Obiter, Issue 2, 2013

the ndsls

obiter

Competitions Director, Julia Lavers, running the Competitions Workshop.

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Week Three Semester One Friday 15 March 2013 the notre dame sydney law society

Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

acknowledgements Obiter Issue Two Editor Caroline Michel Cover Story Caroline Michel Contributors Eden Christopher Sean D’almada Remedios Special Thanks Peter Gray Dominique Hermo Julia Lavers Professor Michael Quinlan Design Alexander Carlos NDSLS Committee 2013 Executive Eden Christopher, President Natalie Baladi, Vice-President Daniel Austin, Secretary Sean D’almada Remedios, Treasurer Directors Jacob Deigan, Careers Julia Lavers, Competitions Aidan Williams, Education Peter Gray, IT Alexander Carlos, Marketing Caroline Michel, Publications Dominique Hermo, Social Events Rachel Bennett, Social Justice Lauren Absalom, Sponsorship Year Representatives Adrian Vincent, First Year Shelby van Ooran, Second Year Caitlin Gallagher, Third Year Sean D’almada Remedios, Fourth/Final Year Lisa Summerhayes, Graduate/Mature Age Contact the Editor Contact the Committee www.ndsls.org

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From the

Editor

CAROLINE MICHEL

Hello again!

I am pleased to say The Obiter is back on track and on time this week. Whilst it is only the third week into the year, I feel that everything in the Law School is really starting to come together well. To our new students, I hope you have felt warmly welcomed to such a unique Law School with so much to offer.

This week signified the beginning of a string of exciting events and initiatives to come this semester.

Registrations for two of our inhouse competitions (Negotiation and Client Interview) began and the teams were confirmed on Monday. As an entrant in both competitions myself, I can confidently say how much I look forward to competing. We’ve had a strong interest shown from first years as well as my fellow second years which is great to see, and this is a testament to how friendly the competitions we run are: they are challenging yet enjoyable

and catered to all students no matter what age or level.

Competitions are a great way to develop practical legal skills in a realistic setting. I wish all my fellow competitors the best of luck over the coming weeks!

I would also like to congratulate Adrian Vincent for being elected our new first year representative!

We received many fantastic applications, and it was very difficult to choose just one.

On behalf of the Committee I would like to thank and congratulate all of the students who nominated themselves for the position, and encourage you to continue your brilliant enthusiasm and involvement with your cohort and our Society.

That’s all for now, enjoy!

Caroline Michel Publications Director

Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

in this issue 6 Congratulations Aidan!

Caroline Michel

8 Welcome Back: Clayton Utz 9 What’s the Buzz?

11 The ND Gift Eden Christopher

12 Surving Law ... Online

Sean D’almada Remedios

14 YourSay

President’s Note During the first week of Semester both Professor Michael Quinlan and I visited many classes.

Professor Quinlan gave his vision for this University and I simply plugged the NDSLS events and introduced myself.

In this issue of the Obiter I would like to let you all in on what the NDSLS envisions for 2013.

From October last year (at the AGM) I expressed gratitude to the previous NDSLS Committee and especially Kate Angus, the former President, for gifting this year’s Society a chance to really step up our presence on campus. From the beginning our aim has been to enrich the student experience through our social events (Law Ball, First Year Event), competitions (Clayton Utz Negotiation Competition, Allens Linklaters Client Interview Competition), careers initiatives (Careers Week, mentoring program) and other portfolios to make your time, outside your textbooks, more beneficial and enjoyable.

Our key aim is to increase student participation by hosting these events and to improve the reputation of the Law School by contributing what we as students can do to help each other. I have been to many meetings with many different people inside and outside the University who constantly remark on how much work we are putting in and the question always arises; “How come you are doing all this work?”

The answer is simple - We’re here for the Student Body.

We signed up to give our graduates the best opportunities, to give our students all the right careers

information and to help you all let loose every once in a while.

I hope you all get something out of our efforts this year and I hope you are all enjoying your first few weeks back.

Always feel free to stop any of the Committee members for a chat about anything you are unsure of and keep a close eye on our Facebook Page and our Calendar on the website.

Eden Christopher Supreme Overlord of the NDSLS President

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Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

Upcoming Events and Notices March 19

Clayton Utz Negotiation Competition commences

March 20

The Amazing Race Notre Dame (First Year Event)

March 25

Education Survey

April 5

The ND Gift

April 19

Maurice Blackburn Law Ball

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Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

Contact Us

Follow us on all our online portals!

Just click where you want to go!

www.ndsls.org Like us on Facebook Our Facebook Page is called ‘Notre Dame Sydney Law Society - NDSLS’.

We do not post on this older page: www.facebook.com/pages/Notre-Dame-Sydney-Law-Society/294264827809

Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe via RSS

For social media enquiries, contact the Marketing Director, Alex Carlos at marketing@ndsls.org.

