Macquarie University Law Society 2021/2022 Election Guide
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CONTENTS CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................................................... 2 KEY ELECTION DATES 2021 ......................................................................................................................... 6 How to Apply: Nomination Checklist............................................................................................................ 7 Board Elections and Executive Officer Appointments ............................................................................... 8 Nominee Engagement with Voters ............................................................................................................... 8 Election Period ............................................................................................................................................... 8 Unfilled positions ........................................................................................................................................... 8 AGM ................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Details of the Returning Officer .................................................................................................................... 9 Details of the MULS President ...................................................................................................................... 9 MULS ELECTIONS — ‘THE BIG 5’............................................................................................................... 10 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL – ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES ........................................................................... 13 The Board ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 President ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 14 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 15 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 16 Secretary ....................................................................................................................................................... 17 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 17 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 18 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 Final note .................................................................................................................................................... 18 Treasurer ....................................................................................................................................................... 19 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 19 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 19 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 20 Final note .................................................................................................................................................... 20 Director (Education) ..................................................................................................................................... 21 Time commitment: ...................................................................................................................................... 21 Portfolio: ...................................................................................................................................................... 21 Attributes: .................................................................................................................................................... 21 Final Note:................................................................................................................................................... 22 Director (Social Justice) .............................................................................................................................. 23 Time commitment ....................................................................................................................................... 23 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 23 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 24 Director (Career Engagement) .................................................................................................................... 25 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 25 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 25 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 26 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 26 Page 2 of 86
Director (Competitions) ............................................................................................................................... 27 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 27 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 27 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 28 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 28 Director (Publications) ................................................................................................................................. 30 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 30 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 30 Key Qualities ............................................................................................................................................... 30 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 31 Director (Marketing) ..................................................................................................................................... 32 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 32 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 32 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 32 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 33 Director (Events)........................................................................................................................................... 34 Time commitment: ...................................................................................................................................... 34 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 34 Final notes .................................................................................................................................................. 34 COVID-19 Related information ................................................................................................................... 35 Director (Juris Doctor and Postgraduate) .................................................................................................. 36 Time commitment: ...................................................................................................................................... 36 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 36 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 36 Final notes .................................................................................................................................................. 37 The Executive Officers ................................................................................................................................. 38 Administration .............................................................................................................................................. 39 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 39 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 39 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 39 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 39 Campus Experience ..................................................................................................................................... 40 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 40 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 40 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 41 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 41 Social Justice Advocacy.............................................................................................................................. 42 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 42 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 42 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 43 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 43 Community Outreach ................................................................................................................................... 44 Time commitment ....................................................................................................................................... 44 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 44 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 45 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 45 Sponsorship.................................................................................................................................................. 46 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 46 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 46 Duties and expectations.............................................................................................................................. 46 Page 3 of 86
Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 46 Corporate Careers x 2 .................................................................................................................................. 47 Time commitment ....................................................................................................................................... 47 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 47 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 47 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 48 Public Interest Careers ................................................................................................................................ 49 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 49 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 49 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 49 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 49 Competitions — Foundations x 2 ............................................................................................................... 50 Time Commitment:...................................................................................................................................... 50 Portfolio: ...................................................................................................................................................... 50 Attributes: .................................................................................................................................................... 50 Final Notes: ................................................................................................................................................. 51 Competitions — Advocacy x 2 .................................................................................................................... 52 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 52 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 52 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 53 Final note .................................................................................................................................................... 53 Competitions — Professional Skills x 2 ..................................................................................................... 54 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 54 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 54 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 54 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 55 Competitions — External Advocacy ........................................................................................................... 56 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 56 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 56 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 56 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 57 Competitions — External Professional Skills ............................................................................................ 58 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 58 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 58 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 58 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 59 Editor ............................................................................................................................................................. 60 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 60 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 60 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 60 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 60 The Brief Editor-in-Chief .............................................................................................................................. 61 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 61 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 61 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 61 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 62 IT .................................................................................................................................................................... 63 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 63 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 63 Page 4 of 86
Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 63 Publicity x 2................................................................................................................................................... 64 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 64 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 64 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 64 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 65 Sport .............................................................................................................................................................. 66 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 66 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 66 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 66 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 67 Socials x 2 ..................................................................................................................................................... 68 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 68 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 68 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 68 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 68 Executive Officer (JD and Postgraduate Engagement) ............................................................................ 69 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 69 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 69 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 69 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 70 Executive Officer (JD and Postgraduate Careers) .................................................................................... 71 Time Commitment....................................................................................................................................... 71 Portfolio ....................................................................................................................................................... 71 Attributes ..................................................................................................................................................... 71 Final Note.................................................................................................................................................... 72 ELECTION REGULATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 73 ELECTION REGULATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 74 Section 1 – Preamble.................................................................................................................................. 74 Section 2 – Definitions ................................................................................................................................ 74 Section 3 – Eligibility ................................................................................................................................... 76 Section 4 – Timeline ................................................................................................................................... 76 Section 5 – Voting ....................................................................................................................................... 77 Section 6 – Campaigning ............................................................................................................................ 78 Section 7 – Returning Officer ...................................................................................................................... 78 Section 8 – Election Results ....................................................................................................................... 80 Section 9 – Guides...................................................................................................................................... 80 Section 10 – Breaches and Penalties ......................................................................................................... 80 Section 11 – Transition ............................................................................................................................... 82 Section 12 – Stays ...................................................................................................................................... 83 SAMPLE NOMINATION FORM ..................................................................................................................... 84 2021 NOMINATION FORM ............................................................................................................................ 85
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KEY ELECTION DATES 2021 •
Monday 20 September, 9am - Nominations open
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Friday 1 October, 5pm - Nominations close
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Saturday 2 October, 9am - Publish Candidate Guide and question period opens
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Wednesday 6 October, 5pm - Question period closes
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Thursday 7 October, 9am - Applicants sent questions
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Saturday 9 October, 5pm - Applicants must answer and send questions elections@muls.org prior to the deadline •
Sunday 10 October, 9am - Q&A Guide published
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Monday 11 October, 9am - Polls open
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Wednesday 13 October, 5pm - Polls close
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Thursday 14 October, Time TBC - MULS AGM
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Saturday 16 October, 10am - 3pm - Board Handover and Induction
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Sunday 24 October, 10am - 3pm - Executive Induction/Handover
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How to Apply: Nomination Checklist Nominations open Monday 20 September, 9am Nominations close Friday 1 October, 5pm **No nominations will be accepted after this time** • • • • • • •
Board Members must be available for the Board Induction on Saturday 16 October. Board and Executive Members must be available for the Executive Induction on Sunday 24 October. Updates to the MULS Election will be posted on Facebook, the MULS Website, or emailed to students. All nominations must be in a Word document format (not .pdf). All nominations must be seconded by two other Macquarie University Law students, who must supply their student email addresses. All nominees must be a MULS ordinary member. If you are not a member, you can join here. The nomination form can be found at the end of this guide or downloaded here.
Below is everything you need to apply for a MULS position. Board nominations: 1. Must provide a Candidate statement (maximum 300 words) which will be published in the MULS Candidate Guide and disseminated to all members. This will be filled out in the nomination form. 2. Must provide a passport-sized photo. 3. Nominations must acquire the written (or electronic) signature of the incumbent Board member. i. The signature will be provided once the nominee has directly contacted the current office-bearer and demonstrated a genuine interest in the position for which they are nominating. Please ask any questions you might have about the position. This ensures nominees understand the responsibilities and duties of the role they are nominating for. ii. Below details the signature required for the new roles being introduced in 2021/22: a. Director (Juris Doctor and Postgraduate): Signature of the President 4. You will be asked to answer questions during the Question Period. Questions will be sent to you on the morning of Thursday 7 October and answers must be submitted before Saturday 9 October, 5pm. These will be published in the MULS Candidate Guide and disseminated to all members. Executive nominations 1. Must provide a Candidate statement (maximum 300 words) in ‘word format’. This will be filled out in the nomination form. 2. Must provide a resume in ‘word format’. Resumes must have identifying features removed (e.g. name and photo). 3. Nominations must acquire the written (or electronic) signature of the incumbent Executive Council member. iii. Below details the signature required for the new roles being introduced in 2021/22: a. Executive Officer (Competitions – External Advocacy): Signature of the Competitions – Externals Executive Officer; b. Executive Officer (Competitions – External Professional Skills): Signature of the Competitions – Externals Executive Officer; c. Executive Officer (Juris Doctor and Postgraduate Engagement); Signature of the President Page 7 of 86
d. Executive Officer (Juris Doctor and Postgraduate Careers): Signature of the President 4. The signature will be provided once the nominee has directly contacted the current office-bearer and demonstrated a genuine interest in the position for which they are nominating for. Please ask any questions you might have about the position. This ensures nominees understand the responsibilities and duties of the role they are nominating for. Nominations must be emailed to the 2021 President, Lucy Sheppard at elections@muls.org by Friday 1 October, 5pm.
Board Elections and Executive Officer Appointments MULS has a dual election and appointment system. The Board is elected, whereas the Executive Officers are appointed by a combination of the incoming and outgoing Boards. MULS members may choose to run in an election for a maximum of one (1) Board position and/or apply for one (1) Executive Officer position. As such, students may choose to run and apply for both simultaneously, or simply one or the other alternatively. As outlined above, the nomination period is the same for both Board and Executive Officer candidates. If you are applying for two positions, please submit two separate application forms.
Nominee Engagement with Voters There are a number of strict rules detailed below in the Election Regulations relating to how candidates can interact with students in relation to elections. All forms of campaigning are prohibited under these regulations. However, this does not mean that you cannot engage with candidates in order to make an informed vote. During the election period, any MULS Member can submit a question to any candidate. Candidates will have the opportunity to reply to questions. These questions and answers will be made available prior to, and during, voting. Furthermore, once nominations are closed all students will be provided with a Candidate Guide outlining the nominees running for election and their Candidate Statements. Students may question the Candidates on their platforms and intentions in line with the requirements made out in the Election Regulations.
Election Period Polls open via iLearn on Monday 11 October, 9am and will close on Wednesday 13 October, 5pm. More information on voting will be made available closer to the opening of elections. Incoming Board Members will take office after the AGM on Thursday 14 October 2020. All nominees are expected to attend the AGM for the announcement of the successful candidates.
Unfilled positions If no students nominate for a Board position prior to the close of nominations, then this position is eligible to be filled at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in accordance with the Election Regulations below. If the position is not filled at the AGM, then it can be filled as a casual vacancy in accordance with the Constitution. Page 8 of 86
AGM The MULS AGM will be held on Thursday 14 October 2021. The time is yet to be announced. This year, our AGM will be virtual. This event will not be recorded.
Details of the Returning Officer Ilija Vickovich - returningofficer@muls.org
Details of the MULS President Lucy Sheppard Email: president@muls.org; email elections@muls.org for election enquiries and nominations.
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MULS ELECTIONS — ‘THE BIG 5’ What? MULS is a voluntary, unincorporated body that aims to represent the interests of all law students at Macquarie University. At over 45 years old, the Society has seen a few hundred Executive Members filter through its offices. The MULS Executive Council has provided students with countless opportunities in professional, academic and social pursuits.
When? Elections are held in the second semester of each academic year. The precise date changes each year based on Constitutional requirements and the structure of the academic year. Voting will be made available to both external and internal students online.
Who? In 2022, MULS will be governed by 37 Executive Council Members. These include the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, eight (8) Directors of Departments and twenty-six (26) Executive Officers working within the Departments. The diagram below illustrates the Executive Council:
MULS has a dual election and appointment system. The Board is elected, whereas the Executive Officers are appointed by the incoming and outgoing Boards.
The following positions that comprise the Board include: • President Page 10 of 86
• • • • • • • • • •
Secretary Treasurer Director (Education) Director (Social Justice) Director (Career Engagement) Director (Competitions) Director (Publications) Director (Marketing) Director (Events) Director (Juris Doctor and Postgraduate)
The following Executive Officers are appointed by the incoming and outgoing Boards: • Executive Officer (Administration) • Executive Officer (Campus Engagement) • Executive Officer (Social Justice Advocacy) • Executive Officer (Community Outreach) • Executive Officer (Sponsorship) • Executive Officer (Corporate Careers) x 2 • Executive Officer (Public Interest Careers) • Executive Officer (Competitions - Foundations) x 2 • Executive Officer (Competitions - Advocacy) x 2 • Executive Officer (Competitions - Professional Skills) x 2 • Executive Officer (Competitions — External Advocacy) • Executive Officer (Competitions – External Professional Skills) • Executive Officer (Editor) • Executive Officer (Brief Editor-in-Chief) • Executive Officer (Publicity) x 2 • Executive Officer (IT) • Executive Officer (Sport) • Executive Officer (Socials) x 2 • Executive Officer (Juris Doctor and Postgraduate Engagement); and • Executive Officer (Juris Doctor and Postgraduate Careers).
Why? The opportunities gained in holding an Executive position on MULS are endless. Apart from the wealth of personal experiences that such a role can provide, there is also the bigger idea of contributing back to the University and encouraging student engagement. The sky is the limit in terms of what you can do to help improve the student experience at Macquarie University. Being an Executive Council Member will also assist you in developing interpersonal and professional skills. However, if you wish to be on the MULS Executive Council… **YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO COMMIT TO THE NOMINATED ROLE’S RESPONSIBILITIES!**
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Make sure that you do your research properly and know what is expected of you as an Executive Council Member. Holding office is a large time commitment and should not be underestimated.
How? Please follow the outline on page 7 of this Election Guide.
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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL – ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES Below contains information about the constitutional requirements of the various Executive Council Members as well as general notes. This should provide you with some understanding of the requirements for the position. If you have any further questions about the role, then you should contact the current office holder or closest equivalent. As an Executive Council Member, you are required to act in the best interests of all MULS members, attend all MULS meetings, undertake a thorough handover with your successor and assist with the marketing of MULS events and initiatives (see s 9.1 of the MULS Constitution). Executive Council members are also required to contribute to the overall running of the Society by assisting in all activities of the Society. Highlighted above, the Executive Council is divided into two tiers — the Board and the Executive Officers. There are eleven (11) Board members and twenty-six (26) Executive Officers.
The Board The Board is the primary decision-making body of MULS. Along with fulfilling their individual constitutionally prescribed duties (as set out below), the Board has the exclusive power to make decisions regarding budget and sponsorship, regulatory approval of department events and initiatives, investment of the Society’s funds and determining and adopting MULS policies, among other things (see s 7.8 of the MULS Constitution). Hence, being a Board member is a huge responsibility. Besides being responsible for your own events, initiatives and department, you are also a critical voice when deciding MULS’ direction and overall effectiveness. As such, sound judgment, excellent communication skills and outstanding organisational abilities are required to be a desirable Board member. The members of the 2021 Board are outlined below.
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President Current Office-Bearer: Lucy Sheppard – president@muls.org 23.1 The President shall: (a) be accountable to all Members of the Society; (b) oversee the general functioning and operation of the Society; (c) direct, coordinate and supervise the work of the Executive Council Members; (d) direct, coordinate and supervise the operations of the Student Engagement Department; (e) direct activities and manage the affairs and faithful conduct of the Society; (f) chair all meetings of the Board, all meetings of the Executive Council and all General Meetings; (g) be the primary contact between the Law School and the Society; (h) be a co-signatory to the Society’s bank accounts (if any); and (i) prepare and release written bi-annual reports on the activities of the Society. (j) perform the evaluative and disciplinary role of the Secretary under section 8.2 (b) where a conflict of interest arises. Time Commitment 30-35 hours per week. • •
You will be required to commit extensive amounts of time preparing for the year ahead and focusing on the prospectus and sponsorship during the Summer break of 2021-2022. You will also have to commit a large amount of time in the summer break between Semester 1 and 2 and the Semester 2 Mid-Semester break preparing for Elections and the upcoming semester.
