Law graduate job market 2016 – what will the new year hold for graduate lawyers?

The years 2013 to 2015 were not good years for law students to graduate. The law graduate job market retracted at the same time that the number of law students graduating and job hunting increased significantly. Will 2016 offer improved opportunities for law graduates trying to get their foot in the door? While the downward trajectory in legal demand continues, there are some positive signs for graduates trying to get their first job as a lawyer, particular if law graduates are looking in the right places. In this blog post I have drawn from my own experiences and understanding of the legal market as well as the Melbourne Law School and Thomson Reuters’ Australia: State of the Legal Market 2015 available here.   

Traditional commercial law firms

Demand for commercial legal services in the Big 8 Firms (Allens, Ashurst, CU, CCW, HSF, KWM, Minters, Norton Rose) and larger firms has been on a downward trajectory for the past five years and the trend continues, with demand falling 2% in 2015 and a 3.8% decline in the number of lawyers employed in commercial legal services. The decline in demand is particularly prevalent in the industry’s three biggest practice groups – dispute resolution, banking & finance and general corporate advisory. Some Big 8 and large firms have continued to use offshore low-cost legal process operations in places like India for work like discovery, due diligence and document management services. While some of this work would ordinarily be given to graduates, most of this work is very basic and is more likely to effect the number of paralegals and administrative/support staff a firm employs than the number of graduates.

The outlook is not all doom and gloom for law graduates seeking a career in commercial law. Large law firms have been conservative in the number of graduates they have recruited the past three years, and in some cases, have under recruited. This could lead to an increase in graduate positions offered in 2016. Demand for legal work in some practice groups increased in 2015 including:

1.       Mergers & Acquisitions;

In 2015 there was a 2.1% increase in demand for M&A work. The weaker dollar has caused an increase in international investment in Australia, as investment is cheaper and there is a reduced risk of currency fluctuation for bidders. Australia is the second largest M&A region in the Asia/Pacific, second only to China. There is indication that these conditions for M&A will continue in 2016. There is potential for even greater growth in M&A, with the imminent review of the Foreign Investment Review Board. Large firms will look for graduates who have a keen interest in M&A, as this is a growth area in an environment where demand in other traditional areas of commercial law are in the decline.

2.       Real estate, property, constructions and projects;

In 2015 there was a growth in real estate and projects work, especially among the Big 8 firms.

3.       Intellectual property; and

4.       Tax law.

If you are interested in a career as a GST lawyer look out for a spike in recruitment if the rumoured GST reforms take place.

If you have a keen interest and/or experience in one of these growth areas, you have a stronger chance of obtaining a graduate position at a large firm. These growth areas could also lead to large firms engaging in strategic hiring – that is hiring graduates to settle directly into a team rather than undertaking the traditional rotation training program. These opportunities will usually be advertised separately to the ordinary graduate program and sporadically throughout the year, so make sure you regularly check your target firm’s website. Demand for services of Big 8 and large firms increases significantly in November to December (before the January slow down). Firms anticipate this and often recruit extra graduates in September/October. Law graduates applying at this time of the year are usually required to start work immediately. If you missed out on a position earlier in the year, or finish half way through 2016 make sure you watch out for these opportunities.

Law graduates keen for a career in commercial law should also look at medium sized firms that are rapidly growing such as Mills Oakley and HWL Ebsworth. In the past three years HWL Ebsworth increased its revenue from $102m to $219m. More growth means more jobs for graduates. Note that medium sized firms that have seen rapid expansion may not have had a formal graduate program before, so you will probably experience a few teething issues, such as less comprehensive formal training than if you were working as a graduate at a large firm. However, the benefit of working at a rapidly growing firm is that you will likely be given more responsibility earlier on and will always have enough work and billable hours. Medium sized firms are more likely to hire graduates on shorter term contracts, such as 6 months and 12 months, but don’t let this put you off. Any experience in the legal sector is better than none.  

New law

The last two years has seen the rise of the unconventional law firm, which commonly use technology and pricing structure to differentiate themselves. Examples of new law firms include HiveLegal, Nest, LawPath, and LawCentral. New law firms are increasingly seen as a threat to traditional small and medium sized firms, as they are able to contain pricing through use of digital solutions. Many are experiencing double digit growth.

