First Year Guide 2017

2017

Law School

First Year Guide A Survival guide

QUT law society inc.

First year guide to law school 2017 acknowledgements The QUT Law Society would like to sincerely thank the following firms for sponsoring the First Year Guide for 2017: Allens Linklaters | Clayton Utz | McCullough Robertson | MinterEllison | Thomson Geer QUT PLT | Ashurst | Herbert Smith Freehills | King & Wood Mallesons Acknowledgements must go to: Claudia Choi [Vice-President of Media & Communication] for designing, formatting and content editing

Contents Important Contacts ...........................................1

Law School Basics ..........................................3 Law Industry Basics ..........................................5 Transitioning to University ..........................................7 Lectures and Tutorials ..........................................9 Tips for Successful Study .........................................11 Academic Dishonesty ........................................13 Get Connected ........................................15 Events and Activities ........................................17 Competitions ........................................19 Publications ........................................21 Health and Fitness ........................................22 Eat.Drink.Shop. ........................................23 Connect with us on... ........................................24

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Contacts

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faculty of law Location: Level 4, C Block Gardens Point 2 George St Brisbane QLD 4000 Email:

Phone: 3138 2707 Int. phone: +61 7 3138 2707

law_enquiries@qut.edu.au

The Faculty of Law can assist you with administrative enquiries about various issues such as timetabling and enrolments. If you need assistance with the academic curriculum, you will need to contact your tutor or lecturer.

To find contact details for academic staff, visit www.qut.edu.au/about/contact to search by tutor name or Faculty area.

Other important contacts QUT Law Library:

(07) 3138 2842

Study & General Enquiries: (07) 3138 2000 askqut@qut.edu.au Careers and Employment: (07) 3138 2649 careers@qut.edu.au Disability & Injury Support: (07) 3138 2699 IT Helpdesk: (07) 3138 4000 ithelpdesk@qut.edu.au

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QUT Law Society Location: Level 4, C Block, Room 402 (C402) Gardens Point 2 George St Brisbane QLD 4000 The QUTLS is a volunteer student association which seeks to holistically enhance the tertiary experiences of all QUT Law students. The QUTLS is the largest law student association in Australia.

President Harrison Bell president@qutlawsociety.com Executive Vice-President Alastair Page vicepresident@qutlawsociety.com

Secretary Sarah Nguyen secretary@qutlawsociety.com Treasurer Courtney Brown treasurer@qutlawsociety.com Vice-President of Competitions Yanery Ventura Rodriguez vp.competitions@qutlawsociety.com

Director of Moot Club Patrick Johnson director.mootclub@qutlawsociety.com Vice-President of Education Jake Stacey vp.education@qutlawsociety.com Vice-President of Events Nicholas Arndt vp.events@qutlawsociety.com Vice-President of Media Communication Claudia Choi vp.mediacommunication@qutlawsociety.com Vice-President of Sport and Health Alexandra Pearman vp.sportandhealth@qutlawsociety.com 2

Law School

Basics

There’s a lot to know when you first start out. Here are a few of the most important things!

CLASSES: LECTURES & TUTORIALS

For every subject you enrol into (also called a ‘unit’) you’ll have a few different types of classes: • Lectures – Formal instruction on course content. Lectures are usually delivered as a combination of face-to-face classes and online recordings; • Tutorials – Less formal instruction, typically delivered in a smaller classroom setting. You will have set tasks to complete before each tutorial, usually involving the application of principles from lectures and weekly readings, which your tutor will discuss with the class. Tutorial participation often contributes to your final grade; • Workshops – Some units combine lectures and tutorials into a single workshop, sometimes called a ‘lectorial’.

External students do not typically have tutorials. Instead, there is a compulsory ‘External Attendance School’ held during the mid-semester break.

