UTS Law Students’ Society
ELECTION 2026 GUIDE 2026
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 2026/27 Election Handbook ELECTORAL OFFICER EDITOR IN-CHIEF SPECIAL THANKS
SIYA KHATRI ANANYA SHARMA UTS LSS COUNCIL 2026
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
40 42 44
46 48 50 51 52 54 55 56
Education 57 Vice-President (Education) 58 Education (Engagement) Directors Wellbeing Director Education (Publication) Directors
Marketing Vice-President (Marketing) Marketing Directors Information Technology Director
Social Justice Vice-President (Social Justice) Brennan Program Directors Equity Director Women’s Representative Accessibility Representative First Nations Representative Queer Representative International Student Representative
Representatives Postgraduate Representative First Year Representatives
pn
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 Siya Khatri 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 Director/Representative role addressed below.
will
a be
If you wish to alter your nomination, you must do so within the nomination period by contacting the Electoral Officer, Siya, 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 byelection. 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 2026/early 2027, at the discretion of the new Council Executive.
This page has been left intentionally blank
executive position
S E C R E T A R I A T
PRESIDENT
Current Position Holder(s)
Siya Khatri 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 enthusiasm 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 end of May and 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 President of the UTS LSS has been an extremely rewarding experience that comes with an immense level of responsibility. It is a role that will push you in every aspect: socially, mentally and professionally, and will consume you during times where you wish to ‘log off’. To anyone thinking of running for President, I would give you two pieces of wisdom. First, know your why, because while there can be difficult and busy periods, your why factor is what will motivate you to show up with utmost enthusiasm. Second, know what type of leader you want to be and pioneer that. Personally, I wanted to lead with enthusiasm and be a constant support network for my team and help their visions come to life. Find who you are and lead in a manner that authentically resonates to you. Know that you will be challenged, but that you will come out of the experience as a better leader and person for it, and will find it rewarding in many ways.
executive position
S E C R E T A R I A T
secretary
Current Position Holder(s)
Joseph Papa 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
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. Key Skills 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 You will not be at the forefront of many initiatives nor soak up much spotlight, but that does not mean your involvement will not be absolutely pivotal to the function of the society. Whether handling grievances, managing a large number of volunteers, or ensuring compliance with our many by-laws, Secretary is an incredibly rewarding role that provides you with a real ability to shape the future of the LSS. In my tenure, I have also been able to build strong personal and professional skills in communication, organisation, and problem solving that will serve well into the future. Secretary has a lot to offer for those willing to put in the effort to be across and involved in every part of the society, supporting both the executive and wider council. If you are considering nominating, be honest about what you can bring to the role and genuine about what you hope to achieve. If you are, you will be setting yourself up well for a successful tenure as Secretary!
executive position
S E C R E T A R I A T
Treasurer
Current Position Holder(s)
William Staber 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 The Treasurer position is a fantastic one for someone who wants to stay exposed to society life and pick up some interesting and valuable financial/accounting skills while you are at it. There are some particularly busy times throughout the year, but if you are willing to be flexible, communicate openly and honestly and put in the time when you’re needed, the position is a great experience. Putting together a budget for the society is an extremely interesting and rewarding experience, maintaining and evolving it through tenure nearly as much so. Ultimately, the position is one where you can make and maintain fantastic relationships in the society, genuinely impact the way the ship is steered and learn some valuable things along the way!
executive position
S E C R E T A R I A T
vice-president (sponsorships)
Current Position Holder(s)
Chloe Ferreira As Vice-President (Sponsorship) (VPS), your role is both to secure sponsors ahead of and during tenure and 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. VPS is also in charge of securing free items and merch for orientation day. The pre-clerkship period tends to become quite intense where the volume of sponsored events is significant. 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
A C T I V I T I E S
vice-president (Activities)
Current Position Holder(s)
Annabel Wu 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 Event 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 the First Year Law Event and Law Ball, the VPA can be expected to spend approximately 1520 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.
A C T I V I T I E S
Socials directors
Current Position Holder(s)
Key Initiatives
Stephanie Avgoustou and Alexandra Elles
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. That being said, 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. Due to venues, DJs and photographers booking out rapidly, 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: You will be interacting with a range of entertainment/hospitality services. This requires communicating with professionalism and clarity. Independence: In a small team you need to 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.
A C T I V I T I E S
Sports director
Current Position Holder(s)
Key Initiatives
Eden Levit UTS Social Sport each Semester Pilates Day x2 Running GetActive Page End of semester social sport socials Your weekly workload depends upon the timing in each semester and the number of events being run.