What can these new law firms offer law graduates? You will be surprised that some new law firms, such as Legal Vision, regularly recruit graduate lawyers. These positions generally offer very interesting work and a young, upbeat and relatively relaxed working environment, so are perfect for law graduates who would like to work in commercial law but are not so keen on a strict corporate environment.

Government sector

Obtaining a job as a government lawyer at the Commonwealth level has been difficult the past few years as graduate programs were cut and an APS freeze was in place on new permanent ongoing employees. This freeze has now been lifted, so prepare for an increase in law graduate positions in 2016, particularly at AGS, which has survived its movement into the Attorney-General’s umbrella and is once again thriving. At the state level, getting a position as a graduate lawyer has been cut-throat for some time. For example, NSW Crown Solicitors are rumoured to take on only three graduates a year. However, the programs remain in place, and are up for grabs. Remember that government recruitment processes take much longer than private sector, so start applying at least 6 months before you would like to start a government job. Formal graduate recruitment programs often recruit 12 months in advance.

In-house lawyers

The trend towards having larger in-house teams continues and is likely to continue in 2016. Companies are performing an increased amount of legal work internally, relying less on advice from external law firms and briefing barristers directly instead of through law firms. Some in-house teams are large enough to constitute their own law firm and recruit graduates and junior lawyers. Companies to watch out for include Telstra, Lend Lease, Woolworths, Coles Myer, Microsoft, Google and Yahoo.

Multi-disciplinary practices (MDPs)

Consultancy and business advisory firms are expanding their portfolio to include legal.  PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), KPMG, EY and Deloitte have all indicated they will grow their legal capacity. Each of these firms already has over 1,000 lawyers working for them and the numbers continue to increase. These positions are predominantly in tax advisory law. If you have an interest in this area, it could be a good alternative to working at a Big 8 law firm.

Community legal sector

Community legal centres have been under severe financial strain for years, mainly due to government funding cuts. In December 2014 the Productivity Commission released its Access to Justice Arrangements report. The Productivity Commission looked at a broad array of factors effecting access to lawyers and legal services including the level of demand for legal services and the economic and social impact of the costs of accessing justice services and securing legal representation. The Productivity Commission recommended an immediate increase in government funding for legal assistance services of $200 million per year. A full twelve months after the report was released the Productivity Commission is still to receive a formal response from the government and the community legal sector continues to operate on the verge of collapse. Community legal centres can barely afford to pay their current employees, let alone employ and train graduates. Law graduates keen for a career in the community legal sector may have to obtain initial experience elsewhere and volunteer at a community legal centre until they can work in their dream job full time. 

How to write a clerkship cover letter that will get you an interview*

*Disclaimer: I used this method and obtained four first round interviews. I cannot guarantee this will get you a clerkship interview, as variables such as grades and prior legal work experience can affect your chances of getting a clerkship. I also completed my clerkship in summer 2012/2013 (I feel so old), so my method could be outdated.

The 2015 NSW clerkship application period commences on Wednesday 17 June and closes on Sunday 19 July. During this time, most penultimate students are juggling exams and work commitments. After exams you may find yourself holidaying overseas. None of these conditions are ideal for writing clerkship cover letters, but at least you will have the knowledge your competitors (other penultimate year students) are working under similar conditions. There are some fantastic resources on writing cover letters already out there on websites like Beyond Law. However, I used a more specific methodology for my clerkship cover letters which I will share with you.

General tips:

1.       Every cover letter will be different. If you plan to simply “Find + Replace” the name of the firm and submit, I wish you well, but you will be unlikely to obtain a clerkship interview. Firms like to see you have conducted extensive research and read about how unique they are. Unless you have thoroughly researched and tailored your cover letter, you do not stand much of a chance.  

2.       Before you start writing the cover letter, thoroughly research the firm. At a minimum, this will involve reading the entire website, reading Lawyers Weekly to see if they have had any press coverage recently, and reading any high profile cases the firm has recently been involved in. This will give you a feel for how the firm markets itself. Try and identify factors the firm claims make it “unique”. Identify the firm culture. Identify the money making practice areas. Hint: for top-tier firms this is usually Mergers & Acquisitions, for mid-tier firms it varies but banking and finance, and insurance law are usually consistent money making teams, as well as construction and projects in times of economic boom (ie not in 2015).

