EDUCATION GUIDE
Contents 3. Letter from the Education Director 4. Study Skills 5. 8. 9. 10.
A Guide to AGLC4 Effective Legal Writing A Roadmap to Statutory Interpretation How to Write a Case Note
13. Planning your Law Degree 14. 15. 16. 24.
Curriculum Changes – Summary Law Student FAQs: Advice from the Deputy Dean 2020 Electives Exchange Opportunities
29. Learning Assistance 30. 32. 34. 35.
Tips from PASS Facilitators Unit Convenors’ Top Study Strategies Utilising the Learning Skills Unit Maintaining your Wellbeing in Law School
36. Enhancing your Law Degree 37. Getting involved in MULS 39. Spotlight: Competitions 40. How to Ace Networking
Contributors Director: Lauren Said Designer: Michael Graziano Sub-editor: Tole Roebig Contributors: Lucy Sheppard Jessica Go Miriam Mubayid Lise Barry Uche Ngwaba Ilija Vickovich Casey Thomas Celine Nalbandian Pelin Ersoy Kaitlin Pert Cynthia Constantin Lily Whiting Nadine Jacob
Disclaimer Best efforts have been made to ensure that all information in this Guide is correct as of September 2018, but such information is subject to change without notice. The information in this guide is merely informative and should not be relied upon as personalised academic or program advice. We recommend you seek academic or program advice where appropriate. This publication is distributed for free, with the understanding that the Macquarie University Law Society and contributors to this publication are not responsible for the results of any errors or omissions on the basis of any information provided within this publication.
Macquarie University Law Society endorses environmentally sustainable practices and is aiming to reduce printing. As such, we have chosen not to print this guide. |2
MULS Education Guide 2019
LETTER FROM THE EDUCATION DIRECTOR Dear MULS members,
Lauren Said Director (Education)
My name is Lauren and I have been serving as the Education Director for 2019 and I am proud to present the second edition of the MULS Education Guide! This guide aims to cover a broad range of topics connected to the law student experience at Macquarie – from electives to networking to how to go about effective legal writing! This year we have drawn on a wealth of knowledge and experience from top students to unit convenors and the Deputy Dean of the Law School. I therefore strongly encourage you to take advantage of the guide; I promise you will learn something new.
I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Lucy Sheppard, Jessica Go and Miriam Mubayid of the 2019 Education Sub-Committee and well as Michael Graziano and the Publications team, who worked tirelessly to make this Guide what it is today. I would also like to express my thanks to Lise Barry, Deputy Dean of the Law School for her continuing wsupport of MULS. Finally, I would like to thank all the staff and students who contributed to their knowledge and expertise to this guide.
I hope you enjoy reading the guide and learn something new! If you would like to submit feedback or suggestions, please do not hesitate to send an email to education@muls.org
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Study Skills
Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4 Why is legal referencing important?
10 Basic Formatting Rules
Effective use of legal referencing indicates that your assignments are based on credible, authoritative work. If you do not reference your work, not only do you risk losing marks but you also risk plagiarising, which could result in disciplinary action. It could prevent you from being recognised as a ‘fit and proper’ person for the purposes of admission as a lawyer. The legal referencing system used at in Macquarie Law School is ‘AGLC4.’
1.
Full stops are only used at the end of a sentence.
2.
Capital letters are only used at the start of a sentence or to indicate a proper noun.
3.
Single quotation marks (‘’) indicate that words have been reproduced exactly from a judgment, article or other source.
4. Double quotation marks (““) indicate a quote within a quote. When should I reference a source? 5. 1.
When you use a direct quote from a source (journal article, case, book etc.)
2.
When you use someone else’s idea in your own words
3.
To show that the information you are using comes from a credible source
6. An ellipsis (…) indicates that words have been deleted from a quote. 7.
The Six Parts to AGLC4 Part 1 – General Rules Part 2 – Domestic Sources (cases, legislation etc.) Part 3 – Secondary Sources (books, journal articles etc. Part 4 – International Materials (United Nations material etc.) Part 5 – Foreign Domestic Materials (Cases from the United Kingdom, Canada etc. Part 6 – Appendices
An indent is used when quoting more than three lines of text. Tab in from the left-hand margin; you don’t need to use quotation marks.
Short titles are used when you refer to a case or statute a second or subsequent time in the body of your work. The format for a short title is: round parentheses + single quotation mark + italics e.g. (‘Pathways to Justice Report’).
8. Italics are used either for emphasis or to identify an uncommon non-English word or phrase. 9.
Numbers under ten should be written out in full. Numerals are used for numbers from ‘10’ onwards.
10. Dates do not use ordinal numbers (e.g. 23 not 23rd).
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Subsequent References For cases and legislation, use a short title and cross-reference the previous footnote number (including a pinpoint, if applicable): e.g. The Tasmanian Dams Case (n 3). For secondary sources: e.g. Sands (n 1) 492 – 3. If your footnote has the same reference as the immediately preceding footnote, use: Ibid.
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Major Changes from AGLC3
Footnoting Tips
‘Above n 1’ is now just ‘(n 1)’
•
Always remember to place a full stop at the end of a footnote.
Short titles must be first introduced both in-text and in the footnotes
•
When citing multiple sources within one footnote, separate sources with a semi-colon • E.g. Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 10B; Charles Weiger, ‘The ethical analy sis of risk’ (2000) 28(4) Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics 344.
•
References to a particular page, paragraph or chapter number should be indicated with a pinpoint
•
Where there are more than three authors of a source, the name of the first author should be written in full, followed by ‘et al’ • E.g. Charles Weiger et al.
Cases: • Rule 2.2.14 now allows subsequent references when citing cases •
•
Rule 2.3.1 no longer needs a full date for medium neutral citations Rule 2.3.3 has a new rule for citing proceedings
Legislation: • Rule 3.5 now allows subsequent references for legislation Journal Articles: • Rule 5.4 requires issue numbers and identifiers to be always be included •
Rule 5.10 has an updated rule for the citation of journal articles which are retrieved online
Books: • Rule 6.3.4 states that the year of first publication does not need to be included in the publication details •
Rule 6.9 outlines a new rule for citing audiobooks
Detailed document on summary of changes and new rules can be found here.
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EFFECTIVE LEGAL WRITING “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand” (Confucius)
Legal writing, like most things, gets easier the more you do it. Legal writing may strike fear in the hearts of many law students, as writing in a different style may initially be challenging and intimidating. Here are a few simple tips to keep in mind as you continue to develop and strengthen your writing skills.
1.
Plan before you write
Information that is presented in a logical structure and an easy to follow format are the hallmarks of good legal writing. The best way to help you produce a clear, well-organised document is to outline your thoughts before you start writing. Organisation is vital as it takes time to research and develop your answer!
2.
Answer the question
Students often get so caught up in writing their assignment that they forget to focus on the question that was asked of them. It is important to read and re-read the assignment question. If you have trouble understanding what the assignment is asking for, deconstruct the question and identify its key terms. For example, if the question tells you to ‘analyse’ you will be required to look at different requirements of the law and examine each part in detail. Always cross-check your work against the rubric – you don’t want to make a mistake and write something completely off topic!
3.
Keep it concise
The strongest legal writing is direct and succinct! Exclude any unnecessary words and your final draft will have more clarity. Often the most effective legal writing is very clear and concise and only uses “legalese” when appropriate. Many assignments also have a strict word count, so using extra words to sound “more professional” won’t really help your grade in the end, it will only signal to the marker that you are hiding a poor argument.
5.