RESOURCE MATERIALS

A variety of resource materials will come in handy for study: • Textbooks – Each unit has a list of textbooks. Some are compulsory (the ‘main’ textbook) and others only recommended. The compulsory text is usually enough; • Study Guides – Available from the ‘Blackboard’ website, some are written like a minitextbook, others provide a basic outline and tutorial questions; • And More – There are a lot of other useful resources at your disposal, including legal databases and encyclopaedia.

Pro Tip: ‘Q&A’ textbooks are available for most subjects, with practice exam questions and model answers. Many are written by your lecturers, and these lecturers set your exams. Not every Q&A book is useful, but paying close attention can give you an inside edge.

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ASSESSMENT

Different units will have different assessments. The main types of assessment are: • Assignments – Lots of different assignment formats are used in the Law School. Most assignments involve analysis of a legal problem, providing advice regarding parties’ legal positions in response to a fact-based scenario (usually 30-40%); • Exams – End of semester exams, usually worth 50-60% of your total grade. Most exam questions will be scenario-based legal problems, with short essay questions occasionally thrown in for variety.

There are no ‘fail’ marks for individual assessment items. Your final grade is cumulative, so if you get below 50% for an assessment you may still pass that subject on balance (with a bit of work). Being cumulative, every mark counts!

Pro Tip: Practise for exams by completing hand-written responses to past exam questions (which you usually find on the Blackboard site for each subject). Identifying legal issues arising from a set of facts can be deceptively difficult. Exams won’t identify a particular topic area like in tutorials and often multiple topics from different areas, so practice identifying issues, too!

NOTES

A majority of QUT Law exams are open book. You can bring any written material you’d like, and it’s generally advisable to compile a set of notes to bring along. Notes are helpful in three ways: 1. Writing notes is a very effective way of studying course content; 2. Organising content in your preferred way provides a personalised reference tool; and 3. Personalised notes are invaluable in an exam.

You’ll eventually find your preferred method of structuring and compiling notes. Try outlining a structure for your response and then a step-by-step procedure for analysing each sub-issue.

Some students post their exam notes online. Approach these notes with caution – they have not been vetted by content experts (i.e. lecturers) and often contain errors.

Lecturers also set exam questions to exploit known errors in online notes, and markers can pick when you’ve used them.

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Law Industry

Basics

Understanding a little bit about the legal industry is very important, and something that many students take a long time to come to grips with. Here are a few basics to start with!

TYPES OF LAWYERS

In Queensland (and most jurisdictions), there are two types of ‘lawyer’: solicitors and barristers.

Solicitors can appear in court from time-to-time, but most of their time is spent in an office working with clients to provide legal advice in response to instructions. Because there are lots of different areas of law, solicitors will often branch-out to specialise in just one practice area – you can choose elective subjects at university to help with this, but you’ll study all the major areas of law as part of your degree. Most lawyers practice as solicitors.

Barristers spend most of their time in court, advocating on behalf of their client in a courtroom setting and/or working with an instructing solicitor to provide highly targeted, specialist advice regarding legal matters. Because going to court is very expensive and time-consuming, many barristers also specialise in ‘alternative dispute resolution’ (‘ADR’), which is a blanket term for things like negotiation. In Queensland, barristers are ‘sole practitioners’. They work alone, but from premises shared with other barristers called ‘chambers’.

LAW FIRMS

A ‘law firm’ is essentially a group of lawyers working for one business. They come in all shapes and sizes, commonly divided into three categories – boutique (very small), mid-tier and top-tier. While this division is fairly arbitrary, law firms are often ranked according to their number of ‘fee earners’ – the number of partners and lawyers employed by the business.

You’ll sometimes hear people refer to ‘big six’ law firms. These are the top six law firms by size, historically being Herbert Smith Freehills, King & Wood Mallesons, Clayton Utz, Minter Ellison, Ashurst and Allens. With more competition in the legal service market, these distinctions matter less over time and many more lawyers work in mid-tier or boutique firms than in the ‘big six’.

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A growing practice area, ‘in house’ lawyers are work outside the firm system, employed directly by companies to perform day-to-day legal work and assist with common legal matters.

