Presented by the Adelaide University Law Students` Society
Transcription
Presented by the Adelaide University Law Students` Society
FIRST YEAR SURVIVAL GUIDE Presented by the Adelaide University Law Students’ Society - 2015 - 1 FOREWORD Dear First Years, Welcome to the AULSS 2015 First Year Survival Guide! MEET THE AULSS TEAM GETTING INVOLVED PAGE 16 PAGE 6 If you’re feeling nervous or apprehensive about starting this new chapter in your life, don’t worry! We have all been in your position and I can assure you that you will settle in very quickly. As a matter of fact, this Survival Guide is intended to help you with just that! This Guide will provide you all with a general introduction to life as a law student and to the members of your representative body, it will give you information about the subjects you’ll be undertaking, tips for study, where to seek assistance should you require it, and even info about cool places to eat or drink near university! Of course, this is by no means a ‘formal’ Guide – we’ve tried to make it as informal and comical as possible! The key word here being: ‘tried’… Law students can only be so funny. Importantly, I would like to sincerely thank all of the people that have contributed to creating this Survival Guide over the summer break. We all hope that you find this a valuable and useful source! On behalf of the AULSS, I wish you all the very best for this year and for your entire time at university. We’re looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible! FIRST YEAR SUBJECT SUMMARIES PAGE 13 TIPS AND TRICKS PAGE 22 THE LAW STUDENT EXPERIENCE Welcome to Ligertwood.........................5 Meet the AULSS Team.......................... 6 Your degree plan..................................10 Tips and Tricks.....................................22 GETTING INVOLVED Becoming an AULSS First Year Rep.........9 Competitions........................................16 Law Reviue.......................................... 17 Law School Activities.............................17 GETTING ORGANISED Subject Materials..................................20 Online Materials....................................21 First Year Subject Summaries................13 OTHER Degree Plans........................................10 Food and Coffee...................................24 Academic Assistance............................ 25 Keeping Well........................................ 26 Glossary...............................................29 Ahmed Gamar Vice-President (Education) PS: If you’re unfamiliar with any of the terms used whilst reading this guide, just flick to the glossary on the back page where you’ll find a handy definition. ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY LAW STUDENTS’ SOCIETY FIRST YEAR LAW DRINKS 7.30PM | FRIDAY 13TH MARCH 2015 | THE ARCHER, NORTH ADL Like the AULSS on Facebook for event information, employment and study opportunities and much more! facebook.com/AdelaideUniLSS 2 3 FOREWORD CONTENTS MEET THE DEAN Welcome to the Adelaide Law School! In joining the School for your legal education you follow in the footsteps of other students that extends over 130 years. Our Law School, founded in 1883, is the second oldest in Australia and one of the oldest in the common law world. But traditions are worth keeping only if they represent enduring values. The School has alumni who have taken their place at the leading academic institutions of the world, lawyers who hold the highest positions in the Profession and community leaders. What is common about these alumni is a commitment to excellence and the highest ethical standards. We aim to have graduates who understand the law in its context but are also committed to the rule of law and equality. The next few weeks and months will be busy as you adjust to the new atmosphere of the Law School and the University of Adelaide. Please be aware that the Law School staff and the Law Student Society are committed to assisting you at this time and during your legal education. Ask for help if you need it – we are ready and willing to assist. The School is committed to diversity. You will meet students from all parts of the community and from around Australia and beyond. I especially welcome our overseas students. Please make each other welcome. I encourage you to familiarise yourself with the Law School’s website, this Survival Guide and be alert to the communications from the Law School. It is a great pleasure for me and the Adelaide Law School staff to welcome you in 2015. I know it will be an exciting and rewarding year. Professor John Williams Dean, Adelaide Law School WELCOME TO LIGERTWOOD! Okay, let me address the first thing on your mind. Some people pronounce it ‘Lig-ertwood’ and others ‘Lij-ertwood’. Can you guess which is the correct way of pronouncing it…? I’d love to be able to give you a straight answer but the truth is I really don’t know! That’s right, I’ve been studying in this building for more than three years and I still don’t know how to pronounce it. I’m sure the answer is out there, somewhere in this universe…. Well, regardless of the pronunciation, this building will be your home for the next few years of your life. It has only been recently renovated and looks lovely – you first years are lucky to not have experienced what a dark place Ligertwood was before! Here’s a little introduction: WHERE IS THE LIGERTWOOD BUILDING ON CAMPUS? On the right, I’ve put a large red circle directly over where the Ligertwood Building is on campus. We’re lucky because we’re basically on North Terrace and so close to everything in the city! TOILETS For the ladies, the toilets are located on the ground floor, just walk in through the main entrance and turn left, right next to the elevators – you can’t miss it! For the guys, once you walk in through the main entrance, turn left and then right down the stairs. You’ll see the toilets just before the entrance to the Law Library. THE LAW LIBRARY It wouldn’t be a Law School without a library somewhere… Ours is located on the lower levels of the Ligertwood Building. To get there, walk in through the main entrance, turn left and turn right down the stairs and follow the passage. There are loads of computers, printers, study areas and couches for you to use. Please also make yourselves familiar with the Hub and the Barr Smith Library – there’s plenty of places to study on campus – just have a look around and see where you feel comfortable! WHERE TO STUDY There are some awesome places to study on the first level of the library - just walk down the main passage and you’ll see plenty of desks just calling your name! Further: - There is a computer suite on the main level of the library - you really won’t be able to miss it! - There are other computers to use around the main level but there’s only a handful of them! - On the bottom floor there’s a designated ‘discussion area’ which is perfect for group work or revision. For more information on the Law Library, visit http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/about/libraries/law/ 4 5 WELCOME TO LIGERTWOOD! MEET THE DEAN MEET THE AULSS TEAM The Adelaide University Law Students’ Society (usually referred to as the AULSS or more simply, the ‘LSS’) is your representative body at university. It is comprised of students who have been elected to help you in a variety of ways. We organise social events throughout the year such as pub crawls, quiz night and of course, our infamous Law Ball. We run competitions (such as mooting and client interviewingg (more of this on page 16) so that you can get a jump start