Estimated Weekly Workload
Weekly workload during semester: 2.5 hours per week. Weekly workload during peak periods e.g at the start of the semester organising events: 4-5 hours There is also the opportunity to establish community through being a regular player or supporter of weekly social sport: up to 4 hours (1 hour each day Monday-Thursday) 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. Setting the bar with genuine enthusiasm. Ensure that you liaise with the necessary externals early, as key dates and confirmation can be difficult to obtain from some sports coordinators.
executive position
C A R E E R S vice-president (Careers)
Current Position Holder(s)
Key Initiatives
Jessica Trinh 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 Liaising with the Vice-President (Sponsorship) to ensure sponsorship-related obligations and expectations are fulfilled Specific Initiatives: Beyond Corporate Mentoring Program Clerkship Seminar Series Skills Workshops Clerkship Networking Evening Clerkship Guide LinkedIn Photoshoot and Workshop 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 A high organisational level is required. As it is a managerial role, you will need to be able to delegate tasks efficiently and facilitate the planning and organisation of initiatives. There are many internal and external deadlines that must be complied with; diarrising key dates and setting clear expectations is key to this. The VPCA must 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 problemsolve 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 joy and contentment at what you have achieved.
C A R E E R S Careers directors
Current Position Holder(s)
Rionah Gonsalves and Chloe Mackay
Key Initiatives
ACROSS ALL INITIATIVES Completing internal forms/processes for event marketing purposes (i.e. Marketing Requisition forms, Activate forms) as well as reflective purposes (e.g. Initiative Performance Reflection) Event organisation such as room bookings, catering, registering attendees and being a point of contact for students with eventspecific queries. Reacting/Interacting with LSS marketing/social media posts for the event Managing and regularly posting on the Legal and Social Justice Opportunities Facebook Page
Estimated weekly workload
Up to 5 hours per week on average but up to 10 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 studies and other commitments.
C A R E E R S
Publications director Current Position Holder(s)
Oishe Rahman
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: This role requires high levels of organisation and discipline. A publication is a time-consuming and long process. It is best to start as early as possible on a publication in anticipation of issues arising. You want to have enough leeway in your schedule to be able to respond to these issues without causing too much stress. Communication: It is essential that you maintain consistent communication with your subcommittee, members of the Executive, your designers and other external stakeholders. Keep channels for communication open.
Key Skills
Teamwork: It is important to remember that without your subcommittee, you would not have a publication. 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: Your attention to detail will be crucial throughout this process. Publications can range between 40 to 80 pages long, and the editing process is lengthy. An attention to detail will allow you to hone in and add authority and professionalism to the project. Whilst there is bound to be something that you will miss, do not be afraid of constantly combing through the content for errors, or even asking your VP or other peers to help.
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 position
C O M P E T I T I O N S
vice-presidents (Competitions)
Current Position Holder(s)
Alexander Marinos and Zachary Boswell 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 (but are not limited to): 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
(internally
and
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 problem-solving 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 VicePresident (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 community. You will witness firsthand the transformation of nervous first-time competitors into confident advocates, and know you played a part in their journey. While challenging, the satisfaction of seeing competitions run smoothly and knowing you have strengthened UTS’s competitions culture makes the experience both fulfilling and worthwhile.
C O M P E T I T I O N S Subject mooting directors Current Position Holder(s)
Billy Long and Owen Prendergast 7x Subject Moots (Torts, Commercial, Constitutional, Contracts, Criminal (Opens)).
Key Initiatives
Estimated Weekly Workload
Key Skills
Tasks include but not limited to: Organise question writers and benchbooks Marketing Requisitions & general promotion (in person for example) Organise question writers and benchbooks Event Operation Package’s (Activate UTS) Organise Judges and Grand Final benches (in some cases requiring you to judge) Create timetables for competition rounds Answer Clarifications Answer all Competitor Enquiries Distribute submissions to competitors Additional initiative (if implemented) Fluctuates, but roughly: Up to 30 hours per week during competition; As little as 5 hours per week in between competitions. This is ideally split exactly between 2 people. It is worthy to note that work here is consistently spread throughout the year. Time management Flexibility Email Etiquette Professionalism Team work Mooting Experience (important but not vital) Initiative
PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE
It can be a challenging role that requires a lot of organisation and being detailoriented, 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. It is important, however, to maintain a level of work that still allows you to enjoy the benefits that come with the role.