ORGANISATION STRUCTURES

In its most basic form, a law firm is a partnership of one or more legal practitioners. Like every business, different firms work differently and have different ways of doing business.

There are several common legal roles which you’ll find in most law firms. Smaller businesses will have a more limited range of role types, while larger businesses will often have very targeted role classifications. Firms tend to be very hierarchical, generally in the order of: 1. Partner 2. Senior / Special Counsel 3. Senior Lawyer 4. Lawyer 5. Junior Lawyer / Trainee 6. Paralegal 7. Vacation Clerks

The main difference between these roles is the type and complexity of work and level of remuneration. You may be able to find work as a ‘paralegal’ while you study – paralegals perform basic legal and admin tasks, which is invaluable experience when applying for jobs.

CLERKSHIPS & GRADUATE POSITIONS

Clerkships are a big deal for both students and firms. A clerkship can be the first step in working for a major firm. Firms recruit in March for the following year, and generally want penultimate (third-year) students – if you’re a Bachelor of Laws (Graduate) student, that’s next year!

Firms will often place successful clerks into graduate recruitment programs, using clerkships as an opportunity to check you out and see if you’re a good fit for their business with a view to employing you! A clerkship is an important opportunity to get your foot in the door at a major firm, and gives you a chance to experience real legal work and the culture of a firm while seeing which practice area(s) you’re best suited to.

Though a lot of emphasis is placed on getting a clerkship, don’t stress too much if it doesn’t happen for you – it’s a big deal if you get one, but lots of very successful lawyers didn’t clerk.

For more information, keep an eye out for the QUT Law Society Careers Guide in March!

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QUT’s Bachelor of Laws attracts a wide range of students; some have just finished school, while others have completed another degree, travelled overseas, or worked for many years. Some students live at home, some work, some have children and a mortgage.

Each of these scenarios present different challenges and your personal circumstances will impact your transition into law school. No matter what your personal circumstances are, there are a few things that it pays to keep in mind when you’re starting out.

ATTENDANCE

Here’s the thing: it’s hard to find the time for everything you’re supposed to do. You’ll have lectures, tutorials and assignments to keep you busy, but things like extracurricular activities and having a life are really important, too.

Unlike work or school, at university you’ll be expected to make your own choices when it comes to attendance. Some students find this freedom tempting, but if you want to perform at your best (and/or pass) you’ll need to attend classes.

Non-attendance of even a few classes can put you in a difficult position. Everyone misses a class here and there – just don’t make it a habit and have a plan to catch-up! You’ll start to feel more comfortable with what you’re doing by second semester, too – this is a good thing, but it can breed complacency and not turning up to classes is often a recipe for disaster.

Turning up to your tutorial having done your tutorial work is the best and easiest thing you can do to get decent grades!

GET ORGANISED

So you don’t end up a quivering mess by the end of semester: 1. Schedule time for readings, tutorial work, assignments, study and end of semester revision, not just lectures and tutorials; 2. Keep up with lectures, go to tutorials and do your tutorial work; and 3. Start your assignments early!

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HIGH SCHOOL TO LAW SCHOOL

At school you have a teacher who is responsible for your learning. At university that responsibility rests with you. Lecturers and tutors are a really great learning resource, but they won’t be chasing you for your homework.

Each academic staff member will place different demands on you and have different expectations of the work they’d like to see. It’s up to you to work out how to extract the best grade from them and the easiest way of doing this is to ask! Don’t be afraid to approach your lecturers and tutors with questions – they’re here to help!

At uni, you’re expected to be self-directed when it comes to your learning. You’ll be told what you have to read, but a big part of studying law is to read as widely as possible to gain an in-depth understanding of the subject matter.

With a whole library just for law, you’re never going to be able to read it all. How do you know what is enough? Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer: some students read every prescribed and optional textbook reading and every legal case in full, others will do nothing all semester and spend study week holed-up in the Law Library smelling like old sweatpants and coffee.

