PAPERCHASE MARCH 2017| EDITION ONE
Get
Back into the
groove of uni A comprehensive guide
The
L CARD Essentials
How-to
Land your first
clerkship Tips and tricks
Editor's Welcome H ello all, Welcome to the first edition of the 2017 Paperchase! As it is our first edition for the year, we thought we would give this issue a “law school 101” feel to help new readers realise the joys of university, and existing readers realise that it's never too late to introduce some colour and joy to your university life. This issue features everything you need to know about adding things to your already too big work load and learning how to balance it all. Articles aimed at persuading you to get involved with clubs, competitions, GULS social events, and many more are featured throughout the publication. We also can't let you forget the importance of down-time in your busy university life. Stay tuned and keep an eye out in our up-andcoming editions for features giving you the run down of Brisbane's top 'relaxation destinations'. If you have any ideas for articles or content, please do not hesitate to get in contact by emailing them to the email address below. We hope you enjoy it!
Stephanie and Mark-Publication officers 2017 publications@guls.org
Contents 05
07 08
10 13
GULS committee Get to know your GULS members for the year!
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Get clerkship ready A beginner's guide on where to start looking
Beat the stress, avoid the mess A guide on getting back into the groove of uni
The L-Card essentials Why you need one !
Get social with GULS Mingle and make some new friends through GULS !
Club-tastic! Why getting involved in clubs around the university is a fantastic way to make friends and add to your resume!
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Nothing to fear
16
Catching up with comps
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Why you shouldn't let fear get in the way of your competition potential!
Get a run down of the up-and-coming competitions for trimester 1
Equity Luncheon plus! GULS and our sponsors have lots of things planned for trimester 1, check out what's going on!
20 21 Mentor with GULS Let's get fit!
Social sports has a big year lined up, find out how to get involved!
Find out how to be a GULS mentor.
Presidential Welcome
D
ear All,
Welcome to Law School at Griffith in 2017! I hope each of you had a relaxing break and are ready to start the academic year with enthusiasm. In the coming weeks GULS will be starting our Competitions! We are just finalising the 2017 Bylaws and discussing with Sponsors when they want their Grand Finals held. We are always looking for volunteers, GULS is also offering first and second years the opportunity to watch the open preliminary rounds. If you are interested in either please contact president@guls.org. The Education Portfolio came out swinging this year with the release of the GULS 2017 Careers Guide to assist all those currently undergoing the clerkship process. Our Mentoring Program is also well on its way, so if you are interested in either being a Mentor to a First year or having a Mentor please sign up! Last Tuesday we had our 'Meet the Profession', what ended up being a sold out event presented a night filled with fantastic networking opportunities. On Tuesday, 14 March the Law School had also organised a representative from Allens to provide a resume workshop and clerkship seminar.
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Clerkship applications take an immense amount of preparation, and it would be my personal and presidential advice that you take every opportunity throughout your degree to get a head-start before the process even begins. The GULS life would not be complete without a little fun and cheek. This year we are celebrating our 25th Anniversary so we would love to have as many of you attending our events as possible to help us celebrate! Sunday, 12 March is our L Card Launch Party which is a tri-uni collaboration meaning there will be plenty of drinks, all you need to enter is an L Card! Later this month GULS is hosting our Annual Pub Crawl where we will be going out on a GULS valley adventure. I hope to see you there, it’s one of the greatest events GULS offers. GULS has an open door policy so please drop by the office whenever you like, we also sell L Cards!
Rhys Kasper, President 2017
Get to know the committee Kassidy Graham
Rhys Kasper
Competitions ConvenorÂ
President
Bridgette Barberis
Lauren Hocking
Social Convenor
Competitions Convenor
Caitlyn Slater
Stephanie Lloyd
Marketing Officer
Publications Officer
Avery Schoen
Mark Rabjohns Publications Officer
Vice-President Competitons
Joshua Bayly Vice-President Administration
Rachael Murdock Social Convenor
Clare Shortt Vice-President Education
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Courtney-Jade Crawford
Maddison Barker
Vice-President Socials
Vice-President Finance and Sponsorship
Melita Henderson Equity Officer
Sidonie Jenner Careers Officer
Tal Szumer Menashe Marketing Officer
Sarah Coleman Education Officer
Grace Kaggelis Shannon Fletcher
Education Officer
Sports Coordinator
Zoe Baker Mentoring Officer
Beating the stress and avoiding the mess by Caitlyn Slater, Marketing Officer 2017
Getting back into the groove of uni Whether it’s your first year or your last, it’s no exaggeration that the start of classes and a new university year is terrifying. There’s so much to do and so little time, and sometimes it barely feels like you’ve had a holiday! So, if you’re already feeling the heat and worried about keeping ahead in the trimester, here are some handy hints to get you sorted and on track for those high distinctions.
