Election Guide 2025

UTS Law Students’ Society

ELECTION GUIDE 2025

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PEOPLE AND COUNTRY

The UTS LSS acknowledges the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.

UTS Law Students’ Society 2025/26 Election Handbook ELECTORAL OFFICER EDITOR IN-CHIEF SPECIAL THANKS

NIPUN KAR SIYA KHATRI UTS LSS COUNCIL 2025

ROOM 104 , LEVEL 14, UTS CENTRAL 61 BROADWAY, ULTIMO NSW 2007 PH (02) 9514 3448 FAX (02) 9514 3427 WWW.UTSLSS.COM

COPYRIGHT

This publication is copyright. Except where permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may form or by any means (electronic or otherwise) be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any process without specific written consent of the UTS Law Students’ Society.

Enquiries are to be addressed to the publishers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 04

Overview of Elections

08 10 12 14

Secretariat President Secretary Treasurer Vice-President (Sponsorship)

16 18 19

Activities Vice-President (Activities) Socials Directors Sports Director

20 22 23

Careers Vice-President (Careers) Careers (Activities) Directors Careers (Publications) Director

24 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

Competitions Vice-Presidents (Competitions) Subject Mooting Directors Mooting Development Director Intervarsity Mooting Director Client Interview Director Negotiation Director Witness Examination Director Written Skills Director Intervarsity Skills Director

34 36 37 38

Education Vice-President (Education) Education (Engagement) Directors Wellbeing Director Education (Publication) Directors

40 42 44

Marketing Vice-President (Marketing) Marketing Directors Information Technology Director

46 48 50 51 52 54 55

Social Justice Vice-President (Social Justice) Brennan Program Directors Equity Director Women’s Representative Accessibility Representative First Nations Representative Queer Representative

56 57

Representatives Postgraduate Representative First Year Law Representatives

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OVERVIEW OF ELECTIONS The election process of the UTS Law Students’ Society (‘UTS LSS’) is covered extensively in Part 7 of our Constitution and contains a number of measures that are used to ensure the integrity of the election.

ELECTORAL OFFICER The election is overseen by an Electoral Officer who is responsible for the administration of the nomination, voting and election processes, including responding to concerns and questions regarding the election. The Electoral Officer is often the President of the Society. They must not nominate for a position during the election nor are they allowed to exercise a vote. This is to ensure that the integrity of the election is maintained.

Accordingly, this year’s electoral officer is Alec Ramsbottom who can be contacted at elections@utslss.com.

ELECTION NOTICE AND TIMING The election of the UTS LSS Executive is held annually and is completed between 1 October and 1 November. An election notice will be issued to members at least 28 days prior to the commencement of voting, outlining all necessary details such as time and date of nominations closing, the spending cap, the campaigning period, method of voting etc. From the date of the election notice, the nominations will be open for 14 days.

NOMINATIONS Any member of the UTS LSS, who is not a final year student, may nominate for a position in the election. A person may nominate for one Executive position in the General Election, and up to two Director and/or Representative roles in the Appointment process that follows the General Election.

With the exception of the President, which requires nominees to have been a Council Member for at least one full term, or at least 6 months where the Council Member was by-elected to a position, there is no experience required to nominate for a position on Council.

To nominate for an Executive Role, you will need to lodge a Candidate Nomination form before the close of the nomination period, which can be found annexed to our Constitution. You may also choose to provide a Statement of Candidature for the respective position(s) you are applying for. A Statement of Candidature is a document that outlines your experience, ideas, and why you would be the best fit for the position.

Nominations for a Director/Representative role will be addressed below.

If you wish to alter your nomination, you must do so within the nomination period by contacting the Electoral Officer, Nipun, at elections@utslss.com.

CAMPAIGNING Campaigning is a great way to encourage students to vote for you during the election. All nominees are entitled to campaign during the campaigning period, which is outlined in the election notice.

Campaigning may only occur for Executive nominees in the General Elections. All nominees for Director and Representative positions will be appointed via application only.

To ensure an independent and fair election, campaigning occurs under strict conditions: Nominees may not campaign outside of the designated period Nominees must include their name and student number on all campaign materials (including pictures and in text) Nominees may not refer to, or interact with, other nominees Nominees may not use the facilities or property of the UTS LSS, including the office, printer, computer and email accounts Nominees may not publish untrue, misleading, deceptive, discriminatory or defamatory information

ELECTION SPENDING Any election expenditure for a nominee may not exceed the spending cap outlined in the election notice.

Election expenditure refers to any money spent during the course of the election, predominantly for campaigning purposes.

Election expenditure also includes goods or services that were donated to the nominee.

For the purposes of disclosing election expenditure, any donations will be attributed at a reasonable market rate for the related goods or services.

Each nominee must disclose their election expenditure, even if they did not spend any money, to the Electoral Officer within one day of the closing of the voting period. This is done by submitting an Election Expenditure Disclosure Form along with any relevant receipts. Failing to do so will result in immediate disqualification.

SANCTIONS, COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS A breach of the election rules will result in disqualification from the election. In nominating for the election, nominees are taken to have actual knowledge of these election rules. Where the Electoral Officer disqualifies a nominee, written reasons specifying the act or omission that constituted the breach must be delivered to the nominee.

If you witness a breach of any section in Part 7 of our Constitution, you may lodge a complaint with the Electoral Officer.

The complaint must be made in writing, and include the contact details of the person making the complaint, the act or omission that constitutes a breach of the election rules, the nominee(s) responsible for the relevant act or omission, and the section which is the subject of the breach.

Throughout the election, appeals may only be made in relation to: alleged improper conduct of the Electoral Office or a decision made by the Electoral Officer under ss 62, 63 of the Constitution. Appeals must be made to the Electoral Officer, who will refer the matter to the Election Review Panel for determination. The Election Review Panel consists of three people appointed by the Executive of the LSS who are not members of Council and have not nominated for a position at the election.

The Election Review Panel has the discretion to: Dismiss the appeal Vary or overturn any decision of the Electoral Officer Dismiss the Electoral Officer for the remainder of the Election and appoint a new Electoral Officer Disqualify an individual nominee from the Election Order a recount of votes Remove any person elected from Council Declare an election void and order a new election Upon deciding an appeal, the Election Review Panel must provide a written response, including reasons for their decision.

VOTING

BY-ELECTION

Voting for Executive roles usually takes place online through the UTS Online Polling Booth over a period of 72 hours. All Faculty of Law students are entitled to vote and may exercise one vote for each position. This means that, within each position, you may vote for one nominee where the position is contested or vote to ‘Reopen Nominations’ where the position is not contested. That being said, you do not need to vote in all positions (although we would encourage you to do so!).

Where there are unfilled positions after an election, that are not filled by the Appointment process, the Council will hold a by-election to fill those vacancies. A by-election notice will be issued to members at least 14 days prior to the byelection being held. The notice will provide the nomination period for the by-election.

Where there are multiple positions available in a by-election, a person may nominate for up to 2 positions by submitting their statements of candidature in accordance with the requirements of the by-election notice.

The person elected to Council will be decided by a simple majority of the Council.

RESULTS Results for positions are decided on the number of votes each nominee receives.The nominee who receives the greatest number of votes for a position will be elected to Council.

In the case of a tie in votes, the Elector Officer has discretion to decide how the voting is to continue. This may be by extending the current voting period for the tied nominees, commencing new voting for the tied nominees, or taking the vote to Council.

APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR AND REPRESENTATIVE ROLES Director and Representative roles will become available for nomination once the General Election is completed and the new Executive have started their tenure. The new executive will provide notice of this process and open nominations via an anonymous application, and members will have the chance to nominate for up to two Director and/or Representative positions.

Please note that only candidates interested in an Executive Role can nominate for a position in the General Election.

Any Executive and/or Director/Representative positions left open after the General Election and Appointment process will be opened to By-Election in late 2024/early 2025, at the discretion of the new Council Executive.

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executive position

SECRETARIAT: PRESIDENT Current Position Holder(s)

Nipun Kar The President is responsible for overseeing the entire operations, conduct, financial affairs and general functioning of the society.

The President role has both an internal and external focus.

External focus A large part of the role of being President is managing relationships with external stakeholders such as sponsors as well as senior members of UTS, including the Faculty of Law and ActivateUTS.

Key Initiatives

When making decisions, you will need to think critically about the interests of these stakeholders and you should also engage with these stakeholders to receive feedback about how to make the Society better as a whole.

You will also represent the UTS LSS as a delegate to Committees including the NSW Young Lawyers SCLSS and the Australian Law Students’ Association.

Internal Focus The other and often bigger part of your role is managing your team and ensuring that they are fulfilling their responsibilities and bylaws. You also need to ensure that you attend as many UTS LSS events as possible and help your team, without any hesitation. As President you need to ensure you are supporting your team, cultivating a culture of respect and inclusion and also holding members of the Council accountable.

Estimated Weekly Workload

35 - 40 hours per week

Key Skills

Time management: There will be times where you will be required to make choices about how you allocate your time in the role. You will need to be able to quickly respond to issues when they arise and be contactable whenever you are needed. Often, the UTS LSS cannot wait, and you will need to prioritise these tasks over your studies and work commitments. The only real downtime during tenure is the June exam break but things will quickly pick back up.

Adaptability: Like the above, in order to succeed in this role, you must be flexible with your commitments and learn to shift your priorities. You also need to be flexible to ensure you attend as many UTS LSS events as possible, because as the President it is vital that you demonstrate ongoing support for your team and be around to assist with organisation where required.

Communication: The primary attribute required for this role is good communication skills. You will be required to attend meetings with firms and stakeholders, draft speeches and reports and deal with conflict inside and outside of the Executive team. This also means making people feel welcome and offering quality solutions with clarity and confidence.

Key Skills

Professionalism: You will be required to address all issues with professionalism, particularly when dealing with external stakeholders and maintain resilience and composure when things get difficult.

