Meet Mathura Nadanakumar

What’s the best thing about working at Maddocks?

The learning environment. Throughout both my clerkship and graduate year, I've been given so many opportunities to learn and be challenged, but have always felt the support of other lawyers and partners who have genuinely wanted me to succeed.

What's the most valuable career lesson you've learned at Maddocks so far?

The people at Maddocks have been very invested in my learning, especially as a junior lawyer. With this in mind, the most valuable lesson I've learnt is to give everything a crack, while not being afraid to ask questions.

How did the Maddocks Clerkship set you up for success?

The clerkship at Maddocks is structured in a unique way to ensure that clerks are able to experience two different practice teams, whilst also undertaking workshops to develop their legal skills. This provided me with a base knowledge of practice areas, and also a strong foundation of legal writing and research skills, that I was able to springboard off coming into my graduate year.

What teams did you rotate through as a Clerk?

I rotated through Commercial (Government and Not-For-Profit) and Dispute Resolution and Litigation during my clerkship. These two rotations gave me holistic view of the firm and its people, whilst developing an insight into what practice areas I'd be interested in. This resulted in me taking a paralegal role in the Government and Not-For-Profit team!

What teams have you worked with as a Graduate?

When I joined Maddocks I was particularly interested in the firm's government work, and this was present across all three rotations. As a graduate, I rotated through Employment, Safety and People, Public Law and Commercial.

Additionally, as someone who wasn't completely sure about what area of law I'd be interested in, the graduate program provided me with access to a variety of tasks, including both litigation and transactional work, which helped guide my decision-making about where I wanted to settle.

What advice would you give a potential seasonal Clerk?

Back yourself! I know the clerkship process can be intimidating at times, but have confidence in your own abilities and experiences, and put your best foot forward!