11 April 2007

Aspiring lawyer wins JWS competition

Congratulations to Courtney Ensor from the University of Wollongong who won the 'Don't get pigeon-holed,' competition. Johnson Winter & Slattery challenged students attending the Sydney Law Career Fair on March 23, to decide whether they wanted to be "pigeon-holed" into distinct areas of legal practice when they finished their studies. In a light-hearted campaign, featuring a flock of identical black pigeons all walking together in the same direction, JWS distributed thousands of postcards to communicate its unique 'low-leverage' business model to the students. The innovative promotion also asked students to come up with some reasons why they thought JWS was different from other firms at the Sydney Law Careers Fair. Students were then asked to visit the firm's corporate website to enter the competition with the chance to win an Apple iPod and Apple Hi-Fi speakers. In her winning answer, Courtney highlighted the opportunities JWS presents to its young lawyers to work closely with more experienced practitioners sets it apart as a firm at which a young lawyer can be fostered in their continuing legal education. Managing Partner of JWS, Peter Slattery, said the competition idea was an innovative way to communicate in a way that would really appeal to the students attending the Sydney Law Careers Fair and also let them know exactly what made JWS unique. "The hands-on role played by our senior lawyers on all client matters is at the heart of our business model, and we considered this to be our key message for the event. "The fact that our new associates will have the opportunity to work closely with senior lawyers on major deals and disputes when they join the firm is what makes us different, so we wanted to communicate that to students. "Because we are a 'low-leverage' firm we only offer a limited number of placements to graduates each year – but we are looking for the outstanding candidates who are willing to start working with senior lawyers almost immediately, so we can represent a different and an exciting alternative," Mr Slattery said.

Download: View the competition postcard (341 Kb)

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