Resilience: Resilience is a major requirement for this role. You will be under constant pressure to deliver outcomes for the Society and will likely face criticism from those inside and outside of the UTS LSS. The UTS LSS is a year-long commitment and as President, there will rarely be a time where there is not work to be done. Taking care of yourself and recognising signs of burnout will become vital. You will need to trust your ability to make measured choices and learn to block out any unrequited criticism.

Decisiveness: Every day you will be faced with decisions to make which could have reputational, monetary and relationship impacts.

The successful candidate will need to back themselves on all decisions and not crack under pressure from competing views of members, stakeholders or the Council.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE Serving as the President of the LSS has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The role goes beyond chairing meetings or approving projects it is about leadership, vision, and responsibility to the entire student body.

Personally, the weight of responsibility I felt as President was a challenge but also a motivating factor that allowed me to push through all the difficult and busy periods. There is no doubt the role can be draining and consuming.

My only advice for anyone considering the role of President: know that you will be challenged, but also that you will be a better leader and person for it, and will find it rewarding in many ways.

executive position

SECRETARIAT: SECRETARY Current Position Holder(s)

Harrison O’Brien The Secretary is responsible for the administration and governance of the Society in accordance with the Constitution, By-Laws, and relevant legal instruments such as the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW). Through a strong understanding of these documents, the Secretary provides support to Council in the execution of their goals by ensuring their actions are in line with our governing instruments.

Key Initiatives

Estimated Weekly Workload

Key Skills

Beyond a general responsibility to Council for the governance of the Society, the Secretary is responsible for the organisation of the Society’s presence at Orientation events (run by ActivateUTS and the Faculty of Law) and the organisation of delegates for the ALSA Conference. The Secretary also oversees the activities of the Postgraduate Representative and First Year Representatives.

Finally, the Secretary is responsible for the general support of the wider Council and student community.

10 hours per week

Organisation: The ability to be organised and meet deadlines is crucial in this role. While this most notably applies in respect of notice requirements, staying organised is helpful in a number of circumstances such as coordinating the delegation to the ALSA Conference or communicating with stakeholders like the Faculty of Law. Attention to detail: As there are a number of formalities in regards to producing Minutes, Motions and Agendas, attention to detail is a requisite skill. Careful compliance with these requirements ensures that the actions of the Society cannot be disputed or impugned.

Further, attention to detail assists in drafting or proofreading bylaws and policies that have a wider impact on Council.

Communication: While this is an important skill to have on Council generally, the ability to effectively communicate is fundamental in this role. Beyond communicating with Council, the Society’s members and stakeholders more generally, the Secretary also handles sensitive communication in the course of ensuring that Councillors are compliant with the Society’s governing documents.

Key Skills

Problem solving: Throughout tenure, issues and tensions within Council will inevitably arise. In these circumstances, the Secretary must be able to step in and provide guidance to the President and other members of the Council from an independent governance perspective. The ability to remain calm and pragmatic are key to resolving these issues.

Adaptability: The nature of the role in providing general governance and administrative support to Council means that the Secretary may have to step in where needed, often wearing many hats. Whether this is assisting with amendments to the Competitions Rulebook, guiding Representatives through their event planning or planning a by-election with little notice, the Secretary must be ready to apply their skills to a number of situations that may arise.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE By volunteering as Secretary, I have been able to build strong personal and professional skills in communication, organisation and problem solving that will serve well into the future. Though handling grievances and managing a large number of people can be, at times, a personally taxing role, it has also been incredibly rewarding, and as Secretary you have a real ability to shape the future of the society - but the work is not done and there is plenty of room to grow in the role for whoever is up for the challenge! If you are considering nominating, my advice to you is to be honest, to be clear and to be genuine. Those three traits will take you far on the UTS LSS Council and will set you up for a successful tenure as Secretary!

executive position

SECRETARIAT: TREASURER Current Position Holder(s)

Wafa Rahman The Treasurer is responsible for all financial matters pertaining to the Society, including but not limited to: reconciliation of accounts, approval and fulfilment of invoices, reimbursements, collection and payment of taxes, maintaining charity status, allocation and collection of grants and re-affiliating the Society with ActivateUTS.

Key Initiatives

The role of Treasurer is currently completed by one person, and as such does not have a team to manage. Additionally, the role of Treasurer is largely independent from the rest of the Society. Bar ad-hoc tasks, the Treasurer only interacts with other councillors on two occasions, which are the basis for most of the Treasurer’s work.

Firstly, the Treasurer is sent all quotes to be approved and subsequently invoices to be paid from other councillors. As Treasurer, this will be the largest part of your role.

Secondly, to allow the Society to continue running at UTS, the Treasurer is obliged to re-affiliate the Society with ActivateUTS annually. This requires the Treasurer to provide a list of all transactions made from the Society account, as well as receipts for every transaction listed. The Treasurer gathers these receipts from other councillors and ActivateUTS after having paid for invoices throughout the year.

Outside of this, the Treasurer liaises with the rest of the Executive to develop the annual budget. This is done at the beginning of tenure though may be amended throughout tenure.

Estimated Weekly Workload

10 Hours per week

Key Skills

Responsibility: As Treasurer of the Society, you are responsible for various tasks which can have serious negative consequences if not completed properly. Most notably, as Treasurer you are on all legal documentation, and as such, you are responsible for any financial mistakes the Society makes. Therefore, it is important you take some aspects of the role with care and responsibility.

Time management: Most of the work as Treasurer is not hugely time consuming, as seen by the estimated weekly workload.

However, it stacks quickly and can become overwhelming if you postpone the work regularly (this is particularly relevant for reaffiliation). As such, finding a balance between your studies, work, life and Society is crucial to doing well.

Key Skills

Decisiveness: As Treasurer, you will be required to approve or decline, or provide judgement on certain tasks. It is important that when making a decision, you are able to gather all necessary information, assess risks, and provide sound reasoning for your decision (this is particularly important for declining requests).

Financial Knowledge: It is not a prerequisite, entering into the position, to have any understanding of finances. Most of the work you will be completing is intuitive and self-explanatory. However, it certainly lessens the learning curve having some previous experience. Most notably, being able to use / being familiar with Commbiz and/or Xero, will make starting your role as Treasurer infinitely easier. The Society’s accountants are also able to help in grappling this.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE I have found the role to be great for my personal and professional development. Additionally, my understanding and knowledge of finances and accounting has grown exponentially. To use an analogy, Council is like a pressure cooker. There will be times where things become intense, where you will not always see eye to eye with everyone on everything and you have to get comfortable with that. Despite all the challenges, this position is incredibly fulfilling and something I would encourage others to take advantage of.

executive position

SECRETARIAT: VICEPRESIDENT (SPONSORSHIP) Current Position Holder(s)

Antonia Assaf As Vice-President (Sponsorship) (VPS), your role is to both secure sponsors both ahead of tenure and during tenure and to manage those relationships whilst you are in the position.

A key part of this involves checking in regularly with our corporate and non-corporate sponsors, providing updates and seeking feedback to improve our initiatives and strengthen our relationship with the sponsor (something that will help for years to come).

Key Initiatives

Though a good portion of the workload is concentrated at the start of the year, where the VPS has the responsibility of preparing the prospectus and meeting with sponsors, you can also expect to manage ad hoc sponsorship requests including requests for social media posts, or handling sponsors who decide to pick up additional initiatives throughout the year.

The VPS also is tasked with collecting information about sponsored initiatives through initiative reflection forms, with the expectation that the VPS themself (within reason) is fully supporting those sponsored initiatives in the planning stages and by attending the initiatives themselves.

Estimated Weekly Workload

During Summer: 20 hours per week; During Semester 1: 10 hours per week; During Semester 2: 5 hours per week.

Email etiquette: Being the VPS is quite a high stakes position, as the way that you conduct yourself, usually via email, is a reflection on the society as a whole. It is essential that your email etiquette is professional, prompt and helpful to the sponsors.

Organisation: A good VPS candidate will have strong Excel/Sheets skills and will be proactive in keeping sponsorship organised as the year progresses to keep both your sanity and the council afloat. It’s also critical that you are able to timetable effectively to balance your sponsorship commitments with your personal or uni ones.

Key Skills

Sales-oriented: In order to succeed in this role, I would emphasise that you need to believe in the initiatives that the LSS has to offer and be able to market the positives of those initiatives to our sponsors. Making LSS initiatives appear commercially advantageous to sponsors is an essential part of the role.

Personal discretion and responsibility: No one will be able to spoon feed you in the position of VPS, and oftentimes important decisions, correspondence and responsibility will fall to you. A good VPS will need to know when to exercise personal discretion and will need to be responsible in furthering the interests of the LSS and prioritising sponsor satisfaction.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This is a rewarding role that will provide you with a lot of insight as to how the society functions and the importance of sponsors to making our initiatives come to life. I think the type of person who would thrive in this role is someone who has an outward facing job in which they enjoy liaising with externals.

I’ve been so encouraged by how supportive everyone on council is, and have found being VPS to not only help me professionally, but to have offered me personal opportunities that I feel very grateful to have.

executive position

ACTIVITIES: VICEPRESIDENT (ACTIVITIES) Current Position Holder(s)

Natasha Abdulghani Most of the VPA’s role involves overseeing the work of the Sports Director and two Socials Directors. The VPA should be highly organised, have great attention to detail, be passionate about the events run by the Activities portfolio, and enjoy working with (and for) people.

Key Initiatives

The VPA takes an active role in running and organising two key events which include the First Year Law Camp and Law Ball. This involves a lot of time liaising with venues, external companies, Activate UTS, students and the Activities portfolio more generally.

Other initiatives are mainly organised by the Socials and Sports Directors. The VPA’s role in this sense, is more managerial. The VPA ensures that the initiatives run by the Directors are executed to the highest possible standard.

Estimated Weekly Workload

The weekly workload of the VPA changes depending on the time of year. During the organisational periods for First Year Law Camp and Law Ball, the VPA can be expected to spend approximately 15-20 hours per week on their LSS work (some weeks more, and some weeks less). In less busy periods, the weekly workload is closer to 510 hours per week.

