As a Law and Economics graduate, Eashwar Alagappan faced a career crossroads familiar to many on dual degrees: which degree should he make his career? Fortunately, following a commercial clerkship and volunteering to help shape the UQ Deaths in Custody Database, he opted for law. We caught up with Eashwar to discover how his clerkship and PLT experiences helped form his career trajectory.

How did you come to choose a career in law?

My first job in law was a clerkship I undertook in the Property team of a large commercial law firm in Brisbane. I greatly enjoyed observing the practical experience of law and how it interacted with the theoretical concepts that underpinned the legal education I had received. Finding innovative solutions to best meet the needs of our clients was something I found interesting and engaging.

Having pursued a dual degree in Law and Economics, I was at a crossroads in deciding which career pathway to undertake. This experience piqued my interest in pursuing a career in law and led me to my current role as a graduate at K&L Gates. I was keen to apply the skills I had gained from Economics as well and therefore an internationally renowned commercial law firm like K&L Gates was an ideal match for my interests and ambitions.

What do you most enjoy about working with K&L Gates?

I’ve recently started as a law graduate with K&L Gates in Brisbane and work for the Real Estate team. I thoroughly enjoy the exposure I have been given by being able to work closely and collaboratively with senior lawyers in my team. I feel that the most rewarding aspect of my role is seeing the impact that the work I produce has on the client directly. I find that I can freely discuss my ideas and suggestions with my colleagues and in turn improve my legal skills from their guidance and tutelage.

I really enjoy the culture at K&L Gates, interacting with my colleagues across various teams and observing the fun personality and individuality that everyone brings to work. I think that it’s very important to have that in the naturally high-pressure environment of the legal sector. The firm places a strong emphasis on creating a culture that encourages all of us to be easily approachable, respectful of others and champions of diversity and inclusion.

Everyone at K&L Gates has been very friendly, and has always been open to having a chat about their experience in the Law and their career pathway. I think the best thing we can do as a law graduate is to learn from the experiences of as many people as we can. I firmly believe that there is something we can learn from everyone.

How have your PLT studies helped with what you do at work?

The Practical Legal Training program has been useful to learn the skills and abilities that are very useful in a law firm and would not be taught in a traditional law school environment. This includes sessions we had on interviewing skills and techniques as well as effective cross-examination. The importance of time management and good mental health practices were emphasised, and we were provided with several resources to further aid us in learning about these issues. As part of the one-week intensive session that we had in my PLT program, we had sessions where we practised conducting client interviews and cross-examining our fellow classmates. It was timely to have a refresher on key research skills and practical examples to highlight the ethical obligations of lawyers as well. It’s useful to gain these day-to-day skills that are essential for lawyers to possess in a highly structured environment where we are provided with detailed feedback on tasks we have completed.

Working full-time, how did you find studying the College of Law’s PLT?

The flexibility of the PLT programs offered by the College of Law is certainly very well-suited to the different situations that those seeking to gain admission to practice law face. Personally, I currently work full-time and benefit from having my online training and task submissions spaced out. It allows me to better organise my schedule and complete the tasks at a time that I find most convenient and planned around my work and personal commitments.

We had an initial intensive one-week course run by Senior Lecturer Graeme Haas. I felt that the energy and enthusiasm Graeme brought to our classes rubbed off on all students and created an interactive and enjoyable program. It was also extremely insightful to have an experienced practitioner, such as Graeme, conduct our course as he was able to share his personal experiences working in the legal environment and provided practical tips on how to handle difficult situations. The collaborative tasks we had during the intensive course also allowed me to interact closely with my fellow course mates and have engaging discussions on various topics, including how we would tackle ethical dilemmas.

What inspired you to get involved with the deaths in custody database at UQ?

The UQ Deaths in Custody Database is a comprehensive national database to collect and publish information on all publically available deaths in custody. It was started by Sisters Inside, Professor Tamara Walsh and a group of students from the University of Queensland in 2016. I joined the project as a student researcher in 2018 and went on to serve as the Student Leader of the Project as well. We were tasked with reading coronial inquests and compiling the data to analyse it and observe trends in the occurrences of deaths in custodial settings.

I found this project to be very rewarding as we were able to give a voice to some of the most vulnerable members of our community. We were also able to raise awareness of the issues surrounding Deaths in Custody, including Indigenous Deaths in Custody and contribute to the national conversation on how some of these issues might be resolved. You can access the Project’s website here.

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