3.       Make sure you write about your past experience (working in law, studying law, extracurricular activities, sporting activities) and connect that to how you can contribute to the firm.

4.       Unless you are applying for a “special” boutique firm (in my time at law school Marque Lawyers was such a firm who did not want traditional cover letters), law firms are NOT after creativity in their cover letters. Firms want to quickly be able to see whether you fit their criteria so they can quickly put you in or out of the interview pile. 

5.       Use plain English in your cover letter as this shows an ability to clearly communicate. Many students make the mistake of using what I call “floury language”, using excessive words and flourishes. If the sentence would make sense without the word, then leave it out. Law firms use plain English in everything they do, so if you plan to work in a commercial law firm, you need to get used to plain English now.

6.       Your cover page should be one page in length and no smaller than 11 point font. Times and Arial are acceptable. Make sure you justify your paragraphs.

7.       Proof read your cover letter several times. Nothing screams “poor attention to detail” louder than a typo on a cover letter.

Suggested structure:

The structure I used for my clerkship cover letters was “the three reasons I want to work at this firm”. This structure is ideal as it gives you the opportunity to show how hard you have researched the firm, shows how enthusiastic you are about the firm, and enables you to weave your previous experiences into the paragraphs to show what you can bring to the firm. Again, this is just a suggested structure. If you don’t feel comfortable with this structure, keep experimenting until you find something that fits.

Header: Your Name and contact details

Date

Contact name

Firm name (ie Firm Z)

Address first line

Address second line

Dear [insert contact]

                Application for the position of Summer Clerk 2015/2016 at Firm Z

Strong first sentence ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. Strong second sentence-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

First substantive paragraph. There are two/three main reasons I would like to work at Firm Z. The first, is the-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. The second reason I would like to work at Firm Z is---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

Second substantive paragraph (firm culture and attributes focused). The third reason I would like to work at Firm Z is the -------------------------------------------------culture. I have strong ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

Concluding remarks------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Insert your name

Breaking the cover letter down:

1.       Header

The header should contain your name and contact details and should match the header of your cover letter for consistency and to show attention to detail. There is no need to be too artistic, but you may want to have the header in a different colour such as dark blue or dark green so that your name stands out. The header is part of your “brand” and you should spend some time working on personalising your stationery.

2.       Contact name

Do not write Sir/Madam. You need to find the name of the Graduate Recruitment Officer or appropriate Human Resources Officer at the firm you are applying for. This can usually be found on the firm’s clerkship advertisement or on the website. If you cannot find it, ring the firm and politely ask who you should address your cover letter to. 

3.       Strong first sentence

The first sentence should contain your year level, course name, university name, your grade bracket and the position you are applying for. These are all key criteria firms look at, so need to be in your first sentence. For example: “As a penultimate year Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts student from the University of Sydney with a distinction average, I wish to apply for a summer clerkship position at Firm Z”. If you do not have the best grades or you think the name of your university might jeopardise your chances, you do not have to put them in the first sentence, but you will need to have this information in your resume.

4.       Strong second sentence

I like to highlight the strengths of my application and state that these will enable me to quickly be an asset to the firm. For example: “I believe that my previous experience in commercial law, high level communication skills, and positive, team oriented approach, will enable me to quickly to contribute to Firm Z as a summer clerk”. This sentence is important. Many potential clerks write about what they can obtain from the firm. The reality is, it is a job and you are there to contribute to the firm. This second sentence lets the firm know you understand this.  

5.       Three main reasons why you would like to work at the firm

You need to come up with two or three reasons you would like to work at the firm. These are the firm’s distinguishing features and should be identifiable when you research the firm. One of the reasons should be based on the firm culture or the nature of the firm. If firm culture is not a strong point for that firm, talk about the nature of the firm. Ie if your firm is a global firm a reason for working at the firm is that you want to work at a truly international firm. After you have stated your reason, you need to integrate your prior experience and skills into the paragraph.

Example 1

The first reason I would like to work at Firm Z is that Firm Z has the leading Mergers & Acquisitions team in Australia. I have a keen interest in working in Mergers & Acquisitions, having studied subject X in my Commerce degree, and having worked as a paralegal at Firm Y assisting with a private Mergers & Acquisitions transaction.