Portfolio The President is responsible for the entire operations, conduct, financial affairs and general functioning of the society. The President role has two focuses: external and internal obligations. External focus A large part of the role of being President is managing relationships with external stakeholder such as corporate sponsors, Macquarie University, Macquarie Law School and the Alumni Office. You must think about the interests of these stakeholders when making decisions for MULS. You also should engage with these stakeholders to receive feedback about how to make the society better as a whole. Internal Focus The other large part of your role is managing the health of your team and ensuring that they are fulfilling their responsibilities. You also need to ensure that you attend as many MULS events as possible and help your team, without any hesitation. As President you need to ensure you are supporting your team and working towards a common goal and installing a culture of respect and collegiately. With COVID-19, a large part of your role is ensuring that your team is ready and able to respond to any challenges the pandemic throws your way. You need to work with the directors to ensure Page 14 of 86
their events are COVID-safe and that they have adequate back-up plans in place, that are also approved by the University. A large amount of the President’s work is behind the scenes preparations, emails, phone calls and meetings. Balancing your professional and personal obligations with MULS, the ACNC, ALSA with your study is difficult and if you are not organised you can become overwhelmed very quickly. You must also ensure you are flexible, as urgent issues can come up that need to be resolved that day. As the last two Presidents’ have said, this is a serious role with real-world consequences if things go wrong. Candidates should apply to this role with a view that if they are successfully voted in, they will be at the helm of a medium-sized company over which they have unlimited personal responsibility. Aside from the above, MULS president is an extremely rewarding role, and I feel I have grown immensely both personally and professionally during my time as president. You will be given opportunities to meet new people from across Australia and the world, make life-long friends and will be involved in affecting the university experience for students at Macquarie and across Australia through ALSA. MULS President is a role that you get out what you put in. Make the most of it and take advantage of the opportunities you will be given to create positive change for others. Attributes Time management: There will be times where you will be required to make choices about how you allocate you time in the role. You will need to be able to quickly respond to issues when they arise and be contactable whenever you are needed. Often, MULS cannot wait, and you will need to prioritise these tasks over your studies and work commitments. Flexibility: Like the above, in order to succeed in this role, you must be flexible with your commitments and learn to shift your priorities. You also need to be flexible to ensure you attend as many MULS events as possible, because as the President it is vital that you demonstrate ongoing support for your team. Communication: The primary attribute required for this role is good communication skills. You will be required to attend meetings with firms and stakeholders, draft speeches and reports and deal with conflict inside and outside of the Executive team. Professionalism: You will be required to address all issues with professionalism. Of course, there will be times where being informal is OK. However, when dealing with external stakeholders and sponsors professionalism is key. Resilience: Resilience is a major requirement for this role. You will be under constant pressure to deliver outcomes for the Society and will likely face criticism from those inside and outside of MULS. MULS is a year-long commitment and as President, there will rarely be a time where there is not work to be done. Taking care of yourself and recognising signs of burnout will become vital. Decisiveness: Every day you will be faced with decisions to make which could have reputational, monetary and relationship impacts. The successful candidate will need to back themselves on all decisions and not crack under pressure from competing views of members, stakeholders or the Executive Council.
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Final Note This year has been a unique year for MULS. A big part of your role will be continuing to manage the COVID-19 situation and attempt to compensate students for the opportunities that they have missed due to the pandemic, such as law camp and law ball. The events of this year has taught us that we can continue to succeed and thrive in a COVID-19 world and how technology has made MULS more accessible and open to students, which you may want to consider continuing to utilise throughout your term. 2022 is the perfect opportunity for new ideas, events and initiatives. Treat the year like a blank slate and try something new for the society. You will be very busy but ultimately, the work is enjoyable. You will gain invaluable leadership experience as well as experience in corporate governance, tax, charities and much more. You will become close friends with people you meet along the way and even those from other law societies across Australia. Finally, I would just like to say that I will be around next year to support whoever is successful in being elected. The sharing of knowledge and experience is essential for this role. Most of your time will be spent doing tasks that are not ‘glamorous’ such as preparing documents, planning, and making decisions about the budget etc. However, the most rewarding part of the job is knowing the impact that you’ve had on the experience of MULS members throughout the year. If you have any questions about the role, please do not hesitate to send me a message or email to president@muls.org. Good luck!
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Secretary Current Office-Bearer: Celine Nalbandian – administration@muls.org 23.2. The Secretary shall: (a) serve as chairperson on all Board meetings, Executive Council meetings and/or General Meetings in the event of the incapacity, sanction or death of the President; (b) be responsible for evaluating the performance of the Executive Council, and of individual Executive Council Members, giving guidance as to their performance and instigating the process for suspension or the declaration of a position vacant when an (c) Executive Council Member is significantly underperforming or resigns; ensuring compliance with the University code of conduct by the Executive Council Members; (d) assume a caretaker role over a Director ’s portfolio in the event of a Director resigning or suffering incapacity or sanction. The caretaker role is for the duration of the incapacity or sanction (or until the matter has been resolved or the Director replaced pursuant to clause 19); (e) oversee the handover process and facilitate the smooth transition between Executive Councils from year to year, including training for new Executive Council members; (f) be responsible for all generalised correspondence of the Society, including the regular collection and dissemination of mail; (g) ensure accurate recording and annotation of all Board and Executive Council meetings and General Meetings; (h) ensure accurate recording of all reports of the Executive Council and any subcommittees; (i) update any amendments made to the Constitution at any General Meeting within ten days of that meeting; (j) undertake any other administrative tasks required by the Executive Council for the efficient operation of the Society; (k) be a co-signatory of the Society’s bank account (if any); (l) be responsible for circulating formal notice of all Board and Executive Council meetings and General Meetings, as well as calling for agenda items and circulating agendas; and (m) oversee the proper maintenance of law noticeboards and ensure that individual Executive Council Members are responsible for postage and removal of marketing materials. (n) assist the President in liaising with and maintaining a positive relationship with the Law School, the Arts Faculty, Campus Engagement and the University administration; (o) delegate their responsibility under clause 23.2 (b) to the President where: (i) an actual, potential or perceived Conflict of Interest arises; and/or, (ii) the President receives notice of a Conflict of Interest under clause 16.4 and a Conflict of Interest motion is brought before the Board at a duly convened Board Meeting and passed by Special Majority.
Time Commitment This role involves (on average) a consistent 20-25 hours per week commitment. Your time will be spent ensuring all administrative requirements for events and initiatives have been met. You will also regularly assist other members in the team in their roles and consider improvements to the Society.
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Portfolio The Secretary is responsible for the day-to-day internal management and governance of the Society. The role is threefold – administrative, conflict resolution and general advisory. You will work very closely with the President, as well as other Board and Executive members to oversee all events and initiatives. It is important that all events and initiatives hosted by MULS are in accordance with its objectives, purposes, and requirements, whether these are mandated by the University, law, or MULS Constitution. The everyday tasks include but are not limited to: • Organising meetings (Board, Executive, EGM, AGM, etc.) which involves preparing and sending notices, drafting the agenda, writing and distributing the minutes and monitoring attendance. • Liaising with internal and external stakeholders including members of the Law School, Campus Engagement, SCLSS and ALSA. • Maintaining the Society’s documents and records, including obligations as a not-for-profit charity with the ACNC. • Staying up to date with all initiatives and events across the different portfolios to ensure you can assist most effectively and answer any general enquiries directed to you. • Dealing with any disciplinary matters and/or grievances in a Human Resources capacity to ensure the team is working effectively. • Any other administrative requirements of the Society (such as submitting risk assessments, quarterly reports, post-event reflections). • The Secretary also triages tasks and works closely with the Executive Officer (Administration) who assists with the administrative requirements of the Society. Attributes A great Secretary is passionate about MULS and enriching the law student experience. They are friendly, resilient, self-motivated, organised and flexible with great attention to detail. Final note The role of Secretary can assist in both your personal and professional development. It is a very busy role and most of it is done ‘behind the scenes.’ You will gain a variety of useful skills and develop expertise that you never expected. This includes becoming very familiar with internal governance and constitutional provisions and being a representative of the Society in interactions with the Law School and other bodies. This work is very important and without it MULS would not be able to operate effectively. You will need to be super organised across all aspects of your life to ensure MULS is given due attention and tasks are completed efficiently. This is not a role where you can let tasks pile up and complete them at the last minute. It has been a privilege to take on this role and I would highly recommend anyone who has the capacity to definitely consider. It’s been a great opportunity to really get involved with every portfolio MULS offers and work alongside a team of people who are really passionate about what they are doing. If you have any questions about the role, please do not hesitate to send me a message or email to administration@muls.org. Good luck!
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Treasurer Current Office-Bearer: Devlin Greatbatch Murphy – treasurer@muls.org 23.2 The Treasurer shall: (a) keep the Society’s accounting records in such a manner as shall enable true and fair accounts of the Society to be prepared from time to time; (b) keep such accounting records as to correctly record and explain the financial transactions and financial position of the Society; (c) advise on the financial implications of any motions before the Board and to make recommendations on the approach that should be taken to said motions; (d) submit to Members at each AGM accounts showing the fiscal record of that Executive Council during its term of office, and the projected finances of the Society until the beginning of the academic term in the following year; (e) be a co-signatory of the Society’s bank account (if any); (f) arrange and be responsible for the handling of monetary transactions related to all activities of the Society, including organising appropriate plans for the sale of tickets to events; (g) arrange and be responsible for the handling of petty cash; and (h) be responsible, with assistance from the Board, for the budget of each Department. Time Commitment 10-15 hours a week. Portfolio The Treasurer is a critical position in the MULS Board and is responsible for managing the society’s finances, tax obligations and annual audits. The typical daily/weekly tasks of the Treasurer involve: • • • • • • •
Paying and sending invoices; Reimbursing payments made by Directors and Executive Officers; Maintaining the online accounting system (XERO) by recording and categorising all transactions made by the society; Making tough decisions about the allocation of funds between portfolios; Advising all Board and Executive Officers on financial matters relevant to their portfolios; Monitoring and controlling MULS Membership payments using online payment systems such as Stripe or Square; and Maintaining accurate financial and administrative records for future use.
As the Treasurer you are responsible for a variety of large compliance tasks that take a large block of time to complete. These include: • • • •
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Ensuring ACNC compliance by drafting and filing an Annual Information Statement Assist external accountants and auditors to produce MULS’ quarterly BAS statements and the annual audit; Ensuring MULS meets all its taxation obligations with the Australian Taxation Office; and Working with University staff to draft and seek approval for sponsorship agreements.
Attributes Based on the above tasks, it is clear that organisational skills, attention to detail and time management are important to the role of Treasurer as many of the tasks require a quick response time. Candidates must understand the responsibility and accountability that comes with this role, and recognise that consequences flow from falling short on these tasks and responsibilities. Excellent communication skills are required because the Treasurer is in constant communication with the MULS Executive and Board, as well as external parties via emails and telephone. It is important to mention that accounting or financial backgrounds are NOT a requirement, although this may assist in undertaking the role. Final note The MULS Treasurer is an incredibly enjoyable position within the Board. The role provides fantastic opportunities to learn different skills such as accounting and financial reporting or management. Personally I did not come from a finance or commerce background, thus this role has broadened my professional skills in ways unattainable from my studies. If you are interested in the role of Treasurer for MULS in 2022 and wish to be endorsed by the current Treasurer, or you have any questions about the role, please email Devlin Greatbatch Murphy at treasurer@muls.org.
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Director (Education) Current Office-Bearer: Alexandra Tibbey - education@muls.org
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g)
23.4 Director (Education) shall: develop, oversee and advance academic activities to promote the education of Ordinary Members; direct, coordinate and supervise the operations of the Education Department; assist the Education Department to prepare, plan and run a diverse range of educational events and initiatives throughout the year, including, but not limited to, publications, Educational speakers’ forum events or other digital output; where one (1) or more councillors are unable to attend ALSA conferences or council meetings on behalf of the Society, the Education Director can represent the interests of members of the Society at ALSA conference or council meetings; liaise with Student Wellbeing when developing initiatives concerning mental health and wellbeing; assist the President in lobbying the Law School and other relevant committees and organisations, including Macquarie Mentors, Learning Skills, Student Wellbeing, the Student Representative Council, and any other university department; to carry out duties assigned to them by the President from time to time
Time commitment: 10-15 hours per week, varying. Portfolio: The Director (Education) is primarily responsible for developing, overseeing, and advancing academic activities which promote the education of Macquarie University law students. This year, the Director (Education) facilitated AGLC4 referencing workshops in partnership with the Macquarie University library, and legal research workshops in partnership with LexisNexis. The Director (Education) is also required to assist with other tasks as needed. These include assisting Student Engagement, representing MULS at ALSA conferences/council meetings, and assisting the President. The Director (Education) also assists with the recruitment of executive and subcommittee members. The Director (Education) supervises the Campus Experience Officer and the Education Subcommittee, which is comprised of the representatives under the Campus Experience Officer position. The Director (Education) works with the rest of the Board to make decisions about the governance of MULS. In 2021, the Director (Education) also coordinated orientation events including three Law School Welcomes (LLB, JD, and LLM/PHD) and the First Year Meet and Greet (the online First Year Morning Tea). Attributes: Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: The Education portfolio includes an Indigenous representative, a Diversity representative (for students with diverse abilities, LGBTIQ+, diverse ethnic/cultural background, low socioeconomic background or caring responsibilities), an external representative (for students learning from home) and a postgraduate representative (for mature age students). Therefore, the Director (Education) must have a strong social awareness and a Page 21 of 86
vision to increase the inclusion of these groups in MULS. Skills to facilitate online attendance: The Director (Education) must be able to deliver events online during COVID-19. Beyond COVID-19, the Director (Education) is required to provide an online attendance mode for events to include students learning from home. Communication: This role requires good communication skills, as you will be required to liaise with internal and external stakeholders such as the Law School and Legal Research companies to organise and implement initiatives. Strong time management and interpersonal skills: As Director (Education), you will be required to work to strict timelines, particularly around O-Week. Ability to work in a team: This role requires strong collaboration with the Campus Experience Officer, the Education Subcommittee, the Board, and the rest of the MULS team. Final Note: This is a relatively new portfolio. You have a lot of freedom to decide how to provide education support to law students. This year, a strong emphasis was placed on developing AGLC4 referencing and legal research skills, as well as increasing diversity and inclusion. I strongly encourage you to apply if you are passionate about supporting the education of Macquarie law students. Please reach out to me at education@muls.org if you have any questions.
