As the once-quiet promise that hard work and finishing a law degree would guarantee a job rapidly unravels, two national career strategists explain why this expectation no longer holds – and offer essential advice for navigating what has become a near-universal experience for law students.
For generations of law graduates, the path into the legal profession followed a predictable, almost scripted trajectory: finish university, complete practical legal training, secure a job, and begin building a career.
But for today’s emerging lawyers, that once-linear path has fractured, leaving young lawyers across Australia to navigate one of the most competitive and unforgiving entry-level job markets the profession has seen in years.
From so-called university bludgers to high-achieving graduates, many are now trapped in a relentless cycle of applications, silence, and self-doubt – submitting dozens, or even hundreds, of applications without ever landing an interview.
Susan Pincus, national careers strategist at the College of Law, acknowledged that the difficulty of breaking into the profession has intensified in recent years, particularly for graduates who were unable to gain legal experience while studying.
“It is challenging for those finding their first role, particularly when they have not had any or very limited legal work experience during their undergraduate law years. Legal work experience has become a non-negotiable selection criteria for many entry-level roles,” Pincus said.
In a market where competition is fierce and applications far outnumber vacancies, Pincus explained that employers and law firms have become increasingly “choosy” in their hiring, with little need to take chances on untested candidates.
With firms now able to pick and choose from a growing pool of experienced applicants, Ruth Beran, national career strategist at the College of Law, shared her observations on the consequences for law students who haven’t yet had the chance to gain practical legal experience during university – a barrier that is only widening for many.
“In particular, I am finding that a large number of students have not worked in the legal sphere while at university, even voluntarily,” Beran said.
“This may be for a number of reasons, but the most common is that they cannot afford to, especially if they are career changers who are already working full-time and have commitments like mortgages and children.”
No feedback, endless rejection
Beyond the practical challenges and fierce competition of navigating this tough job market, young lawyers are now also grappling with the emotional strain and psychological toll of a hiring process that increasingly offers little feedback or closure.
This now-familiar trend has been noted by both Pincus and Beran, who have heard firsthand from graduates about its impact.
Beran highlighted that a growing number of employers no longer notify law graduates when their applications are unsuccessful, leaving many disheartened and unsure how to improve in the face of such silence.
“One common frustration I am hearing is that employers no longer let applicants know if they have been unsuccessful when applying for jobs,” Beran said.
“This can be really disheartening for young lawyers (or anyone) as writing applications is time-consuming, and they are also not getting feedback as to why they have been unsuccessful.”
Pincus echoed this reality, explaining how the ongoing trend of receiving no response from employers – whether about rejection or even the status of their application – can send graduates into a spiral of “self-doubt”.
Adding to the challenges of navigating the application process, Beran highlighted the staggering scale of rejection, noting that an increasing number of law students, applying for extraordinary numbers of roles, are seeing little to no progress.
“I’m hearing in consultations that some students are applying for ‘hundreds of jobs’ and only getting a couple of interviews,” Beran said.
“For the most part, these students are only applying for advertised roles on jobs boards like SEEK and, in doing so, are competing with everyone else who is applying.”
Despondency, pressure and the mindset challenge
Unsurprisingly, the cumulative weight of rejection, fierce competition, and uncertainty is profoundly shaping how young lawyers feel about their future in the profession.
In conversations with young lawyers, Pincus shared that many are feeling “despondent”, fully aware of the steep challenges and difficulties of breaking into the market.
Given this reality, she explained that breaking into the market now requires young lawyers not only to be extra resilient and adaptable but also to have more realistic expectations about what lies ahead.
“It means they need to be extra resilient and adaptable, putting in extra research and preparation into job applications and interviews,” Pincus said.
“It also means having more realistic expectations, reinventing themselves and trying different and varied approaches.”
Since one of the biggest obstacles for law students in this position is often their own mindset, with self-limiting narratives clouding their thoughts, Pincus advised them to focus on their strengths rather than their gaps as a powerful first step.
“One of the biggest obstacles can be one’s mindset. Sometimes law students can get set in a storyline that very much holds them back and becomes self-fulfilling,” Pincus said.
“Being aware of your thinking and changing your narrative, such as focusing on what you have rather than what you don’t have, can be a good place to start.
What actually cuts through
Despite the challenges, both strategists emphasised that there are clear, proven strategies that can help candidates cut through the noise in an increasingly competitive market.
Pincus stressed that the first and most critical step is starting early – far earlier than many students realise – when it comes to gaining legal work and hands-on experience, describing it as a crucial window of opportunity within the profession.