For website enquiries, contact the IT Director, Peter Gray at administrator@ndsls.org.

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Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

CONGRATULATIONS

AIDAN!

BY CAROLINE MICHEL PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR

Throughout the year there are always new opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and abilities outside of university. Many legal firms, companies, educational institutions and the like often hold competitions open to university students, state or nation-wide.

I am pleased to announce that fifth year Laws/Arts student, and our Education Director, Aidan Williams has won the Law Institute of Victoria’s National Facebook Competition which we recently advertised.

He will join 25 other law students as part of a sponsored

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Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

Student Delegation to the 2013 National Access to Justice and Pro Bono Conference on 20 – 22 March 2013 in Melbourne.

themselves will usually prevail. At present, legal aid funding remains scarce.

Competitors were required to submit 200 words or less in response to the following: “Unmet legal need in Australia means universal access to justice is unattainable. Discuss… ”

Congratulation goes to Aidan for his success and we send our best wishes to him for his attendance at the conference next week.

I’d also like to acknowledge all of our Law students who participate in various competitions and opportunities outside of the University, and I congratulate you all for your efforts. If you are interested in taking part in external opportunities, keep a look out on our Facebook page where we often advertise competitions.

Read his reply below: ‘Distributive justice’ involves the distribution of resources fairly, in all the circumstances. If people’s real circumstances and needs are to be met by the State in its distribution of resources, people require their voice to be heard. Whilst the wealthy and influential are in better positions here, the poor and minorities require special assistance to have their voice heard. This is a legal need; without being represented by people who understand the law and the State’s activity, their access to justice and fairness is unattainable. These needs remain unmet: as a single example, poverty among the disabled.

Once again, congratulations Aidan!

Further, ‘corrective justice’ - addressing some imbalance resulting from a clash between individuals – inevitably requires expenditure of time and money. The courts, administrative tribunals and government information services, for example, require staffing by paid employees. In Australia, we may have law protecting many of our rights, but these laws sometimes require enforcement, which costs.

Again, it will always be easier for the wealthy/ influential to seek justice here. For the poor/ isolated to access justice, it is essential that the State assists them especially, otherwise the claims of the rich to secure ‘justice’ for

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Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

Welcome Back!

The NDSLS would like to welcome back on board Clayton Utz for 2013.

Clayton Utz has sponsored our Negotiation Competition tor two years in a row and produced two national competitors through their support.

Without their support, the NDSLS would not be able to provide students with the many events and competitions we run every year.

The Clayton Utz Negotiation Competition commences on Tuesday 19 March 2013.

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Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

What’s the Buzz?

Notre Dame Law hoodies are now available for order!

1. Visit Roszanna’s office at the School of Law to try out sample sizes until Friday 15 March.

2. Place your order at www.store.ndsls.org

It’s that easy!

It’s only $50!

The NDSLS will not be providing cash payment through the online store. The NDSLS will advise of times and dates when anyone paying by cash can place an order.

Watch our website and social media for updates.

The NDSLS Store will close at 8pm Wednesday March 20.

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Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

First Year Rep Announced Congratulations to Adrian Vincent who has been offered the position of First Year Representative.

He’ll be brought up to speed with everything NDSLS immediately and for first years, he will be your first contact if you need any information about our events.

Adrian will be helping Dominique Hermo, Social Director, with The Amazing Race Notre Dame event we have planned for Week 4!

Week 4 Thursday 21 March 5 - 6 pm Round 1D: Mark Van Der Hout and Antonella Josipovic v TBA 6 - 7 pm Round 1E: Tom Guy and Steph Greenwood v Alex Carlos and Amber Wallace

Week 5 Tuesday 26 March 5 - 6 pm Round 2A: Ruby Hunt and Vanessa Baladi v Tom Guy and Steph Greenwood

Clayton Utz Negotiation Competition Schedule

6 - 7 pm Round 2B: Alana Rafter and Lara Hall v Daniel Austin and Caroline Michel

Week 4 Tuesday 19 March 5 - 6 pm Round 1A: Anne Batshoun and Vanessa Campisi v Alana Rafter and Lara Hall

Week 5 Thursday 28 March 5 - 6 pm Round 2C: Sabrina Mobbs and Adrian Vincent v Mark Van Der Hout and Antonella Josipovic

6 - 7 pm Round 1B: Sabrina Mobbs and Adrian Vincent v Ruby Hunt and Vanessa Baladi

Round 2D: Anne Batshoun and Vanessa Campisi v Brenton McIntyre and Sean D’almada Remedios

Round 1C: Brenton McIntyre and Sean D’almada Remedios v Daniel Austin and Caroline Michel

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6 - 7 pm Round 2E: TBA v Alex Carlos and Amber Wallace

Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

The ND Gift Every year members of the legal profession gather to fight for justice. That group became known as the League of Shadows and was eventually over-thrown by Batman. But this year it’s different...