Write so that anyone will understand
Simplicity is a virtue in legal writing. Get rid of the unnecessary legalese, the drawn-out sentences and flowery language to ensure your writing is concise, clear and easy to follow! It also helps to avoid using contractions – for example, write ‘do not’ instead of ‘don’t.’
6.
Be wary of passive voice
Although the use of passive voice is not grammatically incorrect, it may cause confusion or excessive wordiness, so you should be wary of it in legal writing and only use it when it’s a conscious choice.
Passive voice: The Sheriff was shot by me Active voice: I shot the Sheriff
7.
Proof-read and double check citations
Give yourself time to write multiple drafts
No one writes a perfect draft on the first try! Writing is a process of carefully building and improving on an argument. Although you won’t have this luxury on an exam, you should start writing assignments early enough to give yourself time to go through multiple drafts and make edits.
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4.
As you will likely be graded on citations, make sure you always refer to AGLC4 as you do not want to give away points by making silly citation errors. You should also try setting some time aside to read your assignment out loud. It’s easy to skim over a grammatical error when you’re frantically proof-reading an assignment at the last second, but it’s harder to ignore these mistakes when you hear yourself saying them out loud.
MULS Education Guide 2019
A ROADMAP TO STATUTORY INTERPRETATION By Casey Thomas Why Care?
The Sideline: What it used to look like
How to read, interpret and apply legislation is of utmost importance, yet there is a worrying trend amongst law schools to address this essential skill cursorily at the beginning of an undergraduate degree and then assume students will develop the skill by osmosis. As Justice Kirby has said, ‘[T]he construction of statutes is now, probably, the single most important aspect of legal and judicial work … That is what I, and every other judge in the countries of the world that observe the rule of law, spend most of our time doing.’ This is a crucial skill for any lawyer and must be treated seriously, given the preponderance of statute law.
It is important to understand that Courts’ approach to statutory interpretation has changed over time. Traditionally statues were interpreted with reference to a strict literal approach, which later gave way for the ‘golden rule’, which often saw words ‘read into’ a statute when a literal reading of the law would give rise to an absurd result, or an outcome entirely at odds with another provision of the statute. Another outdated approach to interpreting legislation is reliance on Latin maxims. While these may be helpful in some instances, they carry less weight in light of the modern purposive approach.
The Current State of Play Today courts in Australia have adopted a modern purposive approach. What this means is that when a part of a statute is ambiguous in its outcome or effect, the Courts are to interpret and apply the legislation in light of its ordinary meaning, with reference to the context and purpose of the law. An appreciation of context goes to the narrow context of the statute, i.e. it is to be read as a whole, as well as the broader context of the public meaning of a statute. In determining the meaning of a particular statute, you may look to intrinsic materials (that is, different components of the specific statute) as well as materials outside of the statute. Examples of each have been included below. Examples of Intrinsic Materials: • The long title and short title • Objects clause • Definitions • Headings • Notes • Penalties
A basic ‘road map’ has been included below which outlines the essential steps for you to follow when researching a specific legislative provision. 1. Identify your legal issue (referring to how a provision should be interpreted) and consider threshold matters such as jurisdiction and standing 2. Review the Act generally (look to the long title, objects clause and headings) 3. Ascertain the ordinary meaning of a specific provision in context (read it carefully, identify key words and check if they have been defined in the statute) 4. Consider the provision’s purpose (The relevant Acts Interpretation Act may prove useful. Extrinsic materials may confirm the provision’s purpose)
Examples of Extrinsic Materials: • Explanatory Memorandum • Reports of a Royal Commission or Law Reform Commission • Second Readings Speeches
5. Research any judicial interpretation of the provision
For further examples, see ss 13 and 15AB(2) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth).
7. Reach an informed conclusion
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6. Look to intrinsic aids, if necessary
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Writing a Case Brief — A Short Guide Before writing a case brief, it is important to check the assignment instructions as either a summary based on an analysis of the case or a summary plus a critical commentary of the case could be required. Case briefs can also be a useful study tool if there is a case where multiple judges giving different judgements, which all have elements which you could apply to hypotheticals.
Most law journals regularly publish case notes, especially on recent decisions. This is a useful tool to learn how to perfect a case Brief. *Disclaimer: This is not academic advice and should be used as a guide only. It is only designed for student guidance and is not indicative of what is required to achieve a certain mark.
The Structure of a Case Brief
Citation
Provide the Citation in AGLC4 format.
Parties
Provide the names of the Appellant(s) and Respondents(s) or the Plaintiff(s) and Defendant(s).
Court
Provide the full name of the Court. For example, the High Court of Australia. Also, include the Court Division. For example, the Supreme Court of Victoria, Common Law Division.
Date Judges
Provide the date of Judgement. Provide the name of judges in short form such as French CJ, Hayne and Keane JJ. This is useful if the Judges have separate judgements. Material Facts
Who are the Parties involved? Key Facts
Describe the parties involved in the matter to understand who they are and what they are seeking. You should include facts that outline what went wrong and why the parties are in a dispute. You should include facts which are necessary to remind you of the story of the case, so you will remember how the law in the case was applied. You should also include dispositive facts, which are information or evidence that unqualifiedly brings a conclusion to a legal case, such as if there was water on the floor in a workplace safety dispute, the Case brief should note that the case involved water and that the Plaintiff did not slip on their own accord. You should also include information about why the matter came to court.
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The Structure of a Case Brief - Continued
Procedural History Case History
Provide the name of the Court/Tribunal, the outcome and why. If applicable, provide the details of which and on what grounds party appealed as well as whether the appeal was upheld or not.
Present Matter
Provide the details of where the present matter stands, including the Court/Tribunal and relevant parties. Provide a summary of any relevant information of either Parties Arguments. Also, provide the Judges’ comments on these submissions. Issues
Legal Issues
You need to identify each of the legal issues in the case, i.e. what is in dispute. If the Court talks about multiple issues, it is helpful to number the issues, as it is a helpful way to deal with the discussion and conclusion of numerous issues. A case may also deal with one major issue, but may also have intermediate issues that arise from the major issue. Reasoning
Reasoning
You need to identify each of the legal issues in the case, i.e. what is in dispute. If the Court talks about multiple issues, it is helpful to number the issues, as it is a helpful way to deal with the discussion and conclusion of numerous issues. A case may also deal with one major issue, but may also have intermediate issues that arise from the major issue.
Ratio Decidendi
The Ratio Decidendi of the case is the answer to the main issue in the case, and so in most instances the section above on reasoning will contain a statement of the ratio. It is useful to restate the Ratio Decidendi in a short and clear sentence.
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The Structure of a Case Brief - Continued
Obiter Dicta
Provide any useful discussion that was said in passing by the Court. This might be information about how Judges defined certain words or what the purpose of certain aspects might be, such as the purpose of reasonable palliative care.
Order
This will simply state what was held. For example, ‘The appeal was dismissed, and the appellant was ordered to pay the respondent’s costs.’ Case Critique/Analysis
Analysis
If you are required to provide a Case Critique/Analysis as part of your case brief it is useful to: •
look for one or more major features, either procedural or substantive, such as dissenting arguments, legislative base, use of evidence, cases presented, considered, applied etc;
•
analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the case, especially those points that may give rise to policy amendments;
•
comment on how the legal arguments have been used by each judge;
•
identify and analyse differences in the judges’ reasoning;
•
discuss the impact or significance of a case, carefully considering precedent and current legislation. Sometimes you have a very recent case to critique, so you need to go back to the legislation and to previous cases on the same topic;
•
consider possible areas of legislative reform.
In your Case Critique/Analysis it is important to substantiate and reference your arguments, and utilise a coherent structure.
