Clerkship 2021

As you approach the end of your legal studies it can often be difficult to decide which area of practice is for you, and in which direction you should be driving towards in your law career.

The two-week seasonal clerkship program at Duffy & Simon Lawyers gives you the opportunity to explore your interests and get a feel for what it would be like to become part of the team at Duffy & Simon Lawyers after you graduate.

With an incredible amount of applications for our 2021 Clerkship it was incredibly hard to filter down to the selected few, however we were extremely impressed with the selected six. We spoke with our second group of clerks on how they found their time here at Duffy and Simon and what they have enjoyed most!

Myfanwy Cummerford
Law student Myfanwy Cummerford during her clerkship at Duffy and Simon
Clerk Myfanwy Cummerford

My clerkship with Duffy and Simon has been an invaluable learning experience and I have loved every minute of my time here. The two week clerkship has given me a useful insight into the day to day operations of a busy law firm and I’ve had plenty of opportunities to apply my knowledge during the matters in which I’ve been involved. I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone at Duffy and Simon for generously sharing their time and knowledge with me. I can highly recommend the Duffy and Simon clerkship to any penultimate or final year students looking to gain practical experience within a well regarded firm.

Katrina Lay
Law student Katrina Lay during her clerkship at Duffy and Simon
Clerk Katrina Lay

My experience with D&S as a clerk has been invaluable. What I’ve enjoyed the most are the thought-provoking conversations about legal practise with Principals of the firm and receiving thorough guidance and support. Observing the collegiality between members of the office has been reassuring, coming out of a competitive University environment. I’d like to thank everyone at D&S for making me feel welcomed and my experience so enjoyable.

Aya El Kady
Law student Aya El Kady during her clerkship at Duffy and Simon
Clerk Aya El Kady

Lawyers and law students are notorious for evading questions with the textbook answer – ‘it’s a case-by-case basis’. Through investing in legal shows and crime podcasts you think you’ll always have the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ guy; or the ‘hard-line adversarial advocate’ versus the ‘moral advocate’ lawyer. However, my time at Duffy & Simon as a clerk has shown me that this rarely transposes into reality, especially in the human-centred areas of the law such as family, criminal and property. It is destructive to perceive the legal system, and its players, through a polarised lens. This Clerkship program has taught me that the law is dynamic, your client’s history is intricate and multifaceted – so never jump to make assumptions about their needs from the legal system, and importantly, from you and your ‘lawyering’ style. I thoroughly enjoyed this program as a final year law student and am grateful for the invaluable learnings that I have gained

With applications for our 2022 Clerkship opening over the coming months be sure to keep an eye out for updates on our website and social media.