A common perception among aspiring lawyers is that securing a clerkship is the only way to break into the legal profession, but one law student says that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Protégé Podcast, Jessica Trinh, a fourth-year law and medical science student at UTS and current paralegal, explained that while clerkships are a valuable entry point into the legal profession, they’re far from the only pathway to a successful legal career.
In the same episode, she shared her advice for law students preparing to apply for clerkships, offering practical tips on how to stand out and succeed throughout the competitive process.
Trinh acknowledged that clerkships can be a valuable entry point into the legal profession, but emphasised that they are by no means the only option available to aspiring lawyers.
“They are a great stepping stone. I would also like to reiterate that it is not the only stepping stone, but it is a way for students who are aspiring to enter the legal profession to secure graduate positions with these firms,” she said.
Through networking and conversations with leading professionals in the legal field, Trinh discovered that many successful practitioners have built their careers without ever completing a clerkship.
“There is a bit of a misconception at the moment that clerkships are the only way into securing or progressing your career,” she said.
“But through networking and meeting all these people that I’ve met, different lawyers and other colleagues that I’ve networked with, they haven’t even completed a clerkship. And they’ve been able to progress their career really successfully and land in these firms also.”
While clerkships may be the most visible and widely discussed pathway into the profession, Trinh emphasised the importance of law students understanding that there are other equally valid and rewarding routes.
“It’s not the end of the world if you don’t get one or even if you choose not to do a clerkship and you don’t think that’s the right path for you. There are so many other pathways that you can enter into the legal profession,” she said.
“You can even have like a tip staff position at the courts with the judge, or even with some of the, like the ODPP, which is the Office of the Public Prosecution. You can also intern there or just even some of the firms offer graduate positions without having to do a clerkship.”
Trinh urged students not to put all their energy into a single pathway and instead explore a range of options that align with their interests and strengths.
“Clerkships may be the main or kind of the most popular streams. I think that’s why you may not necessarily hear [about] the other avenues that you can get into the legal profession. But like I said, there are so many ways, and clerkships are not the only pathway to getting into the profession,” she said.
