. What was the most challenging aspect of your clerkship experience? I found some of the work I undertook quite challenging (and interesting). This was particularly so during my Banking & Finance rotation, as I did not have a background in finance. Getting my head around the acronyms everyone used took some getting used to. What did you learn that you previously knew nothing or very little about? Before commencing at Allens, I had never worked in a large corporate environment, so the day-to-day aspects of how a top-tier law firm worked was quite a steep learning curve. I also gained a better understanding of the kind of work a large commercial law firm actually engages with. Did your clerkship help you make any decision/s about possible directions your career might take? Over the summer, Allens presented a number of seminars on career paths. Having now completed a clerkship at Allens, I feel I have gained valuable insight into what it is like to have a career in commercial law, which I now feel is something that I definitely want to pursue. Clerkship Guide 2013 27