01
Get on top of textbooks
02
Read the course profile
03
Get a diary
04
Don't cancel your netflix subscription
05
Meet some new friends
Textbooks can be one of the biggest sources of stress, especially studying law or other degrees where each book can be over one hundred dollars! So one of the best ways to get into gear for the year is to take a look at the required materials for your courses. A lot of law exams are open-book, and will therefore require a textbook, so it’s always a good idea to get in early before they’re all gone. Try finding friends in older years who may have taken the classes before, or look in the Co-Op bookstore for second hand copies at a great price. This way, you won’t be left stressing the week before the exam, and you’ll be able to get ahead in your readings.
It’s drilled in at the start of every first lecture how important the course profile is, but this is the best thing to do ahead of your classes to feel ready and prepared. Most classes will have a detailed map of each week’s content, so you can plan ahead for weeks where you might have outside commitments or areas which you’re worried about. You can also see all of your assessment and rough due dates, which means no sneaky essays will take you by surprise two days before they’re due.
It doesn’t have to be anything flashy or expensive, but a physical place to write down assessment due dates, readings and tasks to complete for the week is so beneficial to keeping an organized schedule. Research a few top tips in decorating a journal or weekly planner and find a style that suits you – when you get invested in your planner and its design, it will go miles to making sure you actually use it!
Relaxation is important. You may be raring to go and ready to get those sevens, but in the end we all need a little R & R to be our best selves. Schedule time into your study planner specifically devoted to catching up on TV shows, reading a book unrelated to your courses, or going out to the city for a nice breath of fresh air. Research shows that studying in chunks with small break times inbetween is more effective than a massive cram-session, so give yourself that well-earned chill time (as long as it doesn’t last a whole trimester).
Even if you’re approaching your final years of study, it’s almost guaranteed that there will be someone in your classes you haven’t met before. Find some people in the first few weeks who seem to have a similar drive or interests to you, and form a study group. It’ll save you in exams and as a bonus, you get to meet some great new friends! Good luck in the trimester to come, and remember: You’ve already made it this far! You can do this!
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THE
ESSENTIALSÂ
Why you need one by Rachael Murdock, Socials Convenor 2017
The L Card is a must-have for Law students every year. An L Card costs $10 and is potentially the biggest money saver you can own while at law school! The L Card gives you both financial membership to GULS and the right to compete in GULS competitions (which we highly recommend getting involved in).
Furthermore, an L Card will guarantee you cheap tickets to GULS social events. This means saving $5 - $15 off Pub-crawl, Ball, Mekka Races and Gala. Still not convinced? There will be an L Card launch party will be held at The Fox Hotel at the beginning of trimester two. Students from all participating universities are welcome it’s a great opportunity to meet other law students and let your hair down. Simply flash or purchase an L Card at the door to gain entry to the venue and access to a sturdy supply of fluids. We hope to see you there!
The L Card is a joint operation between UQLS, QUTLS, GLSA and GULS. Owning an L card will also entitle you to a range of discounts from 194 businesses in over 295 locations across Brisbane, so why not treat yourself at places like McDonald’s, Grill’d, Nando’s, San Churro or Enternet Cafe. All you have to do is whip out your L Card.
L-Cards may be purchased from the GULS office: N61 -2.07
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Let's Get Social! by Rachael Murdock, Socials Convenor 2017
L Card Launch Party The first Launch Party occurred at Friday’s on Eagle St on Sunday the 12th of March. What an amazing way to celebrate the launch of this year’s L Card, and celebrate the beginning of a new year at uni! These Launch Parties are always amazing. Mingle with law students from the other unis, and make it your mission to be in the team of last men standing. Have FOMO? (Fear of missing out) don't stress, there will be a second Launch Party at The Fox in trimester 2.
Law Ball Towards the end of trimester 1 we host a Ball at a beautiful venue in town. This is not the fanciest event of the year, so save your most spectacular dress for the Gala in trimester 2! But bring your game in cocktail dresses and suits for a fabulous evening of canapés, drinks, photos and dancing. This is always such an amazing night but tickets are always limited so get in early! And lets not forget there will be an amazing after-party! Feel free to downsize to flats for some more up-beat dancing and even more partying.