Option A is probably better and definitely a good way of improving your grades, but won’t be feasible for everyone. Try to find a balance and, most importantly, find an approach that works for you. Good results and having a life don’t need to be mutually exclusive.

REAL SKILLS

While content knowledge is important, your degree is really about acquiring practical legal skills. The QUT School of Law is all about practical skills and your assessments are based on what real lawyers do.

The law changes all the time; taking an effective approach to resolving a legal problem is far more important than knowing the state of the law.

Life experience and knowledge of topics outside the law are also invaluable. They help you think practically and creatively about the law. You’ll never be asked to read unrelated materials, but pursuing your non-legal interests and learning new things is surprisingly useful.

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Lectures&

Tutorials

If you haven’t studied at uni before, finding your feet with lectures and tutorials can be difficult. Just turning up isn’t usually enough – they’re the heart and soul of your degree, so it pays to get them right!

LECTURES

Lectures go for two hours and may be face-to-face and/or online. Either way, a recording will be made available via the Blackboard site. They provide the basis of what you should know about the topic, using slides that you can acquire prior to the lecture.

Different students approach lectures differently and no one method is necessarily better than another. Some students: 1. Write down what the lecturer says word-for-word; 2. Listen to the lecturer and jot down an occasional note; or 3. Acquire the slides before the lecture, use these in conjunction with study guide and only write down the information that is not already provided.

All of these are fine. Do whatever works for you, but always read lecture and study guide materials beforehand. Start with a general understanding of the material and the lecture will help you place everything in proper context.

It can be difficult to maintain your concentration in lectures. Some students have even been known to fall asleep... If this happens, ask yourself questions as the lecturer talks and try to answer them before they do. If you are really finding it difficult to concentrate, begin to write what the lecturer has stated word for word until you regain concentration.

If all else fails, grab a coffee during the break.

Be mindful that if you’re not physically attending the lecture at a set time, you’ll need to schedule time to listen to the online recording. Schedule this well in advance and remember that while it can be tough to stick to a set time, it’s easier than mainlining over dozens of hours of lecture recordings in the week before exams! It’s a good idea to schedule more time than the length of the recording as you’ll regularly need to pause to take notes or re-listen to something you missed.

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TUTORIALS

Unless you study externally, every unit has a tutorial component and tutorial ‘homework’ to complete in the time between the lecture and your tutorial.

You’ll be asked to use the principles discussed in lectures and in your readings, applying those principles to ‘solve’ a legal problem.

Tutorials are the core element of your studies. You learn how to apply the law to practical situations (which is what you’ll have to do in the exam) and an opportunity to clarify any questions you have about a topic. Different tutors have different approaches, but generally they will walk the class through that week’s tutorial questions asking for input from the class.

In previous years, students were marked on their tutorial participation. This was to encourage students to attend classes and to provide input. Most tutorial participation marks were worth 10%. While this may not seem like a lot, 10% can make the difference between getting a credit or a distinction, or even the difference between passing and failing!

Luckily, tutorial participation marks are no longer part of the assessment criteria. In saying that, it is highly recommended that students continue to attend classes to get the most out of their degree. You're accumulating a HECS debt for a reason! Listening and asking questions in class will give you an edge over the students that don't attend class.

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TIPS FOR

SUCCESSFUL STUDY There are many ways to study.

It really depends on the individual, but here are a few tips!

Studying in a group can be helpful. While your lecturers and tutors only have a certain amount of time to devote to helping you (remember: there’ll be 700+ students in most first year subjects), having people you can meet with on a regular basis can be very helpful.

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Sometimes students will work as a group to compile notes for a subject so they only have a few topics to complete. Feel free to do this if it works for you, but be aware that this approach can be problematic – sometimes you’ll end up only understanding the work you’ve done, and it can be difficult to know whether or not other people’s work is correct.

tip #2 Study Week

tip #1 Group Study

‘Study Week’ (aka ‘SWOTVAC’) falls between the last week of classes and the exam block. If you’ve left everything to the last minute, you’ll quickly realise that a measly three day SWOTVAC is not enough. Time will continue to pass normally during this week; don’t pretend it will somehow stretch to cover thirteen weeks of lectures and readings, with time left over to write notes and do practise exams.

