Allens Confidential

Choosing a practice group for your clerkship or graduate rotations can feel overwhelming. How will your chosen path compare with uni study? Where can you get more information to weigh up the options? What if the reality doesn't match up with your expectations (read: cutting deals like an episode of Suits)? In this episode, Mel and Tahlia are joined by Senior Associate Tina Tran and Lawyer Tim Alice, who share their experience of choosing rotations and how those choices play out in practice. Tina and Tim also explain the difference between practice groups and sectors and how they impact day-to-day work.

Managing Partner Richard Spurio joins Mel and Tahlia to share his experience of helming Australia's oldest law firm. Richard discusses his background, his pathway to Allens, what it's like to journey through the firm and what he's most proud of about Allens. He also shares his hot tips for prioritising wellbeing, seizing opportunities and keeping pace at Run Club.

You've handed in your clerkship application, crossed your fingers and toes, and gotten through to the next round. What happens next? Hosts Mel and Tahlia navigate their way through clerkship applications with Nick Ng, Brisbane Staff Partner and Government Sector Leader, and Renee Zou, Lawyer and co-author of Your Clerkship Companion, our start-to-finish guide to navigating the clerkship process. How do you get the most out of networking events? What's the best way to ace your interview? Is your clerkship buddy actually just a spy for the firm? Nick and Renee provide their insider tips on putting your best foot forward. Explore Your Clerkship Companion Hear more about our making your application stand out and the Rare recruitment tool in part one of our Answering your questions episode

How can lawyers contribute to reconciliation? In this episode, hosts Mel and Tahlia speak with Lawyer Olivia Henderson and Community Engagement Manager Jodie Symes to discuss Allens' commitment to reconciliation and how junior lawyers can get involved. Olivia and Jodie share their perspectives on pro bono work, pathways to legal careers for First Nations students and the firm's new First Nations Engagement Plan. Find out more about our First Nations Engagement Plan and our First Nations Legal Internships

In this episode, hosts Mel and Tahlia dive into the complex and bustling world of competition law. They're joined by Jacqui Downes (Head of Competition, Consumer and Regulatory) and Lloyd Hutson (Lawyer) to learn more about the team culture, fascinating legal issues, global opportunities and day-to-day minutiae.

In part two of a special two-part episode, Mel and Tahlia are joined by Technology, Media and Telecommunications Partner David Rountree to answer questions submitted by listeners. Covering the full spectrum of lunch breaks to international secondments, Mel, Tahlia and David discuss how TV lawyers compare with reality, when you might get your own office, how billable hours work and more. Still looking for answers? Let us know what's on your mind in our anonymous submission box.

In part one of a special two-part episode, Mel and Tahlia are joined by People & Development Manager Samantha Dunn and Early Careers Consultant Katrina Calder to answer questions submitted by listeners. What are your pathways to Allens if you miss out on a clerkship? What's the deal with WAM cut-offs? Do you get paid enough to support your oat milk latte habit? Mel and Tahlia ask those in the know all these questions and more. Got more burning questions? Let us know what's on your mind in our anonymous submission box

How does someone end up in the law? In this deeply personal episode, hosts Mel and Tahlia speak with two of their fellow lawyers - Virginia Dore and Paddy O'Brien - about their significantly divergent lives, backgrounds and eventual paths to legal practice. It's an honest, heart-on-the-sleeve discussion that puts paid to many of the persistent stereotypes about lawyers, law students and life in a corporate firm, covering everything from childhood trauma and homelessness through to the expanding definition of diversity, the vital role of mentors and the empowering process of being your whole, authentic self in the workplace. We'd be lying if we said this episode didn't involve some crying. From everybody. So...tissues at the ready.

On 21 July 1822, 21-year-old George Allen became the first person to complete legal training in Australia. The very next day he founded what would become Australia's oldest law firm: Allens. In this very special episode, hosts Mel and Tahlia sit down with Allens Chair, Fiona Crosbie, and historian Jillian Maxwell to discuss the firm's bicentenary. Only a handful of Australian businesses have marked such a milestone and it sparked a great and amusing conversation about the firm's impact on the social, political and economic history of modern Australia, as well as a thoughtful look back at the firm's founder, George Allen, and his remarkable legacy. Listen as Fiona explains what the bicentenary means to her and how she balances legal work with the responsibilities of the board; Jill details the challenges and thrills of searching for historical artefacts; and both reveal their favourite stories from the firm's history book 'Allens: The First 200 Years'. If you'd like to learn more about the firm's history, head on over to the special 200-year digital experience, which includes some fascinating podcasts covering a few of Allens' most iconic moments, including paving the way for marriage equality and combating literary censorship.

