Issue 12, Semester 1 As the end of Semester 1 draws near, the date for the legal profession’s equivalent of The Hunger Games approaches. In this article De Minimis interviews several veterans of the bruising and occasionally brilliant process to deliver an authentic, unsponsored account of the clerkship period. Rosa’
Why did you apply for clerkships? I applied for clerkships because I’m not sure what I want to do in my career, but it was clear that starting at a corporate law firm opened more doors than it closed. In essence, I applied because a clerkship was presented to me as a safe route, where I could delay making life decisions until I had some experience and insight. I wanted to prove to myself that I could get through a competitive process, and achieve a sense of validation from the fact that someone would think I was good enough to invest in. It’s silly, but honest, and is what makes the whole process so much more daunting because you’re literally asking people to judge you and your CV. What was the hardest part about the process? There were lots of things about the process that were hard. It was time-consuming and unbelievably emotionally draining. I would say the hardest parts of the process for me were:
Do you think the process was made easier or more difficult by the fact that you were going through it with people you knew? I think it made it both easier and more difficult. It was easier, because it was such a relief walking into an event or in the waiting room for an interview and seeing someone you knew that you could speak to, so you didn't look like such a loner and feel so awkward. But it was also more difficult. I felt a sense of guilt and imposter syndrome, knowing that some of my intelligent, charismatic friends hadn’t got an interview. When people asked me how the process was going, I was always super cautious to make sure I didn’t say something to make someone feel like shit while still telling the truth. The best piece of advice I received through the process was “Run your own race, don’t speak to too many people, and stay focused on your own goal.” If you were going through it again what would you do differently? I wouldn’t check Whirlpool. Although ‘clerkiedurkie’ and ‘anotherlawkid’ provided considerable entertainment, I think checking it constantly made me stress about interview offers more than was necessary. It made me feel like shit when I found out a firm that I had applied to had sent out interview offers and I hadn’t received one. It was obviously no use when I’d already received an offer. You can’t win on it, so just don’t go on it. I would also go to events alone. I felt really uncomfortable at events, and tended to find comfort from the company of people I knew. But I think if I’d gone alone, I would have put myself out there a bit more and the events would therefore have been more productive. Rosa applied for 8 firms, got 4 interviews and 4 offers. She had a H2B WAM. ‘Kim’ What was the hardest part about the process? The hardest part was feeling like my rejection (both along the way, and at the end of the process when I had zero clerkships) was a reflection of my own merit. I became pretty downtrodden and depressed after the whole process. It was also really hard going through the realization that although my marks had improved, and I had worked hard to get work experience and good references, this was not enough for a firm to hire me. I effectively looked at it as being a failure, and a stamp from the legal industry screaming to the world “you’re not good enough”. What do you wish you had known before? Getting an interview alone isn’t going to get you through to a clerkship, even if you’re likeable. You need to be impressive, and the talent pool is huge. In all honesty, I knew this, but I naïvely thought I could be an exception to that rule. Do you think the process was made easier or more difficult by the fact that you were going through it with people you knew? The answer to this question is mixed. It wasn’t harder because the people I knew were going through it. The issue was more that I had friends who would obsessively tell me when different firms had made offers. Keeping up-to-date on this is a great way to crush yourself before the email ever appears, and to be honest, it just exacerbates the pain you go through.That said, the support I had from some friends was amazing during this time. I don’t know if I could have gotten through the rest of the semester without the friends who carried me through the rest of semester, both emotionally and academically. If you were going through it again what would you do differently? I would apply for less firms, and not talk to other people about the process. Kim applied for 18 firms, got 2 interviews and no offers. She had a WAM in the high 60s. ‘John’ What was the hardest part? I found the amount of work required to submit an application surprising. I would advise using the full application window (rather than 4 nights, as I did) to submit your applications, so you can give each application proper attention. What do you wish you had known before? From conversations I’ve since had with HR staff, they take detailed notes at all of the events, and actively look out for applications