Key Skills

Time Management: get things done early! Things get booked out very quickly and it is extremely stressful if tasks are left to the lastminute. Careful planning is required to ensure that this does not occur.

Organisation: in this portfolio, there is a lot going on at once but the VPA’s role is mostly managerial. There are many tasks that will need to be delegated so it is extremely important to ensure that you are organised by having every single detail and date noted down in a way that works for you and ensure that this is all communicated with your team.

Key Skills

Management and Teamwork: it is important to foster a culture of support to ensure that the Socials and Sports Directors feel as though they are able to reach out for help when they need it.

Further, the VPA will need to be able to train their team in all the back-end operations that come with the role including but not limited to, email correspondence, using ticketing systems and task management.

Communication: ensuring that your team is across all of their responsibilities is extremely important. Effective communication channels include email, messages or running occasional meetings.

Following up with the portfolio Directors after things have been discussed is integral to maintaining a successful portfolio.

Problem-Solving: being the VPA means dealing with many student enquiries, managing a large budget and overcoming issues that arise from involvement with externals. It is important that the VPA knows how to manage each individual situation in the most effective and efficient way.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE Being the VPA is an extremely rewarding position, however management and interpersonal skills are highly important. You are engaging with so many students and often have to be understanding of many different scenarios. It is so fantastic to see the many different events come to life and see the positive consequences after each initiative has happened, especially when watching social groups and friendships formulate.

ACTIVITIES: SOCIALS DIRECTORS Current Position Holder(s)

Key Initiatives

Isadora Lianos and James Massasso 2 x Start of Semester Events First Year Law Drinks Additional Semester 2 Event (e.g Pub Golf) Law Cruise Law Ball Your weekly workload fluctuates depending on how far in the future your next event is, and the size of the event. In the leadup to an event, you will be at your busiest. In contrast, after an event passes you will have quiet periods.

Estimated Weekly Workload

Weekly workload (during quiet periods): 2 hours/week.

Weekly workload (during busy periods): 5-7 hours/week.

In order to comply with LSS and Activate guidelines, it is important to start planning events well in advance. This means you will often have some event that you are working towards.

Organisation: Being organised is fundamental to this position. You must be prepared to organise things weeks, if not months, in advance. Organisation is also crucial in weighing up the pros and cons of different quotes provided by services.

Key Skills

Communication: Interacting with a range of entertainment services, requires communicating with professionalism and clarity.

Independence: You must be confident and capable of completing tasks. You will, of course, have the help of your Vice-President, but it is important to be on top of the events you organise.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE Being a Socials Director is an exciting way to be involved in planning some of the greatest events on the UTS Law calendar. It is a unique chance to plan and execute large-scale events, giving you the opportunity to learn, build connections and be proud of your achievements. Planning these events also provides a great opportunity for personal development in management and organisational skills.

ACTIVITIES: SPORTS DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Key Initiatives

Estimated Weekly Workload

Anna Sundquist Intervarsity Sports Day UTS Social Sport each Semester Pilates Day Running GetActive Page Your weekly workload depends upon the timing in each semester and the number of events being run.

Weekly workload during semester: 2 hours per week.

Weekly workload during peak periods e.g organising events and communicating with externals to organise events: 4-5 hours Communication: Being able to reach out for help from other members of council will greatly assist in your role as you will often be working on your initiatives independently. Being able to identify when you are having issues or are struggling to complete a task will also greatly assist within the role.

Key Skills

Reaching out to ex-sports directors is extremely helpful, as it is a unique role which can be made much easier to navigate with the help of people with sports director experience.

Organisation: Having strong organisational skills to be able to stay on top of the work required will be key to success within the role.

Autonomy: Having the ability to take initiative in owning the tasks you have will be necessary as most sports initiatives will be run by you and will require you to stay organised and have independence when working on your event preparations.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE Ensure that you stay up to date with the dates within the council calendar so that your initiatives can be well supported, and that you liaise with the necessary externals early, as key dates and confirmation can be difficult to obtain from some sports coordinators.

executive position

CAREERS: VICEPRESIDENT (CAREERS) Current Position Holder(s)

Clairessa Ng Ongoing: Supporting the Careers (Activities) Directors and Careers (Publications) Director where needed Overseeing all processes and procedures conducted by Directors and subcommittee Collaborating with the internal Careers and wider UTS LSS team to increase the innovativeness, diversity, accessibility and quality of all initiatives

Key Initiatives

Specific Initiatives: Beyond Corporate Mentoring Program Clerkship Seminar Series Skills Workshops Clerkship Networking Evening Beyond Corporate Careers Fair LinkedIn Photoshoot Clerkship Guide Careers Guide Breaking into Law Panel

Estimated Weekly Workload

The workload of the VPCA fluctuates throughout the year, depending on which events are running at the time. During the clerkship-event heavy season during Autumn or the lead-up to the Beyond corporate Careers Fair in Spring, the weekly workload can range anywhere between 15-25 hours per week. However, throughout the year and during quieter periods, the workload can be as little as 3 hours per week. Overall, this will depend on the organisational and delegation strategies of the VPCA, as well as the overall goals for the tenure.

Key Skills

Organisation You will need to be able to delegate tasks efficiently and facilitate the planning of initiatives. There are many internal and external deadlines; diarrising key dates and setting clear expectations is key.

Be confident in creating organisational systems and strategies for the ideating, planning and implementation of initiatives.

Passion and Empathy Navigating ones’s career can be a daunting and confusing process, and the UTS LSS is here to provide genuine, accessible, motivating and innovative processes that aim to ease that burden and inspire students to strive for their personal best. A genuine passion for students' careers, development, and a high level of empathy is key for the facilitation of such initiatives and ultimate success of the VPCA. Researching into what other student societies and associations offer to student members is one way to diversify the initiatives and publications the VPCA can offer for student members. Furthermore, the VPCA will need to be able to adapt their managerial styles based on each team member, and create a supportive, safe and encouraging environment where team members can collaborate towards a shared goal.

Key Skills

Communication and Collaboration The VPCA will regularly be liaising with industry representatives, sponsor firms and university staff, thus requiring the ability to speak with professionalism and personality, as well as possess strong written etiquette (e.g. emails). The VPCA should be a strong communicator and motivator within the internal Careers team and wider Executive. Ensuring all team members are aware of their responsibilities is essential, as well as keeping one another accountable through open and encouraging conversations.

Delegation and Leadership As the role requires a certain level of leadership and team management, the VPCA will need to delegate effectively with respect to the team’s strengths and interests, any timeframes, and what the initiative itself requires. Effective delegation means the team can work effectively and to the appropriate capacity, and that all members feel safe and empowered to strive for success in their roles. It requires discretion in exercising how to divide the workload according to each director. It is also crucial to create internal deadlines for the Careers team to adhere to and action tasks.

Problem-Solving Intrinsic to any leadership position is the ability to innovate and problem-solve where required, particularly if certain events or publications encounter obstacles. This is particularly relevant where the VPCA is required to liaise with external parties (firms and faculty) and students, as well as manage the Careers Portfolio.

Therefore, it is essential that the VPCA can approach each situation in a calm and professional manner, seeking effective solutions that cater to relevant interests.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE Being VPCA is an exciting, rewarding, challenging, inspiring and wonderful experience that leaves you a more well-rounded person in both a personal and professional sense.

Whether it be speaking with industry professionals, working on creative and innovative publications or events, speaking to students or delivering the Opening Address at a networking evening, the role is filled with ‘pinch-me’ moments that leave you in awe. You get to witness students taking steps towards achieving their personal best, form life-long memories and friendships, develop your professional skills, and discover new parts of yourself throughout the process. While the role requires commitment and hard work, it is incredibly rewarding and leaves you looking back on it with contentment.

CAREERS: ACTIVITES DIRECTORS Current Position Holder(s)

Key Initiatives

Estimated weekly workload

Olivia Davis and Pablo Aquino Beyond Corporate Mentoring Program Panels Clerkship Panel, Breaking into Law Panel; and Legal Technology Panel Clerkship Seminars Clerkship Networking Evening Skills Workshops 5-10 hours a week 15-25 hours a week during Clerkship Period (April-May) Teamwork: regular internal communications within the team to effectively organise, delegate and execute tasks necessary to run Careers events, and taking initiative where possible to avoid undue stresses

Key Skills

Communication: clear and concise verbal and written communication is critical when liaising with firm representatives and external stakeholders Time management: you will need to manage your time effectively to succeed in the role. The skill is critical during Clerkship season where many events are running over consecutive weeks. The Careers (Activities) Directors are expected to attend the event’s they help organise and this can be difficult during peak periods.

The use of a well managed calendar, to-do list and flexible schedule will support you in prioritising your LSS responsibilities whilst managing study and work.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE The Careers (Activities) Director role offers a unique chance to build meaningful connections between students and legal professionals/firms. It’s a dynamic position that requires balancing organisation, time management, collaboration and being approachable. While the role can get especially busy during peak periods (April/May), it’s also incredibly rewarding to see the direct benefits for students through engaging, relevant activities. Staying organised and adaptable is key, as you’ll often juggle multiple priorities alongside your own commitments.

CAREERS: PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Jessica Trinh

Key Initiatives

The Careers (Publications) Director is responsible for the convening of the Careers (Publications) Subcommittee and the following initiatives: Clerkship Guide Careers Guide Careers Blog

Estimated weekly workload

Variable but can range from 1-5 to 8 hours a week depending on proximity to release of the publication.

Organisation: A publication is a time-consuming and long process and as such is best to start as early as possible in anticipation of issues arising.

Communication: It is essential that you maintain consistent communication with your subcommittee, members of the Executive, your designers and other external stakeholders.

Key Skills

Teamwork: Make sure to loop them in on progress, be responsive to their enquiries and to treat them as peers. It is as much their publication as it is yours.

