HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS CLERKSHIP NICK MIDDLETON WORKING WITH LEADERS IN THEIR FIELD Once you have survived the written application process, the worst is well and truly over. Believe it or not, the clerkship interviews can actually be quite enjoyable if you arrive prepared (but not rehearsed) and simply be yourself. One of the things you will hear throughout clerkship applications is that Herbert Smith Freehills conducts its interviews differently to other firms—holding informal, one-on-one interviews with a partner in a down-to-earth and friendly style. Having been through this process, I can assure you this isn’t some misleading trick to lure unsuspecting students into endless corporate gloom. The style of the firm’s clerkship interviews is a true reflection of the people at Herbert Smith Freehills, who are always willing to take time out of their day to provide advice or to share some friendly banter during after-work drinks. More importantly, when I walked into Herbert Smith Freehills on my first day as a clerk, it instantly became obvious that the firm is filled with enthusiastic people who are genuinely interested in your development as a young lawyer. provided me with valuable insights into the mechanics behind some of Australia’s marketleading deals, and it gave me a real thrill to read about them in the news a few weeks later. Social highlights Outside of work, there is an impressive clerk social calendar to attend to, particularly as the clerkship coincides very nicely with the firm’s end of year celebrations. Personal highlights included roaming around Darling Harbour in a bright pink pig onesie at the inter-firm trivia night, and also making a (very brief) batting appearance in the annual Herbert Smith Freehills "Partners vs Staff" cricket match. Nick came to Herbert Smith Freehills as a vacation clerk in our Sydney office in 2012-13. He is currently working as a paralegal in our Corporate group and will be joining us a graduate in 2015. Like many aspiring clerks, I headed into the clerkship process still slightly sceptical about the idea that spending your entire summer in full-time work could be a “wonderful” and “fun” experience. The overwhelming task of navigating my way through seemingly endless written applications via cvMail only fuelled these fears, and I was briefly left wondering whether all of this work would really be worth it. I am here to tell you that my clerkship at Herbert Smith Freehills was absolutely worth it! Why Herbert Smith Freehills? As clichéd as it may sound, the only way you can make a decision on the right firm for you is based on the people you meet along the way and that "gut feeling" you get during the careers fairs, cocktail nights and interviews. From day one of my clerkship, I knew that I had made the right decision, as I was welcomed into a passionate and supportive team who also happened to be some of Australia’s leading lawyers in their field. I now feel extremely lucky to know that I will begin my legal career at a firm with a wealth of opportunities and the support and training to help me along the way. These are just a few of the reasons that I would highly recommend spending your next vacation as a clerk at Herbert Smith Freehills. First days of the clerkship I rotated through two practice groups: Environment and Planning in Projects, and Energy and Resources in Corporate. My clerkship started with a bang on my first morning in Environment and Planning, when I was whisked away to the Supreme Court with my team to hear a decision on a multi-million dollar compensation case on which they had been working. Fortunately, the decision was in our favour, and I gladly joined my team for champagne celebrations later that day. While I can’t claim that every day of my threemonth clerkship kicked-off with a Supreme Court victory and champagne celebrations, I can honestly say that every day brought diverse and rewarding work. Whether I was drafting a brief to counsel, researching changes to the law, reviewing contracts or assisting with a pro bono case, I always felt like I was contributing in a meaningful way to the wider matter at hand. It was particularly exciting to have the opportunity to accompany my team to fascinating client meetings with global trading companies, high-profile Australian businesses and government regulators. These experiences Preparing your application As time consuming as they are, your written applications to each firm are a necessary and critical part of your clerkship “journey”. My tip is to be as prepared as possible before the applications actually open: make sure you have a polished CV, a well-drafted template for your cover letter, and have researched each firm to which you plan on applying. As obvious as it sounds, make sure you know exactly what it is that attracts you to each individual firm—you are guaranteed to be asked this question many times throughout the process. “I was welcomed into a passionate and supportive team who also happened to be some of Australia’s leading lawyers in their field.” NICK MIDDLETON VACATION CLERK, SYDNEY HERBERTSMITHFREEHILLS.COM 36 Clerkship Guide 2013 © Herbert Smith Freehills 2013 SAV125750