Securing a placement as part of practical legal training (PLT) is a really important way to get exposure to the law and find your area of interest, Dentons Partner Michael Stretton advised students at the recent Queensland Law Society Better Call Sarah event.
The construction team partner made up the panel with Tasc Community Legal Centre solicitor Emma Unwin and hosted by former QLS Future Leaders Committee President Sarah de Jong last week at Law Society House in Brisbane.
Better Call Sarah is a free event series for student members to help them navigate career pathways, and this event focused on PLT as well questions from the audience.
Mr Stretton said placement was an important way for students to start their legal journey as law was an inherently practical skill and they were moving from theoretical to practical.
“Not all law is the same,” he said. “You’re at a point in your career when you can get exposure to different areas of law, take on different roles, you can do different things before you land on what exactly is your passion for the area of law you want to work in,” he said.
“It is about experience, not necessarily where you do your placement or who you do your placement with – those types of things – getting the experience and starting to work on your practical skills is really what this is about.
“These are the key things we are looking for when we are interviewing. What can you do to differentiate yourself to someone like me who is an employer.
“There’s a couple of things you can do, like have really good grades, that’s a good way to differentiate yourself, and the next part is experience. Not being picky about a placement – getting in and getting that exposure is really, really key.”
Ms Unwin, a former career paralegal of 20 years, said another important consideration when aiming to make an impression was working on personal skills not just grades. She recalled a junior lawyer not knowing how to photocopy a document.
She said general basic skills included photocopying, knowing where to position a stamp on an envelope, how to have a conversation with a client when bad news needed to be delivered and dealing with a client who was heightened.
“All of those kinds of things which are practical skills will really shape what options are available to you at the end of your degree and PLT,” Ms Unwin said.
“Simply thinking ‘Okay well I’ll do my law degree, then I’ll do PLT and then I’m good to go, and I’m going to get so many job opportunities’ – that’s not real life.
“The reality is there is a saturated market and you need to do something to put yourself ahead of other people so if you can develop those skills and you can learn what to do from that perspective, you will be far ahead of other people in the same position without those skills.”
Mr Stretton agreed saying soft skills were “so important” as was a positive attitude to work.
“You need somebody with a great attitude,” he said. “I can teach you the law, I can teach you how to be a great lawyer. I can’t teach you how to be empathetic. I can’t teach you how to be kind,” he said.
“Having those conversations is important – it doesn’t matter where you work. Those soft skills also feed through to the way you interact with your team, the way you interact with other junior lawyers, the way you interact with paralegals and support staff.
“Really working on that and those things will come through PLT. It is a practical part of your diploma.
“Working up those soft skills during your placement is so, so important because we can have a million great lawyers but no one wants to work with you when you are difficult and you can’t win if your clients don’t want to talk to you.”
Ms De Jong said enthusiasm would set graduates apart in a competitive field.
“The pride in your work starts in your PLT,” she said, advising students not to say they were working out things but to take action.
“Try things now,” she said. “If you do it now, it is easier than when you are in a firm. It is not that scary now, what you are doing (in PLT) is getting a feel for the job.
“Uncomfortable is where you grow.”
Mr Stretton also spoke to the importance of networking at events such as Better Call Sarah and personal brand development.
“Network with people at your level, in your circles here tonight. They will be important moving forward. Be authentic when networking. Ask questions, be interested, ask what interests them and what makes them tick,” he said.
The panel also encouraged students to research PLT providers as they offered different services, with some sourcing placements.
“It is an extremely individual choice you need to do what works for you, your family, your employment,” Ms Unwin said. “It is one of those circumstances where it is not one size fits all.
“Doing the research early is probably my best tip because you want to know exactly what you are looking to do.
“You don’t want to leave it to the last minute and think ‘Oh my god I should have chosen this six months ago’ and ‘I should know what I’m doing’.”
Ms De Jong advised the audience to “factor in life over the top” of PLT options and encouraged attendees to check providers’ websites.
“The key takeaway for all of you tonight is that there is people directly with those providers that can talk to you if you want to understand more about specifics in relation to each of those courses,” she said.
The next Better Call Sarah event on 30 September will look at recruitment.
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