on what it’s really like to be a lawyer. We run a Careers Fair and help guide you in choosing your career pathway after you’ve graduated. We do a whole lot of stuff… just for you!! Here’s a little introduction to us: PRESIDENT | MEGAN LOWE As President of the AULSS, my job is to oversee all that we can do to make your law school experience as enjoyable as possible. We promise to be with you every step of the way, as you endeavour to “Seek Light”. Ranging from figuring out whether Engineering North West is a University building or the latest KimYe reality TV show, to how to properly pronounce Ligertwood (it took me until fourth year to realise: no one knows), we will do our best to help! We appreciate that everyone’s Law School experience will be a different one. For me, this meant spending half my free time travelling and exploring as much as I could see/afford, and the other half playing C-grade netball at a D-grade level. But, as you will soon learn, there are certain parts of Law School that will unite you all; from skipping Friday morning lectures, to in-jokes about your favorite tutors (which they DEFINITELY know about). So welcome to Law School- I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible very soon! VICE PRESIDENT (ADMINISTRATION) | NICK LEE The Law Society Vice President (Administration) is probably most analogous (get ready to use that word a lot in law school) to that of a Frank Underwood as political whip. As whip it is my duty to discipline these fellow members and enforce party policy. As the Society’s secretary and treasurer I am responsible for the financing and organisational side of the Law Society. Accordingly, if you have any queries about the Law Society or its structure, or even getting involved please feel free to contact me. Outside of my clear House of Cards obsession, I enjoy spending my spare time playing hockey and lurking in the depths of the Law Library dungeon perusing the international law journals. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter of your career and I look forward to meeting you all soon (see that’s the type of stuff a VP Admin says). 6 Hey everyone! My name is Ahmed and I’m the Vice-President (Education) of the AULSS! Being a fourth year Law/Commerce student is quite time-consuming, but when I’m free I enjoy spending time with my friends, watching movies/TV (I’m a huge fan of Game of Thrones and House of Cards), and perfecting my skills in the art of procrastination. In my role as the Vice-President (Education), I act as the AULSS representative at the national representative body for law students, the Australian Law Student’s Association (ALSA). This entails travelling interstate for conferences and engaging in lots of other cool law stuff that you probably don’t care about… yet. The other part of my role is to engage with all first year students! I’ve created this First Year Survival Guide over the summer (with the help of many, many amazing people) and I’ll soon conduct first year elections, a drinks night and an introductory seminar – all for first years! I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible before you slowly make that transformation from the innocent first year students that you (probably) are into the caffeine-addicted, money-hungry, snobby law student that you will inevitably become. Fun times ahead! VICE PRESIDENT (CAREERS & SPONSORSHIP) | OLIVA TOLLEY REPS: Liam Cobain, Jesse Kemelfield, Andrew Lukowicz Hi guys and welcome to law school! I’m in my sixth year (yes, it’s actually possible to hang around here that long) and just got back from studying in Canada. I’m excited to be your C&S VP this year! Careers & Sponsorship is the portfolio that connects with law firms and other organisations to sponsor our law school, allowing us to host events like the Careers Fair (great for freebies – keep an eye out!) The C&S portfolio might seem like the least relevant one in first year – who wants to think about a job when you just got here? - but check out our info sessions and events anyway. It’s never too soon to think about these things, I know I wish I did! COMPETITIONS DIRECTOR | ASHLEIGH JONES REPS: Floyd Bakewell, Lara Douvartzidis, Katie Warner Hey there! My name’s Ashleigh and I will be your Director of Competitions for 2015! When I’m not pretending to do my recommended readings, I enjoy finding pictures of dogs in hammocks on instagram, practicing my rap skills with Kanye, and pulling some killer moves on various dance floors across the city. Over the past 22 years I have achieved some pretty mean feats, including: finishing a Tough Mudder obstacle race in one piece, watching all three lord of the rings movies in one sitting, and conquering my fear of spiders by eating a tarantula in Cambodia. My job on the AULSS is to run various legal competitions over the year aimed at improving the competitors’ legal skills in negotiations, client interviewing, witness examination and mooting. These skills will aid you practically throughout your law degree and also prepare you for what comes after you graduate! All competitions are open to all students of all levels of experience, however in second semester the AULSS also runs specialist moot 7 MEET THE AULSS TEAM (CONT.) MEET THE AULSS TEAM VICE PRESIDENT (EDUCATION) | AHMED GAMAR REP: Zara Smith MEET THE AULSS TEAM (CONT.) strengthen our community of graduate and mature age law students through a diverse range of social events and encouraging peer networks. I have spent two years living and working in Canberra and have a keen interest in politics, media law and the Power. ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR | DANIEL D’ONOFRIO REP: Lucy Adams, Kosta Glykos, Dasha Shigapova I look forward to meeting each of you and hope that we can make 2015 a memorable year. Should you have any questions throughout the year whether it be about myself, the law school or to simply talk football, please direct all correspondence through the AULSS email and I’ll be in touch! Bios have a way of revealing how uninteresting my life really is and hence why I avoid them like the plague. But for the sake of this fantastic First Year Guide and those reading this publication hoping to get an insight into the new guy to shift blame upon if Law Ball ticketing takes another turn for the worst, which I will do everything in my power to avoid. I will do my best to sum myself up honestly in one sentence. I’m a lively and energetic person, a fan of the arts and a huge believer in the power of hard work in achieving success. DONE. I.T. OFFICER | HUDSON ARCHER Hey Guys, Hudson Zuckerberg-Gates Archer here, I’m in my final year of a law/media double degree and hopefully my role as IT officer will require a little more than just reminding the AULSS to try turning it off and on again! Over the coming year I will be managing the Law Society’s online presence and keeping you up to date with the all exciting events and opportunities available to law students. Looking forward to representing you all and be sure to chuck us a like on Facebook and swipe right on Tinder. In regards to Activities, 2015 will mark for me the second year running in the Activities Portfolio from being an Activities rep last year to this years Director. From the outset I have a strong vision for the Activities Portfolio, which is assisted by past experience as well as my involvement within Adelaide Law School. Being a 4th year law student I believe that I have a good understanding of what Law Students expect and want to relieve them from the stresses of law school life. With my exceptionally capable and sought after team of representatives by my side we cannot wait to fill your social calendar with events even grander than their predecessors. LAW BALL 2015 – WATCH OUT!! FIRST YEAR REPRESENTATIVES | YOU?? Now, this is how you can join the LSS! Every year, one female and one male are elected to represent all first years on the AULSS! Every first year has the opportunity to put their name down and run, but not everyone does! It really is a great way to meet people around the Law School, especially those in the years above, and you also get to help make the Law School a better place for all of your peers. The entire election process will be conducted by the Education portfolio (Ahmed Gamar and Zara Smith) (also known as the coolest/most attractive portfolio on the LSS) and we will get in contact with you about that in the first few weeks of the semester. