The La Trobe Law School, in partnership with Kaizen Synergy Law Firm, has launched its Corporate Policy and Legal Compliance Clinic.
The Clinic, located at La Trobe’s Bundoora campus, offers second year Law students the opportunity to prepare for final year commercial placements in a supportive, in-house environment.
“This placement helps students to develop skills as part of a corporate in-house legal team, working on corporate governance and compliance matters,” explains Professor Fiona Kelly, Dean of the La Trobe Law School.
“Students build their confidence in a law firm setting, develop technical knowledge in corporate governance structures and corporate compliance, and learn to work in a team.”
The initiative also reflects the Law School’s commitment to social justice – services are provided free to not-for-profit agencies.
Nihal Samara, General Counsel and Legal Director at Kaisen Synergy Law Firm, says the Clinic experience is invaluable, preparing students for “future in-house legal compliance and company secretary roles.”
“Within the first few hours of starting, students are meeting with clients to get instruction on a policy project,” he says.
“The latest Clinic project was for Women’s Housing Ltd. Students reviewed the client’s entire policy suite for compliance. At the end of the project, the team formally presented the revised policy and compliance suite to the client with recommendations.”
And, what do the students say after completing the Clinic placement?
“The most valuable aspect was having experiences in the area of corporate law and what it is like to draft policies and procedures for a not-for-profit organisation. Writing policies was not something that came naturally. They required time and effort to understand and write,” said one student.
“The most memorable experience was presenting a final product to the client. Our work was so important for them, and they were so sincerely grateful. It was great seeing the whole project from beginning to end and it making a real difference,” said another.
