Cardiff University Law Society MANIFESTOS 2013-14
Candidates Summary President
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Joe Perrins Immanuel Akale Chad Williamson Adam Kaye R.O.N
Vice-President
1. 2. 3. 4.
Natalie Francis Rebecca Sandberg Chelsea Mitchell R.O.N
Secretary
1. Tamsin Best 2. Thelma Osadebay 3. R.O.N Treasurer
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Ben Marshall Grace Lynch Hollie Cooke Amy Durham R.O.N
Careers Liaison Officer
1. Kate Taylor 2. Adam Okoniewski 3. R.O.N
Public If youSpeaking would likeOfficer to withdraw from the Elections or if you 1. Harry Scotthave any other concerns pleaseJones email Enfys Jenkins at 2. Abigail president@cardiffunilawsociety.co.uk 3. R.O.N Mooting Officer
1. George Prat 2. R.O.N Publicity Officer
1. David McKeown 2. R.O.N Academic Officer
Public Speaking Officer
1. Harry Scott 2. Abigail Jones 3. R.O.N Mooting Officer
1. George Prat 2. R.O.N Publicity Officer
1. David McKeown 2. R.O.N Academic Officer
1. Dan Tucker 2. R.O.N Sports Officer
1. James Williams 2. R.O.N Law Ball Officer
1. 2. 3. 4.
Abbie Lucas Megan Chisholm-Jones Will Marchant R.O.N
Social Secretaries
1. Amy Devlin & Chloe Walkley 2. Zoe Nolan & Emily Voisin 3. Aurelien Bonnefous & Alexander Love 4. R.O.N
President JOSEPH PERRINS Ladies and Gentlemen, My name is Joe Perrins, your current treasurer and I am calling on you to make me your president. I want to use my experience that I have gained on the committee this year to build upon the amazing things that have already been achieved by the current and previous committees. I want to get across just how passionate I am for the law society. I've dyed my hair for it, I've worn a dress for it, I've spent sleepless nights over it and I've loved every moment of it. The main areas I would focus on are: * Sponsorship: I appreciate that you don't all want to be commercial City lawyers and I want our sponsorship partners to reflect that. I want to secure a greater variety of sponsorship. This will include more regional and offshore law firms. I'd also look into securing sponsorship with companies which have in house legal departments. With the aid of this expansive sponsorship plan, I hope to broaden the opportunities to members of the Law Society. * Welsh Law Conference: having seen the success of the Bristol Law Conference, I love the idea of hosting something similar that we could hold for Wales. This could be a great way to showcase Welsh legal talent! I'd look to secure sponsorship for this event through networking opportunities: think of it as a careers fair top up come public lecture. * Alumni Network: I intend to create a database of Cardiff Law Graduates, which features their respective jobs. This will enable us to create an invaluable link between past, present and future Cardiff law students. There is so much more to be said and if you have any questions don't hesitate to get in touch. Remember, vote #Perrins4President Yours, Joe Perrins
IMMANUEL AKALE My name is Immanuel Akale. Let me be the Fresh Prince of your law society (president for all uninitiated in legal-speak). Poor jokes aside, I want change for our society. I won’t hide that I have not previously run for a position, but whilst some might think that a setback, I embrace it as a strength. I have been a member of the society for two years and have never doubted that it does what it does well: acting as a bridge between students and the professional world. A colourful truth too often echoed. My question is more to the tune of: why does this need to be the society’s only role? If you entrust me with becoming your president, I will make the good that we already have, golden. With you, my fellow members in mind, I plan to: -
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Give members influence. Tell me which firms and chambers that you want lobbied for sponsorship. Establish a mentoring scheme wholly different to our amazing sibling scheme: Academic guidance whilst gaining interesting experience and helping a brother or sister in need! Raise funding for our sports teams. Ensure better budget spending. Co-operate with the law school to co-host events and prevent timetables clashing. Build a wider employment base: more firms, companies and banks at our law fair. Emulate the work of firms and chambers via specific challenges. Just think: negotiations, mergers and acquisitions or perhaps, client handling. Increase networking events. It has been a year since I last asked a judge about drink driving or a barrister about dyeing wigs! Push real commercial awareness. Subscription to the Financial Times: with workshops detailing what, how and why to read. Attack negative publicity by articles and misinformed, opinionated bloggers.
Thank you all.
CHAD WILLIAMSON hey bro...do you even lift?
