Updating Results

Clayton Utz

3.8
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Clayton Utz Reviews

Based on 22 surveyed graduates working at Clayton Utz. Read on to get an insider’s view on life as a graduate.
3.8
Based on 22 reviews

Pros & Cons

  • Good people who make me look forward to coming into the office and a range of social, community, and development activities that help enrich our careers in a holistic manner Top tier without feeling like a cog in the machine, still surrounded by warm and friendly people - not a toxic work culture
  • The best thing about working at this company has been the positive relationships I have been able to develop and the supportive work environment I have been able to be a part of
  • Everyone is very genuine and very few people hide behind their titles. Most teams delegate work effectively to juniors and take time to get to know them and their strengths/weaknesses, and where there is room for improvement this is addressed constructively for the most part. I know that sounds like a low bar, but those very simple things are huge hurdles for grads/juniors at other firms. I think SLT and other members of upper management are very good at keeping staff in the loop about the firm
  • Balance of decent pay and work/life balance + culture
  • I like the quality of work and responsibility entrusted to me to deliver. The people make coming to work every day enjoyable
  • Perks could be better
  • I find that career progression is not really discussed
  • The Pay
  • There really is not a "worst thing". I have not experienced any negative feelings in my first year
  • Nothing is "bad" but maybe training sessions for most practice groups not be held in one day but rather sessions over a longer period of time

What Insiders Say

6.9
Career Prospects
6.9
Career Prospects
Attending the pathway to promotion sessions has been helpful for knowing what is expected - billable targets, business development, firm involvement, quality of work, etc - can see around the firm that most people are moving up to senior associate roughly 5 years in so motivating to know around what time you can expect to start being eligible for consideration and it's not too far away. Less clear about the path from senior associate to special counsel/partner and what is expected of a special counsel role
6.7
Corporate Social Responsibility
6.7
Corporate Social Responsibility
Seems that we have a genuine commitment to giving back to the community through our various Community Connect initiatives, fundraisers, and foundation
8.0
Culture
8.0
Culture
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 socialize 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 achieving 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 and chat about my experiences and how I am finding them. 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
7.5
Diversity
7.5
Diversity
There are a lot of initiatives to promote diversity in different areas including LGBTQIA, First Nations and other cultural diversity, gender parity, carers, etc. We are consistently updated on policy changes such as 6 months of parental leave for any carer (no differentiation between primary and secondary carer), and there are training sessions, panel events, and momentum committees to discuss issues
7.5
Satisfaction
7.5
Satisfaction
Generally, I am very happy to be actively involved in various tasks including drafting, reviewing, researching, and attending client meetings. I enjoy having the autonomy to have first cuts at drafting contracts or advice and having feedback sessions on where I can improve
7.6
Management
7.6
Management
I have a supervising partner and a coach and they have been very accessible. I have had the opportunity to work with them one-on-one and also as part of the broader team with different matters and they have communicated well, I have also organized initial, mid-rotation, and end-of-rotation catch-ups with them to receive feedback and recognition
7.0
Office Work Environment
7.0
Office Work Environment
The dress code is smart/business Mon-Thurs and smart casual on Fridays. Office space and facilities are good, and individual offices are great. Some kitchen facilities could be improved
7.0
Recruitment
7.0
Recruitment
The interview process was very casual and comfortable. I found it similar to other firms but definitely felt most comfortable at CU
6.2
Salary
6.2
Salary
My pay is commensurate with the value I provide
7.5
Training
7.5
Training
The training at CU is far superior to training at other firms, from what I have heard from my colleagues in other firms. We also have excellent resources and highly qualified people training us which is highly beneficial
6.5
Work Hours
6.5
Work Hours
My hours have been fine. There have certainly been busy weeks where I have had to stay back late, but it was always for a short period of time and never sustained. Most people are encouraged to leave on time and not stay back late for work unless it is absolutely necessary
6.4
Sustainability
6.4
Sustainability
Currently lot of push towards reusable cups and containers throughout the building, and some new initiatives regarding soft plastic recycling. Sustainability is a pretty big focus at Clayton Utz