Chapter 1: An Introduction

CHAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION

DEAN’S WELCOME

The Monash Law Faculty is a strong advocate of social justice & equity, embodied in its teaching programs and scholarly research, in recognition of the centrality of law as a tool in achieving empathy and inclusion. It is an essential part of the Law Faculty’s contribution to Monash University’s aim to influence and enhance the human condition at home and abroad.

Since the opening of the Monash Faculty of Law in 1964, we have continued to develop and enhance our social justice & equity pathways including the creation of Australia’s first clinical legal education program in 1975 (now known as Professional Practice). Fast-forward to today, the importance of being practically involved in social justice is continuously demonstrated to Monash students, local communities, and the profession at large.

Professional Practice has, through our long-standing involvement in two community legal centres at Oakleigh and Springvale, the newly established Monash Law Clinic (CBD), the clinical externship guarantee, and the other programs available through the Faculty and in the community more broadly, as described in this Guide, provide many opportunities for current students to become involved in law to make authentic and genuine improvements in people’s lives.

Behind the scenes, the Faculty actively strives for social justice & equity in its own operations. Scholarships, bursaries and other student support services provide the practical support needed to advance these goals. These include: textbook equity grants provided in partnership with the Monash LSS, financial assistance for disadvantaged students to join student mobility programs, including the Prato and Malaysia programs, and student internships.

The Law Faculty has also recently established additional pathways for Indigenous students to access Law, and are delighted that there has been a significant increase in enrolments of Indigenous students from across Victoria in recent years. From 2017 onwards, the Faculty also introduced new pathways for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. We continue to support these students during the course of their studies through tutoring and mentoring services.

The Faculty has a Director (Indigenous, Equity, and Diversity), currently Dr Caroline Henckels. The Director promotes equity

CHAPTER 1 / AN INTRODUCTION policy outcomes, by improving access to the Faculty’s courses for students from disadvantaged backgrounds including, but not limited to, rural and Indigenous students and students with a disability. The promotion of equal opportunity for students of all sexual orientations and genders and from all backgrounds is highly encouraged.

Social justice & equity is perhaps best demonstrated by an inclusive community. The Faculty of Law strives to ‘walk the talk’ about being a community – a community of staff, students, and alumni – that is committed to social justice & equity through law. In doing so, the staff of the Faculty are proud to work hand in hand with the hard-working Monash LSS and of course, our law students in their pursuit of these worthy aims.

Further, the Law Faculty is committed to social inclusion and mental health. In September every year, for National R U OK? Day, we encourage students and staff to wear a yellow item of clothing and host a BBQ for students to raise awareness and promote dialogue around youth depression and suicide.

We are pleased to see the growing interest in social justice & equity opportunities amongst the Monash Law students. The Faculty is committed to empowering students with the appropriate resources and knowledge to pursue these goals. This Guide is an invaluable tool for our students to familiarise themselves with alternatives to the commercial setting, and is growing in strength each year.

For 56 years, the Faculty of Law has had much to offer with a current abundance of social justice & equity happenings. We encourage our students to make full use of this Guide and warmly invite you to get involved and join in to make a real difference.

Professor Bryan Horrigan

Dean, Faculty of Law

PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD

I’d estimate that half the people who came to Monash Law School, did so with the intention of becoming a leading human rights lawyer and change the world for the better. And maybe marry George Clooney along the way. With opportunities aplenty for community service and human rights pursuits, Monash was and, more than ever, is the place to be for social justice & equity minded law students.

Accordingly, it is my pleasure to introduce the 2020 Social Justice & Equity Guide to all of you.

As LSS President, my hope for the Monash law student cohort is that every one of us is given the opportunity to pursue the kind of career that they want. For many of us, that career will not be based in a corporate law firm office in the CBD, with an impending 6am flight to Sydney. For those who want to work in the public or community sectors, volunteer at a CLC (community legal centre) while completing your degree, or generally want to learn about opportunities to use the degree for the betterment of the world around us, this Guide is for you!

To gain a true indication of an area you are interested in, I implore you to read the student reflections. Reading the perspective of someone who has taken a particular unit or has been in the shoes you want to be in is always going to be more valuable than reading a blurb on a website. Not all community sector positions are the same, so take the time to work out which is best suited to you.

