DLA Piper Australia Reviews

Like any law firm, a person can go from being a graduate at the beginning of their career to being a partner after years at the firm. This means that progression is largely linear; flowing from graduate to solicitor to senior associate to senior counsel to partner. In order to be eligible for promotion, one has to demonstrate that they can contribute to the firms goals and add value to it as a business. This often means finding an area one is interested in and carving out a valuable practice from which the firm can benefit.

The firm has a lot of pro bono work which I have assisted on including community legal education to assist refuge students, climate displacement projects and assessing the rights of the LGBTIQ community.

There is a great culture at the firm both in and outside the office. Whether it be our firm trivia night or daily coffee expeditions with members from your team there is a genuinely friendly atmosphere from the minute you step foot in the firm. Many of the teams work across borders and practice groups so there are always opportunities to meet and work with new people.

The firm has a big focus on inclusion and creating a culture of belonging. We have a number of active networks including gender balance which is the Leadership Alliance for Woman and Iris which is our international network for LGBT+ individuals and allies. Our new WorkSmart policy provides increased flexibility and allows anyone in the firm to work from home which can assist with child care and part time arrangements.

As a junior, I'm given a great amount of autonomy to deliver advice and other pieces of work in ways I think are most effective. I'm given a good amount of responsibility, as well as the right amount of oversight and guidance from more senior members of my team, which allows me to develop my personal skills and experience in a constructive team environment.

The partners and senior lawyers at DLA Piper are approachable and open to helping their junior lawyers grow in their roles. Although many people are often busy and time poor, receiving feedback is a common part the review process. This makes it easier to see your work recognised and improve where improvement is needed.

Nice open office spaces not cramped but still grouped up enough to easily discuss work or socialise. Well kept and clean.

The interview process was very comprehensive - it was the longest process of all my clerkship interview processes. It involved an assessment centre which was divided into three sessions, which were each designed to evaluate different skill subsets.

The pay at DLA Piper is consistent with what a new graduate can expect across the market; the firm assesses graduate salaries to ensure they represent the market-rate. A thank you bonus has been given to everyone at the firm in recognition of its better-than-expected performance during COVID-19.

Some teams have excellent training and development programmes such as regular presentations and seminars and library support, others are a little behind but as those practice areas grow it can only improve.

Times vary - this is natural and reflects the volume of work, and the stage in a transaction/proceeding that the work is at. Recent remote working has made work-life-balance a lot more flexible.

There are various waste bins (which is great) and some products such as paper seem to be from recycled paper. The firm could do more to reduce waste and carbon footprint for example by operating at net zero emissions.