Life at Allens

Tips for navigating your clerkship: insights from Bouchra, Luke and Nico

Our clerkship program is designed to provide aspiring lawyers with an immersive experience to help kickstart their legal careers. Clerks work with some of the most experienced lawyers in Australia and gain first‑hand experience of the type of work we do at Allens.

We caught up with three of our recent summer clerks, Bouchra Chehimy, Luke Davis and Nico Katehos, to hear about their clerkship experience and top tips for future clerks.

Bouchra Chehimy

I'm in my final year at the University of New South Wales, studying a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce (taxation). I applied for a clerkship as I wanted to gain first-hand experience in the type of work I could do as a lawyer at Allens. After having a taste of commercial law through some prior work experience, I wanted to further broaden my understanding of commercial law.

I was particularly excited about the opportunity to work on complex legal issues, improve my legal research and writing skills, get to know the other clerks and lawyers at the firm and gain industry insights.

My clerkship has been an excellent way to immerse myself in commercial law. Throughout my rotations in Tax and the Competition, Consumer and Regulatory teams, I've gained a comprehensive understanding of key tax and competition and consumer law principles. I enjoyed learning about the implications of tax laws on business transactions, as well as the new merger regime and regulatory frameworks.

Bouchra's top clerkship tips

One of the things that helped me prepare for my clerkship was clearly understanding what I wanted to gain from the experience. Before commencing my clerkship, I took some time to think about the skills and professional development acumen I wanted to enhance. I highly recommend reflecting on what you want to gain from your clerkship and using it as an opportunity to think about skills or experiences that will benefit your long-term career. Next, use the resources available to you so that you are able to make the most out of your time. And finally, have fun! It is genuinely such a great time, so enjoy the process.

Luke Davis

I'm entering my fifth year of a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce at Waipapa Taumata Rau (The University of Auckland). In my downtime, I enjoy a morning swim at Wylie, the bacon-and-egg rolls from Avenue on Chifley, reading novels and (most of all) heading to Ryans after work with my fellow clerks.

I never expected to clerk in Australia and, honestly, applied on a whim. However, through the process, Allens helped me see just how much a legal career in Sydney had to offer. The life I wanted to live and the opportunities I sought were all here — so I packed my bags, crossed the Tasman and haven't looked back since!

My rotations in Mergers, Acquisitions and Capital Markets and Banking and Finance have given me first-hand exposure to some complex commercial transactions, but my highlight has been meeting people from all across the firm through Allens Run Club and ALLin, Allens' National LGBTQIA+ network.

Luke's top clerkship tips

My biggest tip for students applying this year is to bring your authentic self to the process—whether that means sharing your passions, voicing your doubts, or asking the questions that truly matter to you. In my opinion, Allens doesn't want you to be the 'perfect' law student; they only want to know the real you.

Nico Katehos

I'm approaching my final year of a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Fine Arts at UNSW. As somebody without any experience or study in commerce (beyond a brief stint in hospitality), I was eager to gain a genuine insight into commercial law – specifically advisory and transactional work, which I hadn't had any exposure to in my previous legal experiences. During my clerkship, I've learnt a lot in this respect. It’s been fascinating to see the broad range of work that commercial lawyers undertake and learn about how commercial clients are seeking to navigate the legal implications of emerging technologies, particularly generative AI.

Nico's top clerkship tips

The clerkship process is famously daunting and it's easy (and common) to feel a bit of imposter syndrome. However, one of the most reassuring aspects of my experience at Allens has been seeing the diverse personalities and backgrounds of the lawyers here. There’s no one 'Allens type' of law student, which is why it’s so important to bring your authentic self to your cover letter, interviews and events. The same advice holds true once you begin your clerkship – the lawyers I've worked with, across all levels of seniority, have been genuinely invested in my interest areas and professional development. Being open and frank with those mentors about what I'm interested in has allowed me to contribute to work that I find the most intellectually engaging.