Jessica

Vacation clerk 2010-11

I approached the first day of my vacation clerkship at Freehills with a combination of excitement and trepidation. Intermixed with a desire to experience the swish culture of a top corporate law firm, was also an uneasiness about being ‘thrown in the deep end’ without a life jacket. My perception of Freehills before starting my clerkship was of a black-suit, serious, conservative law firm, filled with black-suited, serious, conservative people. But this perception was soon to change, and by the end of the first day, I had already heard and experienced first-hand something I’d heard about Freehills before, that they take their work seriously but not themselves. Indeed, the ‘vibe’ on my floor was constantly upbeat and happy, with the sound of laughter billowing out of partner’s offices, even during times of high stress and cut-throat deadlines.

Although we are often cynical about the various claims that law firms make on their website about being the most friendly, the most supportive and the most approachable, my experience as a vacation clerk at Freehills has shown this to be a true reflection of the culture at the firm. There is a sense of ‘family’ and teamwork that permeates the firm, and there is never a shortage of people willing to help, to answer questions or to chat about what they do and why they love doing it- no matter how senior or time-poor they are. Even across departments, senior associates and partners are more than willing to take you out to their favourite Flinders Lane coffee haunt to discuss their area of practice, and explain the path they had carved out in their careers.  Throughout my time at the firm, I often saw partners working closely with junior lawyers and graduates- breaking down my preconceptions of the ‘large corporate law firm’ as hierarchical and intimidating.

In addition to experiencing the culture of the firm and the lifestyle of a corporate lawyer, the Freehills’ clerkship experience was also a learning curve in terms of my understanding of the law in a commercial context. The days often started with a presentation from one of the practice groups, to ensure that we received a complete understanding of the firm and how each practice area operates. Additionally, in our first couple of days, we were given comprehensive training to ensure that we felt ready to tackle the challenges of a vacation clerkship, and to find out who to ask for any minor question. As the clerkship proceeded, I was given the opportunity to work on a variety of tasks, including drafting a letter to ASIC and compiling an internal reference guide for future use by Freehills graduates. The supervision by my buddy and supervisor also ensured that the work I was given was stimulating and challenging, but also that I was given detailed instructions and a proper context for the work I was doing, so that my view of the task was not pigeon-holed.

From the coffee sessions to the endless Christmas party luncheons, the team building cooking day at Nine Darling Street, and the album of photos we received at the end of the clerkship, Freehills went above and beyond to ensure the most enjoyable experience for its vacation clerks. Upon leaving 101 Collins Street on my final day, I reflected on what was the most attractive part of working at Freehills as a vacation clerk. Despite the glitz and glamour of the Christmas parties and the thrilling feeling of completing a challenging task, it was the passion, drive and ambition of the Freehills team, together with the supportive and welcoming atmosphere, which gave the place its unique buzz.