C O M P E T I T I O N S Intervarsity Mooting Director Current Position Holder(s)
Key Initiatives
Louise An Intervarsity 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
Varies depending on the competition calendar. Approximately 15– 20 hours per week during competition periods and around 5 hours per week between competitions. Organisation Professionalism Flexibility Communication Leadership and team coordination Attention to detail Problem-solving
PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This role requires a high level of organisation, initiative, and the ability to manage multiple competing priorities. While the workload can be demanding during competition periods, it is incredibly rewarding. The role provides valuable opportunities to build professional networks, develop leadership and interpersonal skills, and play a meaningful part in supporting competitors' growth and success throughout the year.
C O M P E T I T I O N S Mooting development director Current Position Holder(s)
Luca Dondina Mooting Mentoring Program: 1.Mooting Mentoring Program (3x Sessions) Organising Presenters Designing Workshops Booking locations 2.Pathway to Practice Panel Corresponding with Sponsors Organising legal practitioners to present Designing Questions for Panellists
Key Initiatives
4x Mooting Competitions Beginner Moot Intensive Junior Contracts Law Moot Junior Torts Law Moot Junior Criminal Law Moot Tasks including but not limited to: Organise question writers and benchbooks Organise Judges and Grand Final benches Designing Microsoft Teams Facilitating Competitions by Microsoft Teams and Emails Create timetables for competition rounds
Estimated Weekly Workload
Key Skills
Fluctuates. During Initiatives: Heavy, up to 15 hours/week. Outside Initiatives: Low, up to 5 hours/week.
Organisation & Time Management Empathy/Compassion Works well under pressure Mooting experience
PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This role is particularly important as the MDD 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. You will interact with many law students, especially those just starting out in their law degree and develop leadership skills and learn to manage various initiatives.
C O M P E T I T I O N S Client interview
director
Current Position Holder(s)
Key Initiatives
Estimated Weekly Workload
Key Skills
Max Fu During the year, the LSS holds the Open Client Interview and Junior Client Interview Competition alongside the Gauntlet Competition. This requires you to create timetables and room arrangements for weekly rounds, and liaise with judges, problem question writers, and clients.
During the weekly competitions, approximately 5 hours on competition preparation and 12 hours on the allocated day.
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 My tenure as the Client Interview Director has been nothing short of incredible in every facet. The role rewards deep insight into Client Interview, and more broadly, UTS LSS Competitions as a whole. The demands of running the semesterly Competitions has significantly improved my interpersonal and organisational skills, which has reflected in my professional practice. I had the privilege of liaising with talented competitors, experienced judges and problem question writers, and with the entire UTS LSS Competition portfolio. While challenging in balancing the varying demands of stakeholders, particularly in enforcement of deadlines and scheduling, I have only honed my communication skills.
C O M P E T I T I O N S Negotation director Current Position Holder(s)
Alessia Zofrea Open Negotiation Competition; Junior Negotiation Examination Competition; Junior Gauntlet, Optional Intensive Competition.
Key Initiatives
The tasks involved for these competitions include contacting prospective judges to organise their interest and availability. Creating a weekly competition timetable with regard to competitor and judge availability. Editing weekly problem questions and distributing this to competitors and judges. Availability to judge on competition days if qualified. Running workshops to assist competitors with developing their negotiation skills.
Estimated Weekly Workload
5-10 hours during the competition period.
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 Negotiation is the most popular weekly skills competition (consistently attracting over 20 teams per semester), this means that the role demands strong organisational and problem solving skills, to be able to manage the availability of up to 20 teams and sourcing a sustainable amount of judges to facilitate the competition. The competition attracts highly dedicated and motivated competitors, and facilitating this success and experience is a highly rewarding experience. This role will improve and challenge your communication skills, forward thinking and flexibility. The role does allow for creativity, where previously the Negotiation Director has run associated competitions such as a mediation competition, ADR or the Criminal Negotiation Intensive introduced in 2026. If you have passion for the role, ambition and creativity, you can expand the competition offerings - which was well received this year.