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Planning your Law Degree
CURRICULUM CHANGES 2020 Thanks to Lynn Negus (Manager, Learning, Teaching, Quality and Support – Faculty of Arts) As many students may be aware, Macquarie University will be undertaking a curriculum change at the beginning of 2020. As such, MULS have been liaising with the Faculty of Arts to bring you some important information regarding the changes.
From 2020, there will be no more: •
People and planet units
•
Majors for law
•
Double degrees – you will instead graduate with two single degrees
What you can expect: •
Introduction of a WAM instead of a GPA
•
Different codes and names for units
•
A more structured degree plan with most units worth 10cp instead of 3cp
Note: students with 1 year or less of their degree left, will not be affected by this change
•
External mode of study for law students – there will be evening and block classes available in most units to allow for more flexibility in attendance patterns. www Students should be aware that they will receive an email with a personalised degree plan between October and February. All units which have already been completed will count towards the new plan. If you have any more questions, please visit: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-studyprogram/mq2020 and remember to keep an eye on your emails!
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LAW STUDENT FAQs Special thanks to Lise Barry (Deputy Dean for Learning and Teaching) Q. What do I need to do in order to do well in Law School? A. Keep up to date with the readings and lectures: The students who perform best in their assessments are those who are up to date with lectures and readings because they form the building blocks for the rest of the unit. Their relevance to an assessment task might not always be obvious to you, however attempting assessments without the background knowledge of the law will usually result in lower marks because you won’t understand that context for the particular legal issues addressed in your assignment. Q. How many hours should I spend on my studies? A. University rules require every unit to include 150 hours of learning content. This means 10 hours per week, per unit, including during the semester break. Those ten hours includes reading, lectures, tutorials and assessments and completion of any other learning activities. In other words, if you are a full-time student with a full time load of 4 units, you should be spending 40 hours a week on your studies. Q. What happens if I fail a unit? A. You should be aware of the University Rules around twice failing a unit in a professional degree. The LLB and the JD both fall into this category. Students who twice fail a compulsory core unit in law can be excluded permanently from enrolling in Law at Macquarie. You can attempt elective units as many times as necessary, but you should be aware that the University has progression rules around how many units you must pass each semester in order to continue your studies.
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Q. What should I do if I’m struggling in a unit? A. Seek help from the Unit Convenor as soon as possible. Aside from doing all of the required reading and listening to the lectures, the one thing students could do more of is to actively seek assistance from their unit convenor if they are struggling. Every Unit Convenor is required to provide an hour a week where students can come to their office for advice. The consultation time will be advertised on the iLearn page under the academic’s name and contact details. Q. Can I drop a unit after I’ve enrolled in it? A. Yes. If you really need to drop a unit, try to make the decision as early as possible. If you un-enrol before the University census date for the semester, then there will be no academic or financial penalty. If you experience a sudden and unexpected disruption to your studies after the census date, then in some situations you can apply to withdraw without penalty. There is more information about these processes online. Q. Where should I go if I have questions about my course completion, Uni policies etc. A. Macquarie Law School is part of the Faculty of Arts. Your first port of call for general queries should be to attend the Arts Student Centre for help. They are currently located at 10 Hadenfeld Ave, Level 1 and will be moving into the new Arts Faculty building in 2020. For most queries there is also an online process via ask.mq.edu.au, or see Student Connect in MUSE.
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2020 LAW ELECTIVES *Disclaimer: This table is based on information gathered from the Macquarie University Course Website, in anticipation of the 2020 curriculum changes. Please note that this table is not accurate and subject to change. Please refer to the 2020 handbook once it becomes available. If you have any questions, please contact staff at Macquarie Law School or the Faculty of Arts.
400 Level Electives International Participation and Community Engagement LAWS4052 This unit involves participation in an international internship as part of Macquarie University PACE International program. On either a four or eight-week program during session breaks and vacations periods, students will travel overseas to participate in internships. Interns will work within a range of law firms; and NGOs that provide legal advice and education, and contribute to public debate about legal standards, policies and reform. This unit is offered in S1 and S2.
Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) On-Campus Consultancy LAWS4099 Students will interact directly with legal practitioners and policy makers from Participation and Community Engagement (PACE) partner organisations drawn from the legal profession, government, industry and civil society. This unit is offered in S2. 500 Level Electives Law and Literature LAWS5003 Law and Literature explores through fiction the ways in which power is constructed and maintained in law along axes of race and gender. The unit brings law alive through the examination of narrative and metaphor within judgments and legislation, and the performance of court-room trials, while illuminating the role of culture (literature) in the normalisation of, and resistance to, the power of law. Focus is given to marginalised voices that are typically excluded from legal texts with questions posed about the exclusive nature of the orthodox legal voice. This unit is offered in S2.
Child/Elder Law LAWS5005 This unit examines the impact that age has on the interactions that individuals have with the law. It examines the ways in which the law protects, empowers and also negatively impacts on the lives of children and the elderly. This unit is offered in S2.
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Labour Law LAWS5007 The course explores the common law doctrine that categorises the employment relationship. The course also examines the social and legislative history of the workplace. This unit is offered in S2.
International Trade and Finance LAWS5010 The legal regime governing the international exchange of goods, services, and intellectual property under the WTO is the subject matter of this unit. The interaction of trade and monetary issues and interplay of law, politics, and diplomacy in regulating these issues are covered. This unit is offered in S2.
Discrimination and the Law LAWS5011 This unit aims to give students a grounding in both the theoretical and practical application of Australia’s existing anti-discrimination regulatory framework. The unit introduces students to critical debates regarding what is discrimination, what anti-discrimination legislation is designed to achieve, and how best can law address inequality and discrimination. This unit is offered in S1.
Advanced Topics in Criminal Justice LAWS5012 This Unit will explore diverse advanced topics in Criminal Law and responds to contemporary debates within the criminal justice sector internationally and domestically. This unit will critically examine the scholarship of criminal law and criminal justice institutions and practices. This unit is offered in S3.
European Law LAWS5016 This unit introduces students to European Union law including an overview of the historical development of European integration and the ideological, political and economic factors shaping the Union. The unit focuses on the constitutional and institutional architecture of the European Union as well as selected issues of substantive European law. This unit is offered in S2.
Indigenous Peoples and the Law LAWS5018 This unit examines the special place of Indigenous peoples in Australia and how it gives rise to unique questions of law. This unit discusses the extent that Indigenous peoples are subject to the official State and Commonwealth legal systems, and how these legal systems regulate issues particular to Indigenous peoples. This unit is offered in S2.
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International Human Rights Law LAWS5019 This unit deals with the protection and promotion of human rights in international law. The unit traces the historical development of human rights law at national, international regional and global levels. This unit is offered in S1.
Family Law LAWS5020 This unit covers the study of legal regulation of family relations. The unit is divided into five main parts: the concept of family and its historical development; the concept of marriage as a heterosexual union; dissolution of marriage; financial relationships, especially when they breakdown; children and their rights under family law. This unit is offered in S1.
Foundations of Commercial Law LAWS5021 This unit begins with an historical introduction to commercial law and then proceeds to examines its purpose, who uses it, how far it should extend and the role and effect of lawyers on commercial law and the marketplace. This unit is offered in S2.
Intellectual Property Law LAWS5023 This unit explores the various forms of intellectual property protected under statutory regimes and general law. The unit identifies and evaluates existing regimes of copyright, patents, plant breeders’ rights, designs and trade mark, as well as the law of passing off and relevant aspects of unfair trading laws. This unit is offered in S2.
Competition and Consumer Law LAWS5028 This unit explores the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), which contains Australia’s national competition law and consumer protection law. This unit is offered in S1.
