We’re often told as university students that the key to starting a successful legal career lies in networking.
However, this can be a difficult and potentially daunting task for some. In my experience as a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) law student, and in my role as a legal assistant at the Queensland Law Society (QLS), I have learned that networking can take many different shapes and forms.
Networking is a superpower in the legal profession. It can open doors to job opportunities, professional growth and help to establish your reputation among the legal community. Networking can occur at your university, through volunteering or work experience, through online platforms and in beginner legal roles while you study.
First to consider is the world of digital networking. As our generation are commonly known as “digital natives,” platforms including LinkedIn provide an invaluable opportunity to showcase your previous work experience, study achievements, skills, and interests in a professional online setting. This allows you to cast your net much wider than previously possible and connect with legal professionals worldwide. The platform also provides the ability to join relevant groups and build relationships by commenting and sharing.
Another form of networking can occur through your university’s law society. As a QUT student, the QUT Law Society (QUTLS) provide key news and updates for law students including job positions and timelines for clerkship applications.
They also coordinate several professional and social events. Social events include Law Bowls, QUTLS social sport teams, and a pizza party for first-year law students. While many might think networking only involves meeting and introducing yourself to industry professionals and practising lawyers, networking with your student peers is a great avenue to explore new opportunities. Networking with those who are further into their law degree could bear fruit including helpful advice on how and where to gain work experience before graduating, and tips on how to balance part-time work with your course load.
QUTLS also coordinates professional events including Getting your foot in the door where students can gain expert advice from recruiters about how to land your dream role and what employers look for in an applicant.
Law firms involved include Bartley Cohen Litigation Lawyers, Norton Rose Fullbright, Clayton Utz, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and more. With a networking session following the event, students can speak to practitioners and recruiters to develop relationships that are crucial to getting a look in when applying for a graduate role. Other initiatives include QUT’s renowned Mooting Club, Sentencing and Witness Practice Sessions and Witness Examination Showcases to allow students to hone their legal skills outside of the classroom.
One of the most important networking opportunities is through work experience. Pursuing a legal career is not only a large investment, but a competitive industry. It is therefore key to engage in some degree work experience before plunging into real-world practice.
Volunteering throughout your degree and clerkship opportunities in your penultimate year of study are a fantastic way to showcase that you have more than a law degree under your belt. An even better way to display this is to secure a permanent role in the legal profession, whether that be a firm or elsewhere, whilst you are studying. This aids in securing a graduate role through having pre-existing connections in the industry.
In my position as a legal assistant at QLS, I have had the invaluable experience of networking with many individuals. Those include the Legal Policy Team within which I sit, including several well-experienced and practiced solicitors who have worked in many different areas of the law. This has allowed me insight into the innerworkings of different areas of law and what sort of roles are available in the different fields.
I have also had the opportunity to network with individuals within QLS that sit outside my team. This has provided me with the opportunity to understand how an office works and the different connections others in your organisation may have that will assist you down the track.
Furthermore, within the Legal Policy Team, we have 30 policy committees that sit across several different areas of law. With several practicing solicitors, academics, and other legal professionals within each committee, I am afforded great opportunities to network with those engaged in the day-to-day in different areas of the law.
Having had this engagement will be significant when I begin looking for a clerkship or graduate role down the track, as ‘who you know, rather than what you know’ often plays a significant role in getting your foot in the door.
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