Culture at Clayton Utz

The culture at CU Canberra has been an integral part of why I enjoy being part of the team. The people are very friendly and have helped me settle in.

As far as law firms go it could not be better. The colleagues I have developed at the firm are some of the most caring, supportive and inspiring individuals I could ask for in a workplace. This is key when you consider the fact that working in a law firm is essentially taking on an apprenticeship - you need knowledgeable but engaged thought leaders to actually provide you with the opportunities to grow and become a strong lawyer.

Most people are really nice, supportive and put in effort to get contribute to the firm culture. There are plenty of opportunities to attend and get involved in regular social events, sporting events, charitable events, etc. Team culture varies depending on what team you are in (eg some teams have more flexibility to wfh, some teams are very social, some teams have a very flat hierarchy, etc).

Culture is a standout at Clayton Utz. The partners really care about the people in their team and I have felt supported and accepted throughout my experience at the firm. There is great mentorship and everyone is approachable.

The people are genuine and authentic which I like. Everyone is approachable and personable generally. At times, however, it can feel that partners and those higher up in the hierarchy have limited capacity to interact with juniors which can be difficult from a culture perspective as well as a professional development perspective

Great culture. Structure is hierarchical in terms of work flow distribution but does not have a negative impact on culture.

The best there is. You know where you stand with people here. If you come into the firm eager to learn and apply yourself to the work, everyone will invest in you.

Very supportive during work hours. Very friendly and personable outside.

My team is quite a flat structure but overall the firm is top down hierarchical. Good culture, great people. Friends with those in my cohort and we are social outside of work also. My team is great for teamwork and collaborating, but not every team is as sociable and interactive. Many teams I would find quite isolating and lonely given they just sit and work in their offices alone and don't collaborate.

Socialising amongst colleagues is team dependent, some teams are better than others. My last team was quite social, the current team I am in, not so social.

Great work culture! Most people are very approachable and friendly. Plenty of extra-curricular things.

CU is very collaborative and social. I have found majority of my colleagues are very friendly and outgoing, supportive and it doesn't feel like a rigid, hierarchical structure. I feel comfortable approaching senior lawyers and partners, as well as more junior staff.

There is a close connection with the Partners and SA's as they are involved with the lawyers and grads. People make an effort if someone is new which I have greatly appreciated.

Good culture in terms of socialising and the individual people who you can become friends with. My team has a good culture and is not very hierarchical. However, generally in the firm it feels as though there is disconnect and some poor delegating from seniors to juniors.

Very easy to talk to seniors and everyone is welcoming.

There is a hierarchy in the workplace but also positive socialising, cooperation and teamwork. Some socialising in smaller friendship groups occurs outside of work hours.

Depends on the team

I think the firm's culture is quite good. There are always some people who may be unpleasant but generally the large majority of people have been friendly, kind and supportive. It is very team-dependant, but both the juniors and seniors will delegate work and give feedback, and my experience has been that my teams have worked well together and been friendly both during and after work hours. I particularly enjoy the flexibility to work where and when I need to, as long as the work gets done.

I really enjoy the company's culture There are so many events that you can get involved in and attend both in the office and after hours. The approach is that you can do as much or as little as you like, which I think creates a healthy culture because there are plenty of events to attend for those that want to, but there has never been in my experience any pressure to attend or any level of disappointment expressed from colleagues if you do not want to attend an event/can't make an event. I think the level of socialisation between colleagues in different teams is great, but I also think it is person dependent. I.e. if you want to meet people in other teams and socialise with them, you can and people are very open to it, but you have to take the first step/the initiative, because being spread across different floors, it does not always happen naturally. I have had an excellent experience acheiving mentoring from senior people in the firm (or juniors who are just more senior than I am). Everyone is willing to go for a coffee, chat about my experiences and how I am finding it. This is even the case for people I have not met before - it is very common to get a cold email from people you haven't met before for a coffee/catch up and I think it is great that there is no level of trepidation about doing that because the response is always positive.

As I said, the people are great - they care, are inclusive and humble. It is a traditional law firm, so it is hierarchical (which makes sense to me - and I have no qualms about it). That said, regardless of position, everyone wants to succeed, and no one is setting each other up for failure.