b'CLERKSHIPS ARE THE BE-ALL THERE ARE TOO MANY LAW AND END-ALL GRADUATES. YOU WONT FIND A JOB!The notion of a clerkship may not meanThe supposed oversupply of law graduates much to a first year. However, students inis a a stubborn myth. The contention is their penultimate year place enormousthat 15,000 law graduates flood the market emphasis on clerkship season, whenannually when the legal profession is law students all around the country applynumbered at just 66,000 solicitors. Neville to (mostly commercial) firms, attendCarter, CEO of the College of Law, Australia networking events and endure multipleand New Zealands largest provider of rounds of interviews to score an internshippractical legal training, dismissed this as and eventually, fingers crossed, a graduatea conclusion fuelled by myth.In 2015, role. I understand their raging popularity.7,650 students graduated law school, The glamour of corporate drinks andapproximately 85% of them acquiring glass offices imbue commercial law withprofessional qualifications. Carter also prestige. And corporate sponsorship forargued that many law graduates are law camp and law ball subtly ingrain thefinding gainful employment in areas names of these firms into our minds frombeyond conventional law practice. our very first year of law school.Itd be difficult to prove that supply Clerkships offer valuable experience andhasnt increased at all. There are now 38 insight into the corporate lifestyle, butlaw schools in Australia, compared to it is not the be-all and end-all. There are10 prior to 1990. But the glut is, at best, alternate pathways into your desiredexaggerated. The influx of employment firm, such as a graduate intake or lateraltook some adjusting, but Carter entry after one or two years of practice.maintains that employers grew to Beyond corporate law, the criticalaccommodatethem. thinking and problem solving acumen honed throughout the degree can be applied elsewhere, such as government, the courts, non-profit, social justice,Verdict:FALSENewLaw, management consulting, media andacademia.Verdict:FALSEPAGE 9'