Example 2

The first reason I would like to work at Firm Z is that I would like to work at an internationally renowned firm headquartered in Asia. The world’s growth markets are in Asia, and Firm Z is strategically positioned to take advantage of this. I am very interested in the Asia region, having interned at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, studied Government as my Arts major, and having visited China, Singapore, Indonesia and other Asian countries many times. With this knowledge, I would be able to assist the growth of Firm Z by providing relevant legal assistance to clients working across Australia, Asia and internationally.

Example 3

The first reason I would like to work at Firm Z is the firm’s dominance in the resource and energy sector. Having had a prior career in the resources sector working in the Department of X prior to commencing my Juris Doctor, I have a comprehensive knowledge of the resources sector and the daily challenges these clients face. I will be able to combine my sector knowledge with my legal skills to provide industry relevant advice as a summer clerk.

Note: if you are a postgraduate student and had a previous career always mention this. Firms love JD students who have prior industry experience in sectors their clients work in. So if you worked in property, banking and finance or another sector prior to studying law make sure you integrate this into your cover letter.

Example 4:

The third reason I would like to work at Firm Z is that Firm Z has always been a global law firm. Having always been a global law firm rather than having only recently become “global” like other top firms in Australia, Firm Z has an undeniable advantage in its stability and service offerings. I share this global focus, having interned at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, studied Government and International Relations as my Arts major, and visited China and Europe numerous times. I would like to work at Firm Z because of the edge this global focus gives to clients, especially clients in the firms recently expanded energy and resources work in the Asia pacific region.

Example 5:

The second reason I would like to work at Firm Z is that Firm Z offers a team culture committed to customer service. I thrive in a team environment, a recent example being........I have strong customer service skills, having a luxury retail background, and more recently having worked directly with clients on small matters as a paralegal at Firm Y.

An alternative structure would be to have two main reasons why you want to work at the firm and put those in the first substantive paragraph. In the second substantive paragraph you will then cover your legal work experience, written and oral communication skills, time management skills, team work skills and any relevant extracurricular interests.

6.       Concluding remarks

You could just go straight to the “thank you for taking the time...” sentence. However, I think it is better to have a sentence before such as “In addition to the skills and experience described about, I am positive, professional and energetic”. The characteristics you list should be true to your own personality but also mesh with what the firm is looking for. For example if the firm says on the Career pages on its website that adaptability is important, make sure you cover that somewhere.

Remember to make your cover letters your own. Remember that your personal worth is not connected to whether or not you get a summer clerkship. You are not doomed if you do not get a clerkship. I know plenty of Distinction average students who did not get a clerkship but who all got great graduate jobs and are currently killing their careers. Best of luck!

What is the difference between working at a top-tier firm and mid-tier firm?

When I was at university I had no real concept of what the difference between working at a top-tier firm and a mid-tier firm would be. Now that I have worked at both a top-tier firm and a mid-tier firm in Sydney, I would like to highlight the main differences to help those deciding what kind of commercial law firm they would like to work at. This is only my perspective and relates to my experience working at a top-tier firm in workplace relations and mergers and acquisitions and working at a mid-tier firm in property, family law and commercial disputes and insolvency.

Areas of law

When I talk about top-tier firms in this article, I am talking about the big six - Allens, Ashurst, Clayton Utz, Freehills, Mallesons and Minter Ellison. Top-tier firms really focus on Mergers & Acquisitions (“M&A”) because they represent large multinationals that are most active in the M&A environment. M&A teams traditionally brought in the most money for top-tiers and subsequently the M&A Partners were the most powerful equity partners at the firm. They still are, but the GFC muted the market for a while and it is still recovering. This focus on M&A is fantastic if you would like a career in M&A. At most top-tier firms, undertaking at least one M&A rotation is compulsory for law graduates, and if you do a summer clerkship at a top-tier firm you are likely to do a rotation in M&A. There is also a high likelihood you would settle in an M&A team permanently after your graduate rotations. This may not be so good if you are not at all interested in M&A.