Attention to detail: Publications can range between 40 to 80 pages long, and the editing process is lengthy. An attention to detail will allow you to add authority and professionalism to the project.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE Your time as Careers (Publications) Director will be a rewarding one. You are one of the few directors whose projects will outlast your tenure and your time at UTS. The role can be a stressful one, especially to juggle in conjunction with your courseload. Not losing sight of your vision for your publications and the impact you want to have will help. Remember that problems are never as catastrophic as they seem, and that you have a whole team of people who want to see you and your Guides succeed.

executive positions

COMPETITIONS: VICEPRESIDENTS (COMPETITIONS) Current Position Holder(s)

Georgia Mitchell and Youngone Oh The Vice-Presidents (Competitions) are newly established positions upon the re-amalgamation of the former Mooting and Skills Portfolios in 2023. This requires the co-Vice-Presidents to work effectively in a job-share role, including the efficient division and allocation of who will be responsible for the oversight and facilitation of various competitions and Competitions Directors.

The shared Vice-President (Competitions) role requires significant coordination from both individuals to oversee the administration and execution of all UTS LSS Competitions, both internally and externally.

Key Initiatives

Additionally, the Vice-Presidents should seek to work collaboratively throughout their tenure to improve student engagement with UTS LSS competitions, as well their facilitation in accordance with the UTS LSS Competition Rule Book.

The Vice Presidents will also share the role of chairing Intervarsity Competition Selection Panels.

Further tasks include: collaborating with faculty for key initiatives; overseeing the appointment of judges; updating the Honour Roll; reviewing correspondence by directors externally); and general administrative control.

Estimated Weekly Workload

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As a Vice-President with many events throughout the entire tenure, you can expect at least 1-2 events a fortnight (depending on the way in which the roles are split). The role is one that requires at least 15-20 hours per week where there are no competitions or initiatives, and up to 30 hours on weeks where you will be running events.

Communication and flexibility: The nature of this role means that no two weeks will look the same. You may be called upon to adapt to last-minute changes, step in to assist other Directors, or adjust timelines when unexpected circumstances arise. As such, the ability to keep on top of the mass amount of correspondence that will reach your inbox is critical. Further, a flexible mindset will not only help you manage competing priorities but also ensure that the competitions portfolio continues to run seamlessly regardless of challenges. Importantly, this is a leadership role; as such, active communication with your team will make your weeks smoother. It goes without saying that effective communication with your corresponding Vice-President is essential.

Key Skills

Problem-solving: In this role, you will constantly be required to utilise problem solving skills – whether it is to solve a last-minute catering order issue or to proofread and edit a problem question, you will need to be able to solve problems on your feet. There will also be instances where the Vice-Presidents are required to apply provisions from the Competitions Rulebook and the Intervarsity Selection Policy, and to that end they should have a comprehensive undertaking of those rules to be able to assist where necessary. For this reason, a background in competitions is extremely helpful.

Time management: Balancing multiple competitions at once requires strong organisational skills. From booking rooms to managing competitor schedules and ensuring that competitions are delivered to a high standard, being able to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines along with your studies and professional commitments is fundamental. Effective time management will allow you to stay on top of your own responsibilities while supporting the rest of the team.

Teamwork: As a Vice-President of Competitions, you will be working closely with other members of the Competitions Portfolio, as well as with external stakeholders such as judges and sponsors.

Success in this role depends on your ability to collaborate, share ideas, and work towards collective goals. A cooperative and supportive approach will help foster a positive environment for both the team and competitors.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE Undertaking the shared role of Vice-President (Competitions) gives you a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills and refine your problemsolving abilities. It also allows you to build and retain a diverse, expansive professional and personal network. This role is undeniably challenging and will demand a significant investment of your time and energy.

It is a highly rewarding experience on both personal and professional fronts.

As Vice-President (Competitions), you have a direct hand in shaping the competitor experience, fostering growth and confidence in students, and carrying forward a legacy that defines a large part of the UTS LSS.

COMPETITIONS: SUBJECT MOOTING DIRECTORS Current Position Holder(s)

Oliver Crawford

Key Initiatives

7x Subject Moots (Torts, Commercial, Constitutional, Contracts, Criminal (Opens) Tasks include but not limited to: Organise question writers and benchbooks Organise judges and grand final bench Create timetables for competition rounds Distribute submissions to competitors

Estimated Weekly Workload

Key Skills

Fluctuates depending on whether there is a moot being held.

30 hours per week during competition; 10 hours per week in between competitions.

Time management Flexibility Professionalism Team work

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE It can be a challenging role that requires a lot of organisation and being detail-oriented, but overall the role is incredibly rewarding as you witness competitors develop over time and be involved in the organisation of moots from start to finish. A great role to develop time management and organisational skills along with interpersonal skills.

COMPETITIONS: MOOTING DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Zachary Boswell 1x Mooting Development program per semester Tasks: Organise Mentors Organise each session and invite guests to present

Key Initiatives

2x Mooting competitions Junior Championship Moot Junior Criminal Law Moot Tasks: Organise question writers and benchbooks Organise judges and grand final bench Create timetables for competition rounds Distribute submissions to competitors

Estimated Weekly Workload

Key Skills

Fluctuates. As junior competitions are held in semester 2, it’s the bigger semester for this role.

Semester 1 - 5-10 hours per week Semester 2 - 15 hours per week Organisation Empathy Time Management

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This role is particularly important as the Director is in charge of building mooting talent amongst first and second year students. Hence, it is an especially rewarding one, and you get to enhance the experience of people who are just starting their degrees and introduce them into the world of advocacy.

COMPETITIONS: INTERVARSITY MOOTING DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Key Initiatives

Oscar Platt Competitions including but NOT LIMITED to: UTS LSS MULS Intervarsity Contract Law Moot, UNSW Private Law Moot, Novice Criminal Advocacy Moot, SULS Baker McKenzie Nations Womens Moot, UTS LSS Herbert Smith Freehills Intervarsity Legal Technology Moot UTS LSS Ashurst Intervarsity Legal Technology Moot, UTS LSS x SULS Nicholas Cowdery AO KC Criminal Law Moot Sir Harry Gibbs Constitutional Law Moot ESL Moot Alfred Deakin ICA Moot Key Tasks Organise question writers and benchbooks Organise judges, grand final bench, catering and gifts Create timetables for competition rounds Liaise with externals/universities Sit on competition selection panels for both IVC moots Organise coaches for intervarsity competitors

Estimated Weekly Workload

Key Skills

Fluctuates – approximately 15-20 hours per week during competition, 5 hours per week in between competitions.

Time management Flexibility Professionalism Organisation

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE A difficult role that requires a lot of organisation, but overall the role is incredibly rewarding in terms of networking, developing interpersonal skills and overall competitor development.

COMPETITIONS: CLIENT INTERVIEW DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Jacqueline Lee Opens Client Interview and Junior Client Interview competition are the two competitions run during the year.

Key Initiatives

This requires you to create timetables for each round, reach out to judges and clients, book room arrangements for each round, edit problem questions to suit the competition, create a new problem question for the grand final, run workshops, judge or client yourself whenever necessary.

Estimated Weekly Workload

12 hours of competition time weekly on an allocated day. 5 hours on competition preparation and collating scoresheets.

Key Skills

Proficiency in the competition, diary management, time organsiation, communication skills, ability to teach and answer specific questions. Knowledge on lawyer client relationship and interpersonal skills.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This role has been an extremely rewarding experience, offering not only a deep understanding of Client Interviews but also a broader perspective on UTS LSS Competitions as a whole. Running this competition and observing various teams provided me with the opportunity to both teach and learn from the competitors’ knowledge and experience as competitors. This, in turn, sharpened my interpersonal skills, as the competition is inherently personal and interactive.

Given the demands of the role, especially during competition season, staying organised and adhering to deadlines is crucial. While I thoroughly enjoyed the leadership and managerial aspects, they did present challenges that required strong communication skills and assertiveness to ensure all stakeholders were on the same page.

Overall, being the Client Interview Director was incredibly fulfilling. It was immensely gratifying to see my efforts come to fruition and to witness all stakeholders enjoy the process.

COMPETITIONS: NEGOTIATION DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Mahir Munot Open Negotiation Competition; Junior Negotiation Examination Competition; Junior Gauntlet

Key Initiatives

The tasks involved for these competitions include contacting prospective judges to gauge their interest and availability. Creating a weekly competition timetable. Editing weekly problem questions and distributing this to competitors and judges. Availability to judge on competition days. Running workshops to assist competitors with developing their negotiation skills.

Estimated Weekly Workload

10 hours during the competition period and 4-6 hours preparing for competition rounds.

Key Skills

Proficient negotiation skills, interpersonal skills, scheduling, time organisation, communication skills, ability to teach negotiation skills to new competitors and ability to judge.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This role provides a unique opportunity to assist in fostering the development of students negotiation skills at UTS. As someone who is passionate about negotiations, I had the ability to assist new competitors with learning how to compete in the competition, and assist seasoned competitors by providing feedback during their rounds.

During the rounds, the Negotiations Director is required to have excellent time management skills and an ability to respond to competitors emails throughout the entire day. When organising a competition that has so many scheduling variables, it requires flexibility on the part of the Director to fix any issues that arise on the day and ensure the competition can run smoothly nonetheless.

If you are interested in negotiations, this is a rewarding role that will improve your negotiation skills, communication skills and ability to liaise with a range of people.

COMPETITIONS: WITNESS EXAMINATION DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Alex Marinos Open Witness Examination Competition; Junior Gauntlet; Junior Witness Examination Competition; Open Gauntlet.

Key Initiatives

Reaching out to prospective judges to gauge their interest and availability. Creating a weekly competition timetable. Booking rooms. Editing weekly problem questions and distributing this to competitors and judges. Communicating with competitors about the details of the rounds and providing round recaps. Reaching out to volunteer witnesses and connecting them with competitors.

Developing competitors’ skills by organising/running workshops.

Stepping in as a judge or witness where needed on competition days.

Estimated Weekly Workload

10-15 hours during competition, 5-10 hours in lead-up to competition, 0-2 hours with no competition

Key Skills

Dynamic Response time and Critical thinking. Strong organisational ability. Personability, diary management, advanced scheduling, document preparation, document handling, email and verbal communication, guiding and teaching competitors. Ability to answer specific, technical questions about the competition.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This role is very rewarding if you are passionate about Witness Examination and truly care for its development at UTS. The role can be quite demanding hence it is crucial to stay organised and up to date with deadlines.