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to e-mail us at [email protected]! SOCIAL JUSTICE DIRECTOR | SARAH GRANT REP: Caitlyn Georgeson, Madeleine Piouchaud, Stephanie Kolackzos There are two main branches on the big, beautiful tree that is the Social Justice Portfolio. The first branch is looking out for the well-being of law students. This is done through LSS ‘de-stress’ events and other new initiatives taking place this year. The second branch is connecting law students to social justice in the wider community. Traditionally this has been done through the wonderful social justice breakfasts, which will be continuing this year. We also plan to release a hand book to distribute information about volunteering in the law and community. If you see me around and have any input or opinions on social justice, or simply want to been seen talking to me to raise your “street cred”, come say hi!! I enjoy Game of Thrones and have many friends (if you count books as friends). MATURE AGE DIRECTOR | NICK BEN Hi, my name is Nick and I am the AULSS Mature Age Representative for 2015. I’m in my second year of graduate entry law and have previously completed a Bachelor of Media and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Politics. F ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY LAW STUDENTS’ SOCIETY LAW BALL 2015 SATURDAY 6TH JUNE 2015 | THE STAMFORD GRAND, GLENELG As your Mature Age Representative I’m here to assist you in making the most out of your time at the law school. My goal for 2015 is to 8 9 MEET THE AULSS TEAM (CONT.) competitions for first year mooters. If you are not sure if you want to get involved, or just generally not sure what getting involved even means feel free to have a chat or send me an email. Even better if you want to pop along to our introductory competitions info sessions that the Competitions Team will running in the first and second weeks of semester, we would love to have you there! YOUR DEGREE PLAN YOUR DEGREE PLAN (CONT.) YOUR DEGREE PLAN Degree plans! Oh, how exciting! These are plans that essentially show you what subjects you’ll be enrolled to take throughout your time at Law School. If you’re doing a double degree – your plan will be slightly different and I’ve provided a link at the bottom of this article where you can access it! Of course, these are only ‘plans’. Some students take time off university to work or to go on an exchange, sometimes students transfer into different double degrees – all of these things can change the way your plan works out BUT it’s always a good idea to get acquainted with what subjects you’re going to do in the coming year and the years ahead! My little tip is to download and keep a version of your degree plan on your home computer/laptop just for your reference! There might be changes to certain courses, though, so it’s always a good idea to go back online and check that the study plan you have is still relevant! Double degree students You can access plans for your specific degrees at the following website: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/ degree-finder/blaws_llb.html#studyplan If you need help Seek an appointment with a program advisor by going onto the following website: https://law.adelaide. edu.au/connect/contact/ or calling the Law School (08) 8313 5063! F Great specials on food, drinks, and more with the LAW SCHOOL LOCAL AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE DURING O’WEEK AT THE AULSS TENT 10 11 NEED UP-‐TO-‐DATE LAW NOTES? Lawskool Pty Ltd is Australia’s #1 provider of up-‐to-‐date Law Summaries, Model Exams, Mind Maps, Case Notes, Flash Cards and Audio Notes What is lawskool? • • • • No 1 provider of legal study tools Offers up-‐to-‐date study tools for 2015 Provides study tools for 30 law subjects An invaluable resource that helps law students prepare for exams in a variety of ways Whether you are an audio or visual learner, lawskool has something just for you! Free H ow t o S tudy L aw G uides Model Exams and Case Notes! 12 If you don’t know how laws are made or you haven’t heard of a ‘Tort’ before, don’t worry! The majority of your peers are in the same boat as you! Here are some general summaries of the subjects that you will be taking in your first year of Law School to help you get a little gist of what you’re in for! Foundations of Law (by Zara Smith) SEMESTER ONE Welcome to Foundations of Law, the first in a series of courses aimed to arm you with the basic skills you will need to navigate through Law School. Welcome to AUSLII, statutory interpretation, court reports, exceedingly long judgements that you will never read, and past legal studies students attempting to assert intellectual authority. Prepare to have your vocabulary expanded and your ego deflated as you try and decipher exactly what is meant by ‘legal positivism’, ‘jurisprudence’ and ‘candour’. Taught by some of the Law School’s most interesting characters, Foundations is sure to make you wonder if you’re really a ‘fit and proper person’ and to deter you from ever considering dabbling in collusion or plagiarism. Although confronting, this course shines in its ability to bring overwhelmed students together. From your first seminar, you will be placed in a group where everyone else is just as clueless as you are! After completing this course, you are sure to be super prepared for what lies ahead (if not, you will at least of made some friends and added some super impressive words to your vernacular). Torts (by Lucy Adams) Hans, a professional yodeler, was at the National Yodeling Competition in Adelaide. While driving to the event, Gertrude, a slightly deranged road worker, throws a pumpkin at Hans’ car, causing him to drive off the road and hit Simba. Simba, a zoo worker, is driving a van of exotic birds and hits the giant donut-man in front of the Krispy Kreme store, causing the birds to escape and also causing a temporary crisis among Adelaide’s donut lovers. While this may seem like an odd story, it provides a small insight into Torts (and not kidding, this is not even as weird as it gets). Torts is an unusual combination of the stupidest people you will ever hear about (so many people jumping into sign posted shallow water) and some really unlucky souls (like the woman who swallowed a snail from her ginger beer), making it simultaneously hilarious and depressing. But seriously, it is really not that bad; the problem questions were amusing and some of the cases quite interesting! Bernadette provides some lovely checklists and takes our artistic skills to the new level with flow charts and diagrams (the car multiple tortfeasors one was my personal fave!), which makes the subject more manageable and undoubtedly more