There was a time when the extended trip to London was a well-worn rite of passage for young and restless Australians.
While the ‘gloss’ of this path has dulled a little, it’s still the city of choice for many young lawyers looking to broaden their legal challenges and professional experience.
For UTS Law alumnus, Daria Konnova, the lure of the London life was always strong:
I have long had a fascination with the idea of living and working in London - with my interest in corporate law and the fact that the city is one of the world’s financial capitals, it makes sense to be at the centre of it all.
Daria is part way through the London two-year graduate program with global law firm, Linklaters.
It’s structured around ‘rotating’ young lawyers through the different areas of the firm’s legal work.
Daria is currently with the Disputes Resolution team and is impressed with how high profile and interesting the work is.
She says it is both fascinating and diverse and rarely involves just one legal jurisdiction:
A lot of the time, as a London graduate, you will be working on matters with teams from across many other international offices, and the matters will have multiple angles. This is very different to my Sydney experience where, for example, I never had a situation where I needed to look at aspects of Colombian law.
The UTS Law degree has a reputation for its strong practical focus and for Daria, the skills she learnt in breaking down and analysing legal problems and proactively looking for legal solutions are invaluable.
There’s also the importance of collegiality:
UTS Law taught me that you will always work better in a team. I received great support from my peers, older students and teachers during my studies, and I have found that this positive approach to work and a friendly attitude is incredibly helpful and relevant to my work.
Outside of her professional life, living in London is providing a wealth of exciting new experiences and interesting people. While she thought she might become part of the Australian ex-pat scene, Daria has found herself having a truly global experience:
Since moving here, I have made friends from all over the world. I now have plans to visit friends in Serbia, Sweden, Belgium, New York and Hong Kong - it's a bit of a paradise for someone who enjoys travelling and thrives in new environments. It is a fun life full of opportunities if you can keep up with the pace.
It’s this pace which sometimes makes Daria miss her home and friends and what she views as the quieter Sydney life along with the beaches and coastal walks..
For the next 18 months though she’ll be thriving on what London has to offer and there's also a possible European placement:
Most Linklaters graduates have the opportunity to go on an international secondment in their fourth rotation. There are many options to choose from, but right now I am thinking of applying for either Moscow or Amsterdam.