There are many more mid-tier firms in Sydney than top-tier firms. When I talk about mid-tier firms in this article I am including larger mid-tier firms like Gadens and Corrs Chambers Westgarth and smaller mid-tier firms like Mills Oakley. It is rare to find a mid-tier firm with a focus on M&A. Like top-tier firms, mid-tier firms tend to offer full commercial law services. In my experience, the “hero” teams at mid-tiers that bring in the most money tend to be insurance, banking and finance and commercial advisory. As a law graduate you are more likely to settle in a “hero” team that has capacity to take you and is busy, so be sure to find out who the strong teams at your firm are.

Type of clients

Top-tier firms represent multinational clients as well as the largest national clients such as the Big Four banks, though some mid-tiers increasingly attract Big Four work.  While mid-tier firms also tend to have large, commercial clients, they are mostly national. Mid-tiers will also represent smaller companies and may also represent individuals. 

Type of work

The type of work offered to junior lawyers is impacted by the type of clients the firm represents. Working in litigation at a mid-tier as a law graduate I was able to run Local Court Small Claims Division matters and appear for directions and pre-trial reviews. Having smaller clients and package billing meant that these opportunities to directly improve my advocacy skills were given to me. At a top-tier firm, these opportunities would not exist, because of larger clients and top-tier billing structures. In a litigation team at a top-tier, you may appear for return of subpoena matters, but this could barely constitute advocacy practice. In a top-tier litigation team, you would be working on large litigation matters, which as a junior lawyer would involve a lot of discovery along with drafting affidavits and preparing briefs for barristers. At a mid-tier firm you would still be involved with due diligence and discovery matters, but the matters are generally not as large, so you would not be working on one discovery project for four weeks in a row.

Billable hours

As a law graduate there is no distinct pattern between your billable hours and whether you are at a top-tier firm. At my mid-tier firm graduates had to bill 3 hours a day, and increased commensurate to your experience. I know one top tier firm starts graduates at 4 billable hours a day, which is similar. There are other mid-tier firms that have their law graduates on 7 billable hours a day. Having being a law graduate and understanding the amount of unbillable work you do in a day, this would be difficult to achieve. This is contrary to the general hype that as a law graduate at a top tier you will be expected to bill many more hours than if you worked at a mid-tier.

Colleagues

While I admit this is generalising, the junior lawyers at top-tier firms tend to be sourced almost exclusively from the University of Sydney and UNSW. At a more senior level, your colleagues will be more varied, as they could have come from interstate and overseas. At a junior level at mid-tiers there tends to be much more variety in colleagues. This is not necessarily good or bad, but is something you should know.

Perks

If you are motivated by job perks, top-tier firms are where it is at. While perks have been scaled back post-GFC most top-tier firms will offer taxis home after work, free dinner after 6pm, in-house cafeterias, fruit bowls, free or subsidised gym memberships, weekly massages, as well as paying for relevant higher study. Mid-tier firms do not compare when it comes to perks, which didn’t really bother me.

Culture

Talking about firm culture is risky because not all top-tier firms have the same culture and not all mid-tier firms have the same culture. Culture also varies within a firm from team to team. When I was working at a mid-tier firm I did prefer the culture, as the teams I was in were more extroverted, open and friendly. Again, this was a reflection on the teams I was in rather than because it was a mid-tier firm.

Prestige

Does prestige matter to you? Within the legal profession there is a bit of worshipping those who work at top tier firms. If you were motivated to study law because of the prestige or recognition factor, top-tier firms can satisfy your needs.

College of Law

It is undeniable that top-tier firms do College of Law better. They have paid for in-house sessions and integrate your work load with your study load. At mid-tier firms there can be a mix of admitted and not-admitted law graduates. At my mid-tier I was the only graduate who had not been admitted. I organised and paid for College of Law myself and had to fight for study leave prior to exams.

Career development and advancement

Top-tier firms tend to have the most comprehensive career development programs for junior lawyers that continue after the graduate experience and stretch up to 4 years PQE. Mid-tiers traditionally favour on the job training and do not have as many targeted training programs for junior lawyers. However, while I have no personal experience with this yet, I have been told mid-tiers tend to be more flexible in promoting promising lawyers to Associate and Senior Associate levels, whereas at top-tiers, there are relatively set prerequisite years before promotion.

