Careers Episode 2: Clerkships and Paralegal Work

Footnotes (by the Sydney University Law Society)

Welcome to episode 2 of our careers miniseries and this time we’re discussing the topic currently on every penultimate student’s mind: CLERKSHIPS, and possible alternatives.

Join Tamsyn and Nick as they sit down with Vivienne Davis, who completed a clerkship last year, and Bridget Dawson, who was a paralegal at the Crown Solicitor’s Office, as they discuss all the secret tips and tricks to nailing their application processes. Both our guests for this episode will share their experiences and advice, providing some great insights for the (hopefully) future clerks and paralegals listening!

This episode was produced in collaboration with SURG.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Intro

(2:42) Vivienne’s Interview Begins

(5:59) Vivienne’s law journey

(7:49) Research Process and Choosing the Right Firms

(18:47) The Application Process

(26:19) Interviews

(29:42) Balancing Work/Applications/Life

(35:10) Bridget’s Interview Begins

(37:00) Subverting the Expectation of Doing Clerkships

(43:05) Being a Paralegal at Crown Solicitor’s Office

(48:35) Benefits of being a Paralegal

(53:16) Skills from the Paralegal Position

(55:40) Advice for Students

(57:15) Outro

Featuring: Vivienne Davis and Bridget Dawson

Hosts: Nick Leavenworth, Tamsyn Bellew

Producers: Nick Leavenworth, Tamsyn Bellew, Veronica Lenard, Brandon Velleley

Executive Producer: Jacinda Yang

Footnotes (SULS) is based on the unceded land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, and pay respects to the Elders past, present and emerging.