Information Technology Law LAWS5029 This unit introduces the basic legal issues raised by networked digital technologies such as the internet. Topics such as jurisdiction; proprietary rights (copyright, trademarks, patents, domain names); privacy; e-commerce and its framework are discussed. This unit is offered in S1.
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Jessup International Law Moot LAWS5030 This unit is based upon the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition that is held each year and involves teams from around the world. An Australian regional round of competition is held annually in Canberra during February. Students in this unit work as a team in preparing written memorials in relation to a problem set by the competition organisers This unit is offered in S3.
Law and Religion LAWS5032 This unit explores key areas where law and various religious traditions intersect. A major theme in the unit relates to constitutional law principles concerning separation of church and state, and free exercise of religious belief and the issues surrounding multicultural accommodation of religions in Australia. This unit is offered in S2.
Law Journals LAWS5033 Under the supervision of the editors of the Macquarie Law Journal, this unit is limited to a small number of students per semester, who are selected on the basis of their academic results, experience and writing ability. Classes on law journal publication, legal editing, writing, and referencing are provided, as is a field trip to a major legal publishing house. This unit is offered in S1.
Modern Corporate Governance LAWS5036 Students will explore comparative approaches to corporate governance in Australia, Europe and Asia. Interdisciplinary materials are used to explore current debates on corporate governance, such as the effectiveness of different actors in governance, the role of litigation as a means of improving governance practices, and the manner in which sustainable practices can be encouraged. The specific challenges posed by global corporations are explored along with a critical evaluation of the current methods for regulating their actions. In this context the unit allows students to engage with both domestic and international regulatory frameworks of corporate laws and norms. This unit is offered in S2.
Access to Justice Placement Program LAWS5038 This unit involves attendance at clinical placements and internships arranged by Macquarie Law School. There are a number of clinical placement programs including: Public Interest Advocacy Centre; Western Sydney Community Legal Centre, Western Sydney CLC Family Law, Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT, NSW Land and Environment Court. Placements may be on a weekly basis, or on a block basis during session breaks and vacation periods. This unit is offered in S1 and S2.
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Environmental Planning Law LAWS5040 This unit examines contemporary issues in land use planning law. The focus is on land in an urban context with particular emphasis on the regulation of land use under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Law 1979 (NSW). This unit is offered in S1.
Climate Change Law LAWS5043 This unit is an introduction to the subject of climate change with a particular focus on its legal aspects. It is designed to help students understand the fundamentals of climate change law at the international and domestic levels. This unit is offered in S3.
Animal Law LAWS5043 This unit is concerned with the role of the law in regulating our interactions with animals. This unit considers the important philosophical, ethical, legal and regulatory questions regarding the treatment of animals. This unit is offered in S3.
Independent Professional Placement LAWS5051 This unit provides the opportunity for students to engage with the legal profession and community through participation in a variety of workplace experiences including, but not limited to, law firms, legal centres, community-based legal organisations and services, government agencies and not-for-profit organisations. The experience may be via clerkship, volunteer work, or internship, and may be undertaken on a weekly or block basis. Students source their own placement, and nominate it for approval by the convenor. This unit is offered in S1, S2 and S3.
Taxation LAWS5053 This unit covers an examination of the Australian taxation system. The unit covers the examination of what is income, the taxation of capital gains, deductions, capital allowances, and tax avoidance issues. This unit is offered in S1.
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Succession LAWS5056 This unit explores the law relating to the making and construction of wills; the grant of probate and administration; and the distribution of testate and intestate estates. The provisions of the Family Provision Act 1982 are considered as well as those of the Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW). Emphasis is given to the role of the lawyer in planning the client’s affairs in the light of the above legislation. Will drafting, including drafting exercises, to comply effectively with clients’ instructions, forms an important part of this unit. This unit is offered in S1.
Conflict of Laws LAWS5057 This unit deals with rules for resolving difficulties when a private legal problem has an international element. This unit spans many others, including tort, contract, succession and family law. This unit is offered in S2.
Environmental Law LAWS5060 The unit provides an introduction to environmental law in Australia. Students assess environmental law is through dimensions of international law, constitutional law, common law, administrative law, and/or property law. This unit is offered in S1.
Dispute Management and Resolution LAWS5065 This unit explores various types of dispute resolution processes with an emphasis on negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and restorative justice. The unit provides an overview of the theory, philosophy, process, ethical and legal issues involved in each of these methods of dispute resolution. This unit is offered in S2.
Advanced Legal Research Project LAWS5061 This unit provides prospective Honours students with an opportunity to develop and demonstrate advanced research skills through a series of seminar presentations and supervised research, leading to the submission of an 8,000-word thesis. Students formulate their own research question or argument in any area of legal scholarship or regulation. This unit is offered in S1 and S2.
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Advanced Legal Research Project LAWS5064 This unit provides prospective Honours students with an opportunity to develop and demonstrate advanced research skills through a series of seminar presentations and supervised research, leading to the submission of a 15,000 word thesis. Students formulate their own research question or argument in any area of legal scholarship or regulation. The thesis must be presented and defended within the broader conditions of its relevance, for example: social, historical, philosophical, economic or environmental contexts. This unit is offered for the full year.
International Environmental Law LAWS5069 The unit begins with an introduction to International Law and the evolution of international environmental law in the context of the sustainable development debate. The focus is on the response of global and regional legal regimes to changing scientific knowledge and public pressure for urgent cooperative action to address transboundary and global environmental problems. This unit is offered in S2.
Health Law and Ethics LAWS5071 This unit introduces students to health law and ethics in Australia. Duties, obligations and responsibilities that arise in the context of the health practitioner-patient relationship will be examined, as well as areas of health law that pose ethical and/or regulatory challenges. Interrelationships between, law, policy, ethics, regulatory theory, and other areas are explored. This unit is offered in S2.
Advocacy LAWS5077 The unit provides an introduction to the theory and practice of social justice advocacy. The aim of this unit is to teach students to think creatively about how to go about achieving social justice outcomes. This unit is offered in S1.
Macquarie University Social Justice Clinic LAWS5078 Students will undertake a placement at the Macquarie University Social Justice Clinic, a new university-run legal clinic housed on campus at Macquarie Law School. Students will work under the close supervision of solicitor-teachers on real world social justice cases, undertaking a range of activities including legal research and writing, client interviewing, and legal and non-legal advocacy. Students work face-to-face with their solicitor-teacher for one day a week in the clinic on campus. This unit is offered in S1 and S2.
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MULS Education Guide 2019
Refugees and Forced Migration LAWS5079 There are more people forcibly displaced around the world today than at any other time in modern history. This unit examines the legal frameworks governing the rights of these persons. The focus will be on providing students with a practical and theoretical understanding of the growth and operation of refugee law as a specialist area of legal expertise. This unit is offered in S2.
Human Rights and Moral Dilemmas LAWS5080 This unit explores the intersections between law and morality by analysing cases drawn from a variety of jurisdictions – Australia, the US the UK, Canada, Europe and South Africa – which raise topical and controversial human rights dilemmas. This unit is offered in S1.
Media Law LAWS5084 While focusing on Australia, this unit takes an international and comparative perspective on key media issues. This unit analyses issues surrounding who should control the media, values of free speech and the balance between state media control and the right of individuals to free expression. This unit is offered in S1.
Law of the Sea LAWS5086 This unit examines the different maritime zones, addresses the regulation of activities undertaken on the oceans, and considers how the demands of different states have impacted on this complex legal regime. This unit is offered in S2.
War Law LAWS5087 The maintenance of international peace and security is one of the driving aims of the international legal order. International law seeks to both prevent, and when that is not possible, regulate the conduct of armed conflict. This unit will consider international law, the nature of armed conflict and the role of international humanitarian law and international criminal law. This unit is offered in S1.