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Director (Social Justice) Current Office-Bearer: Abirami Kandasamy – socialjustice@muls.org 23.5 The Director (Social Justice) shall: (a) direct, coordinate and supervise the operations of the Community Engagement Department; (b) be responsible for coordinating social justice events throughout the year; (c) promote student involvement in and facilitate practical opportunities for community legal outreach initiatives; (d) create awareness of inequalities in the legal profession and throughout legal education; (e) assist the Student Engagement Department in the promotion of health and wellbeing initiatives and the stimulation of debate about topical law student issues; and (f) assist the Career Engagement Department with the promotion of opportunities relating to careers in the public interest. (g) The Director (Social Justice) may: i. Facilitate formal and practical opportunities for social reform. Time commitment 10-15 hours per week. Portfolio This role largely involves organising and coordinating social justice initiatives for MULS members and the wider university student body. The Social Justice portfolio has great flexibility in the type of events and initiatives that the portfolio wants to run, which organisations to work with and which topical issue you would like to shed light on. For example, in 2021, the aim of the Social Justice team was to increase our initiatives from previous years and highlight topics such as LGBTIQ+ Rights, Diversity and Minority Right, along with many more that have not been addressed previously. We have challenged the boundaries of this portfolio by collaborating with key speakers like Hon Michael Kirby, Diverse Women in Law, Aboriginal Legal Services, Refugee Access and Casework Services and Inner-City Community Legal Centre. As a Director, the role is significantly different from that of your Executive Officers in that you are responsible for overseeing the entire suite of social justice initiatives run throughout the year. You will support your Executive Officers with the events they wish to run and liaise with the Board and University on their behalf. This year, the Social Justice team has also worked closely with other portfolios on projects such as the Justified Podcast episode on Decolonising the Law Podcast (Education portfolio), and the Social Justice Paper Presentation Competition (Competition’s portfolios) which had a significant social justice focus. The Social Justice Portfolio dedicates considerable time and effort to the maintenance of the MULS Social Justice Facebook page. Through regular use and monitoring engagement on the page, the Director should seek to facilitate practical opportunities for social reform, such as advertising links to informative sources and online campaigns and creating practical workshops to encourage development of tangible skills for students. The MULS Social Justice Facebook page is an effective mechanism in promoting both student engagement with social justice opportunities, as well as the Page 23 of 86
Social Justice Portfolio’s various events and social media initiatives. Attributes Alongside a passion for social justice, you will need to be sensitive and empathetic to the many social injustices faced by MULS members and the wider community. You must have strong communication skills to represent MULS when liaising with external stakeholders and be able to manage your time wisely to ensure the smooth operation of your events. Understanding event management and planning is another key characteristic which will be used consistently throughout the year. Given the significant and sustained time commitment, being able to balance this position with other priorities is crucial. As the Director, you will have two executives who rely on your assistance and guidance. For their events to run at their full capacity, you will need to be able to work within a team environment and provide support and advice as required. Creativity is also encouraged through the planning and organisation of new initiatives, as well as through utilisation of the MULS Social Justice Facebook Page. Final Note The experience I have gained as the Director of Social Justice has been incredibly rewarding and challenging. This portfolio presents a unique opportunity to provide MULS members meaningful ways to engage with important social justice issues and explore various media formats to shed light on these issues. This role has a huge potential for experimentation and creativity, where the team can really challenge the boundaries by collaborating with leading professionals. If you are a dedicated and passionate individual seeking an opportunity to engage with social justice, give back to the student community and improve your personal and professional capabilities, this role will be perfectly suited to you! If you are interested in the role of MULS Director (Social Justice) for 2022 or have any questions about the role, please email Abirami Kandasamy at socialjustice@muls.org
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Director (Career Engagement) Current Office-Bearer: Anshika Sharma – careers@muls.org 23.6
The Director (Career Engagement) shall:
(a) direct, coordinate and supervise the operations of the Career Engagement Department; (i) this includes assisting with the organisation of the Department’s respective career and sponsorship related initiatives, events, seminars and workshops. (b) encourage and promote student engagement with all law-related careers, job opportunities and organisations; (c) be responsible for securing the Society’s sponsorship related income (including, but not limited to, preparing sponsorship prospectuses); (d) liaise with MULSAA; (e) be the primary liaison with major sponsors, in relation to matters including but not limited to: (i) the regular communication with sponsors regarding their sponsorship benefits; (ii) the organisation of representatives from sponsors at career related events and seminars (as well as competitions with the assistance of the Director (Competitions)); (f) be responsible for the publication of a sponsorship update to be sent to all sponsors at the end of Session 1 and Session 2, which outlines the activities of the Society in that Session; and (g) assist the Career Engagement Department with the organisation of their respective career and sponsorship related initiatives, events, seminars and workshops. (h) The Director (Career Engagement) may: (i) appoint, direct, coordinate and supervise the work of a sponsorship sub-committee to assist them with the performance of their duties (including, but not limited to, preparing sponsorship prospectuses); (ii) appoint a Representative to serve a secretarial function for MULSAA; and (iii) be responsible for organising an Alumni event.
Time Commitment Before Session 1: 10-15 hours per week; Session 1: 15-20 hours per week; and Session 2: 5-10 hours per week. Portfolio The Director of Career Engagement is primarily responsible for managing the society’s sponsorship and organising and facilitating career development initiatives. The weekly commitments of this role include corresponding with sponsors, working with executives to run initiatives and being an integral part of the wider MULS team. Semester 1 has a strong focus on corporate law events, in preparation for ‘Clerkship Month, and Semester 2 is traditionally the time to run majority of the non-corporate career events. The Director (Career Engagement) will run these initiatives with the assistance of Executive Officers (Corporate Careers), Executive Officer (Sponsorship) and Executive Officer (Public Interest). Page 25 of 86
In addition to preparing the annual Sponsorship Prospectus and attending sponsorship meetings, this role involves having a well-rounded understanding of all sponsorship obligations and ensuring each obligation is properly executed. Whilst the Director (Career Engagement) is responsible for maintaining sponsorship, they should aim to look for opportunities to increase the society’s sponsorship and partnerships. The Director of Career Engagement should ensure the portfolio provides students with a wide variety of legal career opportunities. For example, in 2021 the Career Engagement team implemented three new initiatives, including the Legal Roles in the Government Panel, the Judge’s Associate Panel and the Barrister’s Panel. Given that a big part of this role is maintaining positive relationships with various stakeholders, A high level of professionalism is essential when working with sponsors, responding to emails and enquires is imperative and fostering the relationship with sponsors throughout the year is required. Attributes In carrying out your duties, you must keep in mind interest of the students, sponsors and the society. To succeed in this role, you must be friendly, professional, organised, innovative, decisive, have excellent time management skills and aim to have a good understanding of legal careers. In case of unforeseen circumstances, such as Covid-19 lockdowns, the Director of Career Engagement should be adaptable and swift in transitioning events to an online platform. Final Note This role is extremely rewarding, in the sense that it allows you to develop professional relationships with MULS’ sponsors, whilst also building your time-management skills. The role will teach you how to work under pressure, balance competing interests, and communicate effectively. However, the time commitment of this role should not be underestimated. Furthermore, conducing cross-portfolio initiatives within MULS, and partnering with external societies can benefit students and should be something the Career Engagement portfolio can consider moving forward.
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Director (Competitions) Current Office-Bearer: Pip Rich – competitions@muls.org 23.7
The Director (Competitions) shall:
(a) direct, coordinate and supervise, together with the Competitions Department, all the Society’s internal competitions including, but not limited to: (i) championship moot; (ii) contract moot; (iii) criminal moot; (iv) torts moot; (v) novice moot; (vi) foundations moot; (vii) witness examination; (viii) negotiations; (ix) client interview (which may split into junior and senior competitions depending on the amount of applications); and (x) paper presentation; (b) be responsible for ensuring that a competitors’ manual and competition rules for each competition are made available to competitors and that competitors are aware of the manual and the rules; (c) in consultation with the Competitions Department, maintain regulations with reference to the conduct of internal and external competitions including but not limited to: (i) an appeals and forfeiture policy (including bans); (ii) criteria for the apportionment of funding student participation in external competitions (subject to the approval of the Board); and (iii) ensuring compliance between ALSA and Society competition rules. (d) be ineligible to register or compete in any internal competition for the duration of their term in office. The Director (Competitions) must not partake in the selection for an external competition for which the Director (Competitions) is an applicant. (e) The Director (Competitions) may: (i) direct, coordinate and supervise, together with the Competitions Department additional subject based moots not listed in clause 23.7(a); (ii) together with the Competitions Department, appoint Competitions Representatives to assist with the conduct of the Society’s internal competitions; and (iii) use their best endeavours to plan and host, with the assistance of the Director (Career Engagement) and the Director (Events), an annual event to give recognition to and extend gratitude towards the Societyʼs volunteer judges.
Time Commitment 10 – 15 hours per week Portfolio Broadly, this role involves being responsible for every competition that MULS runs and participates in throughout the year, both internally and externally. Each internal competition falls under the category of Professional Skills, Advocacy or Foundation competitions. External competitions have their own portfolio as well. Each of these categories has respective Executive Officer(s) who facilitate Page 27 of 86
the competitions. Your role as the Competitions Director is to oversee the competitions department by liaising with the relevant Executive Officers, making sure each competition is well-organised, professional in execution and communication, and well-resourced in terms of judging, support, funding and executive commitment. As Director, you will handle the majority of the administrative tasks involved in convening competitions such as booking rooms, setting up registration and communicating with students. Further, you will be responsible for team selections, complaints handling, the currency of rules and manuals and delegating duties of content creation, particularly with workshops, manuals and question creation. The Director also acts as a communication intermediary between the Executive Officers and external parties such as higher calibre guests, such as judges, or firms, is necessary. Therefore, it is essential that as the Competitions Director you are professional, organised and involved with all the competitions running for each semester. The Director is also responsible for reporting to the Board on matters relevant to competitions, MULS governance, and university administration. Attributes - Strong interpersonal communication skills - Professionalism, both in communication and conduct with Executive Officers, judges, external guests, sponsoring firms and the law school. - Excellent time management skills - Commitment to the operation of competitions, specifically in being available for communication at most times - Organisation, particularly in preparatory work leading into each semester - A knack for problem-solving and thinking laterally to get events over the line - Work extremely collaboratively with others and value their contribution - Strong resilience skills - Ability to be adaptable and respond to high pressuring situations Final Note The role of Competitions Director is a role which requires consistent contact with MULS members. It is simultaneously stressful, given the volume of queries you will receive, and immensely rewarding! It is very important in this role to demarcate the processes of competitions from social politics to be as transparent as possible, and rely on procedure, to ensure the fair administration of competitions policy to all students. This role demands good and timely preparation, particularly at the commencement of each semester. Unfortunately, this is not always adequate, and you will inevitably find yourself as the problem-solver, complaints department and an immediate point of contact when things go wrong. This is why it is crucial that you become familiar with the various competition rules, policies and general procedures used for dealing with specific complaints. This year the MULS executive has faced unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19. The competitions department had to be particularly adaptive, as all of our internal competitions have engaged in an on and off an online platform. This resulted in the creation of Zoom guidelines for competitors, judges and Zoom hosts. This is a good example of the need for flexibility as well as structure in this role. It is important that as the Director you make quick yet effective decisions to adapt to the relevant circumstances. As the Competitions Director you will be coordinating a large team of Executive Officers to facilitate high quality delivery of competitions. Success in this role will demand organisation and diligence in communication, as well as team building skills. It is crucial to have strong relationships within the team, particularly for the organisation of online events as they generally require a few more hands on deck. Having good communication with your executive officers will greatly assist you in the performance of your duties as Director, and significantly benefit the administration of the competitions as a whole. Page 28 of 86
This role, whilst is stressful, is extremely fun and engaging! You will retain invaluable experience in event management, effective communication, leadership, lots of practice in managing expectations, as well as strong friendships with your colleagues. Overall, this role is definitely not for the faint-hearted. However, if you are seeking a fast-paced, incredibly engaged role to build networks with various MULS regulars, the law school, other institutions, practitioners, members of the judicature and of course, the student body at large, then this role is for you.
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Director (Publications) Current Office Bearer: Matthew Lo – publications@muls.org 23.8 The Director (Publications) shall: (a) direct, coordinate and supervise the operations of the Publications Department; (b) oversee operations that relate specifically to the MULS brand; (c) assist with the creation and implementation of standards, criteria and templates for internal reporting, events, marketing, policy, etc; (d) implement the MULS Style Guide; (e) monitor and coordinate the photography, artwork, layout and preparation of publications, conforming to the MULS Style Guide; (f) oversee the proactive distribution and marketing of publications; (g) if required, arrange for the outsourcing of a graphic design role to assist with publications; and (h) control and manage sufficient distribution of all publications. (i) The Director (Publications) may: i. appoint, direct, coordinate and supervise the work of Student Engagement Representatives to assist him/her with the performance of their duties; and ii. edit and produce a MULS yearbook. Time Commitment 20-25 hours per week. Portfolio The Director of Publications role can be split into three sections. Firstly, you must oversee the publication of at least 3 guides, The First Year Guide, The Clerkship Guide, and one other elected guide. This requires clear communication with the Editor and external designer to create timelines, make content and stylistic decisions. Alongside the Editor, you will arrange and/or create content for the guides. This can involve arranging interviews, reaching out to other Board Members or members of the Executive and communicating with relevant university departments to collaborate and gain different perspectives and information. Secondly, the role requires overseeing the three editions of The Brief, MULS’ landmark publication. This involves communicating with and organising the editions with the Editor-in-Chief, liasing with the external designer and assisting in the arrangement of the content, including choosing writers and editors for the subcommittee, and occasionally assisting in editorial reviews. Additionally, the Director of Publications will assist the Editor-in-Chief with The Brief Online, a more regular MULS publication. Lastly, the Director of Publications will assist with the content placed on the MULS website and assist the pioneering of the MULS brand, both responsibilities in collaboration with the Marketing Portfolio primarily. This involves collaborating with other Board Members to advertise their Portfolios on the website, and making decisions about branding such as with the MULS Style Guide.