So use this week to revise the content. Don't be learning the content for the first time!

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!! !

tip #3 Practice Exams

Law exams at QUT are open book. While it’s comforting to walk in with a library’s worth of reference materials, you’ll very quickly find that there’s no time in the exam to pour over books or notes.

Get your hands on past exam papers and do as many as you can under exam conditions, using paper and pen. Try to finish your notes early so you can test them out!

One of the best things a law student can do is to talk to their tutors and lecturers.

If you are unsure of any content covered in the unit, just ask for help and your tutor/ lecturer will do the best they can do help you come to an understanding.

Just email your tutor/lecturer and book and appointment - it's super easy!

tip #4 Talk to your Tutor and Lecturer

GOOD LUCK!!!

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Academic Dishonesty These rules can be found in QUT's Manual of Policies and Procedures (MOPP) at MOPP C/5.3 Academic Integrity.

What is academic honesty at QUT?

Going to university might cause you to feel excited or overwhelmed − it doesn't matter if you are a school leaver or returning to study after time in the workforce. Becoming familiar with what's expected of you as a QUT student can help you to feel comfortable with studying at university. At QUT, we are committed to creating and fostering an environment that encourages and rewards academic honesty, and ensuring that you have clear guidance and assistance so you can follow these principles. This means that both staff and students are expected to exhibit honesty, respect, fairness and trust, and act in a responsible manner when undertaking academic activities. Breaking the principles of academic honesty is interpreted as dishonesty.

What are the principles at QUT?

As a QUT student, you are committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of QUT qualifications for all graduates. In practice, this means ensuring that all assessment items are approached and completed with the highest standards of academic honesty. Any actions or practice which defeats the purpose of assessment is regarded as a failure to maintain academic honesty. This involves representing another person's ideas or work as your own (plagiarism), including resubmitting your own work for another assessment item or cheating in examinations.

Why is detecting and penalising plagiarism important at QUT?

If you plagiarise intentionally or otherwise in assessment items, you're not providing appropriate evidence of the learning undertaken in the degree. Members of an academic community that plagiarise undermine the value of the knowledge generated by that community -it gives the university a bad name as well as the other students who attend. Allowing you to obtain a degree with plagiarised assessment lowers the overall quality of the University's graduates and undermines the value of the qualifications offered and the achievements of other students.

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What does QUT consider to be dishonest?

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Cheating in exams This includes any action or attempted action by you where you might gain an unfair advantage in the examination. Common methods of cheating include: • bringing unauthorised material into the exam • having access to unauthorised written notes during the exam • communicating with others during the exam • copying or reading another student's work during the exam 2. Plagiarism This involves representing another person's ideas or work as your own. It may also include resubmitting your own work for another assessment item. Common forms of plagiarism include: • direct copying, summarising, or paraphrasing another person's work without appropriate acknowledgement of the sources • using or developing an idea or hypothesis from another person's work without appropriate acknowledgement • representing the work of another person as your own work • copying non-word based material (such as diagrams, plans or audio-visual materials) and presenting them as your own work • using another person's experimental results as your own or without appropriate acknowledgement.

3. Other forms Other forms of failing to undertake your studies with academic honesty, including: • giving or providing your work for sale to someone else • misrepresenting, falsifying or fabricating data for an assessment • using assessment materials from someone else (whether purchased or taken) • colluding (working very closely) with other people to produce an assignment and then submitting it as your own individual work • collaborating (working on an assignment) with others where it is not authorised in the assessment requirements

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QUTLS Mentor Program 'Buddy Program' QUTLS Mentor Program partners you with an experienced law student who can help you during the transition to studying law. The Mentor Program pairs you with like minded law students who have been through it all before and can show you the ropes. Understanding how to take lecture notes. prepare for end of semester exams, cite correctly and take advantage of initiatives you may not even know existed goes a long way to improve your university experience and ultimately, getting that elusive grad job. The Mentor Program is open to all first year law students and is the easiest way to start law school off on the right foot.

