President’s Welcome If you are anything like me, the notion of applying for summer clerkships at the most prestigious law firms can be extremely daunting. However, it is important to be confident in your abilities and the knowledge that you are a worthy candidate who will bring something unique to any legal team. Be smart with your application and structure your cover letter to your strengths. MULS has created this guide to provide you with assistance to do just that. It includes an overview of the application process, sample resumes, and cover letters and advice from those who have been through the process themselves. The information in this Guide is not only useful for clerkship applications but it can also be used in all forms of recruitment and can assist you in finding success in legal avenues beyond the clerkship process. Students may feel discouraged to apply for clerkships because they don’t believe their marks are good enough or that they haven’t been involved in co-curricular activities. The bottom line however is that we all have nothing to lose from applying; we can only gain something from the whole process. I would therefore encourage all law students to apply. I would like to thank all of our 2013 sponsors for their contribution to the Guide and their ongoing support of our Society. I would also like to extend my thanks and congratulations to the MULS Editor Kristina Cavanna, who has worked tirelessly in putting together this fantastic publication. I wish you all the best of luck. Jessica Tasso President of MULS Editor’s Note The benefits of a summer clerkship cannot be overestimated. It acts as an important stepping-stone in your preparation for that transition from law student to law profession. If you are like most students who are unsure about what area of law you may wish to specialise in or whether law is the career you wish to pursue, a summer clerkship can help you come closer to making a decision. Even if you don’t receive an offer at the end of the process, you will have gained the invaluable practice of applying for a position and undertaking interviews. The process forces you to write a professional cover letter and resume, which you can then adapt to future positions that you may wish to apply to. The benefits are endless. As my esteemed colleague has already mentioned above, the process appears daunting and a common feeling amongst students is that they are not confident with aspects of their resume or that they don’t have previous legal experience, but as the famous American baseball player Babe Ruth once said, “never let the fear of striking out get in your way”. There is nothing to lose from applying for a clerkship. I repeat what I said above; the benefits are endless. Kristina Cavanna Editor of MULS and the Clerkship Guide 6 Clerkship Guide 2013