International Dispute Settlement LAWS5088 The intense interaction between different actors in the international system inevitably leads to opposing views on issues, as well as to conflict. This unit will consider traditional non-adversarial dispute settlement in the international system. This unit is offered in S2. MULS Education Guide 2019
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2020 EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES *Disclaimer: based on information gathered from the Macquarie University Exchange Website on 23 September 2019 and may have changed. If you require further information regarding 2020 Exchange Opportunities, please contact the staff at Macquarie University Exchange.
Law Students eligibility for Exchange Opportunities
If you are enrolled in the Juris Doctor, the following conditions apply:
If you are enrolled in a stand-alone Bachelor of Laws or any degree combined with the Bachelor of Laws, the following additional conditions apply to be considered for exchange:
•
·you must have completed a minimum of 32 credit points of LAW or LAWS units before going on exchange
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you cannot complete more than 20 credit points of Law units on exchange
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compulsory (or core) LAW or LAWS units cannot be completed whilst on exchange — only unspecified or elective LAW or LAWS credit at 800 level will be granted for exchange study
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you must be in your 4th or 5th year of your Law degree; this is defined as having completed a minimum of 72 credit points overall, including 36 credit points of LAW, LAWS, or LAWZ units (including LAW314 and LAW315) before going on exchange
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you cannot complete more than 15 credit points of Law units on exchange
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compulsory (or core) LAW, LAWS, or LAWZ units cannot be completed whilst on exchange — only unspecified or elective LAW or LAWS credit at 400-500 level will be granted for exchange study
Short Term Exchange and Study Abroad (January 2020) University
Country
University of Vienna
Austria, Europe
Aarhus University
Denmark, Copenhagen
Linköping University
Sweden, Europe
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MULS Education Guide 2019
Short Term Exchange and Study Abroad (January 2020) University Tsinghua University
Country China
Fudan University Jilin University Nanjing University Hanyang University
South Korea
Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM)
Indonesia
University of Indonesia Sunway University
Malaysia
Victoria University of Wellington
New Zealand
The University of the South Pacific
Fiji
Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM)
Mexico
Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) Universidad Panamericana Universidad del Pacifico Carleton University
Canada
University of Montreal University of Calgary York University Charles University
Prague
Saint Petersburg State University
Russia
Aarhus BSS
Denmark
Copenhagen Business School University of Copenhagen University of Iceland
Iceland
University of Oslo
Norway
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University Stockholm University
Country Sweden
University in Gothenburg School of Economics and Law University of Lund Uppsala University Lancaster University
United Kingdom
University of Bristol The University of East Anglia University of Exeter University of Glasgow The University of Liverpool The University of Reading University of Vienna
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Vienna, Austria
MULS Education Guide 2019
STUDENT EXCHANGE EXPERIENCES Kaitlin Pert Michigan State University, United States of America (Short-Term Exchange)
In July 2019 I undertook as short-term exchange at Michigan State University (MSU) in the United States where I completed a course in International Litigation and Arbitration. This is an awesome exchange for those interested in developing practical skills as legal counsel or in the role of a third-party neutral. The course was run over three weeks with classes held on Monday to Thursday mornings. Assessments consisted of an in-class quiz, group project and final assessment in the form of a mediation followed by arbitration. Whilst ran as an intensive, the unit workload was easily manageable.
MULS Education Guide 2019
The course provided an excellent balance between study and travel. The staff from MSU’s American Semester Program were amazing and ran several activities including afternoon games, cooking classes, excursions to sporting events and weekend trips to Mackinac Island and Chicago. Overall the program provides a bit of insight into college life with a great opportunity to learn from some of America’s best professors. This is an awesome experience for anyone wanting to travel, reduce their study load in semester and get a taste of the US education style.
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Cynthia Constantin Munich Uni (Short-T versity, Germa ny erm Exc hange)
In July of this year I participated in the Munich University Summer Training Course in European and German law. The course was taught by the Faculty of Law at the Ludwig-MaximiliansUniversität in Munich and was a 4 week long program. Included in the course were various excursions such as excursions to the Federal Constitutional Court and the German equivalent of the High Court. The course encompassed 9 units: Contract law, Property Law, Tort Law, Corporations Law, Intellectual Property Law, Constitutional Law, EU Law, Competition Law and Tax Law. We were taught by fantastic experts in the field who were judges, legal practitioners and academics. Whilst the program was academically rigorous, it was certainly a lot of fun and there was still a lot of time for us to do heaps of sight-seeing and explore the city on our own.
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My favourite course was Intellectual Property Law because I found it super fun and engaging and it focussed on a lot of interesting current issues. My favourite excursion was definitely visiting Neuschwanstein Castle where we did a beautiful walk up to the castle and got to explore the inside as well. It was fantastic that the tour bus was all organised for us and tickets to go and see inside the castle were also organised which are usually hard to purchase and become fully booked months in advance. A great aspect of the program was that we got to meet lots of students who were not only law students, but students of other disciplines. All of the excursions were organised with other exchange students so this was a great way to meet people.
MULS Education Guide 2019
Learning Assistance
STUDY SUPPORT Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) What is PAL?
How does it work?
Peer assisted learning is an academic support program which run for specified law units each semester. Sessions run weekly and are conducted by high performing students who have previously studied the unit. Research has demonstrated that students who attend PAL are more likely to achieve distinction or high distinction averages, as opposed to students who do not attend.
Peer assisted learning sessions review weekly material and course content. PAL is unique because it allows students to direct the study session, allowing you to focus on the concepts which are unclear. PAL also integrates information on study skills and how to prepare for exams.
Unit
Time
Location
Equity and Trusts
Monday 11 - 12pm Tuesday 12 - 1pm
04WR312
Contracts
Thursday 11 - 12pm Friday 10 - 11am
04WR312 04WR311
Administrative Law
Monday 10 - 11am Thursday 12 - 1pm
04WR312 23WW201
Criminal Justice
Monday 1 - 2pm Tuesday 11 - 12pm
04WR312
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STUDY TIPS - PASS/PAL Leader Celine Nalbandian - Criminal Justice Pelin Ersoy - Administrative Law Q1. What do you think differentiates your unit from other law units you have completed? (content, delivery, teaching, style) This unit requires a deeper consideration of the law in practice. The course is designed to engage with different theoretical perspectives and allows students to critique the operation of criminal law in everyday society. I found that this course differed from other foundational law subjects such as Contracts or Property Law which focus heavily on substantive content. The tutorials in this unit go beyond discussing content as they encourage students to participate in different practical activities. This includes the opportunity to present opening and closing statements as well as collaborating in groups to create a law reform submission. With its focus on the law in practice, I found that this course was able to improve my skills and confidence. Q2. What study techniques did you use to help you succeed in the unit? (throughout the unit, during exams/final assessments) To succeed in this unit and set myself apart from other students, I found that this course required me to take on more initiative. As the course does not have an end of semester exam, it can be difficult to incentivise extra reading and critical engagement with content. Throughout the semester I committed to completing all course work as well as reading widely to deepen my knowledge on different topics covered in the unit. Over the course of semester, this unit covers a number of different offences. I found that having a summary of each offence and its elements, any relevant statutory provisions and case law which I could refer to for hypothetical scenarios proved useful in tutorials and assessment tasks. Q3. What is your top tip/advice for the unit? My main tip would be to not neglect the Law Reform Submission. This is the final assessment and requires a high degree of preparation and research.