Pub Crawl This will be a night in the valley you will never forget. You will forge friendships that will never die. On Thursday the 23rd of March (week 4) we shall trek through 4 fabulous venues for a night full of dancing. There will be an awesome theme, a wonderful photographer, and we will even provide you with a bite to eat along the way to make sure you last all four venues! These pub-crawls are the talk of the campus for weeks, and law students continue to tell stories from crawls they went on years ago. Don’t miss out guys! Tickets will be released very early on in the trimester so make sure to follow GULS on Facebook to see the release. If you can get in as soon as they are released, we will be offering early bird tickets at an even lower price! Feel free to bring friends from outside of law, even if they don’t have an L Card, everyone is welcome.
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Club-tastic ! by Dimity Thoms
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was university. This time of your life can be both stressful and exciting and sometimes you may feel like you are drowning in assessment – but the lifeboat that is clubs does exist and will help you to survive.
The experiences that you can have with Clubs don’t end there however, being on a committee can be an entirely new opportunity that you may have not considered before. Being a committee member isn’t just another line on the resume, it’s a great way to learn leadership Clubs exist for many reasons; to gain skills as well as how to prioritise your experience and network, to find like-minded responsibilities and meet people who will people that share the same interests as you and become lifelong friends. also to have a generally good time. Many clubs like the Griffith University Law Society have The experiences that you have on a not only social events which are great for committee, are really like none other. It is meeting new people but also skills and also looked fondly at by employers when networking events so that you can write that you are able to bring to an interview real life killer resume and learn how to ace that examples of working in a team or a interview.There are also many special interest challenge that you’ve overcome. Your first clubs like debating or sporting clubs like netball year of university is the perfect time to try and soccer that can give you a reprieve from out different clubs and meet new friends, the challenging university life. which will make this journey all the more bearable.
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Get Clerkship Ready by Sidonie Jenner, Careers Officer 2017
H
ey everyone,
I would first like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as your 2017 GULS Career’s Officer. If you are wondering about clerkships, I would be the first point of call and happy to answer any questions you may have. Clerkships are a vital part of your journey in law and provide valuable experience. For a lot of firms this is largely sought after and could in fact lead to a graduate position. Essentially, a clerkship is similar to an internship with the difference of being paid whilst undergoing an internship. Often these are offered to students in their penultimate (second last) year, however do not be discouraged from applying earlier or later in your degree. An important thing to remember with clerkships is that most firms differ in terms of application requirements, clerkship program setups, opportunities and offers. Thus, I would encourage you to keep an eye out for the first edition of the 2017 GULS Careers Guide for more information as it is based solely on clerkships and will address any questions or fears you may have. I would also encourage you to attend information sessions throughout the year such as resume writing, networking and firm clerkship sessions that GULS and the law school offers as these will also assist you with the clerkship process. Furthermore, I would suggest that you not be deterred by what the statistics suggest or what you may hear. On a final note, whilst I’m sure we will each undergo our own setbacks, try remember to “never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game… as it’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” (Babe Ruth) Best of luck for 2017!
Sidonie Jenner Career’s Officer | Griffith University Law Society | careers@guls.org |
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Nothing to fear; why you shouldn't be afraid to compete in legal competitions by Ella Hooper and Cara Hooper Competing in the competitions is a great way to develop skills which you will need to be a lawyer and also looks great on your resume. During my first year I only competed in one competition which was the Junior Negotiation competition. It was nerve racking at first however, the student judges gave great feedback in order to improve for future competitions and motivated me to compete in more competitions the following year. I
The importance of competitions! Competing in law school competitions is a great way to learn skills which will be invaluable to you later on in your legal career. Participating in junior comps is a great way to develop your client interviewing skills, mooting, public speaking, team-work, developing your written communication skills, and is a great resume builder. My team mate and I competed in the junior client interview and negotiation competitions last year. We had no expectation of making the next round, let alone the finals. During the preliminary rounds we gained great advice from the student judges, they gave us great tips on our style and strategies, which we utilised in the further rounds. During the course of both client interview and negotiation we managed to make our way to the grand final, which was great. We were able to compete at The College of Law in Brisbane City, and were able to show our negotiating skills at Ashurst - a top tier law firm!
n my second year I competed in two competitions the junior client interview competition and the junior negotiation competition where you work in a team of two. My team mate and I were lucky enough to make it into the finals for both of these competitions where we awarded champion for the client interview competition at the College of Law and runner-up for the negotiation competition at Ashurst. Even if you don’t make it into the final it is still great to attend them as you will learn what skills you need to have in order to have an excellent client interview, moot, witness examination, or negotiation.
