Aus Legal Careers Advance

Dear [your name] Thank you for your application for the 2023/24 Seasonal Clerkship Program at [firm name].  Congratulations, we are delighted to invite you to a first round interview.  Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash If you are one of the very few law students who have received or will receive an email to this effect, congratulations!  Given how competitive it is for clerkship applications (think 1000+ applications for perhaps 100-150 first round interviews and ultimately 30-50 clerkship positions at the larger firms in Sydney), you should be proud of getting at least a first round interview.  The firm has actually been "impressed" by your application (unlike those who were unfortunately rejected).     However, the clerkship process is not over yet and you may or may not end up with clerkship offer(s) at the end of the process.   Didn't receive any clerkship interviews (despite firms politely saying that they were "impressed" with yo...

As seasonal clerkship applications start to close in NSW, many students are frantically proofreading and checking their cover letters before submission. The cover letter is the first thing that the law firm recruitment representative reads before they turn to your resume.  Accordingly, it is perhaps the most important document in your application and is what gets you or costs you an interview at that firm.  For example, addressing the wrong law firm in your cover letter will certainly cost you an interview because it suggests a lack of attention to detail and care (as well as a lack of interest in that particular firm). Photo by Unseen Studio on Unsplash As someone who was able to score a few clerkship and graduate interviews back in the day, here is my checklist of the things that you could consider before submitting your cover letter for clerkship and graduate applications. ALCA Seasonal Clerkship Cover Letter Checklist Checklist item ✓ ...

As seasonal clerkship applications start to close in NSW, many students are frantically proofreading and checking their resumes before submission. A resume enables the recruiter to form their first impression of you.  An error or mistake on your resume (which could be replicated across multiple firms if you use the same resume across the board) can suggest to law firms that you lack attention to detail.  Therefore, your resume can either get you or cost you an interview.  Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash As someone who was able to score a few clerkship and graduate interviews back in the day, here is my checklist of the things that you could consider before submitting your resume for clerkship and graduate applications. ALCA Seasonal Clerkship Resume Checklist Checklist item ✓     Structure of your resume – the key sections: Personal details – your name as the heading and provided contact details (suc...