“The importance of starting early at the undergraduate level is a critical time to find legal work experience, gaining exposure to different fields in law and also having conversations with those in the profession,” Pincus said.
Rather than relying on a single clerkship or placement, Pincus encouraged law students to intentionally stack experiences and build a diverse portfolio, allowing them to develop a broad range of practical skills and strengthen their professional toolkit.
“Sometimes locking in a couple of experiences per semester, including work placements, a regional or overseas experience, a secondment at work, or a mini passion project – can make for interesting conversations during interviews and equip individuals to be more adaptable, resilient and engaging communicators,” Pincus said.
To build that experience and add it to their professional toolkit, Beran emphasised that it often starts with initiative, explaining that young lawyers who are willing to cold-contact law firms can quietly open doors that formal applications rarely do.
“One approach that can prove successful is cold contacting law firms, particularly if the young lawyer has skills that might be valued by the law firm’s clients,” Beran said.
Equally, Pincus emphasised the importance for young lawyers to look beyond advertised roles and explore the hidden job market, cautioning that relying solely on job boards is no longer a sustainable strategy in today’s competitive legal landscape.
“Another important approach is being open to the hidden job market and arranging purposeful conversations with lawyers and legal professionals, joining mentoring programs and professional associations/ committees and going along to industry events,” Pincus said.
“Whilst it is much easier to rely on advertised search via SEEK, it is not a sustainable strategy.”
Importantly, Beran also underscored that standing out ultimately begins on the page, stressing that carefully crafted CVs and high-quality, well-considered application materials are what transform an application from generic to genuinely compelling.
“Also working on job application documents to make CVs and cover letters really sing is important,” Beran said.
“The College of Law has loads of resources on this, including template cover letters and CVs, which can help. Tailoring applications and incorporating original research, rather than sending out generic documents, is also really important.”
Learning from those who succeeded
Among students who do manage to secure roles in this environment – overcoming a fiercely competitive job market to take their first step into legal careers – clear patterns begin to emerge.
For Beran, the students who succeed are often those who lean into “happendipity”, combining a growth mindset, positive psychology and purposeful connections to turn chance encounters into real career opportunities.
“I find that students who tap into happendipity (the mixture between happenstance and serendipity) are often the ones who are successful in their job search,” Beran said.
“This involves having a growth mindset, using positive psychology and making connections.”
While Pincus identified that one of the most consistent lessons from students who have successfully secured work is that they start building professional connections early – and for the right reasons.
“Build relationships early, get involved in the profession coming from a stance of curiosity wanting to learn from others’ stories and insights, not as a means to an end,” Pincus said.
Beran also highlighted that resilience and grit are essential traits for aspiring lawyers, particularly in a market where rejection is frequent and gaining experience can be a tough and challenging process.
“Resilience and grit are also important – job searching is a numbers game; the more you put yourself out there, the more chances you have of getting a job, but with this comes rejection,” Beran said.
“Be alert, curious, and flexible. Getting your foot in the door is sometimes the hardest part.”
Will it get any easier?
Looking ahead, while there is hope that these tough market conditions may ease, both career strategists agreed that the pressure on young lawyers to secure entry-level positions is unlikely to ease anytime soon.
While cautioning that these challenges are likely to persist, Beran urged students to seek legal or legal-adjacent experience during their studies, adding that if this isn’t possible, they should think creatively to demonstrate the value of their skills to potential employers.
“I suspect these challenges will persist, and my strong advice would be for students to get legal or legal-adjacent experience while still at university if at all possible, even if it is voluntary,” Beran said.
“If, however, external pressures mean students cannot do this, be creative and demonstrate how your skills are valuable to employers.”
Beran illustrated how thinking outside the box can pay off, recounting the story of a graduate with seven years of contract novation experience who successfully cold-contacted a large consulting firm, secured a role in their contracts team, and later transitioned into their legal department.
“For example, I saw a graduate with seven years’ experience in contract novation. She successfully cold-contacted a large consulting firm [that] saw the value of her experience, and she was offered a role in their contracts team before moving into their legal department when a role becomes available,” Beran said.
“Thinking outside the box can really help.”
While Pincus emphasised this mindset, she reflected that once aspiring lawyers reach two years PAE, a wider range of opportunities begins to open up, making a positive outlook, patience, and realistic expectations more important than ever.
“I envisage it will always be difficult to break into the profession in the early stages,” Pincus said.
“However, once individuals attain two years PAE, options will open up. A positive mindset, lots of patience and realistic expectations are critical.”