ADAM KAYE The law society has recently achieved gold tier status. To maintain this status, we need to ensure that we are consistently looking to push forward for the benefit of our members. I believe that having previously been head boy at sixth form and consequently having led a successful and large committee that I am well placed to understand what is required to do this. If elected, I will:
Increase membership – there are currently only 594 members out of around 1000 law students Examine the potential for a second ball as is done at many other law schools across the country Increase the number of trips and networking events with law firms and chambers Introduce new and different networking events such as careers dinners Push for higher levels of sponsorship Make both members and the work of the committee more transparent with more email updates, increased social media activity and termly discussion forums Attempt to improve attendance at careers and skills events by making them at more convenient times and increasing promotion Improve the social aspect of law by increasing the variety of socials and encouraging inter-sport socials Improve circulation of the society magazine and journal by handing them out in lectures and tutorials to increase awareness of events and society activities Attempt to bridge the gap between the committee and the rest of the society through the creation of more sub-committees to allow more people to be involved in committee activities
I believe that my skillset would allow me to hit the ground running in the position and to bring a different, creative and innovative approach to the society whilst still maintaining its current successes and protecting the interests of the society in accordance with its aims and objectives.
Vice-President NATALIE FRANCIS My name is Natalie Francis. I am a first year law student and am asking for your vote to make me your new Vice President for the Law Society. I have shown my dedication to the society this year by actively taking part in networking events and every public speaking event held so far. From this I have obtained a good overview of the society and would relish the opportunity to be on the committee. Having also networked in London with Magic Circle representatives I am comfortable building a rapport with practicing lawyers. My main aims are: * To increase sponsorship. As Vice President, I would do my best to ensure that we receive an even greater amount of sponsorship than previous years. As a confident and persuasive public speaker I feel I could help encourage law firms to sponsor us generously. * To organise the best law trip to date. As Wales is incredibly rainy most of the time, I would hope to find a new exciting dry, sunny and warm location. I would strive to keep the cost low and affordable which I am sure will be imperative to you as students yet ensuring it is our best yet! * To support the President in every way possible. I am organised, committed and reliable. I have the motivation to assist the President wherever called upon and will be more than happy to take on any responsibilities given to me. Feel free to contact me with any questions. Vote Natalie Francis for VP.
Vice-President REBECCA SANDBERG My name is Beccy Sandberg, I’m a first year law student and am running for vice president of the Law Society. I believe I would be the ideal candidate for this position as, not only would I support the President and assist in implementing their policies, but also would be assured and confident to take the lead in the President’s absence. I am also professional and imperturbable and would utilise these skills, alongside the president, to acquire more sponsors, something essential for the society’s survival. On election I would: Arrange a memorable (and affordable) annual society trip. Prague? Amsterdam? Paris? After all, we do need some fun – in addition to what we get from our public law lectures! Improve the existing “sibling scheme” and set up small group meetings. Due to the independent nature of our degree (and the 9am lectures making us increasingly anti social) it can be hard to get to know many of the people studying law at Cardiff. Having course friends is not only useful, but also makes the course a lot more enjoyable Build on the societal clothing More colours, quicker delivery and overall increased efficiency and designs. I would have an absolute open door policy. I’m a great listener and communicator if you don’t like something, say. If you want something to change, say. The law society represents us and so I would always make myself accessible and bring your issues to the Law Society.
So Back Beccy for VP!
Vice-President CHELSEA MITCHELL As current First Year Representative, I would love to be able to continue and increase my role within the Society! As VP I would: • Make the weekend trip bigger and better: think more ‘On tour’ than ‘outdated coach for travel’ . • Extend the sibling scheme: having one person to rely on/relying on you can be too intimidating and awkward. I propose a ‘family system’ which rivals MedSoc. • Expand the range of sponsors for the Law society: I recognise that not everybody wants to be at a commercial city firm when they graduate. I would gain sponsorship from other legal professions, including public services, more regional firms and chamber sponsorship. • Extend the clothing range: you can never have too many choices! • Graduate Party: I want to arrange a better, more exciting Graduate party. It’s not easy surviving a law degree - this needs to be celebrated! • Ensure that you HEAR about events!! As members, our events should be communicated more frequently and efficiently. • Encourage more events between Law Societies at different universities - i.e Sports tournaments or combined career events. This will widen opportunities to you, our members. I want to know what members want from their membership and then provide it! Being a member of the Law Society should mean more than paying membership fees at the Fresher Fayre - it should be a society that you can contribute to and are proud to be a part of. Voting Chelsea Mitchell as Vice President is not something you’ll regret!