Choice of area you settle in

Top-tier firms are larger and may be able to absorb your wishes to settle in a particular area of law more readily than mid-tier firms. Teams at top-tier firms are established and well connected to other teams within the firm, so a Partner who is backing you can easily ask another team you would like to settle in to take you on for a rotation. However, top-tier firms do tend to focus on M&A which is where many of their graduates settle, which limit choice. Many mid-tier firms have experienced significant growth the past few years. This growth has often come by poaching teams from different firms. As a result, there can be less collegiality between teams within the firm, as teams are recently arrived and insular. This can make it hard for law graduates to obtain the rotations they would really like, as a Partner backing you will not yet have developed connections with these new teams.

These are my perceptions from working at a top-tier and mid-tier in Sydney. Please share your views and experiences in the comments section. 

How to survive the first winter at your law firm

What is so scary about winter as a law graduate in a Sydney law firm?

In essence, the depressing change of season will coincide with your graduate lawyer work load increasing. It will be raining constantly, the howling wind will make it sound as though your building is about to collapse, and the sun sets hours before you get to leave the office. The air temperature in your building will never be warm enough because studies have shown workers are more productive when they are slightly cold. Heaters are not standard issue to law graduates.

If this is not enough to worry you, around this time of the year your “honeymoon period” at your law firm comes to a close. The welcome drinks, orientations and easy billable hours will end. You will be expected to do real work, produce billable hours and you may even be changing rotations and having to settle into a new team. Winter is the business end of the year, especially around the EOFY. You will probably be working long hours to meet your team’s annual billable targets. This is the reality of being a lawyer, but can be a shock the first time around.

10 ways to survive the winter:

1.       Get sunlight

Standing in the shard of light coming in through the office window does not count. Vitamin D deficiency is real among office workers. If you have forgotten what Vitamin D is, it helps keep your bones strong and healthy and has other general health benefits. Sunlight also releases endorphins. Direct quote from Cancer Council Australia on how much sunlight you need on a daily basis:

“In winter in the southern parts of Australia, where UV radiation levels are less intense, people may need about two to three hours of sunlight to the face, arms and hands, or equivalent area of skin, spread over a week to maintain adequate vitamin D levels. In winter in northern parts of Australia, people will continue to maintain adequate vitamin D levels going about their day-to-day activities, so it is not necessary to deliberately seek UV radiation exposure.”

Sydney is neither in the North or South of Australia, so something in between will suffice. You need to actually expose your skin. Your face and hands generally will not be enough.

2.       Eat and drink hot food

Not only is hot food comforting, it assists in heating up your core temperature, which will be low from sitting down most of the morning. Homemade soups are super healthy and nutritious and are a good choice. Salads can be relegated to summer. Your tea addiction can also be useful to warm you up. Tea is particularly nice after a windy and cold trek through Phillip Street to the Supreme Court precinct.

3.       Produce endorphins

One of the easiest ways to produce endorphins is to move around. This could be going to gym before work, but any kind of movement can produce endorphins. You could walk to court instead of getting a taxi. You could walk up the stairs to have a chat to a colleague on a different level. You could go to the kitchen and do some stretches (while standing in a ray of sunshine).

4.       Do things on the weekend

My theory about why winter seems so long and drawn out sometimes is that people don’t do anything. Your weekend goes from “beach, walk with friend, gym, catch up with friend for coffee, dinner out” to “sleep in, sleep in some more, eat, watch TV, Facebook”. When you have too long to mull over things and stay cooped up inside, things drag out. Make your life exciting in winter by planning social activities for the weekend.

5.       Do things after work

The same reasoning applies as for (4). During summer, after work usually includes a social or sporting activity. This often stops in winter, where you may go straight home to your bed or the TV. This may seem like a good idea, but it makes your week feel as though you were at work 100% of the time.

6.       Talk to your colleagues about the weather

It may seem counter intuitive but talking to your colleagues about the weather is team building and mood-lifting. I used to think talking about the weather was uncreative and boring. Then I realised everyone in Sydney is obsessed with it. You will come across as suspicious if you do not enjoy talking about the weather. You could talk to your colleagues about anything and get the same results, but the weather is a safe topic. Especially when you are watching the hail fall on the other side of the window.

7.       Use your annual leave

Most law firms have a Christmas shut down where you will be forced to use up to two weeks of your annual leave. You will have 10 days left. Make sure you use them. There are no long weekends in winter, but you could make one by using a day of annual leave. If you do not take annual leave there is a risk of crash and burn and job performance issues. Studies have also shown those who take their 20 days annual leave are healthier than those who do not and have enhanced engagement levels.

