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What partners want from junior lawyers in 2025
Mindset, enthusiasm, and adaptability have long been sought-after traits for the next generations. This year, such traits are shaping up to be even more pertinent, according to these law firm leaders.
Jerome Doraisamy
With the new year in full swing, graduate and junior legal professionals are looking to excel in an ever-competitive and dynamic market. Here, four firm heads weigh in on what they’re most keen to see from their new and younger recruits.
Emma Covacevich (chief executive partner, Clayton Utz):
For the head of BigLaw firm Clayton Utz, junior lawyers who demonstrate potential, curiosity and the aptitude to quickly learn, adapt and apply new skills are valued.
“The ability to leverage GenAI and other emerging technologies, along with commercial awareness, is increasingly important as the market continues to evolve,” said Covacevich, who won the Managing Partner of the Year category at the Australian Law Awards last year.
“Many of my colleagues don’t remember a working world without email. Now, graduates won’t know a world without AI.”
“As always, it’s critical that junior lawyers possess excellent core legal skills, but they should also understand how technology is transforming the legal industry.”
“As junior lawyers become more adept at using AI, awareness and sound judgement will be crucial in using it ethically.”
Nick Humphrey (managing partner, Hamilton Locke):
Hamilton Locke, Humphrey noted in conversation with Lawyers Weekly, receives hundreds of applications each year, but with “every single one of those lawyers” having a law degree and good grades, there are certain traits that set an applicant apart.
“Since our inception, we’ve adopted the same ethos when hiring junior lawyers: hire for mindset, drive and attitude. This is even more important in 2025,“ he said.
“The reality is, the world we’re operating in is, and always has been, evolving. Market shifts and new technologies are inevitable and will only become increasingly prevalent in the future. The technical skills needed to be a lawyer will change over time, but what won’t is the hunger to adapt and continuously improve.”
His firm, he continued, wants junior lawyers with energy, drive, and hustle, “because that’s what’s going to help them succeed [in] a dynamic market”.
“In practice, that means what we’re looking for on CVs is something that shows character (and this doesn’t have to be in the legal profession). They could have travelled, played sport at an elite level, or demonstrated entrepreneurial flair – anything that shows they are striving to improve, think outside the box, and push themselves.”
Glenn Hughes (chair, Cornwalls):
According to Hughes – who became Cornwalls’ chair mid-last year – “as much as things change, they also stay the same”.
He remembers, he mused, the introduction of email and the demise of fax machines.
“Now, it’s the introduction of AI and WFH,” he said.
“But all those things are really just tools to help lawyers (especially junior lawyers) do their job. What I expect of junior lawyers in 2025 is the same as what my first boss expected of me: enthusiasm, trust and a commitment to give every task a red-hot shot.”
Danny King (founder and principal, Danny King Legal):
For King – a former winner of the Managing Partner of the Year category at the Australian Law Awards – technical skills are important, but what really makes a junior lawyer stand out is their mindset.
“We need people who are curious and willing to engage with new technologies like AI, but who also invest in their own resilience,” she said.
“That means being comfortable asking for support when it’s needed and hearing and applying feedback received – it builds trust and keeps people thriving in a fast-paced environment.”
Her firm, King went on, looks for juniors “who take accountability, who show courage in new situations, and who are proactive about learning the basics, such as knowing how to leverage tools like Word, Outlook, and Excel, which can make a real difference”.
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. In June 2024, he also assumed the editorship of HR Leader. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
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