Secretary TAMSIN BEST Hi all, my name is Tamsin Best and I am running for the position of Secretary at our Cardiff Law Society #CULawSoc15. Why should you vote for me? Well I want to work for you. I offer someone who is all about communication, with confidence in organisation and always ready to help out. Proof of my excellent organisation skills is in the fact that I balance the demands of our degree with extracurricular and a part time job which means I have had to be organised in order to maintain this balance. No-one can deny I am a social network addict who is prompt with getting information out, therefore the role of secretary feels like a natural fit for me. As someone who is involved in both the law netball team, the Publicity committee and also ran for first year rep I hope this gets across my passion for the Law Society and all that it does. Having this previous involvement has really spurred me to seek a greater role. As Secretary I would maintain Claire’s previous work; such as taking the committee minutes and maintaining the quality of the newsletter. I propose printing off the newsletter and putting it in places of interest such as reception/law notice board to help expand the amount of people who take notice. Whilst working with relevant people to make sure, in advance, that rooms are all booked – this is important to make sure the Law Society is able to uphold their excellent events. Secretary is the position for me. Remember to vote, you definitely want the ‘BEST’ for your Law Society 2015.
Secretary THELMA OSADEBAY My name is Thelma Osadebay and I am a second year student of Politics and International Relations at Cardiff University I would be perfect for this role, firstly because of my strong enthusiasm for Law and the Law society. I am an organised individual who relishes from taking on numerous tasks at a time and being able to deliver each one well. I always pride myself in taking the initiative to communicate effectively with society members to ensure that each member are up to date and that all enquiries are being addressed. I also have experience of working within a committee as I am the current President of the Politics society so I am very familiar with what is required from all members of a committee including the secretary. As an active member of the Law society, I have come to realise that there is a lack of diversity within the constitution as it is mostly dominated by Law students. When deciding whether to run for this position, I was strongly advised that the odds will be against me since I am not a Law undergraduate; I intend on changing this. Because of this, I will liaise with the president about putting on events and workshops that will focus on those who have chosen to read a different discipline but still aspire to become a lawyer, like myself. If you do vote for me, I will pride myself in prioritising you, the members. I will make sure that there is clear and concise information being released so that every active member is up to date with everything. I will make sure that my full commitment will be dedicated to the society and will be available on demand, given my time table allows me. I have always understood what it feels like to be the minority so I am here to be a voice for those that feel they have no say.
Treasurer BEN MARSHALL My name is Ben Marshall and I’m running for the position of Treasurer. For me improving on the already impressive foundations in place is my main concern. My past experiences such as part time work, and writing for Unprecedented have given me the rights skills and required understanding of the law society to further make it a more attractive proposition to both students and potential sponsors. I know it’s not the norm for treasurers to have specific policies but I personally think this is important. I have set out three main areas that I would like to improve:
Transparency Having been a member of the society for two years, at times I’ve actually wondered exactly where the money I have paid, along with sponsorship money, actually goes. As your treasurer I’d like to keep people much more educated about this, with the possibility of releasing monthly budget updates. Book Sale It may sound boring but almost everyone takes some part in the annual book sale, which is why I think more focus needs to be on the whole event. I want to make the process much easier and more streamlined by using the Law Society website. Increase sponsorship Although this is the primary job of the President and Vice President I believe the Treasurer can also contribute. I want to use my experience of going to many law firms to widen the scope of sponsorship and even attract those from further afield, including in house legal teams.
Thanks for reading.
GRACE LYNCH As a student who is coming to the end of the first year of university, you would probably be surprised to know that I actually enjoy organising my finances. In fact since freshers I have had an excel spreadsheet set up so I can keep track of every penny of my money. I didn’t realise this was slightly strange until I found out my flatmates had spent most of their student loans (and they had no idea what they had spent it on!). I am an extremely organised individual and I believe this will be an essential skill as Treasurer. My aims as Treasurer would be: To keep the finances of the Law Society organised Make sure there are sufficient funds available and that they are used effectively so the Law Society can continue to run successful events such as this year’s Law Ball To be approachable- so people feel they can come and speak to me if they have any questions whether the issue is related to money or not To be a helpful and reliable member of the Law Society who can take on any other jobs which don’t necessarily fall under the Treasurer’s responsibility So please vote for me, Grace Lynch for Law Society Treasurer. Thank you for reading.