entertaining. The frustration caused by the unbelievably odd problem questions, the ridiculously unattainable ‘reasonable person’ and the general stupidity of the law at times will bring your tute group together, so even if you hate it, it’s a great place to make friends! It is a compulsory subject, so either embrace its weirdness and enjoy Bernadette, or take it as an opportunity to test how many jugs you can have at Unibar before a two-hour lecture. Have fun!! 13 SUBJECT SUMMARIES FIRST YEAR SUBJECT SUMMARIES SUBJECT SUMMARIES (CONT.) International Law (by Emily Farrell) Formation, Obligations, Interpretation, Termination, Compensation– it’s kind of like a rap song waiting to happen. Seriously though, you’ve probably entered more contracts than you can count. Bought a car? Contract. Got a job? Contract. Entered Red Square? Well that was a bad idea, and you’ve almost definitely contracted something, but guess what else you’ve got… a CONTRACT! International Law: Your key to defending human rights across the globe. Well… sort of. If you’re dreaming of being the next Amal Clooney nee Alamuddin or Mark Darcy, this course just might help you take your first steps! Wordplay aside, this is a big subject. You’ll go through all sorts of fun topics like formation, estoppel, agency and assignment, performance, remedies and much, MUCH more. However, it’s not hard to pass. When you’re lectured by a guy like Professor Andrew Stewart, it’s really quite difficult not to pass. Trust me, I passed (just). He’s one of those legendary lecturers who actually knows what he’s talking about and will teach you this whole course in one semester. And, if the idea of being taught about law stuffs doesn’t make you excited on its own, just wait for the classic Andrew Stewart pirate voice. So, you (hopefully) passed Foundations and Torts, which means you’re pretty much a legal genius, right? Think again. International Law will shatter everything you thought your first year brain knew about ‘lawyering’. Okay, it isn’t really that bad! Dale Stephens, Rebecca La Forgia and Matthew Stubbs take you on the wondrous journey that is International Law. They’ll guide you through everything you need to know so you don’t fail that exam worth 95%. If you want to do more than just pass this course, whether you’re a first year single degree student, or a second year double degree student, then learn from my mistakes and do three things; pay attention to what you’re learning, contribute in lectures and seminars and most importantly read the textbooks and cases. The first few weeks are relatively relaxed and allow you to find your bearings, then you dive into the good stuff. Between Use of Force, Maritime Law, Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights AND International Criminal Law, you’ll have your hands full. Don’t be scared though, the rewarding seminar discussions will make you glad you did your homework. You’ll be acing the Crows/Port inspired problem questions before too long! Plus, you’ll also find out why every older Law student asks ‘OMG have you had Stubbsy yet???’ Some will hate it, some will be indifferent, and some of you will even enjoy Contract Law. However, regardless of how you feel, if you work, you’ll get the results. Grab your Macbook and enjoy the voyage to a more “worldlier” you. Oh, beware of the 4th and 5th year’s taking the course as an elective – just ignore their condescending tones. SEMESTER TWO Principles of Public Law (by Liam Cobain) The introduction, or perhaps more appropriately, the explosion of Dr Matthew Stubbs into your academic lives in the Principles of Public Law lectures, may initially seem a more fascinating and rewarding experience than the course itself. However, as one week becomes two, then three, you will readily/forcibly begin to appreciate the complex and intricate relationship between the Law and the Government. An important foundational subject, the somewhat rigid coursework is made bearable through the guidance of Dr Matthew Stubbs, Dr Gabrielle Appleby and Dr Adam Webster, whose lectures manage to keep eyes peeled and attentions fixated through nerve-racking interaction and great banter. You will cover a range of content, study a vast amount of cases, and take part in the relentless examination of scenarios and questions, all to ensure that by the time week 12 comes round, Dr Stubbs’ SELT’s and your own exam grades will be nothing short of pristine. Although not compulsory, lecture attendance is to be strongly advised, as the analysis of past exam questions every week are of great use… and one can definitely not rely on the weekly quiz, SGDE and pre-lecture videos to pass……… or can they? If all else fails and every lecture feels like you are being punitively detained, just remember that Boilermakers’ has nothing to do with apprenticeships and plagiarism is just about as big an offence as murder… Welcome to the Principles of Public Law! 14 Property (by Katie Warner) Welcome to Property Law, a compulsory subject that will have you advising your client on who has indefeasible title, possession of chattels, a determinable interest and so forth…Lost? Don’t worry, course coordinator Peter Burdon will ease your confusion with his dulcet vocals in one of his many informative lectures. In fact, property has an impressive line-up of teaching staff, consisting of Paul Leadbeter, Mani Solis, Evan Richards, Paul Babie and the aforementioned Peter Burdon. NOTE: Paul Babie does not use PowerPoint’s, so for all of you (over)prepared students out there, spare yourself the bother of emailing him the day before the lecture demanding that one be uploaded to Myuni. As it is a double-unit subject, the course will take you through a number of topics, including, but not limited to, possession of chattels and fixtures, tenure and estates, leases, mortgages, easements, equitable interests and Torrens Title. It is advised that before you get started, try Googling the terms ‘Certificate of Title’ and ‘the Torrens System’ - as these are some of the many terms that get thrown around (usually accompanied with no explanation).Echoing the double-unit theme, this subject also has two (two hour) seminars, both held on the SAME day- double the fun right? The first seminar is a bog-standard seminar, whereby the substantive ‘law’ content is reviewed. The second seminar, called ‘Property Perspectives’, is (arguably) less intensive and consists mainly of watching documentaries and participating in heated discussions on property-based issues like homelessness and Islamic mortgages. NOTE: both substantive and perspective-based course content is assessed so it is advised that you participate in both. At first the mountain of different terms, cases and rules (and their accompanying exceptions) seem overbearing. However, by SWOTVAC terms start becoming familiar and all the different course components will fall together. In fact, by the end of the course you may find yourself looking at retirement villages and thinking, “there would be so many easements on that bad boy…” 15 SUBJECT SUMMARIES (CONT.) Contracts (by Thomas Blokland) GETTING INVOLVED LAW SCHOOL COMPETITIONS Over the course of each year the AULSS runs many different competitions for students of all levels and experience. In first semester the Competitions Team focuses on many different practical legal skills by providing Client Interviewing, Negotiations, Witness Examination and the Open Moot competitions. These competitions are more aimed at second years and above, with the winners going on to represent the Uni at national competitions. Second