Transitioning from law school to the legal profession is a defining moment – one filled with excitement, pressure and the unknown. Here, a recent graduate has shared her journey and offered candid insights to help others approach this critical phase with greater confidence and clarity.
While making the leap from the classroom to the legal profession is an exciting milestone for any law graduate, the transition can also feel overwhelming and eye-opening.
Speaking with Lawyers Weekly, Liberty Papas, a recent graduate and law clerk at Divorce Legal, reflected on the shared challenges of entering legal practice, noting that while she felt prepared to begin her professional journey, some aspects of the role could only be understood through hands-on experience.
“Whilst I felt academically prepared, stepping into my first legal role as a law clerk at a new family law firm brought a new set of challenges that could not fully be grasped through study alone,” she said.
Papas’ experience was further shaped by the unique challenges of completing her first year entirely online, which led to isolation and restricted access to extracurricular activities – vital opportunities for gaining practical experience and building professional connections.
“I had completed my bachelor of laws degree entirely online through an interstate university and started studying part-time in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
“While this developed my discipline, it meant that the first year of my degree was clouded by isolation, uncertainty and a lack of access to the traditional extracurricular pathways and networking experiences that many law students rely on. Because of this, I entered the profession without the hands-on legal experience that many of my peers had. Initially, it felt like I was on the back foot.”
Surprises beyond the classroom
Since starting as a law clerk, Papas discovered that one of the biggest surprises was the true pace and demands of legal practice – an environment far more fast-moving than law school had prepared her for.
“One of the biggest adjustments was realising just how much legal practice revolves around workflow, time pressure and administrative precision,” she said.
“While law school sharpens your analytical, critical thinking and research skills, it often doesn’t reflect the pace and volume of tasks required in day-to-day practice, such as managing physical and digital files, drafting client correspondence, preparing briefs, or navigating court filing systems.”
Papas noted that working within a family law firm means adapting to a constantly changing structure and workflow that demands continuous multitasking – something quite different from the academic environment she was familiar with.
“There is also a very real pressure to multitask and prioritise urgent matters, while remaining efficient and detail-oriented. The structure, workflow and fast pace of a family law firm, where circumstances can often change overnight, differ significantly from academic learning,” she said.
Preparing for the shift
To prepare professionally for the shift into legal practice – especially without prior hands-on legal experience – Papas relied on transferable skills she had developed in previous roles to build her confidence.
“Knowing I lacked legal experience, I focused on drawing confidence from the skills I had developed in my previous administrative role working for a clinical psychologist in private practice,” she said.
“That experience gave me a strong foundation in professional communication and etiquette, managing sensitive client information and the importance of confidentiality, organisation, and supporting a practice, all of which translated very well into my role as a law clerk, especially in a family law setting.”
While the mental challenge of such a transition can be daunting, Papas embraced a growth mindset, acknowledging the steep learning curve ahead and choosing to focus on learning rather than perfection, setting realistic expectations for herself.
“I mentally prepared myself by acknowledging that the learning curve would be steep and by adopting a mindset of growth, rather than perfection. I made a conscious effort to ask questions, take notes, concentrate on both positive feedback and constructive criticism, and learn from every task I was given,” she said.
Advice for those on the same path
For those about to undertake this important transition, Papas urges law students to understand that there is no single “right” path into the legal profession and advises against stressing over a lack of legal experience.
“My advice to current law students is to remember that there is no single or ’right’ path into the legal profession. If you haven’t completed a clerkship and you are approaching the final stages of your degree, or if you aren’t able to participate in any law student societies at university, do not let that discourage you,” she said.
“Many students take different routes into the profession, and what matters most is how you approach the opportunities you do have.”
Instead, she encouraged students to focus on their strengths and the transferable skills they’ve developed through previous vocational or life experiences.
“Focus on your strengths and lean into any transferable skills you may have developed from previous part-time jobs or other life experiences – particularly communication, time management, organisation and resilience. These are incredibly valuable in a legal environment, especially in fast-paced or emotionally charged areas like family law.”
Papas also emphasised the importance of building a support network in any form, highlighting how a mentorship not only provided invaluable guidance but also led to her first legal job.
“Try to establish even a small support network, whether through peers, mentors or colleagues you meet during your practical legal training or early work experience. Reach out to senior practitioners and work on establishing a mentor-mentee relationship,” she said.
“What started as an initial mentor-mentee relationship with Selina has now led to employment at her firm. Having even one or two people to seek guidance from can make a big difference.”
She added: “Most importantly, be prepared to work hard. The early stages of your legal career can be overwhelming, and there will be times when you feel out of your depth. This is normal. What sets you apart is not whether you know everything (because you won’t yet and you never will!), but whether you are willing to put the effort in to learn.”
