“I applied for the clerkship program, much like almost everyone in my cohort. I think – at least at my university – it’s very rare for people to not give it a shot, even if it’s not something they’re sure they want to go into,” Ms von Arnim said.

“The process itself is very competitive but I found that it was also, in a number of aspects, very enjoyable to get to see the insides of different firms and to think about where my career might go.

“Choosing HSF was a bit of a no-brainer after interviewing with Tony and having a fantastic experience. I knew that if I came here I’d have a fantastic mentor in Freehills, so that was something that made the choice very easy, was how dedicated Tony was during the interview process. It really made it seem like it wasn’t trial by fire, it was very welcoming.”

Mr Vellani echoed a similar sentiment, noting that despite the onerous nature that comes with the clerkship process, it is well worth the time investment.

“I think, at least for law students, and particularly if you see yourself in the law then clerkship is a big avenue to explore … The bad thing about the process was how time consuming it was. It was onerous to fit in with life at uni but each individual event, each interview, meeting all the people, all of the actual substance of that was fantastic,” he said.

“You have this amazing ability, which I don't know that you get at any other point in your career, to fully align what the market or the reputation of a firm is with your own experience of it

“I really enjoyed that and it does help you make an educated guess about where you see yourself having a future and that’s where meeting people like Tony came into the most for me, because that's where I went: ‘These firms do great work but I see myself doing well under this particular person or in this particular area’ so I have nothing but good things to say. It was onerous but very worth it.”

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From HSF’s perspective, both the recruiting partners and the broader firm, Mr Damian described clerkship season as one of the most important and exciting times of the year.

“At the end of the day, people are the firm and this is our intake of new people every year. There’s a group of recruiting partners and the broader firm and we always get excited around clerkship time when we know we’re going to start seeing some CVs and getting some interview slots in the diary and so that’s our starting point,” he said.

“It’s always terrific meeting so many people and wonderful candidates through the process, getting to talk to people and getting to know people. Then obviously there’s a point in time when you have to work through all of that and you can only take so many. No doubt there are some tough choices to be made but then that moves onto the clerkship itself which again is our continuation of that excitement.

“It’s such a buzz. That's our perspective on it – it’s really important to us but also for us it’s a lot of fun. It’s good to meet the people who are and will be the future of the firm.”

As far as advice goes to future prospective clerks, Mr Damian advised: “Be yourself, have fun and appreciate that whatever the outcome, the clerkship process is the start of the journey of your career, and not an end in itself.”

Similarly, Mr Vellani said an ability to be oneself is integral for the interview process, as is the attitude and enthusiasm displayed.

“At its core, a law firm is a people business. It’s important to realise that fundamentally, what you bring to a law firm is yourself; your potential as a person far exceeds the value of any particular knowledge or skills your HECS debt is supposed to represent. Of course, while those skills and their proxy – your marks – remain important, the very beauty of a top-tier firm is the world-class training on offer; formally, and innately by virtue of engaging with those who will surround you,” he said.

“My advice, therefore, is to focus on the one thing no firm can teach you about – yourself: your attitude, passion and values. I certainly don’t mean that you have to know precisely what you want, or even consider a career in law your end goal, but understanding yourself – and more specifically the things that spark your curiosity, excitement and intensity – is exactly what you should bring to the process.

“From the firm’s perspective, it evidences the potential you offer to flourish and become a fantastic lawyer. Perhaps more importantly, having such an understanding will help you consider options – within and outside the profession – and, I believe, ultimately guide you to a choice that will best align what you have to offer with what you need to succeed, whatever success may mean to you.”

On advice to law students across the board, Ms von Arnim noted the importance to be willing and open to the learning that a clerkship provides.

“A clerkship is a great learning experience, even if you are unsure about a career in corporate law,” she explained.

“You don’t need to pretend to love corporate law or memorise the history of every M&A deal the firm has ever done. The most important thing is being open to learning.

“Start thinking about your application before your penultimate year. A competitive application needs a solid academic record and ideally some work experience/extra-curricular interests developed throughout university.”

Pictured left to right: HSF partner Tony Damian and clerks Theodora von Arnim and Raul Vellani.