semester, however, is all about you guys! First, we will run the junior mooting competitions directly aimed at encouraging first years and novices to get involved and gain some experience and confidence in a relaxed and friendly setting. We will also be running ‘come and try’ sessions for Client Interviewing and Negotiations to give you a taste of those competitions, where you will also get valuable feedback from past successful competitors, putting you in good stead to compete with the big guns next year! If, however, you just can’t wait to get your first taste of Law School competitions, be sure to volunteer to be a client, or a witness, where you can get a feel for these competitions from a front row seat! First Year/Novice Moot – Second Semester 2015 The first year and novice moots are specifically designed to help first year students gain confidence in advocacy by offering a moot competition that is competitive, yet approachable. First year and novice moot questions are centred on areas of law covered in the first years of study at Adelaide, and judges are predominantly focused on helping competitors improve their oral advocacy, and written advocacy skills. Pros: Tailored to first year, and inexperienced mooters with approachable questions and judges. Cons: Mooting requires competitors to commit a lot of time in preparation in the week preceding each moot. Client Interviewing – First Semester 2015 This competition is run to help competitors develop professional skills. In this competition you and your interviewing partner will be given a brief introduction to a potential legal problem faced by your client. Through asking questions to the client, and connecting with them on a professional level you must attempt to gain a full understanding of the legal issue, and offer a path to deal with this issue. The clients are all volunteers and have instructions on what information to give up easily, and what information to keep guarded. Pros: This competition is good for first year students, as it is not particularly focused on legal principals, and requires comparatively less preparation when compared to other competitions. This competition allows you to work with a nominated teammate and to gain pointers on the best way to communicate in a professional environment from both the judge and the volunteer client. This competition also allows students to get involved by volunteering to be a client too! Cons: None Witness Examination – First Semester 2015 Always wanted to stand up in a mock courtroom and shout ‘Your honour, counsel is badgering the witness’? If the answer is yes, than WitEx is for you! This competition allows students, through inventive problem questions and helpful acting from volunteers, the chance to practice and gain confidence in the skills of evidence and practice. Although evidence is a last year subject, many of the basics can be accessed through basic internet research and a bit of confidence. Pros: This competition is based upon advocacy, and is a great way to improve public speaking skills and gain confidence. Additionally if you do not wish to compete you can always get involved as a witness through volunteering! Cons: For a first year student witness examination may require a comparatively larger time commitment than other competitions such as Client Interviewing or Negotiations due to the time commitment required to familiarise yourself with the Rules of Evidence. Open Moot - First Semester 2015 The Open Moot is the most senior moot run by the AULSS. This moot may cover almost all areas of law, and expects a high standard of professional courtroom etiquette. Even if you do not wish to compete, if you are interested in learning a bit more about mooting, the Open Moot Grand Final is always an excellent educational experience and attracts a large crowd. Pros: Competitors gain experience in not only advocacy skills but also in crafting complex and intricate legal arguments. Cons: The Open Moot requires a large time commitment, and can deal with complex areas of law. If you have any questions, or just want a bit more information, please come along to our competitions information sessions, which will be held in the first and second weeks of first semester - or contact the Competitions Team via [email protected] Ashleigh Jones Competitions Director THE LAW REVUE Have your friends ever said, “Haha, you are so funny, you should definitely audition for Law Revue!!” No? Well screw your friends. You are funny, and you should try out for law revue. The Adelaide University Law Revue is a sketch comedy show put on by Adelaide law students. It runs for about 6 weeks in Semester 2, culminating in half a week of performances in front of sell out crowds. You’ll soon realise that the best way to make law school bearable is to take the piss out of it. Coincidental to this realisation, notice regarding auditions and how to get involved with the tech crew will be made available near the end of Semester 1. Ben Bishop Law Revue Director LAW SCHOOL ACTIVITIES Negotiations – First Semester 2015 Once again this competition is aimed at developing a student’s professional skills. In this competition, you and a nominated or allocated teammate are given a legal problem faced by your client. You will also receive secret facts relevant to only your client. You must then face an opposing counsel and negotiate the best result for your client given the legal, and ethical situation. There is no doubt that the Activities Portfolio is one of the most popular Portfolio’s amongst Law Students. In 2015 we plan on strengthening our portfolio as well as continuing the great success from last year where attendance records were smashed with all events selling out in record time. Pros: This competition allows you to work with a teammate, and deals with not only legal problems, but also ethical and professional standards. To shed some light on the work in which the Activities Team does, we are tasked with the exciting job of filling your social calendar with fun and energy packed events with the aim of relieving the stress of 16 17 GETTING INVOLVED (CONT.) GETTING INVOLVED Cons: Like most competitions, Negotiations requires a time commitment in order to prepare a strategy for each negotiation. GETTING INVOLVED (CONT.) academia for anyone stupid enough to study law… and lets face it, there is a LOT of relieving required. Not only do we organize events but we also aim in assisting student’s social and emotional wellbeing through our collaboration with other portfolios. In an effort to make information about the events more accessible to all we have done our best to summarize what you can expect at each of our events in 2015 as well as discuss our Law School Local program. Opening Party This is an important event for both the AULSS and you, the students, as it marks the start of the social calendar for 2015 and gives us a chance to welcome new students and welcome back existing students in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. In the past, we have exclusively hired venues from about 9pm-12:30am with students provided with special drink deals throughout the night. This year, the event is to be held on the 19th of March, and we have plans for hosting this event at an attractive new venue, which we are all excited about. Keep your eyes open for more information! Pub-crawl Students can also look forward to pub-crawls this year with one being held per Semester. Luckily the Activities Team has an extensive list of venues, which grow each year, who love hosting us whilst also providing fantastic