C O M P E T I T I O N S Witness examination director Current Position Holder(s)
Tahlia Minassian Open Witness Examination Competition; Junior Gauntlet; Junior Witness Examination Competition;
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
5 hours during competition, 3 hours in lead-up to competition, 0-2 hours with no competition to keep up with general admin
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 Witness Examination is truly one of the most entertaining competitions and can help competitors form important skills for practice. This is why the Director role requires a passion for developing this competition at UTS. The role allows you to build strong connections with competitors and judges. Many competitors will come to you for advice on competing as well as scheduling requirements, so it’s important to keep your emails, materials and timetabling in order. If you are able to, judging the rounds is incredibly rewarding to see how your competitors develop their skills throughout the semester. It can get intense during the competition season, but it’s the role of the Director to ensure that all competitors maintain good sportsmanship and feel supported. Overall, this is an amazing role to have and provides an insight into the deep passion many students have for competitions!
C O M P E T I T I O N S Intervarsity skills competitions director Current Position Holder(s)
Diya Gauchan 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.
C O M P E T I T I O N S Written skills director Current Position Holder(s)
Key Initiatives
Ayesha Virk Advice Writing and Affidavit Drafting are fully administrative, with no face-to-face contact required. Tasks include contacting UTS academics to gauge interest and availability in judging, drafting or attaining problem questions and answer guides, collating submissions, and updating competitor handbooks, scoresheets and supplementary material. Paper Presentation is a newly introduced competition and, unlike the above two, does involve face-to-face communication with both competitors and judges. It runs in two stages across the year: Internal (Semester 1) and Intervarsity (Semester 2).
Estimated Weekly Workload
2–5 hours per week for Advice Writing and Affidavit Drafting (around 10 hours in the weeks submissions are due) Expect a heavier load of roughly 5-10 hours per week in the lead-up to each Paper Presentation night, including event-day commitments. Strong organisational ability. Personability, diary management, advanced scheduling, document preparation, document handling, email and verbal communication.
Key Skills
For Paper Presentation: Event coordination. Communication skills (for liaising with judges and competitors). Cross-team coordination (with the IV Skills Director). Basic logistics (venue, catering, tech, gifts) when the event is unsponsored.
PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE This role provides an opportunity to run competitions that are vital to legal practice, and to work closely with faculty. Faculty members are highly engaged with the written skills competitions and are eager to offer their insights and support. You'll have significant autonomy in creating new competitions and reshaping existing ones to keep them aligned with legal practice. Paper Presentation itself is a product of that discretion, and you'll continue to have room to refine it. There is a dedicated Paper Presentation guidebook, scoresheets and supplementary materials to help the Written Skills Director run this new competition, alongside everything else developed for the older ones. Compared to other UTS LSS competition roles, this one now has a mixed dynamic: Advice Writing and Affidavit Drafting remain fully remote/administrative with no obligation to attend in person, while Paper Presentation introduces a face-to-face, eventmanagement element. This makes the role well suited to someone who wants the flexibility of a low-contact competition for most of the year, but is also keen to get hands-on event-running experience during the two Paper Presentation Competitions.
executive position
E D U C A T I O N vice-president (Education)
Current Position Holder(s)
Matthew Ham 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
10-15 hours a week depending on the business of each period. With effective planning during semester breaks, this can be reduced to 5-10 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 Being Vice-President (Education) has been an immense privilege that I've thoroughly enjoyed this year. The role is, at times, quite intense and you need to be someone who can be organised but also stay consistent throughout the tenure. It genuinely does not slow down, and you have to be comfortable making quick decisions and trusting your Directors to run with things when you can't be everywhere at once. A big part of VPE is building that culture which takes real, ongoing effort, not just at the start of the year. The workload is real and you will feel stretched thin during peak periods, but the Education Portfolio is also where you get to see the most tangible, human impact of anything Council does. If you're someone who wants a role where the highs are genuinely high, values working closely with a team over going it alone, and doesn't mind the occasional 2am text about logistics, I couldn't recommend this position more.
E D U C A T I O N
Engagement directors Current Position Holder(s)
Alisha Pillay and Max Galanti There are two Education (Engagement) Directors. This role facilitates various initiatives focused on engaging with UTS Law students, and opening opportunities for the development of academic, social, and career opportunities and a holistic student lifestyle. Education (Engagement) Directors are tasked with facilitating the Buddy Project; a program pairing first-year students with a senior student buddy. There is administration required to match buddies and maintain consistent engagement throughout the semesters for the year. Running this program involves hosting events including the Buddy Project Launch, ‘Sip & Sing’ and a Spring Session event (such as the Games Night in 2024 or even Sip and Sing 2 in 2025). In 2026, the Engagement team is designing a new event, likely a ‘Buddy Project end of sem Picnic’.
