providing a work experience placement -...
TRANSCRIPT
PROVIDING AWORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENT
VISIT US collaw.edu.au/careers
• Haveyouthoughtaboutrecruitingalawgraduateforworkexperiencebutweren’tsurewhatwasinvolved?
• Wouldyouliketohelpthelawyersoftomorrowcompletetheirqualifications?
• WereyouawarethatTheCollege’sworkexperiencerequirementcanbecompletedin25daysandaplacementcanbeasshortastwoweeks?
Putsimply,WorkExperience(WE)isaboutexperiencinglegalpractice-thedeliveryoflegalservicesinareal-worldcontext.
WEisoneofthethreecomponentsoftheCollege’sPracticalLegalTraining(PLT)ProgramwhichqualifiessuccessfulgraduatestoapplytobeadmittedtopracticeasanAustralianlawyer.Collegestudentscanchoosebetween25daysofworkexperienceplusanadditionalstudymodule,orthemoretraditional75days.
Workexperienceenablesstudentstoobserveandtakepartintheprofessionalapplicationoftherelevantknowledgeandskillstosolverealproblemsforrealclients.WEconsolidateswhatthestudentlearnsinthePLTcoursework.
The College’s Work Experience Committee has recognised thatappropriate practical experience can be gained in a wide range of organisations such as• Asolicitororbarristerinprivatepractice• Agovernment,semi-governmentorcorporatelegalofficeor
department,anemployeroremployeeassociation• Ajudgetocarryoutlegalresearchandprovidelegalservices
• Anemployeroremployeeassociation• Atribunalmember(whoisalegalpractitioner)tocarryoutlegal
researchandprovidelegalservices• ACommunityLegalCentre
Workexperienceplacementsareanopportunityfortheprofessionto“giveback”bysupportingthecareerdevelopmentandtrainingofnewlawyers.Theycan“showcase”differentpartsofadiverseprofession,andintroducestudentstoarangeofcareeroptions–eg.ruralandregionalpractice,communitylegalandlegalaid,in-houseandgovernment,commercialandprivateclient.
AWEplacementcanbeanopportunitytoseeifthelawgraduateisagoodfitwiththecultureoftheorganisationandcouldcontributeifemployedasanadmittedlawyer.ThereisnoobligationtoemployattheendoftheplacementbutmanyorganisationshavesuccessfullyusedWEplacementstoattractandretaintalent.
Afruitfulworkplacementexperiencecannotonlyhelpastudentcompletetheirqualificationasalawyer,butmayencouragethemtopractiseinanareawhichtheyhavenotpreviouslyconsidered.
Wehavehundredsofemployerswhohavetakenworkexperiencestudentsyearonyear,allaroundAustraliaandinalltypesoflegalemployment.
Andofcourse,PLTstudentscanaddvaluebybeinganotherpairofhandstotakepartintheday-to-daywork,orbybeinganaddedresourceforspecialprojects–suchasresearch,compilingdocumentsforlitigationorreviewinginternalworkprocesses.
INTRODUCTION
WHAT EXACTLY IS WORK EXPERIENCE?
WHO CAN PROVIDE WORK EXPERIENCE?
WHAT BENEFITS ARE THERE IN PROVIDING WORK EXPERIENCE?
Let us demystify work experience for you and explain the benefits for your private or in-house legal practice, community legal centre, or other organisation involved in the delivery of legal services. Following are the answers to some frequently asked questions we receive about work experience.
YOURGUIDETO
WORK EXPERIENCE
Can you provide the opportunity for a law student or graduate to:• Experiencethedeliveryoflegalservicesinareal-worldcontext? • Experiencealegalpracticeenvironment?• Understandhowlegalpracticeprofessionalsoperate?• Understandtheimportanceofclearcommunication,identification
ofclients’problemsandeffectiveandefficientadvice?• Applyknowledgeandskillstoreal-lifeproblems?
If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions then you can provide a work experience opportunity.
