Finding employment or internships

Law students face significant hurdles in securing employment and internships amid a competitive job market.

Callum Donnolley noted a prevalent issue faced by early-stage law students: the difficulty in securing legal opportunities due to firms’ “reluctance to hire candidates with limited practical experience, thereby creating a barrier to entry into the legal profession”.

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“While I was fortunate to maintain employment through most of my studies, I did not avoid the mindset suffered by many early-stage law students: that firms are not interested in hiring first- and second- (or even third-) year law students, and that their limited university experience is an obstacle to finding a legal position,” he said.

To mitigate this, Donnolley emphasised the value of law students participating in extracurricular activities, which can significantly enhance their legal skills and are highly regarded by prospective employers.

“Students can do much to assist in their search for employment or clerkship opportunities without any prior experience. Extracurriculars such as mooting and various skills competitions run by university law societies are arguably more beneficial to the development of legal skills than courses themselves and are viewed favourably by employers,” Donnolley said.

“Developing a well-rounded approach to academic development assisted me to overcome the impostor syndrome many first- to third-year students suffer from when seeking employment.”

Sabrina Liang discussed the extensive time and resource commitment required for law students to pursue clerkships during their final year. This demanding process can lead to burnout among students, ultimately impacting their academic performance.

“During the clerkship process, students will apply to an average of eight to 15 clerkships. However, during this period, students are still studying and working to support themselves, meaning there is a lot of pressure and burnout during this period,” she said.

Liang explained that in order to apply to the clerkships she intended to, she had to sacrifice time meant to complete the first three weeks of work in her second semester.

“I was able to juggle this workload through neglecting my university studies for the first three weeks of semester two, meaning I have also fallen behind. This was the only way that I could fit in 13 clerkship applications, with various cover letters, short-answer questions and psychometric tests,” she said.

“While this is a common experience for law students, it has placed a lot of additional pressure and stress on myself and my friends, who feel we are juggling an enormous amount of responsibilities in a short period of time.”

Sai Muthukumar also observed that with the legal job market becoming “more competitive”, this will also have a notable impact on the prospects of law students entering the legal profession.

He encouraged law students to engage in extracurricular activities to enhance their skill set and distinguish themselves from their peers.

“It is important that students are deliberate in how they choose to spend their time on extracurricular activities. By participating in activities that develop skills sought after by employers such as collaboration and critical thinking, students are more likely to find employment and internships,” he said.

Further, a law student who preferred to remain anonymous highlighted the growing challenge of “obtaining flexible work that effectively balances academic obligations with professional commitments”.

“I have been extremely lucky to work in the role I am in a full-time capacity, however, generally, it is quite difficult to find workplaces that are flexible in terms of hours and working-from-home arrangements,” they said.

“It’s an employer’s market, meaning fewer annual wage increases and an expectation from employers to be available to work at least three to four days a week at some firms.”

To address these challenges, the law student recommended broadening the job search to encompass opportunities beyond traditional law firms.

“Students can overcome employment obstacles by casting a wide net across a range of sectors and/or practice areas. Look for work outside of a law firm, e.g., in the legal assistance or government sectors. Attend careers fairs, open days and other networking events as much as possible,” they said.

Additional worries

Liang pointed out that another significant challenge law students are facing is the wellbeing of many law students who have to juggle various responsibilities.

“I am worried that there is a mental health crisis amongst law students, who are struggling to juggle all of these issues, such as maintaining good grades, being active, working part-time and studying part-time,” she said.

“The people in this age range are struggling, particularly post-COVID. Over 50 per cent of the students at the University of Melbourne have applied for special consideration, demonstrating a systemic mental health issue.”

Muthukumar also expressed another present issue that more law students are being pressured to work within the commercial legal sector due to the rising costs of living.

“There is concern that with the rising costs of living, students are implicitly being pushed into the commercial sector, forgoing the opportunity to work in other areas of law,” he said.

“Unless universities effectively market the non-commercial law sector, and the costs of living lessen to enable more graduates to have a greater sense of financial security, this trend is likely to continue.”

Additional support needed

Law students grappling with such financial and employment-related challenges would benefit significantly from enhanced support and resources.

Donnolley underscored that a crucial area for improvement is around employers providing greater flexibility in working arrangements.

“Flexibility from employers should never be underestimated. Often, the most helpful assistance a student can receive during particularly stressful academic periods is understanding,” he said.

Employers who accommodate class schedules and provide flexible working hours can substantially ease this burden, thereby facilitating a more effective balance between students’ academic and financial responsibilities.

“The recognition from an employer that a student’s work availability is subject to class timetabling, and a willingness to provide employment to accommodate such timetabling, is beneficial to students’ ability to balance both worlds,” Donnolley said.

Liang stressed the necessity for universities and state governments to provide increased financial assistance and support for law students, particularly for international law students.

“Financial support from the university and from the government is very important – particularly more for international students. International students who are here on student visas face particularly more financial and time pressure, as their visa means they have to finish their degree in three years,” she said.

Liang also emphasised the financial challenges encountered by law students opting for juris doctor (JD) degrees within the standard three-year period, as it offers limited time to financially support themselves.

“The JD is marketed as a three-year degree, but students often take 3.5 [to] four years to complete it, choosing to work part-time and study part-time. Students who finish their degree in three years often have very little time to work to support themselves. If they do not have financial support from their parents, then they will struggle immensely through the degree,” she said.

Muthukumar advised law students to take advantage of the opportunities offered by esteemed universities, as they allow them to explore various career paths that may not be readily available elsewhere.

“Students should immerse themselves into the opportunities offered by their universities, student law societies, and the professional law society of their state or territory. In doing so, students will be exposed to a large variety of different employment pathways post-graduation, raising the likelihood of securing long-term employment,” he said.

“With the rising costs of living, students should actively seek out financial assistance services and resources provided for by their institutions and student associations. Through this, students can alleviate some of the financial challenges placed upon them.”

The anonymous law student also highlighted the necessity for universities to offer an increased amount of online resources to support law students financially “due to the high costs of law textbooks”.

“Making sure students are well informed of employment opportunities as they progress through their studies, perhaps through pamphlets advising or promoting different career avenues,” the student said.