Key Initiatives
In this role, you will also be responsible for facilitating the UTS LSS Peer Mentoring Program. This involves recruiting Peer Mentors at the start of the year, coordinating sessions, and developing workshops to correspond with content to be broadcasted to students throughout the year. This initiative requires coordination with the Faculty of Law, which provides a great opportunity to learn the inner workings of curriculum design. 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 Event (In 2026, this was a cocktail drinks night), MidProgram Survey, and a Closing Night. 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
Key Skills
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. For Buddy Project allocation week, ensure one whole day is blocked out.
Teamwork: Liaising with the Vice-President (Education), and other directors (both within Education and council broadly) to establish and plan out initiatives and ideas. 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 Alisha: As part of the Education Engagement team, this role has so much to offer through the different initiatives you get to run. You get to have a taste of organising and running events, and have the opportunity to liaise with multiple portfolios and subportfolios across the LSS community. Most of all, in this role you get the personal joy of watching both first year and older law students get more involved with uni life through your events and initiatives - and be prepared to have lots of chats with fellow students along the way! When working with a codirector as proactive and delightful as Max, this role is a wonderful chance to oversee numerous initiatives and see students thrive - all while working in a thorough yet super fun team. Max: Being an Education Engagement Director puts you at the heart of the student cohort. Working on a mix of social, academic, and career-focused events provides you with the chance to meet a diverse array of people, from someone in your class you’d never gotten the chance to talk to, to a legal professional with decades of experience and insight. Therefore, this role is suited to people who enjoy communicating with others and bringing together students with all different ideas and perspectives, and giving them a space to share their insights in all different capacities. It has been a great honour to take on this role this year alongside the wonderful Alisha, whose eternal patience, flexibility, and experience has made every challenge that has come our way just another chance to flex our teamwork muscles and deliver the best events possible.
E D U C A T I O N Wellbeing director
Current Position Holder(s)
Charli de Greenlaw
Key Initiatives
The Wellbeing Director is in charge of a few exciting key events! During Autumn and Spring, you will coordinate the Smile Project, a biannual event that supports the wellbeing of students. In Semester 1, there is a cross-portfolio event with the SJ Equity Director for the UTS LSS Wellbeing x Equity Panel. If you have ideas for other initiatives, plan ahead to re-start old wellbeing projects or to have new proposals approved. In Semester 2 2026, I developed a movie night cross-portfolio collaboration with the SJ Queer Rep.
Estimated Weekly Workload
Weekly workload varies but on average, about 2 hours per week. This increases to 3-5 in the weeks leading up to the panel. 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.
E D U C A T I O N
Publications directors Current Position Holder(s)
Luis Clarke-Nguyen and Grace Ryan
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 Beyond the Books (BTB)
Estimated Weekly Workload
The workload in this role varies. During less busy periods, weekly workload is generally around 3-4 hours per week. However, in the lead up to a publication release, this will increase to up to 7-8 hours.
Key Skills
Creativity and initiative: Directors have significant freedom to shape publications, podcast content and new initiatives, so being willing to develop and pursue new ideas is a major part of the role. Organisation and planning ahead: Publications rely on coordinating with contributors, designers and podcast guests, making forward planning essential to allow sufficient time for others while keeping projects on schedule. Flexibility: The role can involve periods of tight turnarounds and unexpected delays when working with externals, so being flexible with your time and prepared to respond to urgent tasks when required is important. Strong attention to detail: The role requires patience and a willingness to review content multiple times, with close attention to even minor details when editing publications in order to uphold the quality and integrity of the UTS LSS. General IT competence: The Bar Podcast has been edited using iMovie and Microsoft Clipchamp, so an understanding of the basics of editing audio content is beneficial, but not essential.
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
M A R K E T I N G Vice-president (marketing) Current Position Holder(s)
Ananya Sharma 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 is responsible for photography and livestreaming at many UTS LSS initiatives.
Estimated Weekly Workload
Roughly 30-35 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 via emails.
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!
M A R K E T I N G Marketing Directors Current Position Holder(s)
Kate Nicholls, Matilda Markey Smith, Maya Rengaswamy, Jerome Abou-Antoun, Anya Gupta
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 then get sent to all Marketing Directors and VPM on messenger to receive feedback and make relevant changes, before posting to 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 on a 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 availability 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
On average, a Marketing Director will spend 10-20 hours a week doing marketing related tasks including working on Canva, scheduling posts, keeping up to date with reqs and emails.
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 and bring the relevant portfolio’s request to life. 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!