•
Key Qualities Demonstrated experience in publications preferably in writing, editing, marketing or social media (whether through MULS, other student societies or employment)
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• • • • • •
Effective time management and organisational skills High attention to detail Innovative and entrepreneurial mindset Being a self-starter, driven and independent Flexibility Works effectively in a team Final Note The Director of Publications role is unique in the sense that there are no major weekly commitments like with other positions. Instead, the Publications Portfolio involves a few months of intense workload, leading up to the publication of the guides and The Brief. This period requires seriously developed organisational, time management and communication skills, due to the amount of moving parts and contributors required to produce the publication. Additionally, rather than having a focus on running initiatives, the role involves ongoing work across all portfolios and with external stakeholders. There will be significant communication with every department within MULS. The role comes with a significant amount of freedom, both in the content that can be published and the creative choices for those publications. With the only requirements on the type of publications produced, the details and specifics of certain publications can be made your own. To illustrate this point, this year in place of the Careers Guide, Publications produced two brand new guides: the Competitions Guide and the Wellbeing Guide, in response to the need of law students at Macquarie. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Publications portfolio was largely unaffected but rather gained a heightened level of importance, as the guides, The Brief and the website represented a crucial vehicle for assisting law students at Macquarie. Information about COVID-19, and MULS’ response was placed on the website and the details of the Clerkship and Careers guides included new information about the changing legal sector due to the pandemic. This role is a key player behind MULS’ reputation in the community. As a significant point of connection between MULS and its members, the Publications Portfolio is essential to the operation of the society. If you are capable and driven to continue the legacy of previous Directors by going above and beyond your Constitutional requirements by introducing new and innovative ideas that benefit MULS members, you will find this role immensely rewarding
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Director (Marketing) Current Office-Bearer: Ethan Inches - marketing@muls.org 23.9 The Director (Marketing) shall: (a) direct, coordinate and supervise the operations of the Marketing Department; (b) oversee operations that relate specifically to the Society’s digital marketing and merchandise; (c) monitor and coordinate the photography, artwork, layout and preparation of all material to be used on social media platforms; (d) delegate within the department the responsibility of non-professional photography and live streaming at the Society’s events; and (e) implement strategies to maintain favourable public and stakeholder perceptions of the Society and maintain the Society brand; and (f) The Director (Marketing) may: (i) appoint, direct, coordinate and supervise the work of a marketing sub-committee to assist him/her with the performance of their duties (including, but not limited to, non-professional photography at the Society’s events). Time Commitment 20 - 25 hours per week. This is highly variable and some weeks the time commitment is higher. Portfolio The marketing portfolio coordinates the social media promotion, branding and merchandising for the Macquarie University Law Society. The regular duties in this role involve assisting with the management of the schedule for all social media channels, maintaining regular communication with members over both traditional and non-traditional channels through excellent customer service, implementing a photography and livestreaming schedule for oncampus or off-campus events, while overseeing the publication and distribution of the MULS fortnightly Newsletter, ‘From The Bench’, in addition to the accompanying blogs that are available at muls.org. This requires a high-level of inter-departmental liaison and strong communication with members of the Executive Council. In this role, you will be working closely with 2x Executive Officers (Publicity) and 1x IT Officer, who can provide support and assistance with marketing initiatives. To fulfil these responsibilities, you will have to regularly review and update the MULS Brand and Style Guidelines, Social Media Policy, Email Policy, Instagram Guidelines and LinkedIn Policy. Initiatives run by marketing that are not conducted regularly include merchandising for certain events such as Orientation Week or planning sales of society merchandise, in particular hoodies or other popular items. This involves liaising with a range of distributors, creating designs and the management of finances; which is a responsibility that requires a lot of planning and commitment to the task. Attributes ● Highly-organised, flexible and adaptable to changing needs of our seven portfolios; Administration, Education, Events, Career Engagement, Competitions, Publications and Marketing. Page 32 of 86
● Using creativity to develop both general and custom promotional templates for different types of events and initiatives, which can be shared on a range of social media channels. ● Maintain ongoing digital marketing campaigns and strategies, in particular a weekly or fortnightly newsletter and blogs. ● Be open to feedback or suggestions on the design, style and typography used on social media materials and other tools for direct marketing purposes; to reflect the interests and ideas of the portfolio responsible for organising it. ● Have a friendly, open and professional manner towards all members of the Executive Council. ● A willingness to maintain, review and update brand guidelines that protect the image and reputation of the society. Final Note The Director (Marketing) is responsible for overseeing and contributing to the promotion of events and initiatives across the entire society, which means being subject to major deadlines and planning marketing well in advance. There is an important focus on team delegation and management of content production. You will be required to liaise with suppliers and distributors for merchandise, organising a schedule for society promotion and developing social collateral to ensure the success of all portfolios, manage student and external concerns, in addition to maintaining excellent communication and being regularly. You will help the Executive Officers (Publicity) with preparing marketing content, and be responsible for running the MULS fortnightly newsletter, “From The Bench”.
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Director (Events) Director (Events) Current Office-Bearer: Jaz Cremen – events@muls.org 23.10 The Director (Events) shall: (a) Direct, coordinate and supervise the Events Department; (b) Liaise with and assist any Director or Executive Officer responsible for the organization and execution of an event; (c) Implement a risk-assessment strategy and oversee the process of risk assessments being carried out on all events organised by MULS; (d) Attend all events organised by MULS and prepare evaluative reports in relation to the conduct of these events; and (e) Maintain a database of existing quotes, contacts and other information relevant to the organisation and conduct of events. Time commitment: 10-30 hours per week. The time commitment for this role varies greatly depending on how close you are to an event. Portfolio The Events Director role is a rewarding role involving the oversight of MULS’ social events throughout the year. Events that fall under this portfolio include: Law Camp, SOS1 & SOS2, Law Cruise, Law Ball, social sport, Intervarsity Gala Day, and Law Revue. For the execution of these events, the Director is responsible for (but is not limited to): liaising and negotiating with 3rd party service providers and MULS, completing risk assessments, establishing ticketing platforms, developing marketing and engagement strategies, and overseeing the effective management of stakeholders and students during events. The Director is responsible for overseeing the activities and work of the Socials and Sports Officers who work collaboratively to provide events throughout the year. Supplementing this, as a Board Director, you are accountable to the Board of Directors who are responsible for making a number of financial and management decisions that are instrumental to the effective running of MULS. Attributes • • • • • • • •
Organised Good at managing time and other commitments Friendly, fun, and approachable. Demonstrates proficient project management skills Attention to detail Proficient communication skills Able to work effectively under pressure Resilient
Final notes The role of Events Director is predominantly underpinned by completing project outcome on a strict calendar deadline. You will be required to liaise with venues, negotiate pricing to provide value for students, manage stakeholder expectations, and be very organised with the execution of events, Page 34 of 86
with much of the organisation happening concurrently for each event. As this is a role with a heavy focus on external contractions and engagement, professionalism in the role is of upmost priority. Whilst the role is demanding at the best of times, it is a rewarding experience seeing your peers and students enjoy themselves away from university and other commitments. Events lay at the heart of MULS and is instrumental in providing a vibrant and fun university experience for Macquarie Law Students. COVID-19 Related information Of all the portfolios, COVID hit the Events Team the hardest. With governmental and University constraints, the Events teams were not able to hold any of the planned events for 2020 and Semester 2 of 2021 due to the health and safety implications associated. As such, flexibility is essential in the role. With restrictions hopefully lifting by Semester 1 2022, there are prospects that the covid-safe events calendar can be reinstated for 2022. As in 2021, the Events Director not only needs to comply with government venue restrictions and venue covid-safety plans, but also with the University’s covid-safety requirements. These factors will need to be considered when choosing prospective venues and budgeting. Should events not be able to run, it is recommended that the prospective Events Director runs various online events and liaise with other law societies in order to find new and innovative ways to maintain engagement. Supplementing this, regular negotiations and discussions with third party providers is required as a result of a number of contingencies resulting from 2020 and 2021 cancellations.
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Director (Juris Doctor and Postgraduate) Current Office-Bearer: N/A – New Role in 2021/22 For all enquiries, please email Lucy Sheppard at president@muls.org 23.11. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g)
The Director (Juris Doctor and Postgraduate) shall: currently be enrolled in a JD or Postgraduate Law Degree at Macquarie University; direct, coordinate and supervise the operations of the JD and PG Department; develop, oversee, manage and orchestrate the integration of activities and initiatives that promote the needs and interests of Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students at Macquarie University; ensure that MULS adequately accommodates the needs of Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students; encourage meaningful Juris Doctor and Postgraduate student involvement in MULS; assist the President in liaising with the Law School and the Law School Director of Juris Doctor students to discuss and advocate for issues affecting Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students; and carry out duties assigned to them by the President from time to time. Time commitment: 10-15 hours per week (estimation based on other Director roles) Portfolio This is a new role, heading up a new portfolio in MULS. The purpose of the Juris Doctor and Postgraduate portfolio is to ensure that MULS reflects and incorporates the needs of these students into MULS. As a new role, you will have the ability to shape this role and help bring the new portfolio to life. You will also work with the Board to help better shape MULS events and initiatives to support Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students. The key focus of this Director role is to develop and orchestrate new initiatives to better support Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students. You will also manage the Juris Doctor and Postgraduate portfolio and work with the President in relation to any issues they deem appropriate. A key part of being in MULS is supporting and assisting other team members with events and responsibilities as required. Attributes The key attributes of a MULS team member are: • Team player • Committed • Dedicated • Resilient • Flexible • Demonstrates proficient project management skills • Attention to detail • Proficient communication skills • Able to work effectively under pressure
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Final notes This is a new and exciting opportunity to get involved and help shape the future of MULS. Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students are a key part of life at Macquarie Law School and to help facilitate their voice into MULS is a really rewarding and unique opportunity. If you have any questions about MULS or are interested in applying for this position, please reach out to Lucy Sheppard at president@muls.org
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The Executive Officers The Executive Officers are the substance of MULS. They are responsible for directly organising the events and initiatives for which MULS is known for. Although these roles are under the supervision and coordination of a Director, Executive Officers are given autonomy and creative freedom in organising MULS’ offerings. If you are interested in applying for an Executive Officer position, MULS is looking for experience and skills that directly relate to the position. Often, Executive Officer positions require specialist knowledge or technical expertise. Please carefully read through the roles and see which one is best suited to you. The Executive Officer positions are outlined below.
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Administration Current Office-Bearer: Anna Peterson – administrationofficer@muls.org 23.12The Executive Officer (Administration) shall: (a) assist the Secretary with tasks related to the performance of their duties (including, but not limited to organising event room bookings); (b) handle administrative request and queries from the Secretary; and (c) oversee the proper maintenance of the MULS Office and Student Common Room. Time Commitment 2-3 hours per week. This can change depending on what tasks need to be done. Portfolio The Executive Officer (Administration) assists the Secretary with the completion of general administrative tasks to ensure the efficient functioning of MULS. This includes submitting risk assessments, maintaining a record of upcoming events and updating the MULS calendar. This also includes completion of ad hoc tasks such as assisting with the preparation of Constitutional Amendments, preparing marketing requests or general research tasks as required. As the hours per week can fluctuate depending on what tasks are available, there is also scope for assisting other portfolios with their initiatives.
Attributes This role requires excellent time management and attention to detail to ensure that tasks are completed in a timely fashion and the calendar is updated appropriately. The role also requires a degree of flexibility to complete ad hoc tasks as requested by the Secretary. The role also requires effective communication skills to regularly interact with the Secretary to see what tasks are outstanding.
Final Note This is a great opportunity to contribute to the ‘behind the scenes’ work to ensure that MULS functions effectively. It is also a great opportunity to develop administrative skills. As the hours do fluctuate each week, this role is also a great opportunity to assist other portfolios with their initiatives
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Campus Experience Current Office-Bearer: Kenya Walker – campusexperience@muls.org 23.13 Officer (Campus Experience) shall: (a) strive to enrich the on-campus experience of Macquarie University Law Students; (b) liaise with Mentors@Macquarie in respect of law student mentoring programs; (c) be responsible for organising and coordinating initiatives designed to promote student health and wellbeing and stimulate debate about topical issues that impact law students; (d) facilitate the integration of first year, JD, Indigenous, diverse, Masters, PhD and external and distance students into the activities of the Society by way of; (i) appointing two first year Representatives (who must not be students enrolled in their first year of a Macquarie University JD or LLB program); (ii) appointing an Indigenous Representative (whose role is to outreach to Indigenous students and preference must be given to Indigenous candidates); (iii) appointing a diversity Representative (whose role is to cater to students of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, ages, LBTIQ+ status, abilities, and family responsibilities and preference must be given to applicants who themselves meet one of these criteria); (iv) appointing a Masters/PhD Representative (who must be enrolled in a Masters or PhD program); (v) appointing an external student Representative (preference must be given to applicants studying remotely, or with relevant experience); (vi) appoint two MULS Mental Wellbeing Champions (who are certified as an Australian Mental Health First Aider and provided a copy of this certification to the current Executive Officer (Campus Experience); and (vii) directing and collaborating with, all appointed representatives to establish targeted publications, initiatives and networking opportunities. (e) be responsible for organising student engagement activities including, but not limited to, the following: (i) at least one (1) staff/student symposium; (ii) at least one (1) education-related forum; and (iii) any other speakers’ forums that the Board deems necessary; (f) The Executive Officer (Campus Experience) may: (i) appoint, direct, coordinate and supervise the work of Campus Experience Representatives to assist them with the performance of their duties; and (ii) be responsible for organising a commemorative event.
Time Commitment 4-6 hours per week. This will fluctuate depending on what events are happening. For example, O-Week, First Year Afternoon and selecting the Representatives will be a busier period and involve more hours. During this week, it will be around 10-15 hours. Portfolio As the Campus Experience Officer, my everyday tasks include monitoring emails, liaising with student bodies, specifically the First Year, JD, Postgraduate, External, and Diversity Representatives, assisting the Education Director, and pitching/ organising events and initiatives. This role will require you to be Page 40 of 86
heavily involved in O-Week, which includes helping at the MULS stall, organising the First Year Afternoon Tea, and assisting with the Law School Welcomes. Be prepared to clear your schedule this week! You will be required to attend Executive meetings and organise meetings to plan events/ initiatives with your department of Representatives. Typical tasks associated with hosting an event include submitting risk assessments, COVID safe plans, marketing requests and promotion in the LLB, JD, Postgraduate and External Facebook groups. Whilst there are set events in this role, there are also many opportunities to be flexible and introduce new ideas that you think will help the wellbeing of students. Some of the new events introduced this year were Virtual Yoga, First Year Coffee Catch Ups and Wellbeing Wednesdays (mental health campaign). Attributes • Leadership • Creativity • Strong communication skills • Teamwork and collaboration • Organisation and being able to balance multiple initiatives at once • Flexibility Final Note This role is incredibly rewarding. It allows you to enhance the university experience for students and meet new people across all different year-groups of law. If you love being creative and thinking outside the box, this role is for you. If you have any questions about any of the above, please feel free to email Kenya Walker at campusexperience@muls.org. All the best!
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Social Justice Advocacy Current Office-Bearer: Imogen Bryant – sjadvocacy@muls.org
(a) (b) (c)
(d)
(e)
23.14 The Executive Officer (Social Justice Advocacy) shall: stimulate debate about social justice issues; assist the Director (Social Justice) in encouraging greater engagement with pertinent social justice issues on campus; organise all social justice related seminars and on-campus events, including, but not limited to: (i) social justice discussion groups; and (ii) social justice speaker events; facilitate practical opportunities for social reform including, but not limited to: (i) drafting and preparing written submissions on social justice (ii) policy to relevant bodies. The Executive Officer (Social Justice Advocacy) may: (i) in consultation with the Director (Social Justice) and Executive Officer (Community Outreach) appoint any social justice sub- committees for the purpose of assisting the Social Justice Department. Time Commitment 5-7 hours per week Portfolio The Social Justice Advocacy (SJA) Executive Officer position generally requires an average weekly commitment of about five hours, excluding attendance at any MULS meetings and events. This time is primarily spent working individually and with the Social Justice Portfolio to plan and organise events. Organisation tasks include liaising with external organisations or individuals, completing necessary paperwork for event planning, and overseeing the promotion of student engagement with social justice issues on campus. In 2021, the Social Justice Portfolio held eight Speaker Nights and events, with additional social media initiatives and campaigns. Whilst some of these events took place over Zoom, others required management of event locations, including room bookings, catering, and organising directions and parking for attendees. The Advocacy role is concerned with on-campus social justice initiatives. Responsibilities include facilitating social justice dialogue through on-campus events, including, but not limited to, speaker events or discussion groups. The role also involves encouraging student engagement with social justice issues, which is undertaken by cooperating with the university, the Law School, and external organisations who volunteer their time to come to speak on campus. A high level of professionalism is required from the Advocacy Officer, as it is important to maintain a good reputation for the Officer themselves and MULS as a whole when interacting with legal professionals. Whilst the Officer may have their own interests or issues they wish to explore, they should ensure that organised events cover a wide range of issues to uphold student engagement with social justice discourse. Topics of focus should be determined through assessing the interests of the student cohort and in collaboration with the Social Justice Director, as well as the established subcommittee established by the Executive Officer to assist in the carrying out of their duties.
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Attributes A willingness to work as part of a team environment alongside fellow members of the Social Justice Portfolio, as well as the Advocacy and Community Outreach subcommittees, is essential in effectively advancing the Portfolio’s objectives. Effective communication skills, thorough time management and foresight are required for liaising with external organisations and individuals. The Officer should ensure that minimal burden is placed upon our volunteer speakers for events, by providing necessary instructions, plans, and questions well in advance of the event. As with any MULS position, the Executive Officer should possess a positive attitude, be adept in time management and hold strong organisational skills.