MULS Education Guide 2019
When it comes to writing, I found it was beneficial to look at examples of submissions as a way of identifying the type of language used and suggestions made. It is best to have a draft completed as early as possible to help lighten the load closer to the end of semester. Q1. What do you think differentiates your unit from other law units you have completed? (content, delivery, teaching style etc) I found administrative law to involve quite a different style of thinking and problem solving compared to subjects like contracts, property or equity and trusts. It is also more focused on legislation compared to these units. The nature of the subject itself is also inherently different, revolving around the interaction between government and individuals. Q2. What study techniques did you use to help you succeed in the unit? (throughout the unit at during exams/final assessments) Part of our participation marks came from being prepared to present a 90 second summary from one of the two subjects covered in the lecture from the previous week. I found that preparing these really helped when it came to exams as I already had a succinct set of notes to study from. Doing these in bullet point form as opposed to creating a script to read out was therefore more useful as I could base my study notes around these more quickly. I also found having an understanding of the facts of cases to be really useful as not only did it help me to remember which was which, it made the application of the legislation much more logical to me and I could see the way this should be used in a hypothetical much quicker. Q3. What is your top tip/advice for the unit? Keep up with the content as you go. The concepts really do build upon each other in this unit and it’s essential you understand one week to progress to the next. For instance, I found really understanding merits review then helped me appreciate the differences between it and judicial review. Also being able to link all of the concepts covered back to the purposes of administrative law helped with trying to make logical connections.
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TIPS FROM UNIT CONVENORS LAWS217 Equity and Trusts - Dr Uche Ngwaba What makes this unit unique compared to other units offer in law school? Equity and trusts has a reputation for being difficult and complex. In reality it is actually easy to understand but achieving good understanding of the unit requires that you stay on top of your readings. The first thing to note is that the unit has a lot of history behind its rules and principles. The history explains why and how its principles apply they way they do. This is one important area of distinction between the unit and other law units.
Are there any particular areas that need extra focus (e.g. is it a case-law heavy, theory-based etc.?) I think equal attention should be given to all the areas of the unit mapped out in the unit guide and on iLearn. This is because the entire unit is connected like an organism. Concepts that were discussed in the beginning of the unit are integral to understanding what follows in the later part of the unit. Best piece of advice for students to succeed in the unit?
How is the best way to study for this unit? The unit has a lot of case readings where relevant principles that apply have been decided upon by the courts. The best way to study for the unit is to read those cases and the legislation that they explain.
You need to constantly motivate yourself to never let the moment pass you by as you go through your weekly readings. Never leave anything undone in your readings otherwise work piles up and you soon get bogged done trying to find your way and make sense of things.
LAWS104 Contracts - Ilija Vickovich LAWS104 Contracts is a core level one ‘Priestley 11’ unit that must be completed by all students. The study of Contracts is fundamental to the law generally, and underpins the study of other areas of law. Understanding contract law principles provides a solid basis for the later study of core units such as Property Law, Equity and Trusts, Business Organisations, and Remedies. It also underpins elective units such as Competition and Consumer Law, Intellectual Property Law, Labour Law, Foundations of Commercial Law and others. What is studied in LAWS104? Students will study the doctrinal principles that guide the formation of contracts, so that they can recognise what kinds of actions and statements will bind people in legally enforceable contractual relationships.
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They will also study principles that determine the terms of contracts and how those terms may be interpreted, the ways in which contracts may be set aside where they are entered into unfairly or without true consent, and the ways in which they may be discharged. There is also attention paid to the ways in which contracts may be rendered partly or totally illegal, and the rights of third parties expecting a benefit from a contract. Finally, students look back over the unit and consider broader issues of the role of contracts and contract law in society and the economy, the various analytical and normative theories associated with contract law, and the historical development of contract law in the modern era.
MULS Education Guide 2019
LAWS104 Contracts - Ilija Vickovich (continued) How should Contract Law be studied? The legal principles that constitute the law of contracts are mostly based on common law, although at several points there will be attention paid to the ways in which equity and statute law intersect with the common law of contracts. This means that students will be introduced to contract law primarily through key cases decided by courts exercising common law jurisdiction. Because of this it is important that students come to terms with analysing case decisions and how courts employ common law reasoning to arrive at legal principles. Knowing how courts apply the law in the cases equips students for the task of recognising how to resolve contractual disputes and problems. This is why LAWS104 Contracts focuses on developing one of the main legal skills for law students, solving hypothetical legal problems. This skill builds up incrementally for students as they proceed through the Contracts unit, and will serve them well in solving problem questions in other law subjects. It is based on a four-step method by which students identify the issue raised in a hypothetical factual scenario, address the law that is relevant to the hypothetical facts, apply the law to the facts and conclude by offering a solution to the issue. The main assignment in LAWS104 is usually a hypothetical problem question that requires students to demonstrate this skill.
MULS Education Guide 2019
In addition, students are also assessed on their technical knowledge of contract law principles through two online multiple choice quizzes on different parts of the course. A class participation mark requires students to attend tutorials regularly and develop their skills in working with other students in solving problems in class and responding to questions about principles and cases. There is a formal sit-down open book final exam of two hours’ duration at the end of the semester. Here the focus is on students being able to apply contract law principles to hypothetical problem questions in the same manner as they have done in the assignment and in class, but under the pressure of time. Doing well in an exam of this kind requires students to have developed good problem solving skills during the course, and to have prepared for themselves succinct summaries and notes about the law in advance of the exam. The key to success in LAWS104 Contracts is coming to understand legal principles through cases, knowing when and how those principles apply to recognisable problem fact scenarios, and being able to demonstrate this through the legal problem solving skills developed with fellow students in class.
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LEARNING SKILLS Individual Consultation
Digital Study Resources
Face-to-face consultations are available at the Library Infodesk on ground floor of Macquarie Library from 12 – 2pm between weeks 3 – 13. Learning Advisers will be able to assist you with any questions relating to study skills, academic writing or referencing. You are encouraged to bring any assignment questions or unit guides with you so that the learning advisers can point you in the right direction!
StudyWISE is a platform accessed via Ilearn which contains an extensive range of resources aimed at assisting you develop academic study and writing skills. There are five main categories 1. University Basics 2. Key Skills: Read, Think, Argue and Write 3. Steps in the Assignment Process
Online consultation is also available 24/7 and is provided by external provider, Studiosity. This service will provide you with automatic feedback on academic writing as well as specialised advice regarding any specific topics you may be studying. Students have up to 10 free sessions each semester with Studiosity. This service is accessed via the StudyWISE module available on ilearn. Learning Skills Workshops Workshops run throughout the entire semester, most within the first two weeks of the semester. Keep an eye out for workshops run by MULS in conjunction with Learning Skills for workshops that will be tailored specifically for law students!
Date
Time
4. Assignment Types and Examples 5. English Language Resources One of the most useful modules available on StudyWISE is the ‘Legal Referencing Module’ which was expertly designed by the law librarians and the law school. It contains everything you need to know about how to correctly reference using AGLC4 and provides you with interactive examples and videos so you can master the skill. Another useful module is ‘Preparing for Law’ and this contains a range of videos on topics such as how to analyse legal scholarship, how to improve legal writing skills and how to undertake legal research.
Workshop
Location
Wednesday 18 September
2–3 pm
Academic Writing
Online
Wednesday 25 September
2–3 pm
Writing Critically
Online
Wednesday 23 October
11am – 12 pm
Preparing for Exams
Library M4.02
Thursday 31 October
1–2 pm
Preparing for Exams
Online
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MULS Education Guide 2019
LAW STUDENT WELLBEING Let’s face it - law school is not easy. It has been described as ‘hyper competitive, overly competitive and alienating’ (The Conversation) as students juggle learning an entirely new system of writing and referencing combined with extracurricular activities, job hunting and some sort of a ‘social life.’