Should you want to, you will build a very close relationship with all competitors and judges. Spectating the rounds and unpacking the problem question with competitors after the round has concluded is a very dynamic experience and is especially rewarding if you are passionate about honing your own Witness Examination skills.

It’s wonderful to assist in the development of the competition and the competitors, to liaise with legal professionals and experienced students, and to see the rapid growth in the skill level of the competitors. It gets intense during the competition, but it’s an incredibly satisfying role to have at the UTS LSS.

COMPETITIONS: WRITTEN SKILLS DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Daniel Hayes Advice Writing and Affidavit Drafting The tasks involved for these competitions are all administrative and do not require any face-to face communications with competitors.

Key Initiatives

The tasks include: contacting UTS academics to gauge their interest and availability in judging competitor submissions drafting or attaining problem questions; drafting or attaining answer guides for academics; running workshops in conjunction with faculty in relation to each competition collating submissions, updating competitor handbooks, and scoresheets and supplementary material.

Estimated Weekly Workload

2-5 hours per week (around 10 hours the week submissions are due)

Key Skills

Strong organisational ability. Personability, diary management, advanced scheduling, document preparation, document handling, email and verbal communication.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This role provides an opportunity to run competitions that are vital to legal practice. This role enables the Written Skills Director to work closely with faculty, a unique opportunity at this stage of your degree.

Faculty members are highly engaged with the written skills competitions and are eager to offer their insights and support to the role. As the Written Skills Director, you will have significant autonomy in creating new competitions and reshaping the current competitions to ensure they are closely aligned with legal practice.

Written skills competitions offer a different dynamic when compared to the other competitions roles provided by the UTS LSS. In particular, there is no obligation to judge the competitions and it does not require face-to-face interactions with competitors. The nature of these competitions is that you will run one competition at a time, at designated times of the year. This is further ideal for someone who does not have the capacity to commit to the large workload of our weekly competitions, but is still passionate about getting involved with competitions generally. It is more like two sprints around the time that both competitions occur.

COMPETITIONS: INTERVARSITY SKILLS DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Chantelle Truong Maddocks Intervarsity Negotiations, Junior Intervarsity Skills Competition & organising teams for competitions run by other universities, (e.g. HSF-NLU Delhi Negotiations, Golden Gavel or UNSW IV).

Key Initiatives

Organising rooms, judges, catering, questions, gifts and timetables.

Corresponding with other university representatives, academics and legal professionals. Fill-in judging and volunteering. Assisting the rest of the portfolio.

Estimated Weekly Workload

Admin: 2-5 hours per week.

In the few weeks leading up to competitions: 5-9 hours per week.

Day of competition: The majority of your day will be dedicated to setting up, ushering guests and running the competition.

Proficiency or knowledge of each competition, time organisation, professional skills, email and oral communication, as well as event management.

Key Skills

Handling complaints, applying selection policy and sourcing/writing problem questions.

Professionally communicating with legal professionals, academics and other university correspondents to meet tight deadlines.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This role is incredibly rewarding and allows you to meet a wide variety of people. You learn to deal with complex situations while seeing some of the strongest competitors and analysing a variety of skills from competitors.

These competitions are serious and competitive, and need to be prepared to a high standard.

executive position

EDUCATION: VICEPRESIDENT (EDUCATION) Current Position Holder(s)

Rosalia Bautista The role of the Vice-President (Education) (‘VPE’) is to oversee the functioning of the entire Education Portfolio. The Education Portfolio is split into three sub-portfolios, with each Director facilitating various events and initiatives to cater for the student body: Education (Engagement) Directors x2; and Education (Publications) Director x2; and Wellbeing Director x1; and Subcommittee Members x 6.

Key Initiatives

As VPE you will play a vital assistive and support role for each Director, as well as liaise with bodies like the UTS Faculty of Law in the administration of the Buddy Project, Peer Mentoring Program and Advocates Mentoring Program. You will also be responsible for assisting with event planning, writing addresses/speeches, joining subcommittee meetings and representing the interests of the Education Portfolio to the Executive and Council. You will also assist in the editing and production of publications including the Law School Manual and The Full Bench.

Furthermore, the VPE also provides a level of guidance for the overall goals and objectives of the Portfolio. Whether this is being across correspondence or decisions taken by Director’s, you will need to provide strategic advice to enhance the utility of each project.

Estimated Weekly Workload

15-20 hours a week depending on the business of each period.

With effective planning during semester breaks, this can be reduced to 6-12 hours a week during the semester at certain times.

It is important that you have strong availability in December for planning purposes, during February-April (as this is when most Education initiatives take place) and August-September.

The Education Portfolio is one of the most diverse on Council. It is often regarded as the Portfolio ‘that does a bit of everything’, which accordingly, requires an adaptable and collaborative skillset. As VPE, you will make a multitude of decisions and are often required to have fast turnaround times. You should be someone who is welcoming, takes initiative and is enthusiastic about encouraging others. To summarise, some of the key skills and attributes include: Time Management Given this role has an intensive workload, you will be someone who can effectively balance and prioritise tasks alongside work and study commitments – sometimes with short notice. There will be times where it will be extremely busy, particularly when events are scheduled close to each other. This will involve working closely with each director through careful planning.

Key Skills

Organisation Being organised is crucial for this role. You will be faced with many due dates of tasks for each Director, which requires you to stay up to date.

While Autumn Session is more intensive than Spring Session, early planning of events is fundamental. Many Education initiatives tend to fall within the first few weeks of Autumn, so planning throughout the summer period is essential to ensure deadlines are met. You should have a clear vision of goals for your tenure very early on in order to help your portfolio thrive.

Communication and Professionalism You will need to be someone who can effectively communicate, both via email and orally. This will become pertinent when providing instructions, writing addresses, liaising with externals (e.g. suppliers or UTS Faculty of Law) or managing conflicts within your team.

Leadership As VPE, you will oversee a team of five Directors and approximately twenty six members. A vital attribute of the role is someone who is supportive of their team, and who can also manage expectations by providing frank, honest and constructive feedback. This includes being fair, approachable and personable. You will need to instil a culture where Directors feel supported and connected. You also need to extend this to other council members, as the VPE will work with every Vice-President and numerous directors from other portfolios in cross-collaborations between portfolios.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE The position of Vice-President (Education) has been a truly invaluable experience which has allowed me not only to further professional skills like teamwork, leadership and timemanagement, but has led to my formulation of genuine connections through the LSS. I have found the variety of work extremely fulfilling. On one hand, the VPE has oversight of social activities like Sip and Sing, but on another level, you work with Faculty and sponsors for Speaker Series, the Wellbeing x Equity Panel, Smile Project and the Law Orientation. You can also use your creative side through the many amazing publications the LSS creates like the Law School Manual, The Full Bench and The Bar Podcast.

This is an enormously rewarding role which provides a great opportunity to contribute to the student community. I encourage all candidates to apply. You will create amazing memories and gain so much from the role and I cannot recommend it enough.

EDUCATION: ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR X2 Current Position Holder(s)

Kyarah Bouchahine and Matthew Ham

From 2025 onwards are two Education (Engagement) Directors, replacing the previous Education (Internal) and Education (External) Directors.

This role facilitates the Buddy Project, a program pairing first year students with a senior buddy. There is administration required to match buddies and maintain consistent engagement throughout the semesters for the year. Also responsible for hosting events including the Picnic Launch, Sip and Sing and a potential Spring Session event (such as the Games Night in 2024 or even Sip and Sing 2 in 2025).

Key Initiatives

In this role, you will also be responsible for facilitating the UTS LSS Peer Mentoring Program and this briefly involves recruiting Peer Mentors, and developing workshops to correspond with content to be broadcasted to students throughout the year. This initiative requires coordination with the Faculty of Law. Additionally, this role oversees the administration of the Advocates Mentoring Program (AMP). You will be responsible for organising all aspects of the Program, including pairings and facilitating the Opening Breakfast (or Zoom in 2025) and Mid-Program Survey.

The directors are also responsible for organising and promoting at least two annual Speaker Series events that are on topical legal issues. These are typically in-person events and invite panelists to share insights on themed questions.

The Subject Tutoring Database has not been a focus area for the past year, however future directors are encouraged to revamp this if they choose. It involves maintaining tutor listings and ensuring an up to date database is accessible. Personally, however, it would be ideal to remove the subject tutoring database as a whole.

Estimated Weekly Workload

Workload varies weekly, during less busy periods 2 - 4 hours a week. During busy periods in the lead up to initiatives 4-8 hours per week.

Teamwork: Liaising with the Vice-President (Education), and other directors (both within Education and council broadly) to establish and plan out initiatives and ideas.

Key Skills

Organisation: Ensuring all initiatives and associated planning are completed well in advance. As the Buddy Project and Peer Mentoring involve many students, planning well in advance will lead to greater overall success.

Energy, Eagerness, Approachability - This role will allow you to meet with many younger and older students from diverse backgrounds and degrees. As such they will seek questions, advice and guidance from you so these skills would be ideal to best enhance your efforts in this role.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE Kyarah: Having the opportunity to be in this role was an extremely rewarding experience.

Sharing this role with Matt allowed us to leverage our individual strengths while supporting each other whenever needed. We were fortunate to have such strong teamwork, which played a key role in the success of our events.

Matt: Merging both external and internal roles was a great move and balanced out the workload. We were able to bring different areas of expertise and knowledge to the role and therefore create great events and initiatives. It was such a joy to do exciting events and projects that all ended up successful throughout the tenure.

EDUCATION: WELLBEING DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Sophie Hamilton

Key Initiatives

The Wellbeing Director is in charge of a few exciting key events: Autumn and Spring Smile Projects; R U OK? Day event; Wellbeing X Equity Panel

Estimated Weekly Workload

2 hours per week.

