Dean’s Address

By Lesley Hitchens

Dean’s

Address

A very warm welcome to UTS:Law and congratulations on being offered a place at UTS. I hope 2020 will be a rewarding year for you and the start of a life-long connection with UTS:Law. This is an exciting time to be here as we will have just moved to our new Faculty home in a wonderful building which is also home to the UTS Library. Our new Law home has space for students to study, an office for LSS, a new moot court and trial courts, as well as a moot prep room.

As Law Faculty Dean I am responsible for the management of the Faculty, staff and students, and its future direction. I feel very privileged to be Dean. I am constantly amazed by the dedication of the academic and professional staff and their ongoing commitment to your learning experience. We think of the Law Faculty as a community and I hope that you will share that experience.

It is a privilege also to know and work with students in the Faculty. Your enthusiasm, energy, and commitment are infectious. Many of the LSS activities complement what we do formally in the Faculty: the competitions promote skills which are embedded in each of our subjects through the Graduate Attributes; social justice activities encourage you to consider law critically in its broader real world context; and, the social events are a good reminder that you need to take time away from study and work to relax. Looking after your health and well-being through rest and relaxation is an important aspect of developing your professional identity.

I encourage you to get involved with the activities offered by the LSS, the Law Faculty and the University. These can be as important as what happens in the formal classroom for your understanding of law, the development of your professional profile, and your future career. And, get involved early. I have often heard students express regret that they didn’t get involved until late in their degree.

One of my priorities as Dean is to connect with our alumni. We are building a life-long partnership with

them, one which supports them and allows them to continue to engage with the Faculty community. UTS:Law offers an excellent legal education, and our alumni are enthusiastic champions for us. Alumni may seem remote to you now, but a vibrant alumni community also offers benefits for current students through professional links and support. Alumni already help us in many ways such as judging competitions, guest lectures, internships, and mentoring students. There will be opportunities for you during your time at UTS to meet our talented alumni who are using their legal knowledge and skills to pursue a diverse range of careers.

I also think that as Dean it is important the student body hear from you. I try to attend as many Brennan Program and LSS events as possible. I am also on Twitter and LinkedIn. I encourage you to start a LinkedIn profile; it is a good way to build your professional identity and networks.

Finally, I would like to commend the Law School Manual to you. Take the time to read it as it provides a wonderful introduction to the life of a law student – both the serious side and the fun. The Manual also gives you an early insight into the professionalism and dedication of the LSS Executive.

I look forward to meeting many of you during the year and I wish you all the best for 2020 at UTS.

Professor Lesley Hitchens