The experience we gained was rewarding, it was challenging but we learned how to adapt, communicate, think strategically, and work within a time limit. Definitely give it a go and gain some great experience!
Another plus for attending a final is that you get to go to some of the top-tier law firms and speak with some of the lawyers who work there (and also check out the fantastic view of the Brisbane River and City)! I would recommend to any student whether they are in their first year or even students further on in their degree to compete in the competitions as they really do help you gain practical skills that you need to be a good lawyer
Cara Hooper
Ella Hooper
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Moot
Negotiation
In conjunction with Herbert Smith Freehills, GULS is proud to once again offer the Open (Semester 1) and Junior (Semester 2) mooting competitions. A moot is a simulated court hearing where students (in pairs) have the opportunity to present arguments before a judge, accompanied with written submissions. Participating in this competition not only looks excellent on a resume, but it allows students to develop their skills in analysing law, advocacy, teamwork, and oral presentation. The Junior Moot is essential for first year students who want to excel in Contracts 2 assessment later this year. Being a strong mooter in this competition also gives students the opportunity to compete in a wide variety of external mooting competitions on a national level.
The 2017 negotiation competition is sponsored by two highly established firms, Ashurst with our junior competition and Clayton Utz with our Open competition. The Open competition commences in Trimester 1 with Junior Competitions in Trimester 2. Open competitors are also invited to attend a negotiation workshop run by Clayton Utz which will give them a significant edge when they compete. Negotiation is set as a business scenario with two teams of two, trying to negotiate to get the best outcome for their client. Each is team is given general facts along with a set of confidential facts in which to test their negotiation skills. Not only do students have the opportunity to compete at Griffith, students also have the opportunity to compete on a state and national level.
Catching Up With Comps by Avery Schoen, Vice-President Competitions 2017
Client Interview
Witness Examination
Client Interview encapsulates one of the most necessary parts of being a lawyer in the real world, testing the ability of lawyers to interview and retrieve information from a prospective client. Being a successful lawyer not only requires you to be able to present well thoughtout legal arguments but to interact with persons from all walks of life. Competitors are paired up and work together to interview and advise a client on any legal or practical issues that arise from information provided to them from their client. Open competitions sponsored by the College of Law are run during Trimester 1 and Junior Competitions during Trimester 2, students should compete to begin the early development of these necessary legal skills. A workshop will also be held by the College of Law to give you a run down on the Client Interview necessities!
Witness examination is what most people imagine when they think of working as a lawyer. A slick lawyer standing in a court room grilling a suspect on where they were on the night of the murder. Actual witness examination is more meticulous and in-depth and less melodramatic but just as fun. Competitors work solo as they introduce evidence from either the prosecution or defendant’s witness to win the case for their client. Competitors also make objections to reign in the overzealousness of their opponents questioning. Open competitions will be run during Trimester 1 and Junior competitions during Trimester 2 and students are invited to participate in one of the most entertaining competitions.
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International Humanitarian Law moot The International Humanitarian Law Moot is an open competition run in Trimester 1 that addresses and applies the laws of war and armed conflict. The issues can range from human trafficking, genocide and war crimes and test the mooting and speaking skills of its competitors. It involves one problem throughout the competition which allows the competitors to develop detailed and nuanced arguments for both sides. So if you’ve mooted before and are keen to grind your teeth on something outside Australian domestic law than IHL may just be the competition for you.
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What else does GULS have to offer ? by Melita Henderson, Equity Officer 2017
Clayton Utz Equity Luncheon The Clayton Utz Equity Luncheon will be held on May 6th 2017. The Luncheon will provide an opportunity to talk about a variety of controversial topics that concern the legal industry. The luncheon takes focus on how the law treats minorities and recognises the fact different personal circumstances. There will be some exceptional guest speakers from both the commercial and community services field who will pass on their wisdom in addressing these minority gaps. Everyone should have equal opportunities to access the legal system and these guest speakers are professionally involved in facilitating this. It is recognised that at Clayton Utz diversity is integral to their culture of trust, respect and co-operation. They are aware of the benefits diversity can bring to their firm through differences arising from thought, background, experience, personal circumstances, education, religion, sexuality, gender, age, ethnicity and ability/disability.