Time management: a lot of planning goes into organising an event, such as submitting documentation to Activate and ensuring that marketing reqs are submitted with ample notice. I would recommend spending small chunks of time working on your events and planning ahead.

Key Skills

Leadership: as Wellbeing Director, you will help lead the Education Subcommittee. This is a group of students that are passionate about education and wellbeing, and who will support you by assisting with events and brainstorming future initiatives.

Communication: you will be communicating with a range of stakeholders, such as UTS staff, members of the public (such as legal professionals), students and external organisations (such as the dog therapy organisations & batyr).

Energetic and approachable: the main thing is to approach every event with a smile and lots of energy! It's important that you remain approachable to students as wellbeing director

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE The role is a great way to get involved with the Law Students’ Society, and the workload is very manageable. It's a great first position if you have further aspirations to lead a Society portfolio as a Vice-President. The role is a great way to help support the wellbeing of your fellow students, and on a personal note, is very fulfilling.

EDUCATION: PUBLICATION DIRECTORS Current Position Holder(s)

William Staber and Imeelya Al-Hadaya

Key Initiatives

Education (Publication) Directors are responsible for the following: The Law School Manual - released at the start of the year for First Years The Bar Productions - fortnightly podcast episodes The Full Bench - annual academic journal The Electives Guide - advertises various electives at UTS Law

Estimated Weekly Workload

The workload varies, but it is generally around 6-8 hours per Director, each week. The workload may increase in the lead-up to the release of a publication and in the early stages of the podcast.

Key Skills

Organisation and planning ahead: Generally it is beneficial to reach out to potential guests for The Bar roughly four weeks in advance, to leave enough time to organise the date and time, location, and questions for the interview.

Being malleable: Some of the guests for The Bar may ask to switch the date, time, location, etc. of the recording, so it’s important to be flexible in accommodating their requests as far as possible.

Professional email etiquette: The Bar Podcast requires you to reach out to professional guests - e.g. academics, to People & Culture representatives, to law firm partners, etc. Ensuring your correspondence is professional will increase your chances of securing the guest for the recording.

Attention to detail: Attention to detail is particularly relevant for the written publications (namely The Full Bench, The Electives Guide, The Law School Manual, and the Camp Survival Guide). You will be required to edit several submissions for spelling, grammar, flow, etc.

General IT competence: The Bar Podcast has been edited using iMovie, so an understanding of the basics of iMovie, or other editing software is beneficial.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE The role is very fulfilling, and allows you to build skills transferable to other professional areas of life. The role is rather unique in that you are constantly creating tangible projects, such as The Full Bench, and see initiatives through from idea conception, to creation and editing, to publication. It is very rewarding to see the final product and share it with the LSS’ members. In addition, The Bar Podcast provides a great mechanism to build connections with a variety of industry professionals.

executive position

MARKETING: VICEPRESIDENT (MARKETING) Current Position Holder(s)

Siya Khatri The Vice-President (Marketing) (‘VPM’) is responsible for coordinating and overseeing all marketing and advertising for the Society’s initiatives, including but not limited to activities, publications, competitions, and services. They should be motivated to help other Councillors’ initiatives flourish through implementing creative marketing strategies to optimise engagement.

The VPM is also in charge of designing, producing and distributing UTS LSS merchandise. This involves creativity in designing the merchandise, as well as working with external merchandise producers, and with the IT Director to prepare for merchandise drops on the UTS LSS website.

Key Initiatives

They are also responsible for the active recruitment of members to the Society. This includes creating marketing strategies to recruit new members and to have old members rejoin when their membership expires.

They are responsible for the design of the UTS LSS Sponsorship Prospectus, in consultation with the Vice-President (Sponsorship) and the President.

A large part of the role of VPM is managing and overseeing the work of their entire portfolio, which consists of four Marketing Directors, and one IT Director.

The VPM alongside the Marketing Directors are responsible for photography and livestreaming at many UTS LSS initiatives.

Estimated Weekly Workload

20 hours a week. It is important to note the expectation of being highly responsive at all times to group chat messages from the Marketing Team, and urgent requests from wider council.

Marketing + social media knowledge: A large part of the VPM role is to optimise engagement through strategic marketing and creative social media marketing tactics. With this knowledge, the VPM must use their initiative to optimise engagement with members for all UTS LSS events, initiatives, and publications.

Management: In order to succeed in this role, you must be able to manage your team. This includes overseeing the work of the four Marketing Directors and one IT Director, providing feedback, and the allocation of tasks.

Key Skills

Communication: The VPM not only works closely with their Marketing Team, but they also work with every individual member of Council with the Marketing of every event and initiative. This means they must have good communication skills.

Creativity: This is a skill that should not be overlooked. VPM has lots of fun creative aspects, including the designing of merchandise, helping to create graphics, and putting together the Sponsorship Prospectus and Obiter (Half-Yearly Report).

Time management: As VPM has many responsibilities, time management skills are crucial. You can expect communication from or to Marketing Team at least once a day, as well as many ASAP requests for social media posts and email blasts; these things will sometimes need to take priority over other commitments you have.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE Being the UTS LSS VPM is a uniquely rewarding position. The position itself is incomparable to other vice-president positions, as it requires a constant high workload due to the persistent nature of marketing. As opposed to other roles, the workload does not ebb and flow much because marketing for initiatives is consistent throughout the whole year. Although there are periods of higher stress, such as at the start of the year with many initiatives occurring at the same time and training of the Marketing Team, it is ultimately worth it.

I have felt immense personal growth, both in a personal and professional capacity, especially in communication and organisation senses. I highly recommend a previous Marketing or IT Director to apply for this role. It is fun and enjoyable to see various initiatives come to life!

MARKETING: MARKETING DIRECTORS Current Position Holder(s)

Joseph Papa, Ananya Sharma, Sophie Grzina and Evan Hronis Marketing Requisitions and Graphics Almost all marketing requests are submitted to the Marketing Team in a Marketing Requisition form. We receive Marketing Requisition forms from all 7 portfolios of the UTS LSS, helping every UTS LSS initiative flourish through advertising them in various means.

One of the main aspects of a Marketing Requisition is the creation of graphics. This is where you can utilise your creative flare - the production of UTS LSS graphics is an important task as this is what engages your audience and ultimately helps initiatives gain traction. We use Canva to create all graphics, which tend to go through many drafts. Graphics get sent to all Marketing Directors and VPM on messenger to receive feedback and make relevant changes, before posting Facebook and/or Instagram.

Key Initiatives

Photography Photography is a task that is shared between the VPM and all MDs for UTS LSS initiatives when requested. These photography requests are distributed based on availability, so it is a flexible and irregular task.

Photos are taken by UTS LSS camera and hence will need to be used with care. Once the event is over, photos will be transferred to a photography google drive for all MDs to access. At times, photos will be used to create event graphics or post on Facebook for competition or big social events.

Live Streams Live streaming is another responsibility shared between MDs and VPM. Live streams are normally requested for competitions. Live streams are conducted through phones on Facebook. Similarly to photography, live stream requests are distributed fairly based on availabilities amongst the team, so it is a flexible and irregular task.

Further, this task involves attending initiatives in your capacity as a MD by being responsible for the live stream.

Estimated Weekly Workload

10-20 hours per week

Estimated Weekly Workload

It is important to note that there is an expectation to be highly responsive at all times to group chat messages from the Marketing Team. It is required that all posts go through a ‘buddy check’ process which ensures there are no typos or other mistakes in Instagram and Facebook posts, and email blasts. Often there will be an expectation for the MDs to respond quickly so that posts can be shared without delay. It is also vital to give informative and detailed feedback to the graphics, Tik Toks and all other miscellaneous things that are discussed, to ensure that we produce the highest standard of marketing.

Organisation: The most important skill for a Marketing Director to have is organisation. It is critical that Directors stay on top of the requisitions that they are assigned and work time-efficiently to ensure that posts are able to be designed, drafted, and scheduled on time in accordance with the marketing requirements.

Key Initiatives

Creativity: A large part of the role of Marketing Directors is the creation of graphics. Using design software Canva, you will make lots of graphics to be posted on our social media pages. You must use your creativity to effectively market the varied initiatives of the LSS. Communication: Maintaining good communication skills is crucial to the role. The Marketing Team is consistently communicating to ensure that designs receive feedback and are drafted before posting. It is also important to be able to effectively communicate with all members of council when fulfilling requisitions.

Social media knowledge: Understanding of the key social media platforms used by the LSS (Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok) and their key functions is necessary.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE Being Marketing director is an incredible opportunity to improve your organisational skills, showcase your creativity and work in a small team. At times, the roles and responsibilities of Marketing Director can be stressful, however with time management, collaboration and organisation, it is extremely rewarding. We have greatly improved our organisational skills as well as producing graphics and formed great friendships with the Marketing Team and LSS Council. The skills will also be useful for university as well as your future career, particularly if you are majoring in business marketing or communications. It is enjoyable to take some time out of your day and be creative where you would not otherwise. It is very rewarding to see the graphics and Tik Toks you produce be well received and appreciated by everyone!

MARKETING: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Vincent Aquino Website Updates and Maintenance The main responsibility of the IT Director is keeping the LSS website updated with the current initiatives that are being run. This can include the careers blog, diversabilities blog etc. There is an expectation that the IT Director will ensure that the website is modern, relevant, and efficient. By nature, this may include implementing new design modifications, reconstruction of pages and menus, improving the website software, and updating and installing new plugins. During 2024, the website underwent a complete overhaul - one that will continue onto the next tenure.

Marketing Req: Website Update The IT Director has a requirement to update the website as instructed and requested by other portfolios. Based on the current design of the website, these requests get updated below the “Announcements” block on the UTS LSS homepage and new initiatives are to be added to the appropriate Portfolio page.

Key Initiatives

Marketing Req: Website Calendar The IT Director also has a requirement to update the website calendar as instructed and requested by other portfolios. This includes updating the google calendar via the IT Director’s Google login which in turn will automatically update the calendar set up on the website.