Final Note It has been an incredibly valuable experience to serve MULS as the Social Justice Advocacy Executive Officer this year. Working with the SJ portfolio was exciting and challenging, and I am so thrilled with the outcome of the team’s work this year. The role offers an opportunity to cultivate a broad range of skills that can be applied in professional and other leadership environments, and a chance to meet brilliant legal experts and develop new interests. This role is ideal for someone who is passionate about social justice, hard-working and determined to bring the best events to the law student cohort, is creative in developing new initiatives or adapting current ones, and open minded in exploring issues that the student body is interested in learning more about. This is a fantastic platform to grow both personally and professionally, and meet other dedicated, supportive, and passionate students from the MULS team. If you have any questions about any of the above, please feel free to message Imogen Bryant at sjadvocacy@muls.org.
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Community Outreach Current Office-Bearer: May Karim – communityoutreach@muls.org 23.15 The Executive Officer (Community Outreach) shall: (a) assist the Director (Social Justice) to promote student involvement in and facilitate practical opportunities for community legal outreach initiatives; (b) be responsible for organising off-campus initiatives that are relevant to social justice; and (c) liaise and collaborate with relevant legal and community bodies for social justice initiatives. (d) The Executive Officer (Community Outreach) may: (i) liaise with the Executive Officer (Sport) to organise the Society’s involvement in community sporting events and charitable fun runs; and (ii) in consultation with the Director (Social Justice) and Executive Officer (Social Justice Advocacy) appoint any social justice sub-committees for the purpose of assisting the Social Justice Department Time commitment 5-7 hours per week Portfolio The Executive Officer (Community Outreach) position has been modified from the previous years and now bears additional responsibilities. This position generally requires an average weekly commitment of about 5 hours, excluding attendance at any MULS meetings and events. It must be noted that certain periods are busier than others i.e., more time commitment required closer to events. Majority of this time is spent working individually, in collaboration with the Director (Social Justice) or with the entire Social Justice Portfolio to plan and organise events. Tasks may include liaising with external parties or Macquarie University faculty members, researching potential speakers and guests for panels, drafting the necessary questions, and completing necessary paperwork for event planning (such as marketing requests), and overseeing the promotion of student engagement with social justice issues on campus. In 2021, the Community Outreach Officer was responsible for two Social Justice Speaker Nights with one of them being in collaboration with an external organisation and required management of event locations, including room bookings, catering, organising directions and parking for attendees and arranging gifts for the guest speakers. The Community Outreach officer and Director (Social Justice) have also published a Social Justice related episode of the MULS Podcast ‘Justified’ which took place over Zoom as we were in lockdown. This role is also responsible for planning, organising, and hosting the Annual Social Justice Trivia Night and all the funds raised go towards supporting a not-for-profit organisation. There are also ongoing events and initiatives on the MULS Social Justice Facebook page which include fortnightly news updates and volunteering opportunities for students. These were very useful to keep students engaged with MULS and aware of social justice issues. It is important to research relevant and pressing social justice issues which encompass a wide range of areas and effect different people in order to create engaging themes for the Speaker Nights.
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Attributes This role is all about collaboration and active engagement with the Social Justice Portfolio, the subcommittee, the broader MULS team and external organisations. The ideal person for this role is someone who is creative, proactive and organised. Passion and motivation are also key attributes, as your goal is to engage and connect students to a wide range of social justice experiences and opportunities. This role allows for a lot of creative freedom whilst deciding on themes and topics, so it is important for the Officer to be passionate about social issues. A high level of professionalism is also required from the Community Outreach Officer, as it is important to maintain a good reputation for the Officer themselves and MULS as a whole when interacting with external organisations and individuals. Good leadership and communication skills are essential as the Officer will be leading and instructing subcommittee members. During, off-peak periods it is important to support other portfolios and executives either by contributing to their tasks or attending events. Final Note It has been such a rewarding experience to serve as the Community Outreach Officer for MULS 2021. The Social Justice team, alongside the entire MULS team were all amazing individuals whom I loved working with. The roles and responsibilities for Community Outreach were quite different from previous years but this has allowed me to be more creative with the events and initiatives and learn many valuable skills. This role offers an opportunity to learn new skills as well as improve your communication, leadership, and professional skills. Teamwork is the most important aspect of this role and will help you develop many professional relationships and make incredible new friends. It is so important for us to be aware of social justice issues and make sincere efforts to overcome these. Good luck! If you have any questions about any of the above, please feel free to message May Karim at communityoutreach@muls.org.
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Sponsorship Current Office-Bearer: Max Glover - sponsorship@muls.org 23.16 The Executive Officer (Sponsorship) shall: (a) work with the Director (Career Engagement) in: (i) preparing the Sponsorship Prospectus; (ii) preparing bi-annual Sponsorship Updates; (iii) preparing proposals for new sponsorship items; and (iv) liaising with sponsors, particularly during sponsorship negotiations; (b) assist all members of the Career Engagement Department in the organisation of careers related initiatives. Time Commitment • Before Session 1: 5-10 hours per week; • Session 1: 5-10 hours per week; and • Session 2: 1-3 hours per week. Portfolio This role encompasses all duties associated with renewing, maintaining and finding new sponsors that will provide MULS with funds and merchandise throughout each year. Your role is also to assist Director of Career Engagement shaping the sponsorship plan by providing research on current and potential sponsors. Throughout the course of the year, you must ensure that events are appropriately sponsored and ensure that marketing requests are put in on time. Duties and expectations • Address queries raised by current sponsors, • Assist in drafting the prospectus if required, • Conduct research on potential new sponsors, • Reach out to potential new sponsors, • Attend careers events to assist with set up, • Attend sponsorship meetings if required, and • Ensure the delivery of prospectus items to the sponsor’s expected standards.
• • •
Attributes Communication - ability to communicate formally and efficiently, especially during formal meetings with firm sponsors, Research skills – clear and concise information assists the Careers Director and President in sponsorship meetings, Team player - being motivated to assist other Careers team members in executing duties, as well as the entire executive body Final Note This is a great opportunity to engage in facilitating career development and to understand how Career Engagement works internally. ‘Mad May’ is a busy period. The Sponsorship Executive Officer will be required to assist in various duties relating to clerkship events and panels. Some crossover between the members of the careers team is expected during times where one area experiences high volumes of work – the Director will assist in delegation in these instances.
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Corporate Careers x 2 Current Office-Bearers: Connor Barrs and Georgia Aslanidis– corporatecareers@muls.org 23.17 The Executive Officer (Corporate Careers) shall: (a) provide students with up-to-date information on all commercial and corporate related jobs, careers and organisations and the clerkship program; (b) organise all commercial and corporate related career seminars and events, including but not limited to: (i) clerkship/interview workshops; and (ii) corporate sponsor functions. (c) along with the Executive Officer (Public Interest Careers), liaise with career services of the University regarding all jobs and career opportunities; (d) assist all members of the Career Engagement Department in the organisation of careers related initiatives. Time commitment 4-6 hours per week Portfolio The bulk of the work in this role occurs in Semester One, particularly in late April through until the end of May. There are numerous firm presentations and networking events that culminate in the Clerkship Fair. You are required to plan and help coordinate these events alongside your Director in the months prior, as well as to physically attend and facilitate them. This includes setting up the event spaces and organising caterers in advance, as well as introducing and thanking speakers and panellists at the event. You are also required to attend and help out with other MULS departments, either setting or packing up events or if they need additional help. During an extended period of virtual events, the role requires no time or effort setting up physical event spaces and planning these in conjunction with the university and catering services, however it does require hosting events over Zoom and overseeing the operation of these events remotely on the day. It still requires the preplanning and organising of speakers and the technical aspects. In Semester Two, the focus is turned to alternative careers paths from corporate. For this, panel events will be held, each with a different focus including criminal law, judge’s associate/tipstaff, legal roles in the government and barristers. Attributes MULS have had consistently high levels of participation in Corporate Careers initiatives over the past few years and have worked hard to maintain strong relationships with corporate partnerships. It is therefore very important that the EO’s have the following attributes to ensure the success of the portfolio in the long term: • High level of planning and organisation skills, and the ability to put all the components of an event in place well before it starts. • Confident and professional interacting with the lawyers and HR representatives from sponsor firms. • Ability to use judgement and work well under pressure. Page 47 of 86
• • • •
Willingness to commit to the success of the events by prioritising responsibilities Ability to communicate well with the Director of Career Engagement and other members of the Career Engagement team. Being flexible to potential last minute changes. Willingness to help out wherever needed and be part of not only the Careers team, but the MULS executive.
Final Note The role is essentially that of an event planner and facilitator. Most of the direct negotiation with firms over events and sponsorship will be handled by the DCE and the President of MULS. However, the role is still a great opportunity to meet graduates/clerks, HR representatives, experienced lawyers and even partners from the organisations that engage with MULS.
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Public Interest Careers Current Office-Bearer: Tomas Ditton – publicinterestcareers@muls.org 23.18 The Executive Officer (Public Interest Careers) shall: (a) provide students with up-to-date information on all jobs, careers and organisations within the public interest; (b) organising all public interest related career seminars and events; (c) along with the Executive Officer (Corporate Careers), liaise with career services of the University regarding all jobs and career opportunities; and (d) assist all members of the Career Engagement Department in the organisation of careers related initiatives. Time Commitment 3 hours per week. Portfolio The Executive Officer (Public Interest Careers) is responsible for the following: • Providing students with current information on career paths that are within the public interest, mostly through careers seminars and events, • Liaising with the Macquarie University Career and Employment Service and Executive Officers (Corporate Careers) regarding all jobs and career opportunities, • Assisting in the general planning, preparation, marketing, and running of events run by the Careers department, • Planning and running the ‘Legal Roles in the Government’, ‘Criminal Law Careers Panel’ events and other events which have a public law focus, and • Being proactive in looking for opportunities to run new events, engage with careers stakeholders and students about career opportunities. Attributes As this position involves liaising with students, organisations, Executive Officers and the University, effective communication skills are an essential requirement for this role. Efficient time management and planning is also necessary as the position involves planning an event several weeks or months in advance. Finally, a passion and enthusiasm for public interest careers is a must as this role is largely self-driven. N.B. It is important through periods such as COVID-19 to ensure that open communication with the Careers and wider MULS executive is sustained. Additionally, it is important to adapt to provide events and opportunities in the best format possible. Final Note Non-traditional and public interest legal careers are an extremely important aspect of the legal industry and present many opportunities for law students who are interested in pursuing alternative careers in law. Public interest careers are very broad in scope which presents an opportunity to expand upon the diversity of events which MULS hosts whilst also giving students increased exposure to a variety of legal careers that would otherwise be overlooked. This position is a great opportunity to make positive change within MULS and to help your fellow students. Page 49 of 86
Competitions — Foundations x 2 Current Office-Bearers: Marcelo González Danke Tole Roebig - foundationcomps@muls.org Tole Roebig - novicecomp@muls.org 23.19 of the Macquarie University Law Society Constitution, The Executive Officers for Foundation Competitions shall: a) assist the Director (Competitions) with all tasks related to the proper functioning of the Society’s practical competitions, including, but not limited to: i. ii.
foundations moot; and novice moot; and
b) be ineligible to register and/or compete in any Foundations competitions for the duration of their term in office. Time Commitment: Up to 5 hours per week during semester 1, increasing to up to 10 hours per week during semester 2 when the Foundations of Law and Novice Moot competitions are in progress. Portfolio: This role involves organising mooting and judging workshops during the first semester and convening both the Foundations of Law Moot (available to first year students) and the Novice Moot (available to students who missed out during their first year and have thus not mooted before). Under this role you are responsible for the receiving of applications, sourcing moot questions, liaising with teams, drafting and redrafting draws, sourcing and allocating judges, collation of results, and hosting the Grand Final for your respective moot.
Attributes: • The ideal candidate will be someone willing to go above and beyond to help the competitions team generally. Considering that the workload for this position is lower than others, especially during the first semester, you will be expected to support and aid in the organisation of other MULS events and competitions. • You will also need to address queries from new mooters professionally, promptly, and in a constructive manner so as to help develop their involvement in future MULS competitions. • Excellent time management and organisational ability. You will have to collate the draws so as to match every teams availability, and organise all the necessary matters and communications to judges and competitors well in advance. • Flexible to unforeseen circumstances. You must have the ability to adapt to frequent and unforeseen last-minute circumstances such as: competitors forfeiting/withdrawing, judges or hosts being unavailable, technical errors with zoom, and other such complications.
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Final Notes: The Foundations Executives organise and manage the moots that students first compete in. This means that compared to other roles, a few aspects will be different from other moots. Firstly, you need to ensure that students are well equipped to moot before the competition begins. This means organising the judging workshops, and a follow-up workshop at the start of semester 2 just before the moots begin would be very helpful. Secondly, you need to be prepared for a very high attrition rate, and a large number of teams will drop out. In order to prepare for that, you need to be very flexible with individual applicants and focus on marketing the moots so as to get as many participants as possible.
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Competitions — Advocacy x 2 Current Office Bearer: Brendan Piech - (compsadvocacy@muls.org) Current Officer Bearer: Isabella Kiparizov - (compsadvocacy1@muls.org) 23.20 The Executive Officer (Competitions — Advocacy) shall:
(a) assist the Director (Competitions) with all tasks related to the proper functioning of the Societyʼs advocacy competitions, including, but not limited to: (i) championship moot; (ii) contracts moot; (iii) criminal moot; (iv) torts moot; (v) witness examination; and (vi) trial advocacy. (b) assist the Director (Competitions) with all tasks related to the proper functioning of subject based moots. (c) be ineligible to register and/or compete in any Advocacy competitions for the duration of their term in office.
Time Commitment The required time commitment is dependent upon the organisation requirements of the competitions responsible. The portfolio’s substantial portion of time and effort requirements are needed before the commencement and throughout the competition responsible. The structure of the competition dictates the time commitments at certain stages of coordination. For a weekend intensive competition, such as the 2021 Criminal Law Moot, several weeks of careful preparation and coordination are needed leading up to the competition. A competition that runs for a semester, such as the 2021 Witness Examination competition, requires a lessened initial time commitment, requiring coordination and organisation over an extended period. -
Preparing for rounds: 5 - 10 hours Execution of round: 3 - 4 hours
Portfolio Advocacy Executive Officers are required to execute the following tasks and responsibilities: ●
Prepare, manage, coordinate, and evaluate the running of MULS Advocacy Competitions, including: ○ Championship Moot, Criminal Law Moot (Semester 1) ○ Contract Law Moot, Witness Examination, Diversity and Pride Moot (Semester 2)
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●
● ● ●
Providing timely and effective communication to all stakeholders. You will be responsible for ensuring student obligation awareness and providing all involved parties with the necessary resources and information promptly. Ensuring a high standard of professional etiquette in organising and coordinating judges for the mooting rounds, considering availability and preferences. 2021 saw the necessary online coordination of competitions, requiring the organisation of zoom hosts and spontaneous troubleshooting for access-related issues. Assisting fellow Executives in the coordination of other MULS competitions and events.
Attributes An ideal Competitions Advocacy candidate requires: - Strong organisation and coordination skills. - Practical written and verbal communication skills. - Professional etiquette interacting with external parties, including alumni, academics, legal practitioners, and other potential judges. - Commitment to familiarisation with the relevant rules and procedures. - Proactive and reactive decision-making skills in dealing with situations requiring, sometimes spontaneous, educated decisions. - Willingness to assist fellow MULS Executives and students.
