September 2015 1st edition
The LSA Latest Welcome to the first edition of the USC Law Students’ Association newsletter! Dear readers, The newsletter will contain some light-hearted pieces including a segment that delves into the life and backstory of one of your lecturers and/or tutors. We aim to include articles covering events that have happened as well as key information for upcoming events. We hope the newsletter will bring a new way of communicating with members and keeping everyone up-to-date on what is happening in the LSA. If you have anything you’d like to see in the next edition of The LSA Latest, feel free to contact me on Facebook or via email at aim003@usc.edu.au. Enjoy! Amy McCann | Director of Publications
Client Interviewing Competition 2015 THE USC LSA held the final round of its inaugural Maurice Blackburn Client Interviewing Competition on Friday, August 21, 2015. Winners received a sponsored trip to compete in the Australian Law Students’ Association’s (ALSA) National Client Interviewing Competition in Hobart, July 2016.
During the judges’ feedback, Mr Koutsoukis said the winning team picked up on every detail of the client’s story and gave an excellent recount of what she had told them, largely due to a prompt-sheet that the team had compiled prior to the interview. “You had prompts and that assisted you in your teamwork,” Mr Koutsoukis said.
The final, held at Maurice Blackburn’s Brisbane office, saw two teams separately interview a client (played by a USC student Erin McLaren) in front of the judges and fellow LSA members.
Runners-up Callum Lee and Dave Knobel had an excellent and confident start but did not get the factual details that were needed to accurately assess the client’s issues.
Judges of the final round and Principal solicitors of Maurice Blackburn Peter Koutsoukis and Alison Barrett said though both teams were to be commended for their excellent work, Helen Smith and Michael Jefferies were the clear winners.
The competition will be held again in 2016 and Callum Lee recommended that all law students participate for the practice, feedback and skills gained.
“They paid better attention to detail and gave advice,” Mr Koutsoukis said.
“If you want to secure your first job out of law school, you need to be able to interview and be interviewed,” Mr Lee said.
“It’s lots of fun and you don’t need to win it to gain something.” Helen Smith values the experience and feedback she received from competing as well. “I felt it was a good stepping stone in building up the skill sets needed to be a good lawyer,” Miss Smith said. “I’m really proud of the LSA for the job they did for the first ever USC client interviewing competition.” The USC LSA would like to thank: Alison Barrett and Peter Koutsoukis for judging the final round; the codirectors of competitions Krishna Alister and Lili Moran; Jay Sanderson, Anne Rees and Neil Rees for judging in the preliminary rounds; Alex McKean for conducting a client interviewing workshop; and Brendon Murphy for creating the client scenarios used in the competition.
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Judges’ Tips è Find out what the client
Action shot: Runner-up Dave Knobel explains confidentiality to the distressed client Erin McLaren
wants you to do for them by asking: •
‘How can I help you today?’
•
‘What would you like to happen?’
•
‘What can I do for you?’
è Do not let the client leave without giving them some advice and idea of what’s happening
è Try and avoid the client
Winning smiles: Helen Smith and Michael Jefferies with judges Alison Barrett and Peter Koutsoukis
having to ask about costs – it can be embarrassing for them
è Do not use ‘legalese’ – you’ll intimidate the client
è If a client gives a vague answer, do not be afraid to probe further; you cannot help them if you do not know the full set of facts
è If a client continues to press a particular issue, it's important to discover the reason why Michael Jefferies and Helen Smith acquiring the relevant facts from client Erin McLaren
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Get to know your faculty… Simone ‘Fierce’ Pearce Those who have been taught by Simone Pearce will know her to be passionate, intelligent, and, well, fierce. But beneath the poised and dominant exterior that her students have come to love, is a mother that managed to balance the love for her children with her love for the law.
“It’s the greatest challenge, I think, for a woman to have young children and be a lawyer at the same time if you want to do it properly in both places.” - Simone Pearce
way to do it.”
Simone began public speaking at the age of five, however it was in year 10, as the captain of the school debating team, when she decided she wanted to become a lawyer.
Simone never went into her degree or practice with a long-term plan. Instead she maintains that if you work hard opportunities will present themselves.
An English subject master and the captain of her debating team, her father quickly realised that public speaking and arguing a particular point of view was Simone’s strong-point. Law was the obvious choice.
It was with this mind-set that Simone eventually became a partner at Butler McDermott Lawyers and by the end of her career she almost exclusively practiced in family law.
In year 10, after winning the State title for debating, Simone realised she wanted to pursue a career that involved public speaking, advocacy and achieving social justice.
She started in general practice and dabbled in everything, but her favourite, and what she tutors the first-years in now, is Criminal Law.
