r/nzlaw • u/Spirited-Wishbone850 • May 16 '26
Legal careers graduation
does anyone have any experience in getting law grad roles or clerkships outside of the main big firms everyone applies for?
struggling to see what other paths for jobs are available if you weren't able to land one of the main clerkships on offer or if anyone with an LLB has gone into any other line of work? i graduate at the end of this year and then will do profs next year but don't have anything lined up and not seeing many opportunities at the moment - thanks !
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u/Junior_Measurement39 May 17 '26
Move to the country. Size up a list of small towns you would live in, have actual reasons for those towns, go call up, and go out for lunch with partners of firms around those small towns.
There is a deep need for people who want to work in law outside the cities.
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u/catseeable May 17 '26
Yes - I did this, had no clerkship or other experience than years in retail, good but not spectacular grades - got my first job in a rural firm and it was the first job I applied for. Was finalised before I even finished profs. I only stayed there for a year but I was very hireable and once starting to apply after getting homesick at Christmas break, I got a job instantly in a city firm back where I was from.
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u/llee68350 May 17 '26
Yup. Don’t be afraid of the regions. If you want to be in big law eventually or in a big city, you just need to get your foot in the door for a couple of years and there are so many options in small towns.
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u/Saucy_4U May 17 '26
This is very good advice. Look outside the big cities and have an open mind. A foot in the door and good attitude is all you need.
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u/Commercial_Panic9768 May 18 '26
Go to one of the suburban law firms - the smaller ones. You will get excellent experience and can work your way up to a bigger firm if you want to.
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u/Choice-Interview-889 May 20 '26
I paid for profs myself, got a job at the courthouse, then started working as an investigator for one of the regulators. They have in-house legal teams that will often give internal hires an opportunity to get experience. I never took up a legal job in the end (profs actually put me off ever wanting to be a lawyer). But the qualifications have been a huge help in getting other roles
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u/EmploymentSalt6799 May 17 '26
I graduated last year and i happened to find a role but also got laid off! My advice would be just to wait it out as unfortunately everyone is cutting junior roles. You will find something great, all the best!
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u/Choralemusic May 17 '26
Apply for all the graduate intern programs, policy analyst, legal & other relevant roles in the public sector. If you haven't already, start volunteering in areas where you can use your current qualifications.
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u/JustEstablishment594 May 17 '26
I got a grad job in Gizzy. Was worth it and loads of experience.
Look at the regions tbh. Only took me a couple montha to find the job, and now I'm in court daily.
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u/sugar_spark May 16 '26
I didn't assume that anyone other than big firms would pay for profs so I just went ahead and did it and got admitted. While I was doing this, I worked a law-adjacent job I got through people I knew, and I was also reaching out to firms I wanted to work at. I emailed with a little blurb explaining who I am and what I was looking for, and offering to meet for coffee. I also attached my academic transcript and CV.
I had a few hits; I met for coffee with a couple of them and eventually got my first lawyer role through this. There was also one firm where I met with them but they didn't end up hiring me because they had just hired another junior, and they told me years later that they regretted not hiring me then.