Ask Clayton Utz

In a once in a lifetime opportunity, the Clayton Utz team has opened the floor for questions to be directed straight at them.

“Ask Clayton Utz” is a chance for QUT Law and Justice students to ask the big questions about life at the Clayton Utz’ Brisbane Office. Make a name for yourself by making informed questions about the firm and lawyers working in it. It’s your best chance to learn before applying so that you can impress the team with your knowledge of the firm!

Don’t hold back!

Ask Question

Recent Questions

Question 1)  How do I go about getting work experience?

Answer:
For university students, Vacation Clerkships are the most popular form of work experience and are made available to students in their penultimate year. Clerkships are popular because they provide students with 3 or 4 weeks of paid work experience in a tailored program in university breaks.

Vacation Clerkships also provide students with an opportunity to be considered for Graduate positions. Students who obtain a Vacation Clerkship with Clayton Utz are usually solid academic performers, have steady legal or non-legal work experience, have some form of extra-curricular involvement and have superior communication skills.

Question 2) I am curious about the graduate recruitment process and when is the best time to apply?  I am a double degree student so it may be different.

Answer -

Firms that are signed up to the ‘Queensland Law Society Legal Graduate Employment and Vacation Clerkship Guidelines 2010′, can accept Graduate applications for positions in 2011 from Monday, 2 August 2010 and offers are made on Monday, 13 September 2010.

However, our Graduate Recruitment process here at Clayton Utz for our 2011 Graduate Program will not be open at this time, as we made offers to our previous Vacation Clerks during March, which is in line with the QLS Guidelines.  We were very happy to fill our 2011 Graduate intake with 100% of our former Vacation Clerks from our programs during 2009 and early 2010.

One of the benefits of becoming a Clayton Utz Vacation Clerk each year is that they are automatically entitled to an interview for our Graduate Program for the following year. This reiterates the importance of students doing a Vacation Clerkship during their studies.  Regardless of whether students do a double degree or a law degree, the dates for Vacation Clerkships and Graduate Recruitment are the same, and are contained each year in the QLS Guidelines (available on the QLS website).  It is important to be aware that to be considered for a Vacation Clerkship at Clayton Utz, you need to be in your penultimate year of study; that is, your second last calendar year of study (regardless of whether you finish mid year or in the second semester).

Question 3) I am in my first year of a dual degree and I would like to know my chances of getting a vacation clerkship at Clayton Utz.  I am doing fairly well in my law degree but not as well in my business degree.  Will you take my business GPA into consideration?

If I volunteer at small law firms would that significantly help my chances or should I concentrate on my GPA?  I also support my High School’s Amnesty International group. Would you consider this organisation to be too controversial? Would you prefer it if I was part of something that was more neutral?

Answer

To be eligible to apply for a Vacation Clerkship at Clayton Utz, you must be in your penultimate year of study; that is, your second last calendar year of study (regardless of whether you finish mid or end of year).  Academically speaking, our interest will be in your law studies and it is important that you achieve superior academic results.  It is not a requirement to complete a double degree but we acknowledge that another degree will provide you with other skills and experience advantageous to a career in law.

At Clayton Utz we look for a range of attributes in our Vacation Clerks.  While academic results are important, we also like to see a range of other achievements and interests in the applications we receive, including relevant practical work experience – legal and non-legal, client service orientation, proven interpersonal skills, team orientation and a balanced lifestyle.  This may include sports, travel, university involvement or volunteering with a community organisation.

Question 4) Does Clayton Utz normally have casual positions available for law students? I am very keen on casual work at Clayton Utz. I currently work at a small law firm, however, I would really like to experience the work culture and work environment at Clayton Utz.

Answer

Casual positions for Law Clerks and Paralegals arise occasionally and are dependent on the needs of the business. We regularly update our website with upcoming career opportunities. To gain an insight into the work culture and work environment at Clayton Utz, you should consider a Vacation Clerkship. To find out if you are eligible for a Vacation Clerkship, please refer to the below responses.