“I can’t help but put my nose into other people’s business when I think that there’s an injustice being done,” she said. “If I think it’s not right well I’ll tell you what, I’ll stand up for you and I’ll see what I can do.” However, like all sleep-deprived and stressed law students, Simone too had her breakdowns and doubts throughout her studies. “I would spend at least two or three times a term in tears to my family on the phone because I was living in Brisbane and they were living up here,” she said. She missed her parents and the 90 per cent (sometimes 100 per cent) closed-book exams were difficult, but Simone believes she’s a better lawyer for it, and even though she loved it, she had her doubts. “I’ve probably had four or five times over a 20 year practicing career where I said ‘Is this really for me? Should I be doing something else?’ because it’s hard,” she said. “But ultimately I think you decide that it is something that if you really enjoy, you will keep trying to find a
“I really find crime interesting and the ability to have that argument around whether or not somebody has the elements of the offence,” she said. “It’s a really interesting area of law if you want to do advocacy.” Working 70 hour weeks eventually took its toll, however, Simone found two things in particular that alleviated the stress. “Sport,” she said. “And wine.” Before the birth of her two children, Simone played touch football and netball seven nights a week. “I think sport is the absolute best stress relief if you are a lawyer,” she said. “It stops you getting fat; it stops you drinking as much; it releases endorphins, gives you adrenaline and makes you forget your worries.” She warns students that lawyers see some depressing and difficult things, especially if working in family or criminal law, and unless you love the law, it’s going to be wearisome.
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“If I could get a whole generation of young lawyers wearing stockings - oh god we’d be looking fabulous.” - Simone Pearce
“It’s the greatest challenge, I think, for a woman to have young children and be a lawyer at the same time if you want to do it properly in both places.” Although students go to Simone’s tutorials with an eagerness to learn, they’re also there to see her strut her enviable outfits on the catwalk, or as it is more commonly known, the Moot Court. With so many of her students admiring her fashion choices, Simone offered some advice. “Always wear stockings,” she said. Simone gestured to her legs revealing a ladder in her tights and said, “even when you do that to them”. “Always wear stockings. Always carry a spare pair. There’s the best tip. Spare pair always in your handbag,” she said.
“As a lawyer you need to love it,” she said. “It is a demanding profession to do if you’re doing it for any other reason. “Don’t do it for the money. I mean it’s a profession that rewards you well if you work hard, but in my view that isn’t enough of a driver and it shouldn’t be. “You do it for a really long time and life is really more than about just making money.” She practices what she preaches as well. For Simone life quickly became about caring for her son and daughter. When Simone’s daughter was six-years-old, they discovered she had a genetic disability that created a number of difficulties for her. It became clear to Simone that she could no longer work 70-hour-weeks and support her daughter to the extent that she wanted to.
“If I could get a whole generation of young lawyers wearing stockings – oh god – we’d be looking fabulous.” So what’s next for Simone? Well, having almost completed her Masters, she is currently applying to do a PHD on access to sport for children with disabilities. “Taking some of my life experience and combining what will be four years of hard study, research and writing, and hopefully make a bit of a difference,” she said. Simone said she really enjoys teaching and hopes to become an integral part of the USC law school in the future. If you’re planning on studying Family or Sport Law in the next few years, you just might have the one and only, Simone Fierce Pearce as a teacher.
“You can’t come home from a day having worked from 4am until 6pm and then sit down and try to spend an hour with your six-year-old to help her read and learn,” she said. “So I decided that my priority had to be with her but that I would still like to pursue a career that was my passion as well. “I ended up looking to become a teacher.” Simone believes it’s almost impossible to have children and practice full-time as a lawyer simultaneously. “You will innately want to be there for them, and you also want to be at work because you know what needs to be done, and you want to be there contributing,” she said.
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Upcoming events for 2015‌ Networking Event
Buy your tickets online at
www.usclsa.com
Date and time TBA A ticket will only be considered sold
Post Office on Ocean Street,
when the full payment has been
Maroochydore
received by the Treasurer or the Vice-
60 tickets available
President of Events. Tickets will not
$25 Members
be reserved at any time.
Contact Jessica Popple or
$30 Non-members CanapĂŠs provided throughout the night
Callum Lee to pay cash
Cocktail dress code
Law Ball Friday 30th October 4th Floor Restaurant, Mooloolaba Esplanade, MEMBERSHIP INFO: Membership will only be considered complete when $5
Mooloolaba Doors open @ 6:15pm $90 LSA Members
membership fee has been
$100 Non-members
received by the USC LSA
Strict formal dress code
Treasurer and Online Membership form has been completed.
Free entry to the official after-party at The Helm, Mooloolaba Ticket sales close 9pm Wednesday October 14 Tables of 10 - email events@usclsa.org with a list of people
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R U OK? Day Mental Health Panel Thursday 10th September 4:30pm E.G. 14 Gold coin donation upon entry for the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation Facilitated by LSA President Dave Knobel Panelists include: Louise Ferris from McCollough Robertson Sam Spencer from Open Minds
Mooting
Tracey Young from Student Life and Learning
Wednesday 30th September 9am – 5pm
Annual General Meeting
Moot Court Registration opens Monday 14th September Closes 5pm Friday 18th September
Wednesday 30th September 5pm LT6 Nominations open Monday 14th September Nominations close 4pm Friday 25th September è Includes annual report presentations from each executive member followed by the election è If there is more than one nominee for a position each person will give a speech è Voting done via ballot
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