Pro tip: Student Mentors will tell you things your lecturers won't.

get Conn ected QUT LAW SOCIETY WORKSHOP PROGRAM Outside of your regular classes, QUT Law Society hosts must-attend workshops across the year, presented by industry representatives from top law firms. Our workshops cover everything from working at the courts, to working a room, insider’s advice from employers on getting that dream job, and more!

We appreciate it’s sometimes difficult to fit everything in and throwing a bunch of workshops into the mix won’t work for everyone, so we will be holding a series of workshops devoted to career essentials throughout the year. Sessions include resume writing, interviewing and networking skills, delivered by representatives from top Brisbane law firms.

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First Year Lunch 20th March 2017 The First Year Lunch is a joint initiative between the Faculty of Law and QUT Law Society. The First Year Lunch is a great way to meet the rest of your cohort who you will be sharing the same struggles with over the next 4-6 years. Even if mass socialisation isn't your thing, there will be free food and an opportunity if you signed up the Mentor Program to meet your Student Mentor for the first time.

Pro Tip: This is the first opportunity for you to strut your stuff in front of your fellow peers, do not miss this ego boosting opportunity.

External Lunch Semester One and Two

External Students play a significant role within QUT Law. We have decided to take an active step to recognise all that you do by hosting an official meet and great during the external attendance weeks in both semesters.

Both lunches will be catered for and will be a great way to meet the

lecturers that you know all too well. We are planning to

organise a special get together for external students enrolled in

the Mentor Program and law firms will be invited to explain how you can get the most out of the clerkship and graduate process.

Please like and see the QUT Law Society's Facebook page

for confirmation of details. These lunches are open

to both first year and latter year law students and are

a great way to get involved and help build collegiality amongst QUT growing external law student population.

e of g a t o van d es t a i t e i k un Ta d ort p p s an o d l n l a ie h e fr k a wit m k r wo y net str u d in ls!!! a n io fess o r p

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EVEN S AC IVITIES Every year, the QUT Law Society hosts lots of events; from formal dinners and networking opportunities, to parties and everything in-between – keep an eye out on our Facebook page and weekly email for all the latest events!

MEET THE PROFESSION

The most important networking event of the season, students are invited to attend the 'QUT Law Society’s Meet the Profession' evening in early March. This event offers you the chance to meet and network with representatives from top legal firms over drinks and canapés. This event is an incredible opportunity for those applying for clerkships and graduate positions.

Indigenous RECONCILIATION BREAKFAST

The QUT Law Society Reconciliation Breakfast brings together students from across the university to meet with prominent indigenous and business leaders.

In 2016, Bill Potts, President of the Queensland Law Society, Dominic McGann, Chairman of Partners at McCullough Robertson, attended as guest speakers along with Mikaela French, an Indigenous QUT Law Student and Uncle Sam, an Aboriginal elder. Guests were lucky to listen to Jyi Lawton's performance on the didgeridoo.

WOMEN IN LAW

The Women in Law cocktail evening highlights the contributions of women as members of the legal fraternity and celebrates the achievements of women in law, featuring cocktails, canapés and speeches from inspirational female leaders.

This evening acknowledges that there is a growing role for women in the legal industry, especially with women representing over 60% of law graduates. A great opportunity to support the standing of women in law and in leadership positions, this is an opportunity not to be missed!

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L CARD LAUNCH

The L Card is the best student discount card around! For just $10, L Card holders have access to awesome hospitality and retail discounts, and free entry and specials at dozens of venues.

If this isn’t already enough to convince you, this card pays you back immediately with free entry to the annual L Card launch, hosted jointly by QUT, UQ and Griffith Law Societies.

If you miss us selling them at O Week, drop by the QUT Law Society Office to pick yours up! See www.thelcard.com for a full list of specials.