Our prized trophy has been TAKEN by the School of Medicine and they purport to sell it to an Armenian Sex Trafficking ring and it’s our job to apply for an injunction on this. No longer will we play second fiddle. No longer will they laugh at our gavels. No more will our silks be splattered with mud without victory.

This year my learned friends... This year, we will rise and frustrate any relationship attempted to be asserted on real property that is ours. We are the Force Majeure... The 2013 LAW Team of the Notre Dame Gift.

Raise your gavels and join the fight on 5 April. #prepareforbattle Visit our event page here.

- Eden Christopher, President

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Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

Surviving Law ...

Online!

Sean D’almada Remedios Treasurer/4th Year Rep

Studying law is not a stress free undertak-

and how they have been overcome. From

ing. Neither does it always run to plan.

There are moments when you think you are just stuck in a nightmare. Whether it’s the shocking scenario of realising that the 3000 word essay that you haven’t started is actually due tomorrow instead of next week or trying to push through a killer night before cramming session in time for a closed book real property exam, one thing is clear: studying law has its lows. On the bright side there is always support on hand; family and friends for one. However another means of getting advice on how to cope with the ins and outs of studying law that may seem a bit surprising is at hand – law student blogs.

coping with heavy loads of reading in first year, to unravelling the mysteries of evolving from law student to lawyer and everything involved in between it’s there.

Blogs provide advice that shows that you are not alone in the issues you are facing; many have gone through this before and often there is a workable solution already available. If nothing else, reading about the experiences of other students puts your own problems into perspective.

In the modern world blogs are written and published online covering just about anything. Law and the study of law have not escaped. There are now multiple blogs that provide information on what exactly is involved in studying law; the challenges

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Of all of the blogs online, the one that stands out the most to me is Survive Law. I have no doubt that at least some of you would already be aware or active followers already. With some 12,417 likes on Facebook its scale is clear. It goes beyond a classic blog structure and now serves as a hub for everything law school related.

Survive Law is even hosting its own Clerkship Boot Camp in May.

Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting up with one of the mastermind bloggers on the Survive Law team - Kat Crossley. Having graduated, Kat still manages the blog and is also working on her first book soon to be published.

We talked about everything from clerkships, careers, graduate employment statistics and of course Survive Law. Her advice for any budding bloggers; pick a subject matter that is both interesting and in demand, but also hasn’t been done before.

Of course some problems are not suitable to be resolved by online advice. These will require other means of support, but if you haven’t already checked out what’s out there you may be surprised. For a start try my top picks: • Survive Law • Obiter Ovum • Coffee and Cases • Barely Legal

How to Contribute The Obiter welcomes original student written pieces. If you would like to have something included in our publication, don’t be shy- we are now accepting a range of original works whether they be short articles, long essays or maybe just a piece of advice for other students. As long as they are focused on a legal or university related issue/topic we would love to publish your work!

If you are a budding writer why not send us something? You can either upload your document here, or email it directly to Caroline, the Publications Director at publications@ndsls.org. It’s that easy.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

YourSay Welcome to our new segment, YourSay! In every edition of The Obiter we will post a question based on a current legal issue that’s causing havoc in the press, and we’re asking for your opinion. That’s right - we want to know what you think in 100 words or less. Submissions can even be made anonymously, as long as they are free from offensive themes and language.

This week: After several independent videos on YouTube surfaced from Mardi Gras showing alleged acts of police brutality upon some young men at the event, questions have been raised over issues of police brutality, homophobia and the need for special police training for cultural events. On his Facebook site, Sydney MP Alex Greenwich stated:

“People are rightly angry about the serious incidents involving Police during the 2013 Mardi Gras festival. We want professional policing and we want action on rogue police officers….we do need an independent investigation system for police that both police and the community can trust.”

Do you agree with this statement? Were the police out of line, or were their actions justified?

Is there a need to create an independent investigation system for police? Is there more to the story?

Let us know what you think! Jump online and send us your thoughts to have your say published in the next Obiter! Contribute by clicking here.

Disclaimer: All submissions will be considered for publishing provided that they do not contain offensive language or themes. The NDSLS reserves the right to refuse a submission if it is inappropriate.

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Notre Dame Sydney Law Society

The NDSLS would like to recognise the significant contributions of our Gold Sponsors.

These sponsors have been with us for many years and have made significant contributions to YOUR society during that time. Check out their website and Like them on Facebook to stay informed on how they can help you more.

Copyright and Disclaimer Š The Notre Dame Sydney Law Society.

This publication is copyright. Except where permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced or stored by any process, electronic or otherwise, without the express permission of the Notre Dame Sydney Law Society.

This is a publication of the Notre Dame Sydney Law Society. Its sponsors, contributors, the University of Notre Dame Australia, its affiliates or its employees do not necessarily endorse any facts or opinions contained within this publication