As a result, it is common for law students to forget about their own personal wellbeing and ‘me time,’ with majority experiencing a lack of sleep and social isolation - to name a few. It is highly likely that without establishing a balance, these symptoms can snowball resulting in poor mental health.
Coping mechanisms and how to maintain a healthy, balanced life is not something they teach you in law school. In fact, a study conducted of students at Harvard Law School revealed that 66% of students believed their mental health ailments started as a result of law school with 6% feeling uncomfortable with speaking to someone about it.
MULS understands that this is an issue that faces a large proportion of students at law school. It is important to take care of your own wellbeing in order to reach your potential. We have therefore sought to compile resources for law students to utilise in order to achieve this.
UniWellbeing UniWellbeing is a free online treatment course, which takes 5 weeks in total. It is aimed at teaching students strategies for dealing with poor mental health experienced whilst at university. This is a highly recommended resource to utilise for students who would prefer not to do face-to-face counselling. UniWellbeing is run by a psychologist who is also available by phone or a secure private messaging system.
Mood Gym Mood Gym is an online self-help program which is designed to help you prevent and manage mental health issues. Originally designed by researchers at ANU, It is an interactive resource based on the same scientific research which is used to help those suffering from anxiety and depression. It is completely free and you are able to work through the resource at your own pace.
WellbeingWISE This is a module available to all students through Ilearn and contains a range of resources relating mindfulness and relaxation, physical wellbeing and even financial wellbeing. It also contains access to UniCoach, an online resource which will support you in managing your wellbeing. It contains a range of resources which relate to specific disabilities and health conditions, for example, if eligible it shows you how to request reasonable adjustments i.e. using a scribe during exams.
MULS Education Guide 2019
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Emhancing your Law Degree
GETTING INVOLVED WITH MULS A fantastic way to maximise your law school experience is to become a MULS member and get involved with their events. MULS has six different portfolios that organises a variety of events throughout the year where you can meet new people, gain new skills and have fun! Careers MULS assists students in their professional development through multiple careers events throughout the year such as MULS Clerkship Week, clerkship mentoring and firm presentations. By attending these events, law students have the chance to learn more about the diverse range of career options available to them and also network with professionals! Click http://muls.org/opportunities for any career opportunities. Competitions MULS encourages students to strengthen their skills in internal and external competitions such as mooting, client interviews, witness examinations, negotiations and paper presentations. These events can be an incredibly useful application of the skills and content you’re learning in class. Competing will give you the opportunity to develop critical legal analysis, advocacy skills and also to reinforce your knowledge about specific legal concepts. There are different levels of each competition such as foundations of law moot, novice moot, championship moot, junior and senior client interviews and many more! Education The Education Portfolio is responsible for organising a range of workshops, seminars and events aimed at assisting students in their academic studies. This year, the Education Portfolio offered opportunities such as AGLC4 and legal research workshops, a well-being event with therapy dogs and a study techniques session. You can also get involved by joining the Education Sub-Committee! Events Social events such as Law Ball, Law Cruise and Law Revue are some of the MULS’ biggest events of the year! MULS also hosts a number of events throughout the semester such as welcome back events, start of semester drinks and sport gala days. The First Year Law Camp is also a great way to kick start your law school social life and experience a weekend you won’t forget. Make sure to like the MULS Facebook page to be up to date with the latest events!
MULS Education Guide 2019
Publications The Brief is one of Sydney’s strongest law school publications and covers topical wcontent in areas such as legal and current affairs, politics, business and economics, the environment and social justice issues. The publication also contains light-hearted content to reflect the Australian law student experience. Opportunities to write or sub-edit for the print and online editions of the Brief arise throughout the year. Social Justice Instilling community-consciousness and social justice is important to MULS! The Community Outreach and Advocacy teams within this portfolio connects students to a wide range of opportunities such as speaker nights, a Will it Your Way event, Mental Health Month events and also the annual trivia night! The MULS Social Justice FB page is dedicated to promoting social justice issues and events to MULS members! By liking this page, you will always be updated with any upcoming opportunities! If you have a drive to create social change, you can also become a member of the SJ Sub-Committee which will allow you to play a significant role in promoting social justice initiatives within MULS, Macquarie University and beyond.
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GETTING INVOLVED WITH MULS How can I become a MULS member? Joining MULS simply requires you to sign up via the MULS membership link: https://mulsmembership.org/joinmuls.php Both ordinary members (MQ law students) and associate members (MQ non-law students) must make a membership payment of $5 to become an official member. For any more information on MULS membership, click https://mulsmembership. org/FAQ.php. The MULS Executive Council Being part of the MULS Executive Council is a chance to represent and serve Macquarie University law students. It also provides students with countless opportunities in professional, academic and social pursuits. MULS Executive Members serve a one year term governing MULS activities and strategic direction.
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8 of the 28 positions on the MULS Executive are elected. This includes: the President, Secretary, Treasurer, Director (Careers Engagement), Director (Competitions), Director (Social Justice), Director (Publications) and Director (Events). The Executive Officers are appointed by the incoming and outgoing Board, based on anonymised applications. All ordinary members are eligible to be nominated for a position on the Executive. If you are interested in being a member of the MULS Executive Council, you must read through the Elections Guide carefully to understand how the nominations and elections process works. It is also important to read through the relevant sections of the MULS Constitution, in order to understand the responsibilities assigned to the position you are nominating for.
MULS Education Guide 2019
SPOTLIGHT ON COMPETITIONS PAPER PRESENTATION By Lily Whiting Paper Presentation is a competition where students submit an academic paper on a legal issue of their own choosing, and present it to a panel of judges. The competition is twofold. Firstly, competitors will submit a paper between 2,500-5,000 words, which is marked out of 40. The competitors will then partake in an oral component comprising of 60 marks, involving presenting to a panel of judges for 15 minutes, followed by approximately 10 minutes of questions from the judges. These questions aren’t designed to trip up competitors! Rather, it is a chance for the competitor to engage in a discussion with the judges about their topic of interest.
MULS Education Guide 2019
Some examples of topics that competitors have presented on in the past include: the balancing of anti-discrimination laws with religious freedoms, the approach of Australian courts to the restraint of local versus foreign proceedings, and fiduciary duties in the sporting context. Students do not necessarily have to write an entirely new paper – they are welcome to present on a topic they have written about for a law unit they have studied or are currently studying. This competition is a wonderful opportunity for students to present on an area of law they are particularly interested in or may deem controversial, and present their view on it in an insightful manner.
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NETWORK 101: Tips for Success By Nadine Jacobs Have you ever been to a networking event where you stood around, unable to work out a way to approach anyone, and so you remained stationed near the table with food, stuffing your face as an excuse not to speak to anyone? We’ve all been there. Luckily, MULS is here to teach you how to make the most of your networking opportunities and create valuable connections that will serve to improve your soft skills and grow your network. What is networking and why is it important? To master the art of networking, it is important to understand what networking is and why it is so important. Networking is a buzzword that many of us have heard before, it takes on different meanings for everyone. Some see it as a way to make friends as you progress throughout your career, others see it as a way to obtain sales leads and future collaborations. Networking is not about aggressively promoting yourself. Rather, networking is the act of establishing and building relationships with people, who at some point or another, can help with broadening your professional horizons. This often entails the exchange of information, contacts, and experiences which are mutually beneficial for both parties. So now you might be asking, is it absolutely essential for me to create these ‘synthetic’ relationships, when I do much rather enjoy being a hermit crab? The answer is, yes. Networking is not only for the super-confident types. While the idea of it might be scary, especially to those who are more introverted or who feel as though they are too far down the ladder (students!) to open the dialogue with others in positions of importance, it is an important tool for your career as it has a surfeit of benefits.
