The legal jobs market is tough at the moment and, while qualifications are important, a post-graduate qualification is not necessarily the most valuable add-on you can bring to a competitive recruitment process. Brigid O Gorman reports.

The tight law firm recruitment market, and how you can give yourself an edge when looking for work, has been a hot topic in the legal industry for a number of months.

An investigation by Lawyers Weekly in August found that the majority of clerks in large Melbourne law firms weren’t offered a graduate position.

That prompted legal recruiter Elvira Naiman, from Naiman Clarke Legal, to say: “It is the worst time in living history to be a law graduate.”

The article featuring that quote broke records on the Lawyers Weekly website: it has had more than 50,000 views, been shared on Facebook more than 7000 times and attracted more than 70 comments.

Many commenters agreed with Naiman.

Top to bottom

Law graduates are not the only ones facing a tough jobs market. Lack of confidence in the market and a slowdown in the energy & resources sector has meant it has been a tough year for lawyers seeking jobs at all levels.

So, when needing to stand out to employers is more important than ever, what impact does having a post-graduate qualification on your CV have?

“Lawyers don’t have to have a post-graduate qualification to have a really good career in law,” says Alissa Anderson, Sparke Helmore’s human resources director.

“A number of lawyers choose to stay in a particular area or do a post-grad in a particular area because they’re passionate about it, and I suppose being passionate about it makes their career in law a more positive one overall,” she adds.

Anderson says that Sparkes takes everything into account when interviewing, but having a post-grad qualification doesn’t mean a candidate is necessarily more likely to be offered a position.

“A well-rounded candidate is highly desirable; there’s no box, we don’t have a list that we check off; travel experience, work experience ... we look at a full range of attributes.”

 Sam Garner, King & Wood Mallesons’ graduate resourcing manager (projects), also says a post-grad qualification is not necessarily something the firm seeks.

“For experienced hires we don’t normally seek lawyers with post-graduate qualifications,” says Garner. “Tax may be the only exception to this. However, if someone has completed a master or diploma it would certainly be recognised.”

Both Anderson and Garner say their firms support staff wishing to complete post-grad study.

“We have employees at every level across the firm undertaking further study but it’s not compulsory; it’s up to the individual,” says Garner.

“As part of our policy we offer funding and leave to assist employees to undertake a course of study ... further study can either be part-time while working or employees [can go] overseas.” 

King & Wood Mallesons’ Melbourne office took on just over a quarter of its clerks as graduate trainees this year; and Sparkes’ Anderson admits that it’s a tough jobs market for legal job seekers at the moment.

“It’s fair to say firms are offering fewer graduate positions than they have in recent years; I think law firms, like many businesses, are being prudent about how they manage their businesses so they can remain competitive ... I think it’s difficult, like any business cycle, and I think we’re experiencing a cycle that’s a little more difficult than it has been in recent years.”

Sparkes took on 16 graduate trainees this year.

However, things may be about to change for the better now the federal election is over, with a number of legal leaders at a Lawyers Weekly Legal Panel recently saying they thought business confidence was increasing.

“Clients are now prepared to invest,” said Gadens banking & finance partner Paul Armstrong. “They are looking to increase their working capital and increase opportunities.”

Mature expectations

The unique difficulties mature law students, most of whom have completed Juris Doctors, face are something Lawyers Weekly has looked at, with some mature-age students claiming they were overlooked for clerkship and graduate positions because of their age.

However, Anderson says mature-age students can have an advantage.

“We consider every application on its merits and a mature-age student brings work experience and life experience to the firm that can be very attractive to our clients; so I don’t see any particular challenges for them. We welcome good applicants for all of our roles.”