Final note The role of Executive Officer Competitions Advocacy is an enriching experience where one applies themselves thoroughly, providing an opportunity to become involved in a society coordinating a diverse range of initiatives to students. Throughout your term, you will have the opportunity to liaise with talented competitors, alumni, academics, and individuals within the legal profession. Commitment to the role is a requirement, with the coordination of many parties dependent upon your ability to communicate and coordinate effectively.
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Competitions — Professional Skills x 2 Current Office-Bearer: Maryrose Sukkar – compsskills@muls.org Current Office-Bearer: Seren Ozdemir – compsskills1@muls.org 23.21 The Executive Officer (Competitions — Professional Skills) shall: (a) assist the Director (Competitions) with all tasks related to the proper functioning of the Society’s practical competitions, including, but not limited to: i. client interview (which may split into junior and senior competitions depending on the amount of applications); ii. negotiations; and iii. paper presentation. (b) be ineligible to register and/or compete in any Professional Skills competitions for the duration of their term in office.
Time Commitment 10-15 hours per week. Portfolio To prepare, organise and assist the Director (Competitions) with all tasks related to the proper functioning of the Society’s professional skills competitions, including, but not limited to: • Client Interview Competitions (Junior & Senior); • Alternative Dispute Resolution; • Negotiations Competition; and • Paper Presentation To complete tasks including, but not limited to: • Liaising with legal professionals, students and academics and engaging them as judges • Advertising the professional skills competitions, • Creating competition registration forms and manage competition and client registrations • Organising and facilitating workshops for the competition, • Creating draws for the competition, • Choosing, formatting and sourcing (if required) competition questions, • Attending and facilitating the various rounds of the competitions • Managing complaints and disputes if they arise • Organising zoom/ campus room allocations, hosts, and clients for relevant rounds Attributes The first key attribute that is necessary for the incoming Professional Skills Executive Officers is time management. This role involves effectively doing a number of small, seemingly simple tasks in order to ensure the smooth running of the competitions. The small tasks can also seem menial at times, if they are not done correctly it can become very costly when running the actual competitions. We are aware that students’ lives are more diverse than just study, often involving work, study, social and extra-curricular aspects. Being able to manage all these commitments is essential, as the main bulk of this role will be running the competitions during the semester. The second key attribute that is necessary is organisation. This will ensure you can optimise your time management and ensure the competition is running effectively. There may be up to 40 Page 54 of 86
teams, external judges and clients (as required) to organise, and thus organisation skills are imperative. Commitment is perhaps the most important aspect, as this role requires continuing work throughout the semester and holidays, and a lack of commitment can burden all members of the Competitions Department. Communication is a vital skill to this role, due to its unique character of being split between two people. During competition periods communications with your fellow Professional Skills Officer may be required multiple times a day and you will need to be flexible to accommodate this. However, do not underestimate the need for diplomacy and social skills, as you will be liaising with legal professionals, Macquarie University Staff, and students. Maintaining a good relationship with all these groups is key to ensuring your role is as easy as it can be. Final Note The Competitions Department is an integral part of MULS, involving consistent time and effort to ensure its effective operation. However, it is arguably one of the most rewarding roles in MULS, as you will be helping students learn professional skills that will be invaluable to them in the future, and you will also be networking with academics, solicitors, barristers and judges. For us, being able to watch students grow as competitors and follow their progression to the final rounds is one of the best parts of this position!
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Competitions — External Advocacy Current Office-Bearer: Billy Co – externalcomps@muls.org (please note this role is a new format of the Competitions – External role) 23.22
The Executive Officer (Competitions — External Advocacy) shall:
(a) be responsible for organising all the Society’s external advocacy competitions; (b) be responsible for corresponding with external competition organisers in arranging registration of Macquarie competitors, and the payment of Macquarie registration fees; (c) be responsible for advertising and receiving applications for external competitions; (d) be responsible for working with the Director (Competitions) in establishing a selection committee of at least three senior academics, including the Dean of the Law School; (e) correspond with the appointed selection committee, providing them with applications and the advertised selection criteria, for the purposes of assessing the merit of those applications; (f) work with Competitions representatives from other law student societies to organise intervarsity competitions, including, but not limited to, the Sir John Peden Contract Moot, MULS Environmental Law Mooting Competition and the Margaret Cunneen Witness Examination Competition; (g) support the Executive Officer (Competitions – External Professional Skills) with any competitions as observed and required by the Director (Competitions); and (h) be ineligible to register or compete in any External competition for the duration of their term in office. Time Commitment 3 to 12 hours per week, subject to the number of active competitions. Portfolio This portfolio is tasked with the organisation and delivery of competitive experiences focused on advocacy skills to MULS members external to our usual competitions. Thus, in addition to reporting directly to the Director of Competitions, you will be liaising with your counterparts at other law societies to facilitate the delivery of a range of competitions (mostly moots) in varying degrees of involvement. All competitions will inevitably require you to commence registrations, advertise competitions and source competitors and/or coaches. However, as multilateral competitions such as the Gibbs, Kirby, Baker McKenzie Women’s Moots have dedicated singular, dedicated organising parties to host and organise teams from at least three or more participating universities, this may all the role require to satisfy said competitions. Meanwhile, MULS’ bilateral and flagship competition (the MULS Environmental Law Moot) will require much more than just the aforementioned steps in completing said competitions. As competitions such as the Peden Moot, Margaret Cunneen Witness Examination and the MULS Environmental Law Moot will be co-hosted (if not solely hosted) by MULS, additional steps such as sourcing problem scenarios, meeting with counterparts at other law societies to discuss logistics and planning out the entirety of a competition are a must. Attributes An ideal candidate should possess the following attributes: • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; Page 56 of 86
• • • •
Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to address and follow Strong adaptability to the respective interests of various stakeholders; Exceptional teamwork skills; and Previous exposure to MULS Competitions desirable but not essential.
Final Note As the public face of the MULS Competitions Department, you are responsible for representing MULS as professionally and diligently as possible before a myriad of stakeholders at different stages of each competition MULS is involved with; from student competitors, judges, industry professionals within and without the MULS community. Thus, it is critical that you are responsive to your emails and messages, flexible to evolving situations and be able to maintain an open mind with stakeholders and partners that may be accustomed to different methods of running competitions. While the need to juggle multiple concurrent timelines along with their attendant components and providing support to other portfolios may be overwhelming at times, you are free to offload some competitions to your co-exec in the External Professional Skills portfolio; as the majority of external competitions engaged in 2021 were categorised as Advocacy. In doing so, you will find that this portfolio is one that exposes you to a wider student, academic and professional community than ones that are typically found in other Competition portfolios; where in addition to refining a number of key professional skills, this portfolio also serves as an excellent networking opportunity in reaching out to students and professionals outside of MULS.
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Competitions — External Professional Skills Current Office-Bearer: Billy Co – externalcomps@muls.org (please note this role is a new format of the Competitions – External role) 23.23
The Executive Officer (Competitions — External Professional Skills) shall:
(a) be responsible for organising all the Society’s external professional skills competitions; (b) be responsible for corresponding with external competition organisers in arranging registration of Macquarie competitors, and the payment of Macquarie registration fees; (c) be responsible for advertising and receiving applications for external competitions; (d) be responsible for working with the Director (Competitions) in establishing a selection committee of at least three senior academics, including the Dean of the Law School; (e) correspond with the appointed selection committee, providing them with applications and the advertised selection criteria, for the purposes of assessing the merit of those applications; (f) work with Competitions representatives from other law student societies to organise intervarsity competitions, including, but not limited to, the MULS x SULS ADR Competition; (g) support the Executive Officer (Competitions – External Advocacy) with any competitions as observed and required by the Director (Competitions); and (h) be ineligible to register or compete in any External competition for the duration of their term in office. Time Commitment 2 to 10 hours per week, subject to the number of active competitions. Portfolio This portfolio is tasked with the organisation and delivery of competitive experiences focused on professional skills to MULS members external to our usual competitions. Thus, in addition to reporting directly to the Director of Competitions, you will be liaising with your counterparts at other law societies to facilitate the delivery of a range of competitions (mostly client interview, negotiations) in varying degrees of involvement. All competitions will inevitably require you to commence registrations, advertise competitions and source competitors and/or coaches. However, as multilateral competitions such as the SULS Client Interview, ADC-ICC Competition and UNSW IV Skills have dedicated singular, dedicated organising parties to host and organise teams from at least three or more participating universities, this may all the role requires to satisfy said competitions. Meanwhile, MULS’ bilateral competitions will require much more than just the aforementioned steps in completing said competitions. As competitions such as the MULS x SULS ADR Competition will be co-hosted (if not solely hosted) by MULS, additional steps such as sourcing problem scenarios, meeting with counterparts at other law societies to discuss logistics and planning out the entirety of a competition are a must. Given the workload that is expected for this portfolio, this role will also require you to offer logistical support to your co-exec where necessary. Attributes • • Page 58 of 86
Excellent time management skills, Good communication skills,
• • •
Good organisation and ability to meet deadlines, Adaptability and being flexible to the changing pressures and Works well under pressure and can balance multiple tasks effectively.
Final Note As the public face of the MULS Competitions Department, you are responsible for representing MULS as professionally and diligently as possible before a myriad of stakeholders at different stages of each competition MULS is involved with; from student competitors, judges, industry professionals within and without the MULS community. Thus, it is critical that you are responsive to your emails and messages, flexible to evolving situations and be able to maintain an open mind with stakeholders and partners that may be accustomed to different methods of running competitions. As this portfolio was created in response to the 120% increase in external competition engagement (from 2018, President’s half yearly report) is a requirement that you offer support to other portfolios and assist your co-exec in External Advocacy Competitions in their workload, such as taking over entire competitions where necessary as the majority of external competitions engaged in 2021 were categorised as Advocacy. In doing so, you will find that this portfolio is one that exposes you to a wider student, academic and professional community than ones that are typically found in other Competition portfolios; where in addition to refining a number of key professional skills, this portfolio also serves as an excellent networking opportunity in reaching out to students and professionals outside of MULS.
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Editor Current Office-Bearer: Angela Dela Cruz – editor@muls.org 23.24
The Executive Officer (Editor) shall:
(a)
edit and produce all Society publications (with the exception of The Brief), including, but not limited to: (i) the First Year Guide (before the commencement of Week 1, Session 1); (ii) the Clerkship Guide (by the beginning of June unless otherwise agreed upon by the Board and passed by simple majority); (iii) a third Guide (by the end of September); and (b)
(iv) other publications as directed by the Board. The Executive Officer (Editor) may: (i) appoint and coordinate the work of any Representatives necessary to help create all Society publications.
Time Commitment 4-6 hours a week. However, you can expect that the majority of the work will be concentrated in the 2-3 months leading up to the publication of each guide. Portfolio In 2021, the editor was responsible for planning, writing, and editing the First Year Guide, Competitions Guide, Clerkship Guide, and Wellbeing Guide. This will require consistent communication with the Director of Publications, to ensure that content is relevant and appropriate. Additionally, you will work with the Director of Publications to ensure that sponsorship obligations and expected timelines are being met. Further, you will need to liaise with an external designer to provide feedback and instructions on the design of publications. You may wish to work with other portfolios to create other guides, such as the Competitions Guide. Alternatively, you may produce an additional publication on your own initiative with the approval of and consultation of the Board and Director of Publications. For example, this year the Wellbeing Guide was produced under this. Attributes Students who wish to apply for this role should possess a passion for assisting law students throughout key milestones of their law degree. This role requires strong writing skills and diligence, as you will be expected to read through significant portions of content. Communication skills, organisational skills, and teamwork are also essential as you will have to liaise with internal and external stakeholders. Lastly, the ability to think both critically and creatively will be highly valued. Final Note This role is perfect for someone who loves reading, writing, and working on long projects. In this role, you are rewarded with the satisfaction of seeing all your hard work come together in a tangible form. Guides such as the First Year Guide and Clerkship Guide are highly valuable publications for law students, and getting to play a significant role in their creation is incredibly rewarding. Additionally, this role provides a significant amount of discretion and autonomy. So, if you’re someone who loves thinking outside the box and thinking of ways to improve things, this is a great role for you. Page 60 of 86
The Brief Editor-in-Chief Current Office-Bearer: Brindha Srinivas – thebrief@muls.org 23.25 The Executive Officer (The Brief Editor-in-Chief) shall: (a) be responsible for ensuring the publication of at least two editions of The Brief per year; and edit The Brief; (b) be responsible for the publication of The Brief Online. (c) The Executive Officer (The Brief Editor-in-Chief) may: (i) appoint and coordinate the work of any Representatives necessary to publish The Brief and The Brief Online including, but limited to, the following roles: i. Writer who is commissioned to write for The Brief ii. Sub-Editor who is commissioned to sub-edit content submitted to The Brief iii. Online contributor who is commissioned to write for The Brief Online. Time Commitment 10 – 25 hours per week. Regarding the time commitment, it will generally fluctuate across the year. During peak periods expect to spend up to 25 hours a week, your responsibilities will include managing the online platform, weekly editing, co-ordinating cross functional teams (writers, sub-editors, designer, and interviewers) as well as reviewing all submissions and working closely with the print edition designer. In non-peak periods, expect to spend 10 hours a week where your responsibilities may not be as demanding as you are required to plan and co-ordinate submissions. Portfolio The core tasks include: • Commissioning, subediting, and publishing content for the print edition (published three times a year) and online edition. • Managing a subcommittee of approximately 50 student writers and editors, creating weekly schedules, setting deadlines for print and online submissions. • Driving the creative direction of the print editions and working alongside with the designer. • Coordinating cross-functional teams such as editors, designers, members of the Macquarie Law School as well as external parties (for interviews) • Ensuring regular communication between yourself, contributors, editors, Director of Publications and other stakeholders.
Attributes Essential personal attributes required to be successful in this role include: • Excellent written communication skills • Time management skills • High attention to detail • Be able to organise and balance MULS, university, work, and personal responsibilities • Ability to give constructive feedback and provide instructions with clarity • Passionate about curating and providing creative direction • Ability to work effectively with a large team Page 61 of 86
• •
Be able to meet deadlines Ability to keep up with current global news and affairs
Final Note While it is no secret that the role of Editor-in-Chief is challenging, demanding and at times stressful it is also equally rewarding. Your time management, leadership and communication skills will significantly be advanced as you are presented with various opportunities as well as challenges. This year we introduced a new segment for our print editions, ‘Admissions of a Law Student’ and started to transition our online articles onto the MULS website. Such initiatives are a great example of the freedom you will have in evolving your ideas into a final output as you work alongside a large group of people who are equally as passionate as you. What I have enjoyed the most about the role is curating and creating themes, providing creative direction and being able to interview Macquarie Law School staff and alumni for the interview segments. Being Editor-in-Chief will also allow you to have a great sense of self-reflection to find your strengths and weaknesses as a communicator, writer, and editor. It is incredibly important that you are passionate, determined and committed to the role as it will occupy a large proportion of your time. The Brief is a wonderful example of embracing diversity of thought and is an exceptional avenue for students to explore legal areas outside of their studies and tap into their passions or areas of interest.