Effective networking increases the amount of people you know and who know you within your field, which in turn creates a pool of people you can turn to for advice, especially at the start of your career when you are less connected and a little clueless (...again students!). This can spill into possible job opportunities, collaborative opportunities, or just simply recognising a face later down the track at events, client meetings, or down at the local coffee shop! Now that we have established why you should embrace networking as an essential tool for success, here are our 4 main tips on how to network effectively. Tip 1 - Map your network This step is vital for setting up the foundation of effective networking. Ask yourself, who are you trying to network with and why? By doing this, you are able to figure out who matters most and can narrow down your efforts to a critical few. This will not only make the next step easier but it will also help you understand what your main goal is when networking. This doesn’t mean that some connections are unimportant, it just means that you are focusing on making more purposeful connections - quality over quantity. Tip 2 - Prepare for the conversation Now, this doesn’t mean you have to plan the whole dialogue to a T on a spread of blueprints, just be sure of how you will introduce yourself, prepare some open-ended questions and something intriguing about yourself. Here’s a helpful scaffold below: •
Hello, my name is _______, it’s a pleasure to meet you! • Describe what you do and/or what your interests are in 10 seconds or less. (This is often known as an “elevator” pitch. It is a helpful way to build a pwersonal brand for yourselfbe sure to keep it short and interesting, maybe throw in a fun fact about yourself) • Ask some open-ended questions like: “How did you get into this career?” What advice do you have for a student/ graduate?” “Why did this area of law interest you?” “What does a normal day on the job look like for you?”
MULS Education Guide 2019
Tip 3 - Focus on the person Make sure to show interest in the person you are speaking with. As previously stated, networking is not about aggressively promoting yourself and all the great things you’ve done. Showing interest in the person you are talking to and asking them questions will allow the person to believe that the conversation is a positive one. They will feel listened to and feel that you have taken a genuine interest in them as a person. Remember, you are not talking to a robot, you are talking to a person with emotions, thoughts and passions! By doing this, you are also saving yourself from worrying about what to say next, as all you have to do is listen and respond accordingly. Tip 4 - Maintain the follow up, but be patient Once you have had some fruitful discussions, make sure your efforts aren’t wasted by leaving it there! Exchange business cards, connect on LinkedIn, or even send a follow up email saying it was a pleasure to meet them; solidify the connection. Following this, be patient. Networking will not yield results overnight, you must ‘nurture’ the network. Check in from time to time, set up a coffee date, attend similar events where you might run into them again, remain active on social media, be generous with contacts. The grind does not stop at the small-talk.
MULS Education Guide 2019
How MULS provides opportunities for networking As a student at Macquarie and a member of MULS, there are endless opportunities where you can grow your network and nurture it over the course of your degree. These range from getting involved in competitions, social events, social justice events, careers events and even working for MULS! Remember, networking is not only limited to those with high positions in firms. It is also worthwhile networking with fellow students, tutors, judges, academics, graduates, as you never know when you might bump into them. While there is no strict formula to networking, hopefully this article has equipped you to start establishing connections that are meaningful and worthwhile- go forth and build your network!
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William Roberts is a dynamic and innovative law firm with a focus on dispute resolution, litigation, and personal, commercial and property transactions. William Roberts is a dynamic and innovative law firm with a focus on dispute resolution, litigation, and personal, commercial William Roberts Lawyers is different – in a good way and property transactions.
CONTACT US We would be delighted to connect with you in relation to any queries you may have.
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We would be delighted to connect with you in relation to any queries you may have.
Dispute resolution is what we do. Many firms say thatLawyers the client is the centre –ofin everything they do, but in William Roberts isatdifferent a goodthat way
reality that's far from accurate. As a disrupter within the traditional insurance law Dispute resolution is whatthink we do. market, we continually about how to add value to our clients and how we can helpfirms our client on the their journey resolve dispute. Our recognise Many say that client is atto the centretheir of everything thatclients they do, but in this difference too.from accurate. As a disrupter within the traditional insurance law reality that's far
market, we continually thinklaw about add value to our clients and resolution, how we canour As a boutique insurance firmhow withto a practice specialty in dispute help our client onfrom theirour journey their Our clientsfrom recognise clients benefit depthtoofresolve practice anddispute. our team benefits the this difference too. opportunity to hone their specialist skills. In the last year, we handled more than disputedinsurance insurancelaw matters. As220 a boutique firm with a practice specialty in dispute resolution, our clients benefit from our depth practice and our team benefits the gives our This quantity of matters, andofalmost constant engagement withfrom insurers, opportunity to hone their the lastwith year, we handled morearound than team the experience to specialist approachskills. everyIn dispute innovative thinking 220 disputed insurance matters. efficiency, cost and strategic advantage.
Robert Ishak, Principal Telephone: +61 2 9552 2111 Email: robert.ishak@williamroberts.com.au Robert Ishak, Principal Telephone: +61 2 9552 2111 Email: robert.ishak@williamroberts.com.au
This quantity of matters, and almost constant engagement with insurers, gives our team the experience to approach every dispute with innovative thinking around William Roberts is a market efficiency, cost and strategic advantage.leader Results are a given in this market, that is the price of entry, and our success rate is 95%.
William Roberts is a market leader
We have led the market in pioneering alternative pricing for litigation matters for a Results are52% a given in this market, that is the price and our success rate is decade. of our matters contain some form of of entry, alternative pricing which delivers 95%. cost savings as certainty to our clients, and has challenged our peers in the market
do the Wetohave ledsame. the market in pioneering alternative pricing for litigation matters for a decade. 52% of our matters contain some form of alternative pricing whichprivate delivers We are renowned for our innovative thinking. That is why well-regarded cost savings as certainty to our clients, and has challenged our peers in the individuals such as NSW Deputy Commissioner of Police, Nick Kaldas APM,market came to to us dofor thelegal same. representation at the recent Parliamentary Inquiry into Operation and former High Court Judge the Hon Kirby AC CMGprivate asked us to WeProspect are renowned for our innovative thinking. ThatMichael is why well-regarded act for him in his personal matters. individuals such as NSW Deputy Commissioner of Police, Nick Kaldas APM, came to usDispute for legalresolution representation atwe thedo, recent Parliamentary Inquiry into Operationabout is what all day, every day and we are passionate Prospect and former High Court Judge the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG asked us to embracing challenges as opportunities act for him in his personal matters. Dispute resolution is what we do, all day, every day and we are passionate about embracing challenges as opportunities
Carlos Jaramillo, Principal Telephone: +61 2 9552 2111 Email: carlos.jaramillo@williamroberts.com.au Carlos Jaramillo, Principal Telephone: +61 2 9552 2111 Email: carlos.jaramillo@williamroberts.com.au SYDNEY Level 22, 66 Goulburn Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000
MELBOURNE Level 21, 535 Bourke Street, MELBOURNE VIC 3000 SYDNEY BRISBANE Level 22, 66 Goulburn Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000 Level 8, 300 Ann Street, BRISBANE QLD 4000 MELBOURNE SINGAPORE Level 21, 535 Bourke Street, MELBOURNE VIC 3000 William Roberts Lawyers Pte Ltd, Level 19, Singapore Land Tower, 50 Raffles Place, SINGAPORE 048623 BRISBANE Level 8, 300 Ann Street, BRISBANE QLD 4000 SINGAPORE williamrobertslawyers.com.au William Roberts Lawyers Pte Ltd, Level 19, Singapore Land Tower, 50 Raffles Place, SINGAPORE 048623
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