HOLLIE COOKE A treasurer’s role is to ensure that the money the Law Society gets is spent and controlled in the way that is most beneficial to its members. I feel I would be the best for the role due to my experiences, having spent the last four years, before coming to Cardiff, working part time in an accountancy firm. Alongside this I completed A-level maths and have had to learn to manage my own money since becoming a student. This means that I am extremely comfortable with numbers while understanding how a business accounts are meant to work. Therefore I have already had the reasonability of monitoring financial situations of small businesses, these skills can easily be transferred to this role. Without having to get caught up with the number side, I will have more time to try save costs within the society, this will allow more money to be spent on the things you, as a member, want. This year more money was dedicated to sport, I will ensure that this is carried through to next year, while trying to push more money to careers. Many of us will be striving to get a job in law and the more opportunities available, the more employable we are. My good communication skills will allow me to work well with the other departments in the society to develop these opportunities which will not be available without good money management and, if voted, I would aim to provide this.
AMY DURHAM I am Amy Durham a current first year student, and I’m looking to be your Law Society Treasurer for the next academic year. As the Chair of my Sixth Form Student Council I was responsible for managing a strict budget, financing and paying for our Sixth Form Ball as well as maintaining the organisation of both a number of people, and having the overall responsibility for a number of incomings and outgoings throughout the year. Although managing the Law Society's budget will be on a larger scale, my experience will aid my success as Treasurer. I am an organised individual who is keen to work with a variety of different people in order to ensure your membership fee is utilised most effectively, enabling you to get the most back from Cardiff’s Law Society. There's nothing worse than your money being wasted due to poor management! As Treasurer, I will be involved in weekly meetings, which I believe I would be successful at expressing my views, as well as representing your views, ideas and suggestions in order to shape and improve the already successful Law Society, into a society that meets your needs as a member. Cardiff University Law Society was, last year, the most sponsored law society in the UK. I could be instrumental in aiding the President to source and maintain sponsorship, and managing the distribution of the sponsorship once received. So, if you want a Treasurer who is organised, efficient and proactive please vote Amy for Treasurer!
Careers Liaison Officer KATE TAYLOR My name is Kate Taylor, a first year law student and current member of the Public Speaking Sub-Committee. I am asking for your vote to act as Careers Officer for the Law Society. As a member of the Public Speaking Sub-Committee and Ambassador for Aspiring Solicitors, I have gained experience in organising Careers events and I have utilised these opportunities to build contacts with a variety of different lawyers. I am committed to ensuring that every student has access to the employability options that will increase their chances of gaining Vacation Schemes, Mini-Pupillages and the all-important Training Contract or Pupillage. That is why I am committed to the following three promises:
To establish a wider variety of Careers and networking events which are informative, but most importantly fun! Guest speakers are a great way to find out more about a firm but they are often impersonal and asking questions can seem daunting. I aim to organise networking events which allow students to feel comfortable approaching the speaker and ask questions in a less pressured environment. To invite speakers from a range of different professions and specialisms; I understand that not everyone aspires for a Training Contract at a city firm, that is why I aim to liaise with the Law School to host speakers from Personal Legal Services, In-house Lawyers and Consultancy firms, to cater for those students who are not looking for a legal career. To focus on the importance of Commercial Awareness by establishing a series of skills based workshops which will culminate in a Commercial Awareness competition, judged by a panel of practicing lawyers.
Careers Liaison Officer ADAM OKONIEWSKI I am applying for the role of Careers Liaison Officer, because I am able to introduce several positive career-related changes for law students. In this year I took part in four networking sessions organized by the law society, which makes me quite knowledgeable about the duties related to this position. Yet, I do not want to rest on laurels and therefore I am entirely open for a little revolution. Firstly, I will organize networking events both for students, wanting to become a barrister as well as for the students, wanting to become a solicitor. It will help to nullify this year’s disenchantment with the fact that there were four events, all directed at students wishing to continue their career with LPC. I will do my best to add to this at least two networking sessions with barristers. Secondly, I will supply law students with a greater dose of information about first-year programmes or open days at law firms. Everyone realises how tough the legal market is and how it is important to gain an early practical experience. Students should be informed about most of the opportunities by the university and not by their research skills. Finally, I will strive to organize some commercial awareness sessions, law-oriented case study activities and one networking event with Cardiff University trainees, working in Magic Circle law firms. The latter one may seem to be a little surprise, but I am sure that it is no more beneficial than to hear about the potential career path from people, who have graduated from the same university.