In this episode, Tahlia and Mel talk to two recent grads (including a former Allens Confidential host) about their experience as junior lawyers in the firm. They cover everything from: If you've ever wondered what to expect from your first year as a lawyer in a big firm, this episode has you covered.

Allens alumni can be found the world over, working in a remarkable array of roles and industries. In this episode, Caitlin and Will chat to two former lawyers - Jacqui Purcell and Nick Sinclair - who've both returned to Australia after stints in New York. 'Allens definitely punches above its weight on the global stage' says Nick, who's now the Senior Business Affairs and Legal Executive at Freemantle Media. Jacqui agrees. After working for one of the major investment firms in New York, she's now an Investment Team member at TDM Growth Partners and says the training Allens gave her on everything from clear and concise communication through to commercial strategy was second to none and has served her well ever since. Together, they share their memories of life at the firm, talk about how they've applied their Allens training in their subsequent careers and speak about the deep, lifelong connections they made while here. [This episode was recorded in December 2021]

Contrary to popular opinion, litigation isn't just well-crafted legal arguments and courtroom drama. According to Partner Ross Drinnan, disputes are 'fundamentally about human relationships and helping human interactions that have gone wrong to be put right'. In this episode, Ross joins Senior Associate and co-creator of Allens Confidential, Geneva Sekula, for a candid chat with Caitlin and Will, where they cover everything from early career experiences and mistakes (as well as how to fix them), through to the virtual courtroom and office Cluedo.

For Mental Health Month, we sat down with Allens Consulting Psychologist Greg Prescott to explore some of the mental health and wellbeing challenges faced by lawyers, why the incidence of mental illness is higher in our profession and how to proactively look after yourself and avoid a crisis.

Clerkship season is once again in full swing: a time of great excitement, enormous possibility and (for most of us) nerves. Co-Staff Partner Rosannah Healy and Associate Erin Molony, both from the firm's Competition practice in Melbourne, join Caitlin and Will to discuss how best to prepare for interviews, what to expect in them and why it's not the end of the world if you don't get one. Rosannah, Erin, Caitlin and Will each share their memories of the process (both good and bad), and offer some valuable tips on how best to calm those nerves and present the very best version of yourself.

What's it like coming out at work? How do you do it? Why does it matter? Rachel Nicolson, Partner and joint head of the firm's ALLin LGBTQ+ network, and Andy Tolé, Law Graduate, join Caitlin and Will to discuss being out at work. Rachel, Andy, Caitlin and Will share their personal experiences and give their perspectives on how to navigate job applications, interviews, CVs and workplaces for identifying clerks and grads (and their allies). Explore more stories of Pride at Allens and find out more about our approach to diversity and inclusion

Getting a job at a top-tier law firm can feel like an impossible prospect for a candidate whose school and uni results don't look a certain way on paper. How does it work if your background, education or experience don't match the stereotype? Caitlin and Will catch up with Grace Stals, head Paralegal in Sydney, and Manreet Singh, National Manager, Early Careers, to explore contextual recruitment, diversity and the industry-wide challenge of attracting the best candidates from different backgrounds. Grace shares her experience of overcoming hardship to make it through uni to a top-tier firm, and Manreet discusses what Allens is doing to make sure the best candidates make it through the process. Find out more about our clerkship application process, including our optional diversity assessment: https://graduates.allens.com.au/next-steps/

We asked our recent summer clerks what they wish they'd asked before they'd started their clerkships. From maintaining motivation to imposter syndrome, collaboration and Caitlin's clicky shoes, our hosts share their wisdom. And, in an epic Allens Confidential milestone, Geneva hands over the mic to new host Will Berthelot.

While restrictions on international travel are expected to remain in place for some time, global opportunities in the future are still front of mind for many law students. In the latest episode of Allens Confidential, we talk to Mona Abu Zalaf, an Allens lawyer on secondment with our alliance partner Linklaters in London, and Patrick McGregor, a Senior Overseas Practitioner who transferred to Sydney from Linklaters in London. How do the cultures of Allens and Linklaters compare? What's it like navigating a new environment when you're far from home?

With summer clerkships soon to kick off, Geneva and Caitlin speak to recent clerks (now paralegals) Tim Tabalujan and Tahlia Rodrigues for the ultimate guide on what to expect from your clerkship. Tim and Tahlia share their advice on getting the most out of your clerkship, navigating office life and the best dad jokes to impress your new colleagues.