drink specials. In previous years pub-crawls tend to be based in North Adelaide, although after significant demand, students can expect a return back to the city… boooyahhh! Law Ball The annual AULSS Law Ball is our biggest and most talked about event of the year both within the Adelaide Law School and South Australian Universities in general. As has been continually stated it is the biggest Law Ball of its type in the Southern Hemisphere… yes you heard correct. Capped exclusively at 1,000 guests; be prepared to be taken back by fantastic entertainment, great food and drinks as well as photo booths and much more! We can officially state that guests can look forward to Law Ball being held this year on the 6th June at the beloved Stamford Grand Ballroom in Glenelg. This is one event you DON’T want to miss out on with capacity being reached quicker than you can click ‘reserve ticket’. Closing Party The final event of the 2015 calendar is our annual closing party which ties up the 2015 social calendar as well as providing students with a final chance to get their ‘grove on’ prior to the final examination period of the year. This year the Activities Team has big plans to make this a closing party bash to remember, even grander than those of the past. Law School Local The Law School Local program is a relatively new initiative, which aims to provide Adelaide Law School students with various discounts/ food or drink deals at various places around the Adelaide CBD. We have been running this program for a few years with last year seeing 15 new venues join the program and around 100 students signing up to receive the great deals on offer. Each year we are eager to find something new and fresh to add to our repertoire of venues so look out for some great deals, which will be coming your way. Law School Local stickers will be available for purchase throughout O’Week. On behalf of the Activities team we wish to welcome all the new students to Adelaide Law School as well as welcome back existing students in the way that we know best…. How is that is that you ask? Easy, by providing you with some of the best events, which are destined to be bigger and better then their predecessors. Daniel D’Onofrio Activities Director 18 19 GENERAL INFORMATION ONLINE MATERIALS SUBJECT MATERIALS You’ll usually need both a textbook and a casebook of some sort for your Law subjects – not only can they be ridiculously heavy but they might also be tricky to find or expensive. Here are some things you should know when getting your subject materials: UNIBOOKS Located on campus (right near the Barr Smith Lawns) this is where you should probably start off! They usually have all of the required books for any of your subjects (not just for Law, but including most other degrees), and they can offer assistance to you if you feel lost with anything! UNIVERSITY BOARDS If you look carefully around the university and the Law School, you’ll see various boards advertising for all sorts of things: people looking for roommates, others looking for volunteers to engage in weird psychological tests, and of course, people selling second-hand textbooks! They’re usually offered by older law students who just want to get rid of their books for a price much cheaper than you’d get elsewhere… So if you find an advertisement for the textbook you require (make sure it’s the right one!), then you might end up saving yourself quite a bit of money! GOING ONLINE Try https://studentvip.com.au/textbooks/search! Just type in the ISBN or the Title/Author of the book that you’re looking for and there should be quite a few results! It’s a really great way to find some of your textbooks because there’s usually students from other Law Schools around the country willing to post their textbooks interstate! Again, make sure you’re getting the right books you need! STATIONARY/OTHER MATERIALS Stationary is quite easy to get from your local Officeworks or Newsagent, but if you’re around university and looking to getting some on campus, my advice would be to head to The General or the Post office in the Central Hub if you’re simply looking for a pen or a notepad, otherwise Unibooks offers a great range of stationary. Many of your courses will require additional materials to be picked up from the Image and Copy Centre (referred to simply as the 20 WHAT IS UNIFIED? Behold! This is going to be your go-to website during your time at university. It’s nothing too complicated so don’t worry if you don’t feel comfortable on it straight away. Once you log on, you will have access to your university e-mail, access Adelaide and MyUni! WHAT IS ACCESS ADELAIDE? By now, you should have all had a little experience with Access Adelaide when you enrolled into Law School. To be honest, it’s very boring – it’s basically where you can find your exam timetables later on in the semester and generate your unofficial transcripts. Did you get that? Unofficial transcripts!!! WOO!!!!!!! WHAT IS MYUNI? MyUni is very important to you all! It’s generally where to go to get the materials you’ll need for your subjects, including lecture slides, assignment instructions, grades etc. You’ll need this website to survive at university. Check it regularly!! HOW IMPORTANT IS MY STUDENT E-MAIL? Very important! Try to at least check it daily because this is usually the way lecturers or tutors will get in contact with their students, and you will want to know whether a deadline has been extended or a tutorial room has been changed. FIRST YEAR FACEBOOK GROUP Each year, the Education portfolio starts a Facebook Group for all students starting their Law degree in that year. The 2015 group will be administrated by Ahmed Gamar and more details will be announced on the AULSS Facebook Page and through the Newsletters, which are sent to your student emails. 21 GENERAL INFORMATION (CONT.) GENERAL INFORMATION ‘ICC’). This is located at the bottom of the Hub on level one of Hughes building (see above picture). If you don’t already feel special enough about being a Law Student, then brace yourselves for this! We have our own room at the ICC – you can’t miss it! Just head there and get what you need – and keep an eye out if the materials are free or cost money. TIPS AND TRICKS Let’s be honest… Studying at university isn’t going to be the same as studying in High School. At university, there won’t be someone constantly reminding you of when your assignments are due, nor will you get in trouble for not going to class. Things are different, but you’ll get adjusted to it instantly! The transition into tertiary education should be fun and easy – here, Meg (M) and Ahmed (A) have listed some tips and tricks to help you get through Law School. 1 2 3 4 Attend lectures This has to be the number one tip! Go to your lectures, regardless of what time/where they are held. You’ll soon realise that if you miss your lecture, it’s (usually) recorded and put online for you to watch there – this tempts many students to simply stay at home and watch the lecture without coming into uni. Don’t do this! Firstly, you get a whole lot more from coming into the lecture and experiencing it first-hand. Secondly, you will often bump into and meet new friends (some of my closest friends and some of the most important people in my life have been people that I once met at or after a lecture!) Thirdly, sometimes the technology stuffs up and if you missed the lecture hoping to watch it online – you’ll miss it entirely, consequently putting you behind in your studies. Attend! Attend! Attend! Befriend your tutor Firstly, go to Tutorials. This isn’t school any more. Gone are the days of the hierarchical classroom. Your lecturers don’t really care if you sit in Scott Theatre texting your friend and your tutors aren’t going to tell your parents if you don’t go to tutes. But, they will be more than happy to have a chat with you, or go the extra mile to help you understand a legal issue should you also make an effort. Note: this does not mean being one of those people who put their hand up and insist on answering every question. Don’t be that person. Pls. