Expert Info

Posted by
on 3 Feb 2012
I am a solicitor qualified to practice in England and Wales, and I am in the process of qualifying as a solicitor in NSW. In the meantime I am looking for legal experience. Ideally this would be as a paralegal, legal clerk, legal assistant or other in a solicitor's practice or barrister's chambers. I am having real difficulty getting work and/or experience and this is despite having 10 years of litigation experience in the UK. Maybe it is because my experience is mainly in the criminal law field. I must confess that I have found recruitment agencies to be quite unhelpful, and along with potential employers, extremely slow to respond. I would appreciate any advice, suggestions, job opportunities etc. Failing which, I wonder if there are any expat forums for UK lawyers seeking work in Sydney. Regards, Martin Crawford-Brown.
Anonymous (not verified) on 6 Feb 2012 - 06:56
Hi Martin-

I know you mentioned you hadn't had any luck with recruitment agencies, but have you only tried general service providers, or those who specifically cater to those in the legal field (ie. Law Staff Australia)?

For a comprehensive list of job sites and online portals that you can use to look around, you can also have a look at the Expat Arrivals Finding a Job in Sydney page. 

Otherwise, as painstaking as it may seem, I would recommend using LinkedIn groups and Newcomer's Associations to at least plant the seed that you're on the market. 

In the end, it's crucial that you keep chipping away.

Anonymous (not verified) on 6 May 2013 - 12:48
Hi Martin, as your original post was a year ago I am curious if you have had any luck. I am a Criminal Defence Solicitor from the UK. Unfortunately legal aid is dying a slow painful death and I am considering opportunities abroad as my partner is from Sydney. Did you manage to find anything?
Alessandro Mancini on 13 May 2016 - 13:13
Hi, I am a qualified solicitor in London. In the meantime I am providing legal law services. I am having experience solicitor team in the UK. I would like to search , who people has face the problem of legal and illegal law, etc. Failing which, I wonder if there are any suggestions so please reply below.