Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28T H INKING AHEAD: YOUR PRACTICAL P LACEMENT FOR PLT When you’re at uni your practical experience seems like a light at the end of a very long tunnel. Unfortunately, if you’re anything like me you’ll find that it sneaks up on you. Whether you’re in a last minute panic like me, or you’re planning ahead, here are a few tips and resources for finding that perfect placement. This is a more important question than you’d think. If you’re in NSW and have no prior experience working in the law then you’re generally looking at a total of about 15 or 16 weeks full time work, depending on where you’re completing your studies. 15 or 16 weeks? That’s like 4 months! Yep. The tricky thing for baby lawyers is that most law firms know it is compulsory for us to do this placement before we can be admitted. So a huge number of law firms only take on practical placement students on an unpaid basis The problem is that while many law firms remember that practical placements are compulsory, they have forgotten what it is like to be a uni student with bills and rent to pay (not to mention a lifestyle to maintain). Unless you’ve been saving for just this scenario, or you’re living at home with some patient and generous parents, you’ve got a snowflake’s chance in hell of being able to live without pay for 4 months. A large number of people who have been working full time for several years could not afford to do this, so our chances of making it through with sanity in tact are pretty slim. If you’ve already had experience working in a legal environment my recommendation would be to try and get that recognised. If it is recognised then the length of time you need to spend on prac can be reduced by as much as half. While you may not be able to go without 4 months pay, 2 months could be far more bearable. If you’re willing to go without pay, then you’ll find a placement tomorrow. But if you want to get paid you have to allow a lot of extra time. 1. D O YOU WA NT TO G ET PA ID? BY KAT 14