LAW BALL

The Law Ball is the social highlight of the year for QUT Law students. Held in April, the Law Ball gives you the chance to get dressed up and party! This is a sell-out event and this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever!

LAW DINNER

Held in September, the annual Law Dinner is the formal event of the year, featuring keynote addresses from highly accomplished members of the legal fraternity. Past speakers include former High Court Justice Kirby, current Chief Justice French, Justice McMurdo, President of the Queensland Court of Appeal, Justice David Jackson, Justice Peter Lyons and Glenn Newton QC.

LAW REVUE

The annual Law Revue is a live, satirical, law-themed musical production, giving students the chance to let their hair down and express themselves creatively.

Law Revue is independently produced by a highly-motivated subcommittee, who are always looking for people to lend a hand – not only creative-types like writers, actors, singers, and musicians, but anyone who’s keen to help out in the production! If you’re keen to help out, contact the production team at lawrevue@qutlawsociety.com.

Tickets will be available in the lead up to the performance. There’ll be lots of law firms coming along for a bit of post-performance networking, too!

#Letsgetrekt

#Letsgetrekt is an event whereby all law students are invited to celebrate the end of each semester.

Traditionally held at Jade Buddha on Eagle Street, this night commemorates all the blood and tears that law students have shed.

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Competitions Our competitions schedule has grown extensively over the last few years, with QUT Law Society now offering a total of nine competitions from junior to senior levels: • Junior Competitions –

Client Interview, Junior Moot, First Year Moot, Negotiation • Senior Competitions –

Paper Presentation, Constitutional Law, Witness Examination,

Commercial Arbitration, Senior Moot

By participating in our program, you’ll develop important legal and advocacy skills in a courtroom setting as you progress from junior to senior levels. Our competitions complement the academic curriculum, focussing on essential practical skills introduced through your studies.

Competition winners are invited to compete at a national level, providing further opportunities to enhance their skills and develop professional networks. Many competitors continue to enter external competitions facilitated by the Law School in places like Oxford and The Hague!

Registrations open about one month prior to competition rounds.

What is mooting?

Mooting is a head-to-head contest of legal arguments in a mock courtroom setting, similar to debating. Working in teams of 2 or 3 people, you’ll research and formulate a legal argument by applying legal principles to the given facts and present your arguments before a judge. Simple, right?

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G N I T R A ST T OU

!!!

You should start competing in first year. As many later-year students can attest, missing out on these early opportunities limits your potential.

Competing is a must for future barristers!

QUT Law Society offers a number of internal mooting opportunities that are suited to first year students, including the First Year Moot which is (unsurprisingly) only open to first year students, as well as Negotiation and Client Interview.

The First Year Moot is based on content from Torts A, which most students study in Semester 1. Negotiation and Client Interview don't require any particular legal knowledge and are perfect for first year students, too.

If you're really confident, you can try your hand at the Junior Moot. A word of warning: this moot is run on the assumption that each competitor as knowledge from all of first year – you’re welcome to have a go and it’s definitely do-able, but we’d suggest you take on the First Year Moot if you’re new to the sport.

FIRST YEAR MOOT

JUNIOR COMPETITIONS

First held in 2010, the First Year Moot draws the largest number of competitors of all moots. This competition is open to students in their first year of studies, competing in teams of 2 or 3 to argue their side of a tort-based problem.

NEGOTIATION

The Junior Negotiation is suitable for students of all years and, for many, is their first competitive experience. Employing interest-based negotiation skills emphasised in the academic curriculum, competitors are given a fact-based conflict scenario and are challenged to represent the interests of their client while coming to a mutually-beneficial outcome for all parties.

CLIENT INTERVIEW

Effective client interviewing practices are critical in properly defining a legal issue to provide sound legal advice. Our Client Interview competition tests competitors’ legal analytical skills and, most importantly, the effectiveness of their communication skills and interview techniques. Working in pairs, this competition tests your ability to effectively question a client and to provide sound, tailored legal advice.