Public Speaking Officer HARRY SCOTT Please vote for me as your next public speaking officer! As a keen, organised and hardworking individual with a good deal of experience, I believe I will be in a great position to not only maintain the high standards already in place, but also to introduce changes, which I believe will improve student experience. Being on the sub-committee for public speaking this year, I have assisted in the organisation and preparation of events, and in many cases have participated myself. This allowed me to develop my own public speaking skills and gain significant insight into to the practicalities of running such events. I feel this experience and enthusiasm, is what makes me stand out as someone who will work hard and succeed in building on the strengths of this year. If elected, I will look to encourage greater attendance of events through better promotion, and most importantly, I aim to make the workshops more regular and more interactive - thus giving attendees practice in the skills they will need for the annual competition. I think public speaking is a very important part of doing a law degree and is an essential skill whether or not law is your chosen profession, I want to see this emphasised and public speaking events put higher on the agenda. One aspect I will especially look to retain however, is the regular attendance of legal professionals, which I feel has made this terms workshops especially helpful Thank you very much!
ABIGAIL JONES I am Abigail Jones, I am currently a first year student and I would like to run for public speaking officer. This is because I think that public speaking is a skill that many have trouble with when they first start, including myself, and I would love to be a part of something that could help others build their confidence, and raise their comfort levels with being able to speak publicly. I do believe it is an invaluable skill that can help in many other aspects of life, particularly in job interviews. Also I think it is very import that I ran for something that I would have been likely to take part in, if I were not running. I would try and raise the awareness of the public speaking workshop, and the benefits so more people would attend.
Mooting Officer GEORGE PRAT Fellow Law Society members, My name is Georges Prat and I humbly ask you to make me your Mooting Officer. About Me When not dog-sledding or building igloos in my home country of Canada, I spent considerable time public speaking and arguing as a youngster. This year I put these skills to work and was fortunate enough to be one of two winners of the Cardiff second year Internal Mooting Competition. Having been through the whole process I now want to improve mooting for everyone. What I Would do as Your Mooting Officer
1. Mooting workshops to help students be confident from day one. 2. Bigger prizes to further incentivise students to moot. 3. More judicial intervention to better reflect the experience of real-world advocacy and higher level mooting. 4. Reduce the drop-out rate to prevent the disappointment of having your partner or opponent not show up. 5. Give the post-grads their own mooting competition. If you'd like to see these things happen, then don't be a prat, vote Georges Prat for mooting officer! Thank you for reading.
Publicity Officer DAVID MCKEOWN Fellow legal eagles my name is David Mc Keown and during the year I have represented the law society as a member of both the publicity and social sub committees. This experience has enthused me to engage with the law society further next year. Therefore I hope after reading my manifesto you will feel compelled to elect me as your publicity officer. My plan: • Unprecedented: This year a template for unprecedented was developed. I hope to continue working with Neil Angove to advance the quality of our magazine. Furthermore I aim to include more photographs in unprecedented to convey the brilliant events that occur in the law school. • Website: I aspire to develop our website into a hub of information and articles for all students. • Freshers Guide: I will produce a professional freshers guide to aid students in making the transition to law school. • Unprecedented T.V: Our you tube channel offers the prospect of engaging with not only students but also professional bodies. Next year if elected it will be an avenue that I will thrive to develop. • Staff Engagement: During the year you may have read the magnificent article on Norman Doe and Russell Sandberg. In Cardiff we are surrounded by amazing lectures with fascinating careers. I hope to engage further with staff through unprecedented and possibly our YouTube channel. I hope these aims have encouraged you to elect me as publicity officer for next year. Thank you for reading and remember to vote David Mc Keown for Publicity Officer.
Academic Officer DAN TUCKER The role of Academic Officer requires an individual with passion, experience, and a professional, considered approach to improving the academic experience of Cardiff Law Students. As your Academic Officer, I will ensure the delivery of an outstanding book sale, coupled with a continuing commitment to excellence in the Student Law Journal. Having proudly served as both a representative to the Staff-Student Panel and the CUSU Scrutiny Committee, I have formed lasting professional relationships with both senior staff members and union representatives. I would use these valuable experiences and unparalleled connections to guarantee value for money for the society's book sale, helping students to afford all of the material that they need to reach their full potential, as well as ensuring appropriate reading lists are available well in advance. The Journal is an excellent asset to the Law Society, and I want it to fully reflect the exemplary talent that is found in this Law School. As a contributor to "Quench" and the former marketing advisor to my old school's newspaper, I would bring a unique set of professional skills and expertise to the Journal. I aim to increase awareness and participation in the Journal by expanding its online presence with a microblog, increasing the numbers of both readers and contributors. I am the candidate with the motivation, the experience and the skills to make your academic experience at Cardiff incredible. Make your vote count - elect Dan Tucker as your Law Society's Academic Officer for 2014/15!