TheWErulesvaryfromstatetostatebutcurrentlyyoucanprovideaminimum1dayperweekinNSWandSA(whichcanbemadeupofhalfdays)andVictoria,andaminimum2fulldaysperweekinQueenslandandWestAustralia.
Subjecttominimumblocksof10days(weekdaysonlyinWAandQld)youmayprovideuptothefull25or75daysofplacement.Itisuptoyourparticularcircumstancesandneeds.
Theroleoftheworkexperiencesupervisoristoaidthestudent’sdevelopmentbyprovidingopportunitiesto:
• Experiencetheroutines,proceduresanddynamicsofthedeliveryoflegalservices
• Beexposedtoclientsforwhomlegalservicesareprovided• Haveexperienceintheprocessofbecomingaprofessional
• Receivesupervisionandfeedbackfromanexperiencedprofessional.
Thelessonslearnedfromagoodsupervisorwilllastthroughoutastudent’scareer.Arewardingandenjoyableplacementcanbeanimportantsteptobecomingacompetentandmotivatedpractitioner.
Tohelpdevelopthestudent’sskills,asupervisorshould:
• Provideopportunitiestoobserveandreviewtheexerciseofprofessionalskillsbyexperiencedpractitioners
• Givefeedbackandguidanceonwork• Provideanynecessarysupport• Giveopportunitiestodiscussproblems.
Whiletheopportunitiesaworkexperienceplacementmightprovidewillvarydependingonthetypeoforganisation,followingaresomeexamplesofthetypeofactivitiesstudentsshouldexperience,bothhands-onandbyobservation.
Itisnotnecessarythattheplacementaddressesalltheseactivities.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO PROVIDE WORK EXPERIENCE?
HOW LONG A PERIOD DO YOU NEED TO PROVIDE?
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE WORK EXPERIENCE SUPERVISOR?
WHAT TYPE OF EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE PROVIDED?
Meeting,communicatingandinteractingwithclients Managingcriticaldatesanddeadlines,timetablingandschedules
Interactingwithotherlegalserviceproviderssuchassolicitorsinotherorganisations,barristers,expertwitnesses,courtsandotherjusticesectoradministration
Managementprocessesforclientworkandriskmanagement– e.g.conflictchecksandcostsdisclosure
Legalresearchandlegalfactualanalysis Consideringprofessionalresponsibilityissues
Preparingdraftcorrespondenceandlegaldocuments Filemanagement,financialandaccountingsystems,budgets
Attendingclientconferences Administrativeactivitieswhichsupportthedeliveryoflegalservices
SUGGESTED WORK EXPERIENCE ACTIVITIES
Verylittle.TheWorkExperienceSupervisormerelyneedstosigntheWorkExperienceDeclarationwhichiscompletedbythestudentandsubmittedtotheCollege.Itisverystraightforward.
UseourfreeJobsNoticeboardtoadvertiseyourworkexperienceoranypositioninyourorganisation.TheJobsNoticeboardattractsover55,000pageviewspermonth.It’seasy–justgoto www.collaw.edu.au/careersandcompletetheonlineform.
IS THERE A LOT OF PAPERWORK INVOLVED?
ADVERTISE YOUR POSITION – FREE OF CHARGE
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
YOURGUIDETO
WORK EXPERIENCE
Easytouse.Qualityofcandidateswhereofahighstandard.
Definitelythewaytofindasuitablecandidatewhoisfresh,willingandabletolearnandworkhard.
PleasecallTheCollegeinyourstateformoreinformationasbelow
OrforanygeneralenquiriesormoreinformationcallGregDwyerasabove.
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
GREG DWYERDirectorSpecialProjects|Call02 9965 7122 |[email protected]
GEOFF NICHOLSONExecutiveDirector|Call03 8689 8609 |[email protected]
CATHERINE KENNYExecutiveOfficer|Call07 3234 4555 |[email protected]
MORTON HERSCHDERFERAssistantDirectorPLT|Call02 9965 7168 |[email protected]
MICHAEL COLECEO|Call08 9214 0202 or 0402 336 073 |[email protected]