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These differences may all exist as barriers to access the justice system. Clayton Utz actively addresses disadvantage and supports access to injustice, an example of this is their work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders through their reconciliation action plan. It is constantly reiterated to us as law students that law was created by a small number of affluent, well-respected individuals and does not respond to different groups in a way that effectively accounts for these differences. More firms are looking for employees who are socially aware and responsive to the needs of different groups in society. If you are passionate about social justice, community engagement and equality this event is for you. The luncheon will be held over a twocourse meal and either an alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverage will be provided. Tickets are limited so make sure you get in early so you don’t miss out on a fantastic networking opportunity. More details will be released closer to the event.
Bounce Back Week Allens Bounce Back week will be held in Trimester 2, week 8 (21-25 August). Bounce Back week will be an opportunity to talk about mental health and encourage holistic wellbeing. As law students, we all know how difficult it can be to find a balanced lifestyle. GULS understands how stressful it can be to achieve this, so throughout the week there will be free food, a seminar, yoga, board games, movies to watch and a sports initiative. Bounce Back week is designed to help us all feel refreshed and to give you a chance to think about both your mental health and wellbeing. Keep your eyes peeled for more info closer to the date!
Herbert Smith Freehills Sports Initative The sports initiative, sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehills, is a part of Bounce Back week. While it is widely known that exercise is good for the body, it can also help anxiety, depression, stress, improves memory and sleeping patterns and boosts your overall mood. Herbert Smith Freehills and GULS recognise the importance of this, so throughout Bounce Back week a free group PT session will be held to get those endorphins flowing – because we all know that gym memberships are expensive! More information will be released in Trimester 2.
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Let's get fit!
by Shannon Fletcher, Sports Convenor 2017
Hello, Welcome to another year of Allens Social Sports! My name is Shannon Fletcher (although, most of my friends call me Nols … geddit … like Shannon Noll) and I am your Sports Coordinator for 2017. For those of you who are new around here, or who maybe aren’t already familiar, Social Sports is a 10-week competition run by Griffith Sport and every year GULS enters teams to get amongst the fun of it all. There are several sports on offer including Soccer, Mixed Netball, Mixed Touch and Volleyball. If that wasn’t enough, then you should know that GULS is also seeking expressions of interest for potential Flag Gridiron and Badminton teams beginning in Trimester 2.
Also on the cards this year are our annual Beach Dodgeball competition and the TriUni Law Cup where we compete against UQ and QUT in battles of Touch and Netball. So make sure to keep an eye out for more information regarding these events as the trimester progresses. Joining Allens Social Sports offers you the unique opportunity to stay fit whilst having fun as well as the opportunity for you to socialise with other students from your degree and make loads of new friends. I look forward to bringing you a social sports season that is more enjoyable than ever and to seeing you all participate. If you ever have any questions or concerns, I am only ever an email away!
Mentor with GULS by Zoe Baker, Mentoring Officer 2017
Hey guys! I’m Zoe Baker and I’m the Mentoring Officer for 2017, this means that I organise the Mentoring Program. This program gives first years an opportunity to have some guidance through their initial year at university. This is done by matching the participating first year’s with an equal counterpart that it is either in their second year of straight law or third year of their double degree, or higher. We cater for all ages and all degrees in relation to law! We also provide each mentee and mentor the opportunity to meet each other and mingle at the ‘Meet Your Mentor Morning Tea’, which is held on the 20/03.
Mentee:
If you’re a first year and feel like you might need a bit of guidance or even just a friend throughout the year or an older student that is looking to make someone’s life easier or just contribute to your CV, it’s easy to get involved! Simply follow the attached appropriate link to fill out an easy form that outlines who you are and what you want from this program. The closing date for these forms is the Friday of week three (17/03). If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at internal.edu@guls.org. Hopefully I’ll see you all soon!
https://docs.google.com/a/griffithuni.edu.au/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRv4K bM7lwy_QHfathNvGJX_FiLxAK1mvcO5OU2uExvqZi-w/viewform
Mentor: https://docs.google.com/a/guls.org/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeM277WnKt43 jcGsiaaIxmd3Z3oBk3FbxoU3yPwjM6MRtLyKw/viewform
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