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IT Current Office-Bearer: Melvin Hariman - itofficer@muls.org 23.26 The Executive Officer (IT) shall: (a) maintain and update the Society's website; (b) create and maintain all MULS email accounts; (c) liaise with Director (Publications) to establish and maintain templates for use by Executive Council Members; and (d) respond to and remedy the IT related requests of: (i) Directors; (ii) Executive Officers; and (iii) Representatives. (e) perform the duties of the Executive Officer (Publicity) under s 8.17, where necessary or as instructed by the Director (Publications); and (f) be responsible for non-professional photography at the Society’s events. (g) The Executive Officer (IT) may: (i) facilitate and assist with online ticketing systems. Time Commitment 3-5 hours per week (hours will vary from week-to-week). The role of the IT Officer focuses on the operational management of the society’s website and technology. Regular duties will revolve around maintenance of the website, updating events and generally ensuring the website is up-to-date. Communication with members of other portfolios is key in this role. The website is a central point for the society’s members and is heavily utilised. Going into next year, collaboration with Publications will be extremely important. The Brief is moving onto the website and communication with the relevant members of the Publications portfolio is essential. As the website is hosted on Squarespace, knowledge of this platform, domains, hosting and analytics is critical. Note however, that Squarespace is fairly intuitive, so a willingness to learn and interest in web design is very important also. Further, the ability to operate Zoom and have a sound understanding of editing videos is useful for this role. Attributes The person who fills this role must be able to meet deadlines, communicate effectively with others and work independently. This role provides a lot of autonomy and you must be able to self-manage your tasks. Additionally, this role requires someone who understands user experience and web design. Experience with IT and web-development will be useful, but with a passion for creativity and drive to learn, you will be able to excel in this role. Final Note This role provides you with a lot of autonomy to be creative and support the team. Given the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to online learning, the website is increasingly used and will be utilised even more in the years to come. Overall, you must have a passion for the dynamic changes and challenges that arise from technology and be willing to adapt to these accordingly. Page 63 of 86
Publicity x 2 Current Office-Bearer: Josh Yoe and Rani Ravinthran – publicity@muls.org 23.27 The Executive Officer (Publicity) shall: a) promote and encourage student, public and stakeholder engagement with the Society’s events, initiatives and offerings through professional, consistent and creative marketing; b) direct, coordinate and supervise, in consultation with the Marketing Department, the production and dissemination of advertisements and promotions of the Society by any means, such as: i. email; ii. lecture announcements; iii. posters/flyers; and iv. social media. c) confer with the Director (Marketing) to ensure that all advertising and promotional material comply with the MULS Style Guide; and d) be responsible for the publication and distribution of Law School and Society news to all Society members through an appropriate medium. Time Commitment
10 - 20 hours per week; this will vary throughout the year. Portfolio This position has a variety of roles that revolve around the promotion of the society’s events and initiatives. The tasks for this role include, but are not limited to: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Receiving marketing request submitted by other executive and board members, and fulfilling such requests in a timely manner; Communicating with other portfolios within the society to fulfil all marketing-related inquiries and needs; Scheduling and posting of social media posts, stories and events; Designing and creating original and innovative content such as social media stories, graphics, event covers and other promotional materials; Responding to messages and interacting with our online audience on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and any other forms of social media; Providing photography and/or live streaming for events; Assist in the promotion of MULS merchandise; and Attending MULS meetings, events, workshops and other initiatives the society may run.
Attributes This role requires excellent communication with the Director (Marketing), other Executive Officers in the Marketing Department, and other members of the MULS Executive Council. It is imperative to be highly responsive to incoming emails and messages from both the public and other MULS Executive Members. This role will require you to be able to accommodate last-minute changes or assist in tasks with short notice. A Publicity Officer should be experienced in utilising social media platforms including Facebook, Page 64 of 86
Instagram and LinkedIn, and preferably, a regular user of aforementioned platforms. Skills in graphic design and film editing, such as Photoshop and Canva, are also highly desirable. Above all, a positive attitude with a willingness to learn and incorporate feedback is a must. This role requires: • Creativity and the ability to produce high-quality designs/graphics; • Exceptional time-management and organisational skills; • Flexibility & adaptability when urgent matters arise; • High attention to detail; • Excellent communication skills; and • The ability to work both independently and in a team. Final Note Whilst this portfolio requires serious commitment, the marketing department is a highly rewarding, enjoyable and creative department which allows you to express your innovative ideas to connect MULS with its diverse stakeholders. This role will find yourself constantly doing something, whether it be scheduling social media posts, creating promotional material for our events, or responding to inquiries from our members. You’ll also need to support other portfolio initiatives through assisting other executive officers and attending various events/workshops. If you’re an avid user of social media, have a passion for digital design, and want to develop yourself further through a highly supportive team, then this role is perfect for you.
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Sport Current Office-Bearer: Charlotte Petrie – sports@muls.org 23.28 The Executive Officer (Sport) shall: (a) be responsible for coordinating one internal sports day at the University per year; (b) be responsible for coordinating the MULS contingent for an intervarsity sports day; and; (c) facilitate the participation of MULS in University-administered social sport competitions. Time Commitment 4 – 6 hours per week The Sports Executive Officer has a year-long commitment of promoting sports, and organising the social sport competition, run weekly throughout the semester. Some weeks will simply involve communicating with MULS members who are competing in the social sports competition, whilst other weeks require extra time to be put aside to organise and plan upcoming events in both semester one and two. Portfolio As the Sports Executive Officer, you will be required to coordinate a variety of sporting events, as well as supporting the Events team when required. You will be responsible for running a MULS Sports Gala Day, which is typically held in semester one, and the NSW Young Lawyers Intervarsity Sports Day, held in semester two. The NSW Young Lawyers Intervarsity Sports Day is hosted by MULS, and invites all other law student societies in NSW to participate. You will be required to coordinate with the Macquarie University Gym to facilitate the registration of MULS members and teams into Social Competitions across a variety of sports. You must register players, form teams, organise uniforms, and manage these teams throughout the semester. It is essential that you are organised, and are able to successfully manage a budge for each event. This role has a lot of room for flexibility, as you are able to work alongside the Social Justice team and support one of their initiatives at your sporting events. You can also arrange for MULS to participate in other initiatives, such as City2Surf or the Colour Run. This role requires you to develop relationships and convene with a variety of individuals and organisations, including MULS members and Executive, NSW Law Society, NSW Young Lawyers, the Macquarie University Gym, and other students run law societies all around NSW. Sports is a great way to meet new people in a friendly and stress-free environment, and this roles allows you to promote this and encourage as many MULS members as possible to participate.
• • • • • •
Attributes Organised Enthusiastic Flexible Strong interpersonal skills A team player Experience organising sporting teams and/or events
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Final Note The Sports Executive Officer is a fulfilling role, and allows you to meet a lot of new people, and get involved in MULS. The role requires a high degree of organisation and communication, but it is incredibly rewarding to witness people get involved, make new friends, and enjoy participating in friendly competition.
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Socials x 2 Current Office-Bearers: Taylor McCoy and Jessica Go (socials@muls.org) 23.29 The Executive Officers (Socials) shall: (a) be responsible for organising all of the social functions of the Society, including, but not limited to: (i) a first year law camp within four (4) weeks of the commencement of Session 1; (ii) a social event, such as but not necessarily a harbour cruise, during Session 1; (iii) a Law Ball during Session 2; (iv) one other social event during both Session 1 and Session 2; (v) one non-alcohol related social event per year. Time Commitment The time commitment for this role fluctuates around social events. On average, the role requires 2-4 hours every week. However, in the lead up to MULS Events such as Law Cruise and other ‘Start of Semester’ activities, this can increase to nearly 8 hours per week. Portfolio The role of the Socials Executive Officer is to assist the Events Director in facilitating social events for MULS. Officers are required to be creative in ensuring the events are fun, safe and within the allocated budget. These events include: Law camp, Start of semester drinks (1 and 2), Law cruise and our annual Law Ball. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, planned events were cancelled or postponed. To overcome these challenges, it is important that the Socials Officers are creative and adaptable in organising alternative initiatives that are in line with the COVID-19 restrictions. This year, by collaborating with the University, the Events portfolio were able to run ‘The aMULsing Time’ event for first year students as a replacement for Law Camp. Typical tasks include: • Requesting quotes for venues and service providers. • Liaising with other portfolios and executives in organising events and promoting event attendance • Contacting 3rd parties and external providers. • Arriving early to all events to liaise with venue staff and also to provide assistance throughout the duration of the event Attributes The following attributes are required to be successful in this position: • Enthusiastic and sociable. • Adaptable, flexible and able to take initiative. • Teamwork, collaboration and communication skills. • Strong organisation and time-management skills • Creativity and problem-solving skills. Final Note This is a really exciting role that allows you to explore your creativity! By organising fun events, you can help students enjoy a positive work/life balance. Being a Socials Officer has been highly rewarding and we encourage applications for this position if you are interested! Page 68 of 86
Executive Officer (JD and Postgraduate Engagement) Current Office-Bearer: N/A – New Role in 2021/22 For all enquiries, please email Lucy Sheppard at president@muls.org 23.30. The Executive Officer (JD and Postgraduate Engagement) shall: (a) currently be enrolled in a JD or Postgraduate Law Degree at Macquarie University; (b) strive to enrich the on-campus experience of Macquarie University Law Students; (c) facilitate the engagement of Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students by way of appointing a JD representative (who shall be a student enrolled in a Macquarie University JD program); (d) have the discretion to appoint a JD and Postgraduate wellbeing officer, who will work to promote the wellbeing and support of students; (e) be responsible for organising and coordinating Juris Doctor and Postgraduate student engagement activities including, but not limited to, the following: (i) at least one (1) staff/student symposium; (ii) at least one (1) education-related forum; and (iii) any other speakers’ forums that the Board deems necessary; (f) be responsible for promoting the engagement of JD and Postgraduate students at O-Week and other MULS events as well fostering collaboration with other student societies at Macquarie University; and (g) engage with members regularly in order to establish an open line of communication. Time Commitment 4-6 hours per week (estimation based on other Executive roles) Portfolio This is a new role, within a new portfolio in MULS. The purpose of the Executive Officer (JD and Postgraduate Engagement) is to ensure that MULS adequately engages and facilitates meaningful opportunities for JD and Postgraduate students. This officer will work with the Director (JD and Postgraduate) to ensure that MULS reflects and incorporates the needs of these students into MULS. As a new role, you will have the ability to shape this role and help bring the new portfolio to life. You will also work with the Executive to help better shape MULS events and initiatives to support Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students. The key focus of this role is to run events that enhance the engagement of JD and Postgraduate students. This Executive Officer will also have the discretion to appoint a JD representative and a wellbeing officer, to help better address and advocate for the needs of JD and Postgraduate students. A key responsibility of this role is to promote the engagement and involvement of JD and Postgraduate students during o-week. A key part of being in MULS is supporting and assisting other team members with events and responsibilities as required. Attributes The key attributes of a MULS team member are: • Team player Page 69 of 86
• • • • • • • •
Committed Dedicated Resilient Flexible Demonstrates proficient project management skills Attention to detail Proficient communication skills Able to work effectively under pressure
Final Note This is a new and exciting opportunity to get involved and help shape the future of MULS. Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students are a key part of life at Macquarie Law School and to help facilitate their voice into MULS is a really rewarding and unique opportunity. If you have any questions about MULS or are interested in applying for this position, please reach out to Lucy Sheppard at president@muls.org
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Executive Officer (JD and Postgraduate Careers) Current Office-Bearer: N/A – New Role in 2021/22 For all enquiries, please email Lucy Sheppard at president@muls.org 23.31. The Executive Officer (JD and Postgraduate Careers) shall: (a) currently be enrolled in a JD or Postgraduate Law Degree at Macquarie University; (b) provide Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students with up-to-date information on all jobs, careers and organisations relevant to their experience and studies; (c) organise two (2) Juris Doctor and Postgraduate career seminars in collaboration with the Career Engagement Portfolio, including but not limited to: (i) Juris Doctor and Postgraduate career opportunities; or (ii) Juris Doctor and Postgraduate resume and cover letter skills workshop; (d) along with the Executive Officer (Corporate Careers), liaise with career services of the University regarding all jobs and career opportunities; and (e) assist all members of the Career Engagement and Juris Doctor and Postgraduate Department in the organisation of careers-related initiatives. Time Commitment 4-6 hours per week (estimation based on other Executive roles) Portfolio This is a new role, within a new portfolio in MULS. The purpose of the Executive Officer (JD and Postgraduate Careers) is to ensure that MULS provides ample career events that respond to the needs and concerns of JD and Postgraduate students. This officer will work with the Director (JD and Postgraduate) to ensure that MULS reflects and incorporates the needs of these students into MULS. This officer will also work with the Director (Career Engagement) to create, implement and run their career events. As a new role, you will have the ability to shape this role and help bring the new portfolio to life. You will also work with the Executive to help better shape MULS events and initiatives to support Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students. The key focus of this role is to run career events that support the career development of JD and Postgraduate students. You will also provide JD and Postgraduate students with up-to-date information and resources on jobs and careers. You will work with the Executive Officer (Corporate Careers) to liaise with the University career service regarding any career opportunities. A key part of being in MULS is supporting and assisting other team members with events and responsibilities as required.
Attributes The key attributes of a MULS team member are: • Team player • Committed • Dedicated Page 71 of 86
• • • • • •
Resilient Flexible Demonstrates proficient project management skills Attention to detail Proficient communication skills Able to work effectively under pressure
Final Note This is a new and exciting opportunity to get involved and help shape the future of MULS. Juris Doctor and Postgraduate students are a key part of life at Macquarie Law School and to help facilitate their voice into MULS is a really rewarding and unique opportunity. If you have any questions about MULS or are interested in applying for this position, please reach out to Lucy Sheppard at president@muls.org
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ELECTION REGULATIONS
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ELECTION REGULATIONS Section 1 – Preamble 1.1 Pursuant to s 17 of the Constitution, the rules contained herein provide regulation on the conduct of the MULS Board Elections and the procedure for the appointment of Executive Officers. Section 2 – Definitions 2.1 Capitalised terms in the Regulations have the meaning given to them by the Constitution, except for as provided below: Authorised Events: Any event approved by the Returning Officer pursuant to s 7.7 of the Regulations. It includes, but is not limited to, the Election. Authorised Material: Any electronic or hardcopy publication produced, compiled or approved by the Returning Officer pursuant to s 7.7 of the Regulations. It may include, but is not limited to, the Candidate Guide, advertisements publicising the Election, the Candidates’ Response Guide and the results of the Election and the ballot. Campaigning: Any electronic, hardcopy or publicly oral endorsing of any nominee. This includes, but is not limited to, flyers, e-mails, business cards, social media, clothing, stickers, speeches, posters and images. This also includes, but is not limited to, hawking, public announcements, excessively loud oral proclamations and engaging others for the sole purpose of discussion the elections whether by the nominee or by any person on behalf of the nominee. This does not include private oral communication or recommending that Members view Authorised Material or attend Authorised Events. Candidate Album: An album of candidates created for the purposes of the Election, hosted on the Society’s social media presence. This is not open for public comment or discussion. Candidate Guide: The document prepared pursuant to s 9.2 of these Regulations. Candidates’ Response Guide: The document prepared pursuant to s 9.4 of these Regulations. Delegate: A member of the incumbent MULS Executive Council not contesting the Election, selected pursuant to s 7.2 of the Regulations. Election: An annual ballot to determine the MULS Board for the following calendar year. Election Guide: A document providing information on the Election and containing these Regulations, prepared pursuant to s 9.1 of these Regulations. Page 74 of 86
Board Elect: The members of the Board formed after finalisation of the Election count by the Returning Officer. Handover Meeting: A meeting between the incumbent Board and the Board Elect to be held within eight (8) weeks of the conclusion of the Election. Prescribed Format: Has the meaning given to it by s 3.7 of the Regulations.
