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MISS SIAN INDISPENSABLE Volume 9, Issue 3 On the first day of my clerkship at Major Global Firm, I was handed a sheet of paper revealing my team placement for the next four weeks. Collected by my junior solicitor buddy, Top-Knot-Lover, I was whisked upstairs to be introduced to the rest of my new team. “We’re a small group,” she told me as I shook hands with Senior-Associate-Active-Wear, Former-Clerk-Who-Got-A-Grad-Job, Former-Clerk-Without-A-Grad-Job (#awks) and Token-Male (girl power!). Then we all looked to the corner office. Door closed, I could see a ball of bright colour with her back to me. “That’s Partner-Powerdresser,” whispered Top-Knot-Lover. “She’s super-important, don’t interrupt her,” Former-Clerk-Who-Got-A-Grad-Job added. “But anything she asks you to do takes top priority,” called Senior-Associate-Active-Wear from her office exercise ball. Token-Male had already retreated to his office. Former-Clerk-Without-A-Grad-Job said nothing. “You’ll meet her later,” Top-Knot-Lover told me. “Later?” I thought. HR had made it sound rather like I needed to meet her now. “Valued and indispensable,” they had told us we needed to become. A successful clerk was missed by their partner when they left. Nearly two weeks in, I was nowhere near that. I was yet to even meet Partner-Powerdresser. “My partner and I had a coffee on my first day,” one Lit & Reg clerk told me when I confided my worry. “I had a sit-down meeting,” another offered. “Well, my partner took me to lunch,” a third declared smugly, trumping us all. I needed to do something – how does one get a grad job when their partner doesn’t even know their name?! “Don’t interrupt her!” Former-Clerk-Who-Got-A-Grad-Job shrieked, repeating her Day 1 advice. “Don’t worry about it,” smiled Top-Knot-Lover, before regaling me with the tale of how her clerkship partner had loved her so much he had personally insisted she stay on as a paralegal and later moved her admission. “I’m busy, ask me later,” Senior-Associate-Active-Wear barked, ever bouncing on her exercise ball. Token-Male shrugged and Former-Clerk-Without-A-Grad-Job said nothing. I was beginning to wonder if she talked at all. Must be hard to get a grad job if you don’t talk to anyone… maybe it didn’t matter if I never met Partner-Powerdresser, so long as I talked everybody else’s ear off? Pondering my dilemma, and needing my 975th cup of tea for the day, I wandered to the kitchenette. There I found, standing at the kettle and resplendent in fuschia, Partner-Powerdresser. “Oh hello!” she beamed at me. “You must be our new clerk! We must talk – coffee?” And so, dear reader, began our fabulous working relationship. I’d like to think she misses me – but then again, we still haven’t had that coffee. Shit. I should email her. Miss Sian Indispensable is a third-year JD student  Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons More De Minimis!
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Leo
15/3/2016 12:30:05 pm
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