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out Soon enough, you’ll hear the common saying: “P’s get degrees”. That may be true, and you might want to come to university to do your assignments and go to your exams and be done with it. BUT, if you put real effort into your time at university, whether that be doing your weekly readings or taking and summarising your notes from lectures/tutorials, you will go a whole lot further than merely passing. You will achieve great results, you’ll learn a whole lot more, and these sort of things will lead you to get into internships. Have an opinion Yes, those that know the law are in a good position to adequately get through Uni. But those who can analyse, synthesise and criticise the law will be much better prepared for the real world. Your personal opinions may not help you answer problem questions, nor will speaking too loudly and too often make you any friends, but they will help you engage with tutorial work (particularly useful when you are marked on your tutorial participation!), and stand out in the eyes of your tutors. 22 5 6 7 8 9 10 Be diligent Be diligent with your work! Whether it is answers to your tutorial question or your assignment, even your practice exams! Proof reading is really important to ensure your work is the best it can be. Be aware of any spelling and grammatical errors and make sure you have some rest before you give your work a final review. Study groups If you can, try and organise with a few friends to get into a study group! It’s a good way to discuss any ideas or questions you might have, and I find it’s always very helpful. Although it mightn’t be useful in your first few weeks of the semester, you will find study groups come in handy closer to the examination period. Hint: There’s loads of group discussion areas in the Hub and a designated table on the bottom floor of the Law Library for group discussions. Hint hint: don’t ever forget the echoing voice of your lecture re plagiarising – don’t ruin your career before it’s even started. Keep up your hobbies Played netball in high school? Keep going, even if its just for a social team. Trust us on this one. When you get asked in job interviews in 5th year what you like to do in your free time, you will be happy to have a hobby to talk about, aside from drinking or binge watching TV. Plus, it’s undoubtedly good for your wellbeing and morale. Study abroad If you have the chance, try and study abroad during your time at university. Whether it is an exchange, a study tour, or an overseas internship – the experience will be invaluable. We’ve both been overseas on study tours and internships and it’s something that we’d certainly advice for you to get involved with. Just keep an eye out of any GPA or subject requirements in advance! These opportunities won’t only give you invaluable life skills, but you will meet groovy foreigners and have some fab pictures to post on Instagram. It’s all good! Don’t worry if you feel slightly overwhelmed with a whole lot of new information. You will be told to do a lot of things while you’re at university and sometimes you won’t be able to do all of it! The main thing is to remember that you will get through! There are always resources to reach out – the LSS, the Law School, your friends! MEG LOWE AHMED GAMAR PRESIDENT VICE-PRESIDENT (EDUCTION) 23 TIPS AND TRICKS (CONT.) LAW SCHOOL TIPS AND TRICKS Beware of penalties Read your assignment instructions carefully! If the assignment stipulates that the maximum word count is 1,500 words… Don’t go over! You will lose marks. Moreover, if the due date of your assignment is, for example, on the 1st May – try your hardest to complete it before the due date. Late penalties will start at anywhere from 5-10% of your assignment mark – that could be the difference between a credit or a distinction! Note: also make sure you’re familiar with AGLC referencing – you’ll be using it a lot in the years to come! FOOD AND COFFEE If coffee and food aren’t already an important aspect of your daily life, they soon will be. One of the best things about studying at Adelaide Law School is that we’re located in the heart of the city and there are so many places around town only minutes away! To help you settle straight in, I’ve listed some of my most favourite and convenient places to eat and fuel my caffeine addiction. ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE Kutchi Deli Parwana (Ebenezer Place) This is certainly my favourite place to go and grab something to eat in between lectures or tutorials! Try the dumplings… or the curries… actually, try anything – it’s all so tasty. Rating: 5/5 | Price range: $10-$14 |Distance from Ligetwood Building: 5-6 minute walk PASS: Peer Assisted Study Session. Sure to be your best friend at university, PASS is a free 50 minute session lead weekly by students that have mastered the course. Providing a relaxed environment for students to ask questions, compare notes and discuss difficult content, these sessions are suited for students at any level and offer attendees the opportunity to gain strategies for learning and revising content. Unlike tutorials, the focus and format of each PASS session depends upon the needs of the group, rather than on a strict schedule. This ensures that all students leave the sessions with answers to their questions. Best of all, there is no need to sign up for PASS. It’s a come as you please setting and a fantastic opportunity to get to know other students and to improve your grades. Stay tuned for Semester 1 session times by checking your email and dropping past the law school for a schedule within the first few weeks. Grill’d (Rundle St) v Fancy Burger (Synagogue Pl) Although I pride myself in being a decisive person, I have never been able to decide whether I like Grill’d or Fancy Burger more. In any event, they both make a whole range of burgers perfect for a post-uni feed! Rating: 4.5/5 | Price range: $10-$20 |Distance from Ligertwood Building: Both 5 minute walk Writing Centre The writing centre is a drop in service that offers practical advice and writing assistance for any paper. While it is not an editing or grammar checking service, it does provide strategies for students to master reading, writing, note-taking and referencing techniques (all necessary skills for success at uni). These resources may also be helpful: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/stud_resources/. Aroma Café (on Campus) If you’re wanting something to eat but not interested in leaving campus, go down towards the Engineering Building and you’ll find Aroma Café – it has a good variety of food and drink and perfect if you’re on the run. Rating: 4/5 | Price range: $5-$15 | Distance from Ligertwood Building: 2 minute walk Content Questions In the interest of fairness, it is generally advised that students do not email lecturers or tutors for individual course-related content questions. Instead, we recommend utilising discussion boards and consultation times. TO EAT DON’T FORGET There are loads of places around the city, including numerous