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Are universities preparing law students for the real world?: Part 2
Here, four law students and graduates address and examine whether universities adequately equip their law students with the necessary knowledge to succeed once they get out into the profession.
Grace Robbie
Continuing a previous discussion on the effectiveness of university law curricula, with a focus on the need to enhance practical skills training, real-world applications of legal concepts, and collaborative experience, Jacob Carson, a current law student at the University of Newcastle and a finalist for the 2024 Australian Law Awards’ Law Student of the Year; Hayden McLoughlin, a recent graduate from QUT now working at NIOA; Jeremy Short, a student and ambassador at the University of Sydney; and Jesse Prior, a final-year law student at Monash University and an incoming 2025 law graduate at Ashurst, further assess whether universities are adequately preparing their law students for professional practice.
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Here, the law students and graduates provided their perspectives on whether universities are adequately offering opportunities for hands-on experience, fostering professional networks, and facilitating the application of their knowledge in practical, real-world scenarios.
Opportunities for hands-on experience
Jacob Carson holds an optimistic view regarding universities providing law students with opportunities to put their acquired knowledge into practice through hands-on experience.
“In fourth and fifth year, the vast majority of Newcastle students undertake 285 hours of workplace experience at the Law School’s own pro bono advice clinic and other external law firms and agencies,” Carson said.
Carson articulated that acquiring such practical experience is “invaluable” for cultivating fundamental legal skills and gaining insights into the realities of legal practice.
“I’ve found the opportunity to interview clients, research legal issues, and write up letters of advice through this program to be invaluable for developing my foundational legal skills and opening my eyes to the realities of legal practice,” Carson said.
Jeremy Short similarly commended his university for its proactive approach by offering elective courses that provide law students with valuable hands-on experience through internships and clinical work.
While acknowledging the significant benefits of offering elective courses, Short argued that these advantages would be substantially enhanced “if such opportunities could be offered earlier in the degree”.
However, he said: “I understand that there are obstacles that would make this a challenge (e.g., balancing units from the non-law degree, priority of completing core/compulsory units).”
Additionally, he also outlined that his university offers various practical workshops for law students, encompassing knowledgeable activities “ranging from mooting to negotiations, client interviewing and witness examination”.
Short advocated for other universities to implement and offer similar practical programs for their law students, emphasising that “these activities offer great opportunities for law students to apply what they have learnt in class and to develop their skills in oral advocacy, communication and critical thinking – all while getting a taste of what they can expect in legal practice”.
Jesse Prior conveyed similar views towards universities facilitating hands-on legal experience for their law students. He noted how the university he attends, Monash Law, offers a “guaranteed clinical education experience” to those students completing a law degree.
Through partaking in this experience, he emphasised how he developed practical skills such as “managing up to eight concurrent files under the supervision of a lawyer” and “briefing and instructing counsel for various Magistrates Court hearings”.
However, not all students express the same level of enthusiasm, with Hayden McLoughlin offering a more critical viewpoint.
McLoughlin said that while universities could provide more hands-on experience to students, he acknowledged the evolving role of legal education.
“I don’t believe law school provides enough hands-on experience. However, it’s important to recognise that the role of a law degree has evolved. While traditionally seen as a pathway to a career in a law firm, a legal education now equips students with critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are valuable in a wide range of sectors,” McLoughlin said.
McLoughlin also emphasised the contemporary value of legal education, emphasising its ability to allow law students to develop critical thinking abilities applicable across diverse industries rather than solely within traditional legal frameworks.
“Focusing on practical experience might result in fewer students using their legal education in these non-traditional roles,” McLoughlin said.
Professional networks
Law students are also deeply interested in the extent to which universities offer them opportunities to engage in professional networking and mentorship programs that can help prepare them for their future legal careers.
Carson observed a significant shortfall in the efforts undertaken by universities to provide their law students with initiatives and opportunities aimed at fostering professional connections.
In response, Carson revealed that law student associations, like his own, have taken steps to address this gap by organising events that facilitate the formation of these essential connections.
“That’s an area where our law student association has really had to step in and take the reins by organising careers fairs and careers panels that local law firms and practitioners come along to for the purpose of engaging with students and sharing their insights,” he said.
Short acknowledges similar sentiments by praising his university’s law society efforts to facilitate a wide range of networking opportunities for law students throughout their academic journey.
He highlighted how their organised initiatives have contributed to law students’ progressional growth by fostering valuable relationships with a “wide variety of law firms, organisations and agencies, with regular information/networking sessions being run for students on a regular basis”.
Prior also echoed how his university has enabled him and other law students to expand their professional network by sharing how his involvement in the Monash Law Ambassador program facilitated “ongoing engagement with the legal industry”.
He also said: “I think a large part of industry exposure, and development of professional networks, necessarily occurs through such student-led initiatives, which are often supported by the university.”
While McLoughlin revealed opportunities for enhancement within the university’s endeavours in this area, he presented an alternative viewpoint by reflecting on his own experience and conceding that he, too, could have contributed more.
“The university, in my opinion, could do better. But students, including my past self, can do better as lifelong learners. I wish I had engaged more with the profession and exposed myself to the profession sooner,” McLoughlin said.
“I don’t blame the university for not facilitating that because there are always opportunities.”
Short commended his university’s law society for its efforts in facilitating a wide range of networking opportunities for law students throughout their academic journey.
He highlighted how its organised initiatives have contributed to law students’ progressional growth by fostering valuable relationships with a “wide variety of law firms, organisations and agencies, with regular information/networking sessions being run for students on a regular basis”.
