Life at Allens

Welcome to our new summer clerks!

In December, we welcomed 112 new summer clerks in our Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney offices. We asked our new starters a couple of questions about what they're hoping to get out of their clerkship, where they see their career going, and how Gen Z will make an impact.

Speaking about what she's hoping to get out of her clerkship, Ingrid Horeb said she wants to better understand the work she might like to do in the future.

'I'm really hoping to get a good idea of what it's like to not only work in a large commercial law firm, but to work at Allens (and from what I can see so far, it seems fantastic), to get a better understanding of the work I might like to do once I practice, and to meet a variety of people from the firm.'

Olivia Brumm shared what she's looking forward to most about her clerkship.

'Meeting as many different people from across the firm as I can! So many people at Allens have such fascinating life stories. I have never worked in a law firm before so I am really looking forward to immersing myself in the culture and finding out what brought everyone to Allens.'

Ryan Sharp also shared what he wants out of the program, telling us he would like a better understanding of the work Allens does.

'The main thing I want to take from my clerkship is a better understanding of Allens and the work that it does, as well as gaining a firmer hold of which practice group I see myself working in long-term. As many lawyers could attest, not everybody leaves law school with a strong grasp of which area they see themselves practicing! So I have been extremely pleased that so many lawyers have been happy (sometimes, too happy) to talk with me and give me an idea of the work they do.'

Ben Gallagher told us about his aspirations for a mentally challenging and supportive career.

'At law school, I think nearly all students have aspirations of becoming a judge, a QC, or a partner. Whilst I haven't lost aspirations such as these, I can say for certain my idea of an 'ideal career' has shifted since beginning my clerkship. Now, I want my career to be in a law firm where I know I will be mentally challenged and supported during my journey. It is for these exact reasons that the prospect of beginning my legal career with a clerkship at Allens is so exciting!'

Talking about what Gen Z will bring to the law, Joeseph Dwyer told us that the way the generation has been raised will challenge the norms.

'If Gen Z are known for anything, and it's much to the annoyance of many, it is challenging the status quo. Whilst that can often be a colossal pain, I think this new generation, birthed in the crucible of technology and raised on COVID, has little time for doing things a certain way merely because 'that's how they've always been done.' The word 'innovation' might be more popular than sliced bread right now, but it is true that innovators will win the future. I doubt the High Court will be in the metaverse in five years' time, but if Gen Z can bring anything to the law outside of social media addiction, it'll be thinking well outside the box.'

Neeharika Palachanda thinks ESG and sustainable practices will be at the heart of the advice Gen Z provides.

'I think my generation has a renewed importance on leaving the world in a better position than we got it, and through the law, I imagine that ESG and sustainable practices will be at the heart of the advice we give, rather than an additional consideration. COVID-19 has made us, especially in Melbourne, the world's most resilient bunch (#mostlockdownedcityintheworld) and I imagine we'll have a strong reliance on robots too (legal tech and innovation, Gen Z sees you!).'