JUNIOR MOOT

One of our more popular moots, this competition is aimed at students from any year so long as they have never competed in the Junior Mooth before. The Junior Moot challenges competitors with more complex problems, testing their legal research and advocacy skills, providing an opportunity to apply legal skills from the academic curriculum in a real-world context.

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PUBLICATIONS

Besides from this publication that you're reading, the QUT Law Society creates the following publications throughout the year.

'SPRINGBOARD' CAREERS GUIDE

The QUT Law Society Careers Guide is as an all-encompassing resource for students looking at their career options. Available from early March in time for clerkship applications and to coincide with our annual Meet The Profession networking event, the Careers Guide is your go-to resource when applying for clerkships and graduate jobs.

The Guide features a comprehensive guide to vacation and graduate positions, profiles of all major public and private-sector employers, application and interview techniques and tips, and a huge range of other important information you need when looking forward to life after uni.

Springboard 2016

TORTS ILLUSTRATED

Torts Illustrated is a quarterly-issued publication distributed during the mid and end of each semester. This publication is made available via our website, social media and weekly email.

Featuring articles from the QUT Law Society’s Media & Communications team and other law students, the publication addresses the most recent and upcoming activities, events and competitions as well as commentary and opinion pieces on current legal - and sometimes political - news. Further, articles may also provide a reflection on what has occurred in the past quarter.

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Torts Illustrated Issues 1-4, 2016

SP RTS, HEALTH & FITNESS

SOCIAL SPORTS

This year, the QUT Law Society will be fielding four difference social sports each semester.

These sports include: Netball, Dodgeball, Soccer and Touch Rugby League.

Social sport is a great way to meet new people while keeping fit and healthy. Keep an eye on the QUT Law Society's Facebook page and your email for registration details, and be sure to get in quick.

There are limited positions and teams fill up fast!

HEALTH & Wellbeing

The health and wellbeing of our members is one of our primary concerns.

We are offer a number of opportunities which encourage students to stay active, to promote physical and mental wellbeing, and help maintain a positive work/life/study balance.

To encourage health and wellbeing, the QUT Law Society will be handing out goodie bags filled with firm merchandise, chocolate and lollies during exam block in semeter 1 and 2.

Further, with World Mental Health Day on 10th October, the QUT Law Society will be hosting a catered breakfast with food with talks from notable guest speakers to discuss the interplay between studying law and mental health.

GRUDGE MATCHES

Annual football (aka ‘soccer’) and rugby Grudge Matches between the two universities take place in second semester. These are not ‘just’ games. These are the latest battles in a never-ending war. These are athletic adventures of such magnitude that the Olympics of ancient Greece pale in comparison.

The cause of such intense rivalry is lost to the mists of time, only to become the stuff of myths and legends. In a battle for university supremacy, the might of QUT Law is pitched against our old foe UQ. Here are te results from 2016: • Rugby Grudge Match - Winner: UQLS • Soccer Grudge Match - Winner: QUTLS

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Eat. Drink. Shop.

Food

Burger Urge P Block Level 3 Guzman y Gomez P Block Level 3 Lock Stock Salads P Block Level 3 Origin Kebabs P Block Level 3 Subway P Block Level 2 SushiQ P Block Level 3 Teppanyaki Time P Block Level 3

Cafés

Aroma Café Y Block Level 4 Artisans D Block Courtyard Gerbino’s Café Z Block Level 4 Merlo V Block Level 3 The Pantry Old Government House

Bar and Drinks

Boost Juice P Block Level 3 Botanic Bar P Block Level 3 Gerbino’s Coffee Cart Z Block Level 4 Raw Press B Block Level 1 Rush Express Coffee Cart V Block

Shopping

Campus Travel/Student Flights QML Pathology QUT Bookshop and Café QUT Guild Second Hand Bookshop The Corner Store UNI Pharmacy

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P Block Level 2 Y Block Level 4 P Block Level 3 G Block Level 2 Y Block Level 4 Y Block Level 4

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