Protégé: Winning strategies for clerkship success

As law students begin the summer clerkship application process, Jessica Trinh shares essential tips and insights – covering the often-overlooked details and common pitfalls – to help law students stand out and secure a position.

In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Jessica Trinh, a fourth-year law and medical science student at UTS and current paralegal. She shares her inspiration for pursuing a law degree, discusses what she enjoys most about her work in the dispute resolution and negligence space, breaks down what a clerkship entails, and highlights why it can be a valuable stepping stone into the legal profession for law students.

Trinh addresses the common misconception that clerkships are the only pathway into a legal career, sheds light on alternative routes students can take to launch their legal careers, reflects on her own experience navigating the clerkship application process, details how challenging and isolating it can be, but also expresses how rewarding it can be for law students.

She outlines the initial steps law students should take when they start this application process, highlights the importance of thorough background research on law firms, offers practical advice on how to effectively structure cover letters and CVs to ensure all the essential information is included, provides tips for excelling and standing out during the interview process, and stresses the importance of looking after your mental health and wellbeing throughout this process.