8.       Do not go to work when you are sick

This should go without saying, but so many people go to work sick and then infect all their colleagues. You have sick leave for a reason. Do what is best for yourself and your firm and stay at home when you are infectious. You should also opt in for the free influenza vaccine that most law firms provide to staff.

9.       Invest in a foot heater

If you get cold easily, I recommend going to K-Mart and buying your own foot heater. Sneakily install it under your desk where the computer power points are. This can make a big difference to your quality of life at work. 

10.   Keep spare shoes and clothes at work

At least once a year you will get drenched by gutter water from a passing bus while walking up George Street. Usually it is when you are in your new shoes and just-dry cleaned coat. You will need spare shoes and clothes at work for these occasions. You have been warned!

How to make the most of your graduate rotations (what your Buddy won’t tell you)

How to make the most of your graduate rotations (what your Buddy won’t tell you)

Graduate programs last between 12 months and 2 years, and usually consist of two or more rotations in different practice groups. My graduate program was 12 months and consisted of three rotations. I was changing teams every four months. While I was assigned a Buddy for support in each rotation, I found there were some useful things my Buddy forgot to tell me. I have listed these for you.

How to make the most of each rotation:

1.       Get to know everyone in your team. Including the reclusive Special Counsel.

It is likely that HR will assign you to a team and introduce you to your supervising Partner. You may be on your own from that point forward. To quickly settle in, you need to understand how your team operates and who you will get work from. It is important to get to know all members of your team. Do not assume people will come and introduce themselves. Do not assume your Buddy will go around with you introducing you to everyone. Team members may not even be aware that a Graduate is coming to their team. On your first day make sure you meet everyone in person, explain that you are a graduate and that anyone in the team can delegate you work.

Ask your Partner directly who you should do work for. Prioritise your work in order of how senior the instructing solicitor is and how urgent the task is. Ensure you get to know the team nerds, who usually come in the form of Special Counsel. While they are often quiet, introverted, quirky types, they usually have very interesting work, and it would be terrible to miss out on this work because you did not introduce yourself. Hot tip: the longer you delay introducing yourself, the more awkward it gets. Always introduce yourself formally as soon as you meet someone new.

2.       Go to Friday night drinks.

To get to know your team you need to socialise with your team. People will get to know you and trust you sooner if you share information about yourself. Appropriate topics of conversation include what law school you went to, what college of law was like back in the day, sport and happenings in the legal world such as the latest murder trial. Inappropriate topics include personal relationships, sexual orientation, and politics (unless you are 100% sure you are of the same political orientation as the person).

3.       Consider joining the same gym as your colleagues.

Health and fitness is a very easy way to bond with colleagues. I have known people who hold meetings while riding a stationary bike. I became instant work besties with a junior lawyer after we figured out we go to the same Pilates reformer class. Just make sure it looks like you have always been a member and didn’t just join to network.

4.       Ask for work the right way.

There are two extremes:

a.       The graduate who walks around to every single member of their team and asks for work in a demanding/aggressive way until work it given. This generally upsets colleagues and will have you gossiped about, but has the advantage of ensuring colleagues know you are enthusiastic and a hard worker.

b.      The graduate who runs out of work and simply sits at their desk until someone gives them more work. This graduate may be perceived as lazy or disengaged.

The correct approach is a method in between. If colleagues look like they do not want to be interrupted, you could send them an email letting them know you have capacity. It can take time for more senior lawyers to think of work to give to junior lawyers. Once you have let people know, there is no need to continually harass them. You can occupy yourself in the meantime by reading legal updates, tidying Outlook, or assisting the paralegal or secretary with administrative work.

5.       Be best friends with your secretary.

Most graduates are required to do their own administrative work. So you won’t be delegating your typing and photocopying to your secretary. However, having good relations with your secretary is important because often they are the person who runs the team on a daily basis. They know where your Partner is at any given time, and can give you tips on how to deal with Registry and Court staff. They also know addresses for service of subpoenas, who the best process servers are, and where to get the best coffee in the neighbourhood. The team secretary will also be asked to give feedback on how you were to work with. I recommend volunteering to do tasks like delivering briefs to Chambers when the paralegals are away, etc. This shows you are aware of the team’s needs.

