Stay up to date with your career opportunities here. Work experience and internships will allow you to show your legal experience for future employers.
Volunteering
Community Law Waikato
Community Law Waikato provides free legal services to members of the community who would otherwise struggle to access New Zealand’s legal system. We rely on law students in their third year and above to act as caseworkers. Volunteer caseworkers enable the centre to provide legal services to a larger number of people than our solicitors alone could manage. The services that we provide are essential to the community and as such, we are always looking to take on new volunteers.
Volunteering at Community Law Waikato is an experience that every law student should take advantage of during their time at law school. Not only do caseworkers develop their own skills greatly, but they have an excellent opportunity to use their skills to make a positive impact on the community.
Citizens Advice Bureau Hamilton
At the Citizens Advice Bureau, we try to help people to know and understand their rights and obligations and how to use this information to get the best outcomes, provide people with the confidence and support they need to take action, and work for positive social change within communities and wider society. We provide a free and independent service to all.
The Citizens Advice Bureau Hamilton provides 10,000 hours of volunteer service per year to Hamilton. We have sixty volunteers and provide free legal clinics twice a week, run workshops for new migrants, and offer specialist consumer and advocacy services for our clients.
How to Job 101
1. Know the firm!
People are going to ask you why you chose to apply for firm ‘X’. Don’t tell them the obvious truth – that you’re desperate for a job – come up with an interesting yarn about some of the work the firm does, or a case you really enjoyed that the firm acted on… you get the idea! On that note also, be prepared for questions like “why did you choose to study law?”. Keep it simple, but keep it interesting – i.e. don’t just tell them your mum forced you to study law and now it’s too late to drop out (if you’re reading this, send help).
2. Nail your cover letter.
Your cover letter should pinpoint why you ‘stand out from the crowd’. Make sure the letter is addressed to the right person, and that you’ve got their salutation right! (Mr, Mrs, Ms, etc.). Avoid “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To whom it may concern”. You want to show the firm that you are resourceful and have good research skills – so make the most of those self-taught stalking skills (thanks Facebook) and work out who the HR Manager or point-of-contact for recruitment is, and address it to them.
3. Brush up that CV!
Attention to detail is a must – make sure to check your grammar and spelling (as well as having someone else proofread your CV) before submitting it. Your CV only needs to be one or two pages long – it’s not a competition of who has the longest CV, it’s about presenting your hard work in a clear, easy-to-read format. Speaking of format, make sure you use a clean and simple font (and keep it consistent!) as well as using bullet points and subheadings to break the information up. Sometimes, a bit of blank space, in moderation, can be your reader’s friend.
4. Get connected… on LinkedIn
Having a LinkedIn profile is nowhere near as fun as being on Facebook or Instagram, but it’s a great way to feel #professional. Use it as an opportunity to keep up to date with recent firm publications, or simply to maintain contact with any cool people you meet during the recruitment process.
Check out the information under ‘Education’ for more details on 2020 events!