food courts with heaps of other options only minutes away from you! The Uni Bar (located in the Union House) also has a lot of food options (think pub food) and relatively cheap alcohol, pool tables, and lounges… but I know you’re all probably not interested in that... right? COFFEE Taste Baguette (Rating: 4.5/5) This is the perfect place to get coffee while you’re at uni! It’s located right in the Hub next to Grass Roots (yet another place to get coffee/awesome food) and should be your first stop if you’re looking to get coffee and a croissant on the way to a lecture. If you’re not on campus, I’d go: Howling Owl (Rating: 3.5/5) (Frome St) or Signature (Rating: 4/5) (Charles St – right next to the side entrance into David Jones) 24 Discussion Boards Found on MyUni under the relevant course page, this is a platform where students can ask any course-related content questions and have them answered within a reasonable timeframe. It also allows students to see answers to questions posed by their classmates. Don’t be afraid to answer your peers’ questions or to comment on an existing thread. Consultation Times Lecturers and tutors have designated consultation times (typically one hour a week) when students can either drop past or make an appointment (via email) to ask questions, gain clarification or have a general discussion about the course. Lecturers and tutors will generally make it clear to you from the outset when their consultation times are. Absolutely do not hesitate to contact them during these times. They are available to answer any and all questions so make sure you take advantage of the opportunity! Zara Smith Education Representative 25 ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE (CONT.) FOOD AND COFFEE KEEPING WELL Here’s a bunch of Services Adelaide Uni has on offer to assist you in keeping well (North Terrace Campus) Counselling Service Contact Information: Ground Floor, Horace Lamb Building P: (08) 8313 5663 E: [email protected] W: www.adelaide.edu.au/counselling_centre/ Contact Information: Ground Floor, Horace Lamb Building, P: (08) 8313 5962 F: (08) 8313 6463 E: [email protected] W: www.adelaide.edu.au/disability University Health (Adelaide UniCare) Adelaide Unicare provide the medical care for university students, staff & their families for over 15 years - Team of experienced & caring male & female Doctors - Same or next day payments available - No out-of-pocket gap payments - Direct billing for Medicare & Worldcare patients - Immunisation services available To make an appointment, call Unicare on (08) 8303 5050 University Contact Centre Contact Information: Level 4, Wills Building P: (08) 8313 5208 E: [email protected] W: www.adeaide.edu.au/student/current Careers Service: Contact Information: Level 4, Hughes Building P: (08) 8313 5123 E: [email protected] W: www.adelaide.edu.au/student/careers Contact Information: Ground Floor, Horace Lamb Building P: (08) 8313 5050 E: [email protected] Student Care Contact Information: Ground Floor, Lady Symon Building P: (08) 8313 5430 E: [email protected] W: www.union.adelaide.edu.au/student/services/care.html 26 Transition & Advisory Service Contact Information: Level 3, Hughes Building P: (08) 8313 0100 E: [email protected]/tas 27 KEEPING WELL (CONT.) KEEPING WELL: YOURSELF YOUR FAM & YOUR FRIENDS Disability Service Covers a wide range of issues: - Learning difficulties (dyslexia, aspergers) - Medical conditions (Crohn’s Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome other physical issues) - Mental illness (anxiety disorder such as OCD or PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder) - Brain injury (such as strokes or injuries cause by accidents) - Do not have to be permanent issues (e.g: sporting injuries can be covered) Criteria: To be considered for eligibility for special conditions will need to provide either - Completed ‘Verification & Impact Statement’ available from www.adelaide.edu.au/disability/checklist - Report from your psychologist detailing your learning difficulty and its impact on your study The Hilarian is the quarterly magazine published by the Law Students’ Society, for Adelaide Law Students. Within its pages you’ll find laughs, social commentary, photography, legal articles and spelling errors. Some call it “hilarious”, others call it “recycling” – You Decide. The Hilarian is available in hard copy in the Law School Foyer and Law Library or online at issuu.com/thehilarian Clerkship / These are paid (usually) legal internships generally undertaken by penultimate and final year students. You spend between one to three months either in the winter or summer break working for a law firm. To save you from sounding silly, we’ll let you in on a secret – it’s pronounced ‘clarkship.’ Course / Uni term for ‘subjects’ ie: classes you’re taking Course profile / Located in their respective course folders on MyUni, these documents outline everything you’ll need to know about your subject. Course coordinator, teaching staff, lecture times, material covered, assignment information and required textbooks; the Course profile holds the answer. GPA / An abbreviation for ‘Grade Point Average,’ this is an average score out of 7 for the subjects you’ve completed so far. You can calculate yours at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/enrol/progress/ Hilarian / A quarterly law school magazine written by law students, for law students. Within its pages you will find laughs, social commentary, photography, legal articles and spelling errors. Look out for copies scattered around Ligertwood. Macbook / You’ll struggle to sit through an entire lecture without seeing more than you can count on your fingers. In fact, you’ll struggle to walk through Ligertwood foyer. Definitely the law student’s weapon of choice. Priestly 11 / The eleven core subject areas that must be studied for admission to practice as a legal practitioner in Australia. They comprise of administrative law, civil procedure, company law, contracts, criminal law and procedure, equity and trusts, ethics and professional responsibility, evidence, constitutional law, property and torts. Don’t worry that the course names in the degree plan don’t match up to these word for word – Universities have some discretion as to how they choose to spread these out over the length of the degree, and often choose to name their own courses slightly differently. Adelaide Uni Law School has your back. Redeemable / The saving grace of your GPA, if an assignment is ‘redeemable,’ the mark you get will not be counted if your exam score is higher, so long as you pass the assignment. The specifics of this tend to differ between courses though so always double check the course profile or ask your course coordinator. Also make sure you don’t fall into the trap of assuming every course’s assignments are redeemable, because this may significantly impact your final grade. Rose Cecere / this is in fact a person not a thing (law school front office coordinator). Just when you think you’re so popular because your phone’s buzzing constantly- you’ll soon realise Rose Cecere is responsible for making you look good- sending you frequent emails to keep you up to date. Take home exam / Love them or hate them, they’re a part of law school you cannot avoid. They’re basically assignments with stricter conditions and a heavier grade weighting. Typically worth 30%, take home exams often require you to answer one or two questions in roughly 1000-2000 words. You’ll have somewhere between a weekend and ten days to complete these. 28 29 GLOSSARY THE HILARIAN GLOSSARY 30