SPRINGBOARD 2015: QUT Law Society Careers Guide

Your first year or two out as a lawyer can be one of the best but also the toughest.
Leading law firm, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, has helped hundreds of graduates make the
successful transition from study to practice.
According to Corrs’ Recruitment Partner, Jeremy Horwood, creating a place where people love
their job and their work is a key priority of being an employer of choice – and helps graduates fit in
quickly. Jeremy says Corrs goes above and beyond to give their graduates a head start. Fortunately,
he’s happy to share some of Corrs’ prized tips with QUT students. “We asked our staff for advice to
help new graduates navigate the challenges and enjoy the opportunities presented during their
early working years,” Jeremy said.
“Here are their 10 top tips to help you make the most of your career, wherever you choose to begin
it.”
1. Remember the basics
Being a great lawyer is more than just being great at the law. It's also being a professional who
provides great service to clients and colleagues. That starts with doing the basics well, like
responding promptly to phone calls and emails, maintaining clear and organised files, presenting
your work well, delivering when you say you will and always preserving confidentiality. The most
important basic is to always come prepared. Bring a pen and pad to meetings. Listen and take
notes. It's amazing how much you'll learn.
2. Keep learning
University may be over, but the real learning starts now. The law and business are constantly
changing. We need to stay on top and ahead of those changes. At Corrs, we provide a structured
and ongoing professional development program and an enormous number of learning opportunities.
But you also need to be prepared to drive your own learning. Always be alert and listen when in
meetings. Be curious. Find out as much as you can about the clients you're working for and learn
about their industries so you can understand their needs better.
3. You have internal and external clients
As a grad, you'll be asked to work for a variety of people including other lawyers, senior associates
and partners, ultimately for the benefit of an end client. You should think of everyone you work for
as a client. If you impress your internal clients, you'll have many more opportunities to impress
external clients. So be professional. Be responsive. Think about how you can make life easier for
the lawyers in your team. Make sure your work is high quality. And always deliver on time.
4. Be a team player
Teamwork is a huge part of the way we work at Corrs. We bring together lawyers from different
practice areas, states and even countries, to provide an efficient and integrated service for our
clients. As a grad, you will rotate through different practice areas and you'll have an important role
to play as part of those teams. Look for opportunities to contribute. If you’ve finished the work
assigned to you, find out if you can help anyone else. Also, remember to work with other
graduates. Don't compete with them. You'll all be going through the same thing, so catch up
regularly to share experiences.
5. Your reputation is everything
During your career, you will discover that your most valuable asset is your reputation. You start
building your reputation from your first day as a graduate. So work hard. Take care to produce
quality. Always check your work before providing it to a lawyer or client. Always keep your
promises and deliver your work when you say you will. And if you can't, let the person expecting it
know early so everyone can manage expectations. If you make a mistake, admit it early and learn
from it. Always be honest.