6.       Put down ALL your time. Including non-billables.

If it takes you three hours to do the legal research memorandum, put all the time down. It is up to your Partner to decide whether it is reasonable to bill the client this amount or not. It is not your decision. If you don’t put all the time down you are effectively giving the client a discount. At most law firms, only Partners are authorised to give clients discounts. Alternatively, at the end of a piece of work, you could discuss with the lawyer in charge how much would be reasonable to put down.

Put down time for all work, including non-billable work. Your Partner will look at your billing sheet as a record of what you were doing that day. If you did four hours of non-billable work preparing documents for court, your Partner will not know about it unless you put it on your timesheet.

7.       Find out when home time is.

Every team is different. Some start at 7am and finish by 5:30pm. Others start at 10am but won’t go home until 8pm earliest. Finding out when home time is can save you a lot of effort sneaking out or hanging around unnecessarily with no work to do. Your home time will be after all administrative staff have left and after all paralegals have left, and usually will be around the time the junior lawyers leave. Before you leave make sure you ask if there is further work you need to do today. If not, say goodbye to your team and leave.

8.       Ask to go along to court, mediation and client meetings.

If you can fit it into your work schedule, you should try to attend and observe as many court sessions, mediations and meetings as possible. Your team members do not know what your workload is like, so it will be up to you to ask to come along. This shows initiative and enthusiasm.

9.       Be above office gossip.

Some teams love to gossip. They know all about every person at your firm’s personal life and why the Partner in Finance had a falling out with the Property team. If someone starts a gossipy conversation with you, by all means listen, as gossiping can be a bonding exercise, but do not contribute and do not start your own gossip. If it is getting particularly explicit, change the subject. As a graduate you will be moving all around the firm, working in different teams. You need to remain as neutral as possible.

10.   Make your desk your own.

You will be sitting at your desk. A lot. Customise it in a professional manner. Unless you are very lucky, you will be sitting in open plan, which means you will have a few pin up board areas to work with. Try handmade paper in office appropriate colours and a few photos. Appropriate photos include pictures of landscapes and monuments. Inappropriate photos include photos of your family, friends, partner, dog or cat. A small potted plant such as a succulent may also be appropriate. The office environment is too cold for a cactus.

Fresh flowers in a vase may seem like a good idea, but it is also a good way to make enemies with people who suffer from hayfever. If you really need flowers at your desk, opt for fake flowers made from silk.

11.   Take control of College of Law and your admission ceremony. No one else will.

There are a few firms that integrate College of Law into their graduate programs and will probably organise and pay for your admission. Not everyone will get that lucky. For example, the other graduates in my intake were already admitted, so I had to organise everything myself. Remember that “PQE” legal experience only counts after admission, so get admitted as soon as possible.

12.   Stay in contact with the other graduates.

After induction and training graduates are dispersed to different teams. While you may have promised to meet up for lunch once a week, this generally never happens. It is so important to keep in touch with graduates from other teams. They are going through exactly the same difficulties as you and can potentially help you with your problems. You may be going to their team next, in which case they can update you on the team dynamic and the kind of work you will be doing.

13.  Keep in mind at all times you are trying to convince the team that they should offer you a permanent position.

The purpose of a rotation is for you to try out a team and for the team to try you out to see if they want to offer you a permanent position. Equity Partners run law firms and dictate to HR what will happen to you after your graduate year. Even if you do not want to settle in that team, remain vigilant at all times, as you will be reviewed at the end of the rotation, and that review may help you settle in the team you want.

14.   Do not wait until your performance review to bring up issues.

One of the main issues graduates worry about is billable hours. Generally there is ALWAYS work for a graduate lawyer to do. However, much of the work may not be billable. This may make it difficult for you to reach your billable hours target. My billable hours target was 3.5 hours a day which left plenty of time for non-billable work, but at top tier firms it can be upward of 7 hours. Bring the issue up directly with your Partner. Hopefully they see non-billable work as contributing to your team and tell you not to worry about the billable hours.

15.   Be hungry!

Do not let the humdrum of daily life at a law firm get you down. Remember how enthusiastic and hungry to be involved in law you were at the beginning of the graduate year? Remember how many applications you wrote to get this job? Do not leave your motivation at the door. Stay hungry.