Merchandise Drops Alongside the VPM’s support and guidance, the IT Director has a responsibility to maintain the shop function run on an adjoining website for merchandise drops throughout the year. This involves creativity in designing the website shop front for UTS LSS merchandise, managing stock levels and collection of the products.

Websites/Blogs Throughout the year, other portfolios may seek support for creating and designing blogs within the UTS LSS website. This includes organising the page, the design and maintenance in collaboration with other Councillors.

As an Information Technology Director, there is a lot of flexibility in your workload and how you would like to update the website. In saying this, on average it takes 2-5 hours a week doing marketing and website related tasks however these can be much more in periods of redesign, new blog creation and ensuring sponsorship requirements. Consistent tasks include updating the website calendar, maintaining the website, updating plugins and website software, keeping up to date of reqs and emails.

Estimated Weekly Workload

Key Skills

It is important to note that while not all the reqs and group chat messages are related to the IT Director role, there is an expectation to look over all information and tasks the rest of the Marketing Team is performing/completing, working with them to ensure all website updates are executed. It is required that reqs and updates are actioned and responded to quickly so the website aligns with other UTS LSS social media platforms. It is also vital to stay up-todate with the latest software and website design in order to remain relevant, improve efficiency and maintain a highest standard of marketing. The IT Director may also be needed to assist the directors by photographing/videoing events, uploading content or whatever is requested by the Marketing VP.

Marketing + Web design knowledge Creativity Time management HTML coding skills

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE The Information Technology Director role can be challenging at times, however, it is an extremely rewarding role that allows for skill development in website building and software.

Getting used to the website host, website functions and the large amount of updates is overwhelming at first. However, you should be able to gauge the workload and software with some practice and over time it becomes easier. The role is very independent for the most part but the Marketing Team is really supportive and the VPM is alway there if needed. Overall, I was able to improve my communication, organisation and technology skills which will not only benefit your university studies but also your future endeavours. Most importantly this role allows you to work with others to continue to develop new initiatives on the website and add new features that help to aid accessibility.

executive position

SOCIAL JUSTICE: VICE-PRESIDENT (SOCIAL JUSTICE) Current Position Holder(s)

Eva Ossowski The Vice-President (Social Justice) is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the social justice initiatives run by the UTS LSS. Internal LSS Role The VPSJ is responsible for overseeing three directors, four representatives and 10-15 subcommittee members on the LSS. These include: 1 x Equity Director 2 x Brennan Program Directors 1 x Womens Representative 1 x Accessibility Representative 1 x First Nations Representative 1 x Queer Representative 6 x Justice Action Committee Members.

Key Initiatives

As VPSJ, your main role is to oversee and manage the organisation of each director and representative’s initiatives, including Equity Charity Events, the Women’s Mentoring Program and more. The role is largely managerial, acting as a support for the director’s organisation of their initiatives. This will require a strong understanding of the 25+ initiatives run across the portfolio. The VPSJ will also be the main source of contact for the Justice Action Committee, running fortnightly meetings and facilitating a JAC led initiative.

External role The VPSJ also serves on the UTS Faculty of Law’s Equity and Diversity Group, as well as the Brennan Program Management Committee. The VPSJ is also required to liaise with key stakeholders from the Faculty and industry to provide volunteering and collaboration opportunities. This includes leading collaboration with the Faculty on Tech + Social Justice Week.

Estimated Weekly Workload

The weekly workload varies depending on the time of semester. In the middle of Autumn and Spring sessions, a VPSJ could expect to be dedicating 15-20 hours to their LSS work.

In less busy periods, the workload could be as little as 5 hours a week but can change at anytime pending the needs of the directors.

The VPSJ is the face of the LSS’ social justice initiatives, and as a result, bears a significant responsibility to represent minority communities and social justice causes in a respectful and sensitive way. This requires a diverse range of skills, and a capacity to respond to feedback from our wider LSS community.

Leadership It is necessary for the VPSJ to have strong leadership skills, as they run a large and diverse team of typically very passionate students.

The VPSJ must ensure they can assert themselves to develop a productive team environment. The VPSJ will often have to present about the social justice initiatives on offer, and discuss the range of events with potential students. The VPSJ should be confident in being able to speak publicly and communicate their knowledge of SJ’s initiatives to be able to lead in answering questions to a wide range of stakeholders.

Key Initiatives

Initiative As VPSJ has a unique responsibility to represent minority communities, it is important for a VPSJ to possess strong initiative in organising their events. The VPSJ should aim to listen and respond to feedback from members, and be willing to introduce new initiatives where there are gaps in what is being offered to the student community.

Organisation As with all VP positions, organisation is a necessary skill to effectively deliver over 25 initiatives. It is necessary for a VPSJ to have good time management to ensure they can delegate time to each of their 7 directors and JAC members and keep across each of their deadlines.

Passion Ultimately, the main skill/trait the VPSJ must have is a genuine passion and care for the social justice causes they are serving in their role. The VPSJ is one of the most unique roles on Council as it allows the position holder to craft initiatives that actively give back and make a difference to students’ lives. Without a genuine passion and care for these social justice causes, it will be difficult for the VPSJ to maintain motivation and genuine care throughout the tenure.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE VPSJ is (in my humble opinion) one of the most rewarding exec roles on Council. It grants you the ability to actively give back to communities in need, as well as gain unique leadership and management skills.

If you are a passionate, organised and confident student, I would absolutely recommend running for VPSJ! It is a once in a lifetime experience.

SOCIAL JUSTICE: BRENNAN PROGRAM DIRECTORS Current Position Holder(s)

Chloe Ferreria and Ma’ayan Granot The Brennan Directors facilitate the Brennan Justice and Leadership Program, as a joint venture between the Faculty of Law and the LSS to increase students’ social justice consciousness, volunteering and education as well as strengthen student efforts in the community. In this role it is important to connect organisations and professionals with students through a multitude of events and LTS opportunities that expand the student experience at UTS Law. The position has a dual role: Collaboration with Faculty The first element of the Brennan Director role is collaborating with the Faculty Co-Director and the Student Programs team to assist in the coordination of Faculty based Brennan events and initiatives.

These include: Justice Talks and Brennan Information Sessions.

Brennan Program Management Committee.

Attendance at orientation and other faculty-based events.

Promoting the Brennan program across the Faculty.

Key Initiatives

LSS Role The second element of the Brennan role is running broader social justice initiatives for the LSS student community. These are diverse, and there is room for the position to grow depending on the areas of passion for the directors. However, staple initiatives in the Brennan Calendar include: Hall and Wilcox Clean Up Australia Day event (introduced in 2025) Brennan Program Discussion Groups per semester.

ROJ Spotlights (introduced in 2025) Social Justice and Advocacy Panel (introduced in 2025) Public Speaking Society x UTS LSS Public Speaking Competition.

LSS Social Justice Magazine (introduced in 2025) Charity events (Westmead Children's Hospital Toy Drive).

RASA Week and Tech and Social Justice Week.

Future Brennan Directors should be as creative as they wish in brainstorming and executing social justice initiatives for the benefit of Brennan Program participants. For example, a group community cooking volunteer initiative!

Estimated Weekly Workload

The Brennan role has a relatively consistent workload over the year’s tenure. As there are two directors, this workload is balanced.

The initiatives can be split if you prefer.

You will also be required to attend a fortnightly meeting with Crystal and the Faculty Co-Director. The duration of this meeting is typically 30 mins – 1 hour.

Teamwork / Collaboration Given there are two directors, teamwork is critical. Not only is this important between the two directors, teamwork with the broader LSS, SJ Portfolio and faculty representatives is central to the success of the Brennan Program.

Communication The Brennan directors are the face of the program for new students, existing students and the Faculty of Law through the Brennan Collective page, Orientation and Justice Talks. A significant part of the role is promotion of initiatives which also requires confidence in public speaking.

Key Skills

Organisation Strong organisation skills are also necessary for a Brennan Director.

Many of the Brennan initiatives require organisation months in advance, including the splitting of key roles and duties between both the LSS Directors and the Faculty. In addition, you may also be required to attend additional Faculty events, which means that you need to be highly organised beyond the Brennan Program.

Conflict Management Skills Although this rarely ever occurs, there may be times that the faculty requirements/interests do not align with that of the LSS (and its bylaws). You may need to be prepared to remind the faculty of these differences and find an alternative solution.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE The Brennan Program Director is an extremely rewarding role as it provides a direct opportunity to facilitate social justice opportunities for students that encourages an increased social justice consciousness amongst students.

The Brennan Program Director position is also unique to other roles on council, due to its faculty focused nature. Working with the Law Faculty representatives gives the role a wider scope and allows you to immerse yourself in another team and plan collaborations/partnerships for future tenures.

Brennan has provided an invaluable opportunity to engage with a large network of social justice and community leaders. This value and reward has also translated into student satisfaction over the tenure.

SOCIAL JUSTICE: EQUITY DIRECTOR Current Position Holder(s)

Sarah Pratt The Equity Director is responsible for promoting and implementing equitable services, schemes and opportunities for students. Many of the services and schemes are accessed by students experiencing financial hardship.

Key Initiatives

The Equity Director’s main initiatives are: Textbook Equity Scheme The University Essentials Scheme Social Justice Conference Bi-annual Charity Trivia Nights Subsidies

Estimated Weekly Workload

Key Skills

In busy periods where the Equity Director must be on campus for textbook distribution, 5-10 hours per week.

However on average, the Equity Director would spend 3-5 hours per week on work.

Time Management - In providing a service for students, such as the Textbook Equity Scheme, the Equity Director must be able to schedule and manage both their time and other’s time.

Passion- As a role that has the core purpose of service for others, it is important to be passionate about creating equitable access to Law Students Society initiatives and University materials.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE The Equity Director plays a vital role in ensuring that all students have access to the resources and opportunities necessary for academic success and social engagement.

The portfolio also encompasses broader education, outreach, and charitable initiatives. The Wellbeing x Equity Panel and Social Justice Conference encourage critical reflection on issues of justice, wellbeing, and inclusion within the legal profession, while initiatives such as the bi-annual Charity Trivia Nights and fundraising events create opportunities for students to contribute to meaningful causes and engage with the wider community.

