Sharfah Mohamed

What did you look for in a firm when applying for clerkship/graduate positions?              

Unlike many of my peers, I was unsure about beginning my career in a commercial law firm. I was ultimately drawn to Clifford Chance for two main reasons.

Growth: The Firm offered the best of both worlds for my professional development i.e. the collaborative and close-knit culture of a smaller firm (where junior lawyers are anything but cogs in a machine) together with market-leading work and resources of a global firm.

Impact: The Firm demonstrated a genuine commitment to responsible business and offered a range of opportunities to become involved in efforts to positively impact the wider community.

What has been a highlight of your experience so far?

I struggled to pick one highlight, so I have narrowed it down to two.

Being given a substantial level of responsibility at such a junior level: My experience as a junior lawyer at the Firm hasn't been characterised by endless mechanical or quasi-administrative tasks. Since the very first week of my Graduate Program, I have been assigned substantive matter-related work (at times running workstreams) and have worked directly with colleagues at all levels of seniority who have been willing to invest time in my professional development.

Being part of a global network: My experience is that the Firm is a truly global firm whose global presence is felt in almost every aspect of our work. This not only means collaborating with colleagues across offices on a regular basis, but also means attending overseas training and secondments (pandemic aside). My very first week as a Graduate was spent in our Singapore office and involved legal training and networking with junior lawyers from across the Asia Pacific region.

What does a typical day look like for you?

It is difficult to describe a "typical day" as the nature of my day-to-day work varies greatly depending on the matters that I am working on and the stages of each of these matters. My work on any given day can range from researching discrete areas of law and analysing documents for an advice to drafting lay witness statements and cross-examination questions for a hearing. The dynamic nature of my work means that I am constantly learning!

Can you share a little about your experiences regarding responsible business at Clifford Chance?

I have found that the Firm not only expresses a commitment to responsible business but also creates space for junior lawyers to take up leadership roles in their areas of interest within responsible business (whether this be inclusion, wellbeing, pro bono, sustainability or otherwise). 

Since joining as a Graduate, I have been actively involved in various responsible business initiatives such as:

• Serving as a member of the Australian Race Equality and Celebrating Heritage (REACH) Committee. This involves working with colleagues to coordinate regional and global initiatives which promote racial equality and celebrate cultural diversity, ranging from virtual cook-alongs to staff training on unconscious bias.
• Serving as a member the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group. This involves working with colleagues to achieve the deliverables of the Firm's newly launched RAP such as increasing understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and rights through educational seminars and cultural workshops.
• Running and assisting on pro bono matters involving not-for-profit organisations and vulnerable clients.
• Initiating and running a monthly Book Club, which facilitates dialogue on a wide range of issues such as growth, happiness, conflict, racial justice and gender parity.

These experiences have been invaluable in allowing me to make a meaningful contribution in areas of interest outside of billable work whilst strengthening my technical and business skills.  

Beyond becoming involved in existing responsible business opportunities, I have found that the Firm is very receptive to feedback and suggestions as to new opportunities. One example comes to mind – as a Graduate, I was interested in initiating a pro bono partnership with a particular not-for-profit organisation. I pitched the idea to the relevant people in the Firm and was met with support. We are now engaging with the organisation to scope out a potential pro bono partnership.

Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current university student?

Be true to yourself: resist the pressure to pursue a particular career path solely because all of your peers appear to be doing the same. Take a step back and reflect on why you studied Law in the first place and ensure that your career decisions are guided by your values, interests and goals.

Back yourself: almost any skill can be developed with the right mindset so there is no reason to let imposter syndrome or self-doubt hold you back in your career or otherwise. Even if you think something is a long shot, try (or apply) anyway!

Breathe: if something you were gunning for doesn't eventuate, take a moment to process the disappointment and then throw yourself into Plan B. It is more than likely that the detour will end up shaping you and your career for the better.