At Career Development Services, we'd love to hear about your meetings with your mentors over the semester break, especially if it involved job shadowing, attending court etc. Drop us a line law-careers@unimelb.edu.au.

With semester two commencing shortly, don't forget to plan ahead for your next meeting with your mentor. Mentors and mentees should meet 3-4 times over the year. Ask them plenty of questions and don't forget to mention your mentor on your CV - see our post for more information. 

Mentor Program Agreement forms are overdue and must be submitted to CDS.

Please click on the poster for more information.

The recent announcement of the Hamer Scholarship Program's expansion is exciting news for any Victorians that are interested in studying in Asia. With the updated program, students now have the opportunity to apply for a scholoarship of up to $15,000 to study in South Korea, Japan, China or Indonesia.

The HSP aims to develop language skills and cultural awareness, and students from across a range of disciplines are welcome to apply, with two past recipients being MLS JD students. To find out more please visit the Victorian Government website.

Applying for a seasonal clerkship, internship or graduate position?  If you have participated in the MLS Mentor Program, remember to include it on your CV and/or cover letter.

Always seek your mentor’s permission to include them by name.  Even if you don’t mention them by name, you can use words along the lines of:

• Participated in the 2012 Melbourne Law School Mentor Program.  Run by MLS Career Development Services, this  program supports students’ formal academic training by providing a link to the profession and the practical realities of working in the law.

• Mentored by (eg) in-house counsel at a high profile mining company OR senior partner/barrister practising in employment law.

Include the type of activities you have been involved in with your mentor eg attending court or conferences, job shadowing, meetings with clients or general career planning discussions. 

Can you make a link between your mentoring experience and why you are interested in a particular area of practice or law firm?  If so, this will make a great impression on your cover letter.

Be prepared to speak about your mentoring experience at interview.

Finally, why not ask your mentor if they are happy to be a referee for you?

Here at CDS we understand that second year students are busy enough, so thought we'd give you a helping hand with your Seasonal Clerkship research. We've prepared a comprehensive list of 35 local firms offering a clerkship program. To see the details please reference the link below:

Firms offering Seasonal Clerkships 2013