Sports Officer JAMES WILLIAMS My name is James Williams. I am a first year Law and Sociology student and I want to be the Cardiff University Law Society Sport Secretary for the academic year of 2014/2015. I am a current member of the Law Society and I am an active player in the Law Society’s extremely successful Rugby team that competes in the competitive intramural games league every Wednesday afternoon. Like many of my fellow students, I have chosen to represent Law as a subject rather than the athletic union and I have invested my time and energy into playing and training for a Law sports team. Which is why I believe it’s time Cardiff Law School and the Law Society as a whole invest in Law Sports! Why should you vote for me? If elected I will work tirelessly to… Raise publicity and recruitment within the Law Society for our sports teams, eliminating the stigma attached with the intramural games. This will be achieved through a welcome lecture at the beginning of the year and an information leaflet within first year undergraduate welcome packs. Organise a try-out day for law students and staff who are interested in playing a new sport. Increase the budget set for sport by the Law Society, working with current and potential sponsors to obtain more, higher quality equipment. Design and implement a universal kit and colour that can be worn with pride by Law students when representing the subject within their respective sport. Integrate all three sports teams (Football, Netball & Rugby) socially in alcoholic and non-alcoholic events on a fortnightly basis. This can be anything from themed socials to tournaments in respective sports. Work with the Law Society to introduce more sports-orientated merchandise to wear casually or when training. This will help create a team identity within the University. Attempt to create a league against different law societies around the United Kingdom where football, netball and rugby will compete. Listen to YOUR opinions and suggestions, meeting with sports captains on a fortnightly basis to discuss progress and/or issues with sports teams. Not only is Cardiff University’s Law Society the largest society in the University, but it also has the potential to be the BEST in regards to sport. If you vote for me I will ensure that Law Sports will continue to improve in an upward trend for years to come.
Law Ball Officer ABBIE LUCAS I am going to keep this short and sweet as I appreciate the amount of reading everyone has right now. My name is Abbie Lucas and I should be your Law Ball Officer. Why? Because I have experience in events management. During my A levels I arranged a charity concert in order to raise money for a children’s cancer charity. This included booking the hall, arranging the acts, choosing the theme, designing the posters and invites, advertising in general, rehearsing one on one with all acts, creating two choirs, making the choral arrangements for the choirs, sound and lighting, arranging for Krispy Kreme to sell donuts at the event, organising refreshments and people to help, I even cleaned up after the show! I ran the concert alongside three A Levels, a piano exam, a musical theatre exam, a production, an extra-curricular ilex class and a part time job. The evening was a success, we raised £600 and I also passed all my exams. I have some interesting ideas that would make next year’s Law Ball hard to forget. I hope this will prove to you that I have the organisational skills, drive and enthusiasm to make next year’s Law Ball the best one yet!
Law Ball Officer MEGAN CHISHOLM-JONES Hello, I’m Megan Chisholm-Jones, and as a first-year student, I have really appreciated the role of the Law Society, in enabling me to meet so many great people and build strong friendships across all the year groups - I have also loved being in the Law Society netball team this year! The highlight of the year for many of us is the Annual Law Ball and I’m here today to ask you to give me your support to be the Law Ball Officer for next year - a role to which I believe I can bring my many skills and attributes. I have extensive experience in event management, having organised numerous successful charity and social events, and as an enthusiastic and confident person, would love the opportunity to take forward the exciting ideas I already have for next year’s BIG event. As a hands-on and proactive person, I am driven and not afraid of getting my hands stuck in. However, I also know that, from previous experience in organising events, this is not a job that can be done alone, so I would be looking to use my motivational and management skills to put together an exciting and vibrant crew. I have so much more to say, so if you want to find out more about me, and how I can make next year’s Law Ball THE event of the year, please get in touch!IF YOU WANT THE BEST JOB DONE AND A WHOLE LOT OF FUN, VOTE FOR MEGAN!