Overall, the Equity role combines the delivery of practical support services with leadership in advancing conversations about justice and inclusion. It is a dynamic and rewarding portfolio, suited to those with a strong sense of social responsibility and a commitment to fostering a more equitable law school environment.

WOMEN’S REPRESENTATIVE Current Position Holder(s)

Ava Keevers The main role of the UTS LSS Women’s Rep is to consult with the student body and run events / implement programs that benefit women studying within our law faculty. This includes running events such as:

Key Initiatives

Estimated Weekly Workload

Women’s Mentoring Program; Intervarsity Women in Law Conference; Chosen Event #1 and #2; Women’s Collective Maintenance; and Plus any Charity / Community Causes.

5-6 hours on an average week, around 10 hours the week of events.

Passion: Since there is not much precedence for this role, having passion and dedication to bringing your unique vision to life is so important as it will sustain you through the 10/11 months of tenure.

Key Skills

Time Management: Since many events coincide in the calendar, it is important to diarise these dates and the various commitments.

Interpersonal Communication: As you are often coordinating other people like speakers, the Collective, committees, having some strength in your ability to communicate effectively with others is well suited to the role.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE While the workload can be a challenge on top of work, studies and personal commitments, this role has been a highlight of my year and I highly recommend applying. Being part of the Social Justice Portfolio, you feel like your work is hopefully making a real impact. For many people, social justice causes were a factor in why they chose to pursue a career in law - so this role offers many chances to bring your vision to life and develop some really important event organisational skills.

I have undoubtedly deepened my connections with other women in law at all stages of their career and these are connections that will be cherished post-tenure. If elected, you will be only the second person to take on this role - it is an exciting and brand new opportunity, with much creative liberty to shape the future of women’s initiatives and inclusion. The world is your oyster!

DISABILITY REPRESENTATIVE Current Position Holder(s)

Kiki Loke Diverse-ability Blog - responsibility of sourcing student insight, maintaining confidentiality and continuing the Diverse-ability Blog.

Key Initiatives

Accessibility Compliance - your advice, advocacy, and feedback to the Council will facilitate the consideration of students with disabilities in a more standardised and pro-active manner.

Connection with Student Body - you have the responsibility to connect with, make yourself known and maintain anonymity with the student community you are representing.

Creation of a New Initiative - in accordance with the by-laws, an additional initiative of your choosing is to be organised as well.

Estimated Weekly Workload

From 3 to 7 hours a week. However, assistance and adjustments for workload management can be supported with prompt, open and honest communication to the Vice President (SJ) and President.

Passion: wanting to create change and be a voice for the student body and community is vital!

Understanding: having lived experience as a student identifying with a disability will greatly facilitate your understanding in how you can positively represent, advocate, and include the cohort of students you represent within the UTS LSS.

Key Skills

Time Management: It is important to remember that you have a commitment to the society and student body which is additional to your personal commitments. There are lengthy timelines in executing events so it is vital you stay ahead and communicate if something needs to be amended or if you need support!

Interpersonal Communication: You will be communicating with many externals - students, panellists, committee members, the broader council andTHE facultyROLE so strength in communication will be of PERSONAL INSIGHT ON great benefit!

In advocacy and representation of students identifying with Disabilities, this skill will also be vital to ensure that all students feel safe and respected when liaising with you. This will require an understanding of what ableist language and attitudes can look like.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This role has been one of the most empowering and rewarding experiences.

I felt greatly supported by my SJ Vice Pres and President and felt encouraged to give it my all and as a result.

Learning about the lived experiences of others, and being in a position to voice and share these stories has been a privilege not only to the UTS LSS community but to myself as I have been able to relate, understand, and be motivated and encouraged by some of the challenges shared.

Being in a position to implement change from an internal level and foundational level has been very empowering for the facilitation and manifestation of accessibility and inclusion of all students. I hope for the next Rep to continue amending the procedures and policies I have introduced to increase its efficiency and work on creating and implementing further Accessibility arrangements for the digital platforms of the LSS. I also hope that they consider acting on providing adequate training to the Council and the rest of the LSS regarding appropriate language and attitudes regarding Disability.

FIRST NATIONS REPRESENTATIVE Current Position Holder(s)

Huw Watson

Key Initiatives

The First Nations Representative is required to host an event during NAIDOC week and be a point of contact for First Nations students studying law. The Representative has the responsibility of carving out the role as the student body sees fit.

Estimated Weekly Workload

3 hours per week.

Time Management: organisation is a key skill that is mandatory for a role as such. Dealing with various internal and external stakeholders requires an element of reliability in the management of tasks.

Key Skills

Passion: the role of a representative is to be a point of contact and create a space of service for others. Having a passion for the expansion of creating a safe space, as well as wanting to be a person others can turn to and share their plights and success is very important.

Initiative: there is the responsibility of representing your community and thus it is important to raise issues, flag when an important date is to be recognised, offer perspective to the broader council and possess strong initiative in organising their events.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE The role of First Nations Representative, whilst challenging, is highly rewarding to those who bring a passion for maintaining a First Nations presence within both the LSS, as well as the broader Law cohort.

My advice to the incoming Representative would be to take the initiative to reach out to First Nations organisations/stakeholders in advance. There is a huge community of said stakeholders willing to assist and grow the presence of First Nations voices, as well as to expand awareness of Indigenous issues.

By engaging with these groups, the First Nations Rep can pioneer their initiatives from an authentic position, thereby allowing for the promotion of a safe space for First Nations students.

QUEER REPRESENTATIVE Current Position Holder(s)

Declan Bolger

Key Initiatives

For the next Queer Representative, a key initiative to focus on is the Intervarsity Pride Moot that is held in collaboration with the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, and as of 2024, also Macquarie University.

The incoming Queer Representative is also required to organise at least one event in addition to the Pride Moot, and are encouraged to use community feedback and guidance to determine which events might be successful.

They will also become admin of the Queer Collective facebook group through which they can share volunteering opportunities with organisations like the ICLC, scholarship opportunities through the Pinnacle foundation, other university Pride events, Pride in Law events, and diversity and inclusion events from sponsor firms.

Estimated Weekly Workload

3 hours per week.

Time Management: organisation is a key skill that is mandatory for a role as such. Dealing with various internal and external stakeholders requires an element of reliability in the management of tasks.

Key Skills

Passion: the role of a representative is to be a point of contact and create a space of service for others. Having a passion for the expansion of creating a safe space, as well as wanting to be a person others can turn to and share their plights and success is very important.

Creativity: as the needs of the LGBT community and student body are ever changing, the incoming representative must be adaptive and creative when thinking of new ideas and initiatives.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE The role of Queer Representative is immensely rewarding. In this position, you will have a lot of access to external Pride Networks - like NSW Pride in Law and also portfolios from other universities. My advice to the incoming representative is to make the most of these resources, whether it be through attending yearly events with other industry leaders or through pioneering your own initiatives, the Diversity in Law network in Sydney is absolutely worth investing in. Collaboration is key, get to know your fellow Queer Officers and reach out to firms / Pride in Law as they are always very eager to support our initiatives.

POSTGRADUATE REPRESENTATIVE Current Position Holder(s)

Yasmin Nikro The Postgraduate Representative has both internal and external functions:

Key Initiatives

EXTERNAL To act as a first point of contact for Postgraduate Law students Be responsible for overseeing, promoting and expanding Postgraduate Law initiatives INTERNAL Reporting to the Secretary and being responsible for all tasks delegated to the Postgraduate Representative.

Liaising with Society members (i.e. Marketing Directors) with any content or planned initiatives

Estimated Weekly Workload

3 - 5 hours per week.

Strategic: must ensure consideration of the overall purpose and means of achieving planned initiatives.

Professionalism: it is crucial to be consistent in competence, and demonstrate reliability to all stakeholders and society members.

Key Skills

Empathetic: when planning initiatives you must practice the ability to understand, be aware and remain compassionate to others around them.

Time Management: manage your schedule proactively and ensure that you are using other people’s time productively or effectively.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE My tenure as the Postgraduate Representative has been an exciting, rewarding and innovative journey. This journey has proved to be incredibly rewarding in both a professional and personal point of view, and I would encourage anyone to be involved and get out of your comfort zone.

Although at times the role may be stressful, it has provided me with the opportunity to expand my network and understand the role that the UTS LSS plays in the career journey of many Law students.

FIRST YEAR LAW REPRESENTATIVES Current Position Holder(s)

Annabel Wu and Max Galanti At the start of your tenure you will be asked to pick a secondary portfolio that you would like to work closely with, to experience council first hand.

Key Initiatives

The role as a Representative however, falls beneath the secretariat.

With the secretary as your guide, the representatives will be responsible for organising two main events directed to engaging with the first years specifically.

As the First Year Representatives, you will also have the responsibility of auditing the first year 2023 facebook group page.

The purpose of this page is that it should be used as a platform to reach out to first year students and encourage them to ask questions or to promote marketing for events beyond the scope of the representative portfolio.

Estimated Weekly Workload

Key Skills

During the majority of tenure, the estimated weekly workload varies between 1-3 hours. During preparations for your event, expect a 2-5 hour workload per week.

Time management: especially around event(s) time, you will learn how organising your own event (from scratch) can become quite daunting! Utilise your resources, however, it falls heavily on YOU to find what work, life balance works best for you with your LSS responsibilities.

Confidence: you will need to talk in front of large groups of people, and represent the society at events.

Approachable: you need to be approachable, make people feel like they can come to either of you to have a chat.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This role is one of the best introductions to the Law Students’ Society. It starts by developing the most fundamental ideas of how to operate as part of a team and understanding the mechanics of Council. As a First Year Representative, you are given an important role to connect with all First Year’s in a way that is informative and engaging and thus, it is a fruitful opportunity to be involved in the LSS and contribute to one of the most important engagement points for the society. Not only this but you also have the opportunity to create and host two main events of your own choice. Creating these events provides an insight into the world of Activities and Marketing in the Council, and how to make an event that caters to a specific audience.