It is my firm view that Monash law students get out of their time at university what they put in. Progressivism necessarily and inherently entails a brave deep dive out of the comfort zones of our society and, likely, what we have been brought up to know. Taking the time and making the effort to familiarise ourselves with the issues faced by various groups in the community becomes a critical part of the wisdom we accrue as students with a vision to enter a client-based profession, whether those clients end up being big multinationals or a single person in need.

This Guide is packed with information about community opportunities in every space, legal or otherwise. I sincerely hope those who read this are inspired to take that unit, apply for that internship or seek out that volunteering opportunity.

CHAPTER 1 / AN INTRODUCTION For all the work that has gone into creating this year’s SJE Guide, I want to thank our Social Justice & Equity team. In particular, special credit goes to Nikkita Chandnani, Equity Publications Officer; Utkarsha Shukla, immediate past Director of Social Justice & Equity; Scott Walker, Director of Social Justice & Equity; and the SJE Guide subcommittee.

In addition, I would also like to thank Professor Bryan Horrigan for his and the Law Faculty’s ongoing support of the LSS and their ongoing commitment to giving Monash law students the clinical opportunities which so many of us value.

Good luck to you all on wherever your law degree takes you and I hope you seize every opportunity that comes your way.

Sofiya Hay

Monash Law Students’ Society President

DIRECTOR’S FOREWORD

The Monash Law Students’ Society firmly believes that an individual’s background or circumstances should not limit their achievements in higher education, and by extension, their professional career and life. A student’s excellence in their academic endeavours should not be limited by their socioeconomic background, race, religion, gender, disability, sexuality, or family. Understanding this, the Monash Law Students’ Society established the Social Justice and Equity portfolio to advance social justice in the law and to provide opportunities for Monash Law students to get involved and practise the skills they will use as tomorrow’s advocates.

It is a great pleasure to be able to write a foreword for the 2020 Social Justice & Equity Guide, which highlights the many varied social justice initiatives that students can be involved with in and around the legal profession. The Guide also highlights the many events that the Social Justice & Equity Portfolio runs, providing students with an invaluable opportunity to engage with some of the biggest challenges facing our community and the legal profession. I’m particularly proud of events like Queer & Women’s Mentoring which allows women and LGBTQIA+ identifying law students to meet and be mentored by their peers in the profession.

I want to acknowledge the incredibly hard work and dedication of Social Justice & Equity Publication Officer, Nikkita Chandnani and Social Justice Publications Sub-Committee members Zoe Brightling and Binari Almeida. I would also like to thank Utkarsha Shukla as immediate past Director for her support and guidance. We hope that this resources inspires you to being or reinvigorate for you passion for social justice and the law.

I look forward to seeing you at Social Justice & Equity events throughout the year!

EDITOR’S WELCOME

It is a privilege to present the Social Justice and Equity Guide for 2020. Together with the Director of Social Justice and Equity, Scott Walker, and dedicated sub-editors Binari Almeida and Zoë Brightling, I am honoured to share this guide with you. We have produced a jam-packed Guide that we hope that you can use for reference, on your way to pursuing new opportunities in 2020, and inspiring an interest in social justice.

This guide provides you with the resources to find an organise of interest and get into contact with them. It is streamlined, simple and straight-forward, and will save you a tremendous amount of time Googling.

The Guide is made up of a diverse range of opportunities found at Monash and in the wider community. We hope to demonstrate a wide array of possibilities open to you in studying your Law degree, to encourage you to get involved in an area of interest, or perhaps, to try something completely new. The sheer breadth of the Guide illustrates that there is no ‘normal’ pathway in Law; each is unique to the individual. Whichever issue resonates with you, I can assure that this Guide will help to pair you with an organisation that suits you.

As a new student to the University in 2019, I was inundated with opportunities, but I did not know what path to pursue. This guide is the perfect tool to help you navigate the myriad of opportunities available. The guide contains information from hundreds of institutions, condensed into a user-friendly format that is easy to understand. Within each section, you will find a brief description of the institution, requirements for the role, and how you can apply.

It is never too late or early to get involved. Volunteering is not about filling a resumé or impressing prospective firms; it is about making a difference in this world for the better - it means finding something that ignites a passion within yourself, and creates a desire to help. It is our duty as law students to engage with society and assist those that are most disadvantaged and disempowered. I hope that this guide helps to nurture and cultivate your interest in social justice.