Law Ball Officer WILL MARCHANT Having attended the law ball twice since being a student at Cardiff University, I would now like to take personal responsibility to ensure that the highlight of the Law Society Social calendar – the Annual Law Ball, is more glamorous and exciting than ever before! Because the Law Ball is one of the biggest society events in the University: I will keep ticket prices at £40 for law society members and £60 for nonmembers. Provide extra entertainment throughout the night. For example, in addition to a traditional photographer, hire a photo booth to capture lasting memories and a caricaturist to draw distorted yet recognisable portraits. I also intend to hire a magician to perform tricks to tables during dinner as light entertainment. Provide live music during dinner. Get CUTV on-board to produce a video compilation of the evening. Increase sponsorship at the event, with the possibility of representatives from leading firms attending the champagne reception for networking opportunities. Best of all, after dinner, I will make sure a chocolate fountain and cheese board are provided! The law ball does not stop there either, and I will organise a VIP afterparty at a leading nightclub in Cardiff. Example of a possible theme: 007 Casino Royale evening, with blackjack and roulette tables, however, any suggestions are welcomed. As a sociable and outgoing individual who currently works in event management, I believe that I am the best candidate to provide the Law Ball that you deserve!
Social Secretaries AMY DEVLIN & CHLOE WALKLEY Our names are Amy Devlin and Chloe Walkley and we are first year Law Students. We would love to be the Law Society's joint Social Secretary's for 2014/2015. We are both fun, outgoing, creative and organised and we believe we would not only be good at this role, but would enjoy it immensely. We realise the importance of getting the study/social life balance right and feel that, given the opportunity, we can maintain the standards set by last year's Law Society and help create a great social calendar that everyone can look forward to and enjoy! It is very important to us that students spanning all years (including mature students) are eager to attend every Law Society social event and we hope to give Fresher's a very warm welcome! From our experience (of working in retail, in a nightclub in Cardiff and organising charity events) our people skills are well-developed and we have a good understanding of what makes a great night out. Due to our contacts with various club representatives and management, we may able to get discounts which could help with budgetary constraints. From our personal experiences of Cardiff nightlife as students, we have first-hand experience of what students may want/ expect. We will strive to work closely with students to understand exactly what they want from their social events. We will endeavour to make sure this happens and that Law Society members can look forward to a jam-packed social calendar!
Social Secretaries ZOE NOLAN & EMILY VOISIN Two halves. Living in the Cayman Islands, the UK and New York, Zoe has experienced an array of cultures and lifestyles; as a result, making her a more diverse, dynamic and driven person. Emily, the other half, born and bred in the UK is a fun, vibrant person with a motivation to succeed and a thirst for life. Doing a Law degree is difficult and involves multitudes of reading and late nights of tutorial preparation. Partially because of this, we want there to be more opportunities to socialise, meet others and have fun! Aiming to build upon the current social platform established before us, we hope to introduce new ideas for the socials - possibly paintballing or lazerquest each term? A hangover-free way to socialise; but of course with the typical option of outings into town after, and the tequila that Zoe loves. The general excursions to town will be more widely advertised to all students, mostly through social media such as a Facebook group for example, making information about socials more easily accessible. As well as the standard nightlife that is expected to be organised, we would like to introduce other social options. Such as, organising informal sessions where those who are struggling with a topic can meet and discuss to form a better understanding in a less formal setting than a tutorial. Areas of struggle would be posted on Facebook and through a polling system students would be able to choose then discuss these topics together.
Social Secretaries AURELIEN BONNEFOUS & ALEXANDER LOVE Our names are Aurelien Bonnefous and Alexander Love and we would love the opportunity to be Social Secretaries for the Law Society. Having attended many socials organised by the society, we feel we are well placed to continue the excellent quality of socials next year. Our aims and ambitions for the society socials this year are as follows:
Earlier notification of Society events to ensure as many people can attend as possible Better attendance of socials from years 2 and 3 of those on LLB law. Improved integration of years at socials; we feel the interaction of first years with later years is highly valuable for new students. Look more broadly at when the social events take place to ensure that members can attend.
Most importantly for us, we believe that the socials are for the members of the society and we are merely there to facilitate those needs. If elected we would encourage members of the society to have their say in how the socials should be run. Many thanks for reading our manifesto, and we hope you can see why we feel we would be excellent candidates for Social Secretaries next year.