Law students explore diverse career options at the 2024 law career fair.
The Wits Law Student Council hosted over 31 law firms and organisations on campus to grant students an opportunity to forge relationships with prospective employers; and learn more about what is expected of them in the legal profession.
The career fair was hosted on the April 9, 2024 at the Old Mutual Sports hall.
One of the organisers of the fair, Milkias Gebremichael said the purpose of the expo was to make students familiar with the profession by allowing them to ask questions related to vacation-work, articles and the daily realities of the career.
The fair consisted of lawyers working for NGOs, engaging in pro bono work, handling commercial cases, and those that work for smaller firms.
Bronywn Quin, HR manager at Poswa Incorporated law firm said it was her first time attending the fair, and she was excited as students who have graduated from Wits law school are employees at the firm.
Quin emphasised the importance of considering both academic achievements and extracurricular involvement when evaluating candidates for employment at the firm.
“The firm has maintained a long-standing, deep relationship with the Law faculty at the University of Witswatersrand, that is why we keep coming back to the annual career fair,” said Kasheer Singh, the graduate recruitment manager at the Bowmans law firm.
When hiring graduates for internships, permanent posts, and articles, the MacRobert Attorney law firm said they vet students according to the “EISH factor”. The E stands for energetic, the I for intelligent, the S for self-motivating and the H for hard-working.
Saneliso Ngubane, who works in the personal injury department within the firm, said what sets the firm apart is that they specialise in different forms of law.
Takalani Netshiavaha, a third-year LLB candidate said to Wits Vuvuzela that even though the career expo happens annually, each year students are introduced to new firms and information.
“The expo helps broaden our options, the human contact assists students to remain inspired knowing that the people who facilitate the expos are candidate attorneys, shows me my dreams are not far-fetched,” said Netshiavaha.
“I do not know any lawyers, I do not have any lawyers in my family, so this expo makes it feel more real, I get to network with people working for the biggest firms such as Bowmans, it helps me get in the door,” said LLB student, Matthew Robertson.
The Wits Students Law Council has announced that the next career expo will be held in the second semester in case students missed this one.
FEATURED IMAGE: Thandiwe Seboletswe a Senior Associate, Litigation Attorney from Adams & Adams law firm. Photo: Katlego Mtshali
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