Lawyers have countless industry associations to chose from, whether it’s a ‘women’s’ association, a practice area association or a social society for lawyers in a particular region. However, the value of involvement in any association comes back to the individual and what they choose to do with their membership.

Davies Collinson Cave partner Leon Allen is president of the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA) and has been involved with the organisation for many years. 

From a members perspective Allen said there are numerous benefits for legal practitioners, including educational opportunities, academies, yearly conferences, social activities and government consultation. However, as an employer, Allen said when looking at a CV a candidate’s membership of an industry association did not weigh heavily on his mind. “But, if they are involved somehow in the operation of the organisation, then it tells me about their work ethic and the character of the individual,” he said.

Senior recruiter at Clayton Utz, Andrew Johnson, has a similar view of memberships of industry associations. “From my perspective, it does not come onto my radar. I’m more interested in their experience and who they have worked for and with,” said Johnson.  “If they had a senior role in an industry group it would be more of an advantage, but how they perform in an interview would be significantly more important,” he added.

Despite the obvious networking opportunities associated with industry organisations, Johnson said he had never had a candidate recommended to him by someone at the firm who was in the same industry organisation as a candidate.

Litigation partner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Andrew Korbel, warns that those practitioners who are members of an industry organisation and are not actively involved should be wary of putting their membership on a CV. “If you have it on your CV but don’t actively participate regularly in the organisation, the person interviewing you might ask you questions relating to the organisation, which will make it obvious you are not actively involved,” he said.

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