from students whose names they know. Looks like networking actually helps! If you were going through it again what would you do differently? I used a formulaic cover letter for all but 5 places – the 5 places I was genuinely interested in. All 5 interviewed me, and if that isn’t a sign then I don’t know what is. I think you need to find a reason you’re genuinely interested in each firm, and then focus on that. And try to stand out a bit with your cover letter. John applied for 25 firms, got 9 interviews and accepted 1 of 2 offers. He had a low 70s WAM ‘Antonio’ What do you wish you had known before? Nothing really. It’s the experience of going through the process that was valuable to me –– in my case failing to obtain a clerkship. I haven’t learned any new information. However, I did grow as a result. I built resilience to rejection, and learned to use failure as a new starting point. Do you think the process was made easier or more difficult by the fact that you were going through it with people you knew? The fact that I was going through it with people I knew –– mainly acquaintances –– actually made it more difficult. I felt like I had to prove myself to the law school at large, and that included acquaintances around the building that I just chit-chat with. However, going through the process with friends made it easier. Being able to confide in trusted confidants who truly understood what you were going through, and who related to you, made the process less painful. If you were going through it again what would you do differently? I would focus on what I am genuinely passionate about. While applying, I thought I had to prove that I had an interest in commercial law and tried to outline that as much as possible. If I were to go through it again, I would only focus on aspects which the relevant law firm offers that truly interest me. Antonio applied for 12 clerkships, and received no interviews or offers. He had a H3 WAM. And for balance, Tess McIntyre who didn’t apply! Why didn’t you apply? There’s a few reasons I didn’t apply, the biggest one being that I’m just not interested in working for a corporate firm. I was also averse to applying for clerkships in part because I felt like it was something you had to do. Our uni is very tailored towards corporate law, and clerkships are a part of that. I think as a result of this unspoken expectation I sort of rebelled against it, though I doubt I would have felt more inclined to apply even without my small rebellion. Did you feel pressure to apply? No peer pressure at all. It was the same with my family, my mum is a hippie and I'm pretty sure she would disown me if I went corporate. The only real pressure I had was from my aunt, who is a lawyer herself. She encouraged me to apply, saying I would get valuable experience and could potentially have the PLT paid for. But she understood my lack of interest. I guess there is a bit of pressure from the university itself. From the the numerous clerkship information sessions, to available electives, clerkships are really encouraged. What's your planned career path? How easy/hard was it to find information around MLS about it? I'm interested in international law, specifically military law and the law of armed conflict. I’ve ended up doing most of my own research, which didn't bother me, and I know if I'd asked some of my lecturers (like Alison Duxbury or Bruce Oswald) they would have been happy to help. Did you observe anything in people who applied? People were stressed, no doubt about it. It often seemed like things were going in a vicious circle: person A was stressed, who would then make person B stressed, and because person B was stressed, person A would get even more stressed. The competitiveness was also a bit much at times. I know of one person who created a spreadsheet keeping track of what everyone was doing during clerkships, assessing whether or not they were a 'threat'. It was a bit much. On the whole though I do think most people handled it well, and were really supportive of each other.
Wut
23/5/2018 01:20:03 am
“I know of one person who created a spreadsheet keeping track of what everyone was doing during clerkships, assessing whether or not they were a 'threat'.“
Seconded
23/5/2018 07:34:03 pm
Yea the story is true. Very odd fish in particular this person though, they're not representative of typical behavior at MLS by any stretch
I am dying to know who
23/5/2018 08:33:40 pm
I am both impressed and amused and afraid all at once 24/5/2018 09:22:17 am
On what basis do you make that assumption? Everyone knows that guy got multiple offers - why would he feel the need to rank people?
Agreed
24/5/2018 09:28:47 am
Agreed - it’s pretty upsetting that people have resorted to this baseless naming and shaming almost a year after the application process. There’s no need to be bitter about other people’s success.
Not friend but will defend anyway
24/5/2018 10:01:45 am
Can’t be him - pretty sure he doesn’t know how to use excel
Huh?
29/5/2018 03:04:31 pm
Not sure if it was him or not, but how would the receiving offers have any impact on the probability of a person compiling such a spreadsheet? Comments are closed.
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