Application Process & Interviews at Clayton Utz

Standard.

The interview process was very structured. May be better to have more of a conversational interview process. But great that it was 30 mins.

Not a lot of transparency in respect of clerkship/graduate offers.

Long.

Standard application and interview process for clerkships and then subsequent application for graduate position.

I underwent the standard clerkship process for law firms - written application, psychometric testing, and then two rounds of interviews, with some information/networking evenings in between. Nothing notable compared to other law firms I was also applying for at the same time.

The interview process was quite some time ago, and it was at the same time as applying for multiple other clerkships, so it is hard to distil what Clayton Utz did specifically. I am fairly certain the process commenced with psychometric testing. There was then a process where we were contacted by buddies who were existing graduates who gave us advice on the upcoming interviews and answered our general questions about the firm. There was a cocktail night, which was during covid times so was over zoom and was more of an information session about the firm. And then there was the interview. There was only one round of interviews, and I was interviewed by one partner and one member of P&D. I really valued the interview buddy program. I think this is something that really set CU apart from other firms during this process. I felt like I could ask silly questions that I could not ask of P&D, and also got candid responses from a graduate which I appreciated.

Digitally uploaded resume, transcript and cover letter (can't remember if this firm requested a cover letter my year) --> interview --> offer Pros of the process: no video interview prior to actual interview (all candidates collectively agree those are really awkward and hard to do) Cons: not CU specific but annoying having to manually enter your whole transcript, resume etc onto the digital platform when those documents have already been uploaded (don't know if this is still the process but doing that for nearly every firm was very time consuming)

P and D has implemented many initiatives to make the process as comfortable as possible for new graduates and clerks.

Being a grad - I went through the typical clerk and grad process, which was fine (esp during covid).

Interview process and assessments were good. However, I found the psychometric tests were unnecessary. Networking night was very helpful

Very good. Approachable interviewers and clear management of expectations.

Interview process was very casual and comfortable. I found it similar to other firms but definitely felt most comfortable at CU.

Questions regarding skills, behaviour, interest. nothing abnormal

Some situational and behavioural. A question about adversity.

I don't remember specifically, I just remember "what is one law you would change?" which was a good one to think on the spot about (good to have a question like this that changes every year to gauge what a candidate can do without a pre-prepared answer)

Give us an example of x, y or z. Tell us about yourself. What is one area of the law you would change if you could?

*time management *prioritisation *interpersonal skills *knowledge of the law

I was asked very standard interview and behavioural questions, and a couple questions off my resume e.g. Tell us about yourself, why study law, why choose Clayton Utz, tell us about a time you overcame a challenge, what would you do in a situation where you received competing work deadlines from two different partners etc. The one curveball question I received was: If you could change/amend/create a new law, what would it be and why?

My interview was quite some time ago. The only question I specifically recall was being asked about when I have encountered a diversity and inclusion problem and how did I resolve it. Otherwise, I was just asked general questions about my CV.

Behavioural and technical

From memory, it was pretty standard questions except for the question about what legislation I would introduce.

Previous work experience, why CU, why commercial law, which law would I change.

A range of behaviour questions and general rapport building questions.

Learn about the Partner interviewing you and about the company.

Do practice interviews with common interview questions, read news (legal and non-legal).

Try and really understand why you would like to work at CU over other law firms

My advice to candidates I have met with is to try and tie in your unique experiences where you can. You won't always have something personal for every response, but where you can show how something personal to you reflects the qualities/skills/values the firm is looking for, this can help you stand out and will often be a jumping off point for interviews.

Know the culture of the company - fitting in is quite important and this means being personable and easy to deal with.

By having experience they can speak about

I think that candidates should attend CU information sessions and understand what it is about the firm that is different from others e.g. it is an independent Australian law firm, allowing it to partner with the best suited law firms in other jurisdictions for a range of international matters. This was personally something that attracted me to Clayton Utz that was very different from the other big law firms. Other than that, I think that the process isn't too different from other standard application processes so just firm up your resume, practice the interview questions, have coffee with people working at the firm you meet through info sessions and so forth.

Attend firm events leading up to the application process and the interview. When doing cover letters, what firms say on their website is not really useful to put in cover letters and does not come across as genuine. Speak to people who work there and who can tell you about what the day to day is like and provide anecdotes etc., then leverage that insider knowledge in cover letters and interviews.

1. learn about company and people and what they do 2. network and catch up for coffee with people 3. be yourself 4. be open-minded and willing to try new things

Learn about the company and the people who work there as much as you can. Tailor your questions to account for that. Also, don't be afraid of asking questions to see if they provide what you want in an employer.

Try and speak to as many CU people as you can and get a real sense of the firm. Ask about what clerks/graduates do day-to-day and why they chose CU. Review CU's instagram, linkedin and website for more information.