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Regulations: This document. Returning Officer: A member of the University staff appointed to supervise the Election pursuant to s 7.1 of these Regulations. Tied Election Result: Where two or more nominees for a position on the Board receive an equal number of votes, and this number of votes is the highest number of votes received for that Executive Council position. Section 3 – Eligibility 3.1
Only MULS Members shall vote in the Election.
3.2 Only MULS Members may nominate themselves for election to the Board or for appointment as an Executive Officer. 3.3
MULS Members may nominate for one (1) Board position only.
3.4
MULS Members may nominate for one (1) Executive Officer position only.
3.5 MULS Members may nominate for both one (1) Board position and one (1) Executive Officer position concurrently. 3.6 MULS Members seeking to nominate themselves for either a Board or Executive Officer position must do so in the Prescribed Format. 3.7 The Prescribed Format shall take the form of the schedule to these Regulations entitled ‘Nomination Form’ and must consist of the following requirements: a. The name of the nominee; b. The contact details for the nominee; c. The position being nominated for; d. A statement of intention consisting of no more than 300 words; e. The names of two MULS Members who second the nomination; and f. The signature of the incumbent Member of the Executive Council for the position being nominated for, which must be reasonably provided after consultation with that incumbent member. i. In the event that the signature cannot be provided, an email from the incumbent Member’s official MULS email address approving the nomination will suffice. 3.8
Nominees for an Executive Officer position must also include a CV in their nomination.
3.9
Nominations must not breach the Regulations. Section 4 – Timeline
4.1 Page 76 of 86
The Election must be held no later than four (4) weeks after the mid-session
break of Session 2. 4.2 The Returning Officer or their Delegate must publish the Candidate Guide as soon as practicable after the close of nominations. The Candidate Guide must be authorised by the Returning Officer prior to its publication pursuant to s 7.7 of the Regulations. 4.3 Executive Officers must be appointed no later than two (2) months following the date of the AGM. Section 5 – Voting 5.1 Voting will take place via online poll, the specific form of which shall be determined by the Returning Officer or their Delegate. 5.2 If a member is unable to access the online poll, the Returning Officer may determine a reasonable alternative to facilitate the casting of their vote. 5.3 The nominee that receives the greatest number of votes will be appointed to the Board position that they have nominated for. 5.4
In the event of a Tied Election Result, the following will apply: a. The nominees with the Tied Election Result shall be informed of the Tied Election Result by the Returning Officer or their Delegate; b. Any of the nominees with the Tied Election Result may request the votes be recounted; c. A request for a recount must be received by the Returning Officer or their Delegate within twenty four (24) hours of the time the nominee was informed of the Tied Election Result. d. The votes will only be recounted in the same manner as conducted pursuant to s 7.9 of these Regulations. e. Where the Tied Election Result is not resolved with a recount, the Board Elect will determine the nominee who will assume the relevant Board position by way of simple majority of a secret ballot. f. In the event that the Board Elect is deadlocked, the outgoing President will appoint the nominee who will assume the relevant Executive Council position.
5.5 Online voting will commence at 9am Monday (AEST) and close at 5pm on the following Wednesday (AEST) in the week designated pursuant to s 4 of the Regulations. 5.6 The Returning Officer may deem an election to be invalid at their discretion, whether due to technical problems or otherwise. a. If an election is deemed invalid, the Returning Officer will ensure a valid online or paper ballot election will take place in the week immediately following the original election week. 5.7 Each nominee may appoint one (1) scrutineer to inspect the electronic results of the election for the Board position for which they have nominated. The Returning Page 77 of 86
Officer will have full discretion to determine when and how the scrutineer may inspect the results. a. In the event of a paper ballot election, the scrutineer may be present while the votes are being counted for the Board position they have been appointed to scrutinise only. Section 6 – Campaigning 6.1 All Campaigning, as defined under section 2 of the Regulations, is banned from the time that the nomination period opens until the time that all incoming Board positions are determined at the MULS AGM. 6.2
The nomination process (specifically, the selection of seconders) is exempt from the ban
in s 6.1 of the Regulations. 6.3
All authorized materials are exempt from the ban in s 6.1 of the Regulations.
6.4 Any Campaigning that occurs prior to the commencement of the nomination period or following the conclusion of the MULS AGM is not prohibited. 6.5 Notwithstanding s 6.1, MULS Members may submit questions to the nominees via the Returning Officer or their Delegate. 6.6 The Candidates’ responses to the submitted questions will be presented in the form of the Candidates’ Responses Guide, as outlined in s 9.4. 6.7
The Society must advertise details of the Election in each of the following: a. The Society’s website; b. E-mail; and c. Social media. Section 7 – Returning Officer
7.1
A Returning Officer must be appointed by the incumbent President and must: a. Be a current staff member at the University; b. Not have a conflict of interest with any of the nominees; and c. Willingly accept their appointment.
7.2 With the exception of ss 5.5, 7.7, 7.9, 7.10, 7.12 and 10 of the Regulations, the Returning Officer may appoint one or more Delegate/s to carry out any of their duties and he/she must: a. Not have a conflict of interest with any of the nominees; b. Be willing to accept the appointment; and c. Must not have a study load that would prevent or adversely hinder their ability to execute the powers and duties delegated to them by the Returning Officer. 7.3 The Returning Officer or their Delegate may determine the appropriateness of submitted questions pursuant to s 6.5 and determine their Page 78 of 86
suitability for answering. 7.4 The Returning Officer or their Delegate may refuse to accept nominations that do not follow the requirements laid out in s 3.7 of these Regulations. 7.5
The Returning Officer or their Delegate must compose the ballot.
7.6 The Returning Officer or their Delegate must publish the Election Guide and Candidate Guide pursuant to section 9 of these Regulations. 7.7 The Returning Officer must authorise Authorised Material and Authorised Events including, but not limited to, the following: a. The contents of the Candidate Guide; b. The contents of the Candidates’ Responses Guide; c. The establishment of a social media Candidate Album; d. The voting system to be used for the Election; e. The results of the Election; and f. The ballot.
7.8
Authorisation pursuant to s 7.7 of these Regulations consists of the following: a. Reviewing any Authorised Material; b. Approving that material; c. Indicating their approval with the following mark, where appropriate: i. ‘Authorised Returning Officer to be confirmed).’ 7.9 The Returning Officer must count the votes for the Election and must be present from the time that counting commences until the time that all votes have been counted. 7.10 The Returning Officer will inform the incumbent President of the results of the Election. 7.11 The incumbent President will individually inform all the nominees of the results, as soon as is practicable. 7.12 The Returning Officer will certify the fair winners of the Elections at the AGM pursuant to ss 5.3(d) and 12 of the Constitution. 7.13 The Returning Officer may invalidate election results for the purposes of s 10.11, pursuant to s 12.11 of the Constitution. 7.14 The Returning Officer must investigate complaints and impose penalties for breach of these Regulations pursuant to section 10 of these Regulations.
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Section 8 – Election Results 8.1 Once all successful nominees have been individually informed of the results, the incumbent President shall publish a notice to all Members informing them of the successful nominees that will form the Board Elect. 8.2 Any communication to any person of the results of the Election from any member of the Board Elect prior to the official release of results pursuant to s 8.1 shall be grounds for immediate dismissal. Section 9 – Guides 9.1 The incumbent President must produce an Election Guide with the assistance of the incumbent Secretary and the incumbent Director (Publications). 9.2 The Returning Officer or their Delegate must produce a Candidate Guide, which shall consist of each nomination form received in the Prescribed Format, with the exception of the nominee’s seconders and the signature/approval email of the incumbent Executive Officer for that position. 9.3 Nominees in the Candidate Guide shall be presented in alphabetical order (by the nominee’s family name) and grouped according to the position being nominated for. 9.4 The Returning Officer or their Delegate must produce a Candidates’ Responses Guide, which shall consist of the responses to the questions submitted by MULS Members pursuant to s 6.5.
9.5 Nominees in the Candidates’ Responses Guide shall be presented in alphabetical order (by the candidate’s family name) and grouped according to the position being nominated for. 9.6
All Guides shall be distributed by the Society in each of the following: a. The Society’s website; b. E-mail; and c. Social media. Section 10 – Breaches and Penalties
10.1 Where a nominee is found by the Returning Officer to have breached any section of these Regulations, or to have encouraged someone else to breach any section of these Regulations on their behalf, they shall be immediately disqualified from running for election in that year. a. Where a nominee is disqualified, the Returning Officer will immediately remove the nominee from the ballot, and any other Election publications where Page 80 of 86
appropriate. b. The disqualified nominee may not re-nominate for that position, may not nominate for any other Board position in that Election or apply for an Executive Officer position, nor be allowed to nominate for any position vacant at the AGM. 10.2 Where a Member who has not nominated for election to the Board is found by the Returning Officer to have breached any section of these Regulations, they may be dismissed pursuant to procedures outlined in section 15 of the Constitution. 10.3 Any Member may lodge a complaint with the Returning Officer regarding a breach of these Regulations. The complaint must specify the following: a. The names of the Members alleged to have breached these Regulations; b. The section of the Regulations alleged to have been breached; c. A description of the conduct alleged to have breached these Regulations; d. The names of any witnesses to the alleged breach; e. Any evidence of the alleged breach; and f. Contact details for the complainant. 10.4 The Returning Officer shall ensure the identity of the complainant is kept confidential and is not disclosed to anyone. 10.5 The Returning Officer must inform the incumbent President that a complaint has been lodged within one (1) day of receiving the complaint. 10.6 The Returning Officer must inform the person/s alleged to have breached these Regulations that a complaint has been lodged with the Returning Officer and inform them of the general nature of the complaint against them within one (1) day of receiving the complaint. 10.7 The Returning Officer shall allow the person/s alleged to have breached these Regulations the opportunity to present evidence in defence of the complaint. 10.8 The Returning Officer must determine whether the conduct complained of breaches any section of these Regulations, having regard to all information that they have been provided, without regard to the intention of the persons alleged to have breached these Regulations. 10.9 The Returning Officer must provide a written determination to the complainant, the person/s alleged to have breached these Regulations, and the incumbent President within four (4) days of receiving the complaint. 10.10 The Returning Officer will not entertain any complaints received greater than thirty (30) days following the close of polling. Page 81 of 86
10.11 In the event that the Returning Officer delivers their determination regarding an alleged breach: a. after the election period has concluded and within the limitation period; b. the determination concerns a member of the incoming or assumed Executive Council; and, c. the outcome of the determination is that there was a breach of these Regulations, the Board position in question shall fall to the nominee with the next highest number of votes, or will otherwise be deemed: d. A vacancy, to be filled at the AGM, if the determination is made after the close of polling but prior to the AGM, or, e. a casual vacancy, to be filled pursuant to s 13 of the Constitution if the determination is made after the AGM. 10.12 Any Member seeking to fill a position vacant at the AGM is exempt from the ban on Campaigning in s 6.1 of these Regulations for the duration of the AGM. 10.13
There is no appeal from any determination of the Returning Officer. Section 11 – Transition
11.1 The Board Elect shall not assume formal office until the conclusion of the academic year. 11.2 The Board Elect shall communicate with the incumbent Executive Council until the Handover Meeting. 11.3 Prior to the Handover Meeting, each member of the Board Elect shall be provided with the following information from their respective incumbent Board Member: a. An outline of the role and duties; b. Quotes or budget information where appropriate; c. Key contact details; and d. Any other relevant information. 11.4 Following the Handover Meeting, the members of the Board Elect will carry out their functions pursuant to the Constitution. 11.5 Upon the appointment of Executive Officers, pursuant to section 12A of the Constitution, the newly elected Board must ensure the smooth handover process between the newly appointed Executive Officers and the outgoing Executive Officers.
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Section 12 – Stays 12.6 All positions able to be voted on at an Election which are created at the EGM prior to the AGM in the same calendar year (‘the position’) are subject to a period in which a MULS member may alter the Constitutional provisions affecting that position by way of motion at the AGM in that same year (‘transitory period’). 12.7 If the MULS Board or any MULS Board Member receives notice, prior to the opening of nominations for the Election, that a motion will be raised at the AGM intending to alter a position (‘the motion’) which was created at the EGM of that same year, the MULS Secretary must move at a Board Meeting prior to nominations opening to stay the election of that role, pending the outcome of the motion at the AGM (‘special resolution’). The special resolution has the same meaning and effect as Special Resolution in the MULS Constitution. Nothing in this clause is intended to mean that the MULS Board must vote in favour of the special resolution. a. If the special resolution does not receive the support of the Board, any member wishing to nominate for the position shall warrant that they understand that the position is subject to change or could be removed from the Constitution all together. 12.8 If the motion is successful at the AGM, and the position is altered, the position shall be filled in the ordinary fashion for resolving casual vacancies under the MULS Constitution. 12.9 If the motion is successful for the removal of the position, then no further action shall be taken to the extent that the motion involves the election of the position. 12.10 Nominees who place a nomination for any of the positions subject to clause 12.6 - 12.9 above will automatically be entered into the running for election on a casual vacancy basis – no separate nomination is required.
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SAMPLE NOMINATION FORM The following is a sample nomination form for the MULS Elections. There is a blank copy of the form included on the following page. Name:
John Smith
Student Number: Year of Law: Student Email Address:
12345678 4 LLB (internal) john.smith@students.mq.edu.au
Second Email Address (if relevant): Contact Number 1:
johnsmith@sample.com
1234 5678
Contact Number 2:
Name of Position being Nominated for:
9337 6754
President
Candidate’s Statement of Intention (300 words maximum, to be included in MULS Elections Guide) Given that I hold credentials as a psychiatrist, I hold skills as both a therapist and an analyst. I believe that these qualities allow me to gauge what students want from their law degrees and give it to them to the best of my ability. I also hold professional experience as an actor, having received training by none other than Carl Weathers and auditioning for pivotal roles including Frightened Inmate Number 2 and as a back-up for the Blue Man Group. These experiences mean that I can wear the pants of other students, and understand their needs and wants from their law degree. As a loving father and husband, I am sympathetic to the fact that some law students are juggling their studies with other obligations, and therefore want to do everything in my capacity to ensure that law students can maintain a work-life balance. Details of Secondees (Must be Ordinary or Executive Members of MULS) Name of Secondee 1: Toby Wilkinson (3213212) Student Email Address: toby.wilkinson@students.mq.edu.au Name of Secondee 2: Student Email Address:
Hannah Williams (12312312) Hannah.williams@students.mq.edu.au
I have read and the contents of the MULS Elections Guide and understand that I am bound by the MULS Constitution and Election Appendix _ (Print Name)
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_ Signed
2021 NOMINATION FORM Name: Student Number: Year of Law: Student Email Address: Second Email Address (if relevant): Contact Number 1:
Contact Number 2:
Name of Position being Nominated for: Candidate’s Statement of Intention (300 words maximum, will be included in MULS Elections Guide for Board roles)
Details of Secondees (Must be a Macquarie Law student) Name of Secondee 1: Student Email Address: Name of Secondee 2: Student Email Address:
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Candidate Checklist ⃞ All documents submitted in a Word document (or similar) format ⃞ All nominations seconded by two (2) Macquarie Law students ⃞ You are a MULS Ordinary Member (If you are not one, please sign up here) ⃞
Written/Electronic signature of the incumbent Board/Executive Member
Board Nomination ⃞ Candidate Statement ⃞ Passport-sized photo of yourself ⃞
Written
Executive Nomination ⃞
Candidate Statement ⃞
Anonymised Resume
I have read the contents of the MULS Elections Guide and understand that I am bound by the MULS Constitution and Election Appendix.
_ (Print Name)
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_ Signed (Paper or Electronic Signature)