M A R K E T I N G
IT Director
Current Position Holder(s)
Daniel Rougon The Information Technology Director (Marketing) is responsible for managing, designing and updating the Society’s website (www.utslss.com). This includes regularly liaising with the Marketing Directors and other portfolios in the society to determine what needs to be included on the website. 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. 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.
Key Initiatives
Marketing Req: Website Calendar 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. 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.
Estimated Weekly Workload
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.
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 Wix Website Building Strong Communication Skills
PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE The Information Technology Director 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
S O C I A L
J U S T I C E
Vice-president (Social Justice)
Current Position Holder(s)
Ava Keevers 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. 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 Skills
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.
S O C I A L
J U S T I C E
Brennan Program Directors
Current Position Holder(s)
Melanie Davis and Alexis De Zotti 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/Brennan Team 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.
S O C I A L
J U S T I C E
Equity Director
Current Position Holder(s)
Ditsa Dey 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
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.
Key Skills
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. Empathy and Communication.
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.
S O C I A L
J U S T I C E
Women’s representative
Current Position Holder(s)
Tahlia Lee 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 third 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!
S O C I A L
J U S T I C E
Accessibility representative Current Position Holder(s)
Sophie Gallagher-Horne
Key Initiatives
Diverse-ability Blog: responsibility of sourcing student insight, maintaining confidentiality and continuing the Diverse-ability Blog. 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. Willingness to educate/increase awareness. Showing up for others.
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 and faculty so strength in communication will be of 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, this year has been one for the books. Being able to bring my lived experience to the LSS has made a world of a difference. From sharing stories and perspectives in the DIverse-Abilities blog, raising a record $1200 for People with Disabilities Australia and advocacy panel, these opportunities has allowed me to give back to the accessibility community. 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 Accessibility Rep continues enforcing procedures and by-laws I have introduced to work on creating A more accessible society. 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. Don’t forget that this position can also be fun and enjoyable!! Being a part of the LSS community has been a privilege, as well as heaps of fun! You get to collaborate and work with people who share a vision with you. Please enjoy all the fun social things that come with being a part of LSS council. You will meet so many people, make friends and go to events you never would have, so enjoy the wild rollercoaster of the LSS!
S O C I A L
J U S T I C E
First nations representative
Current Position Holder(s)
Taya Morante
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.
S O C I A L
J U S T I C E
Queer representative
Current Position Holder(s)
Key Initiatives
Julian Foy Pride Moot: The Intervarsity Pride Moot is an initiative held in collaboration with various other universities in Sydney. Facebook Group: A large part of a representative role is connecting with the student body to ensure you provide the best possible representation to the students you are representing. This is best facilitated through the ‘Queer Collective’ Facebook group. Additional Events: In accordance with the by laws, you will be required to organise at least one event in addition to the Pride Moot. Previous events included an Intervarsity Social Event and Law Panel.
Estimated Weekly Workload
3–4 hours per week.
Key Skills
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. 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, such as NSW Pride in Law and also portfolios from other universities. It would be in your best interest 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. In 2026, the Intervarsity Social Event raised a significant amount of funds for IDAHOBIT. There is so much room for the Queer Representative to uplift the broader LGBTQIA+ community while simultaneously engaging with our student body.
S O C I A L
J U S T I C E
International student representative
Current Position Holder(s)
Key Initiatives
Estimated Weekly Workload
Eve Lim The main role of the UTS LSS International Student Representative is to represent and advocate for the experiences, needs, and interests of international law students within the Law Faculty. The role aims to strengthen connection, inclusion, and access to support for international students. This includes: Academic & Professional Transition Guide International Students Coffee Chat Legal Careers: Practising Law in Australia as an International Student Approximately 3–4 hours per week on average, increasing during periods of events. Communication: As the representative for international students, effective communication and active listening are essential. The role requires engaging with students from diverse backgrounds and understanding their perspectives.
Key Skills
Initiative and Organisation: As this is a newly established role, the ability to develop ideas, create initiatives, and manage projects is important. The role provides significant flexibility to shape the position and create meaningful outcomes for international students. Cultural Awareness and Advocacy: Understanding the experiences of students from diverse cultural backgrounds and advocating for greater inclusion within the Law Faculty are key aspects of this role.
PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE As the first International Student Representative, this role provides an opportunity to establish a strong connection between international students and the wider UTS Law community. By creating spaces for connection, sharing practical guidance about navigating Australian legal education, and amplifying international students’ perspectives, the role aims to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment.
R E P R E S E N T A T I V E
Postgraduate representative
Current Position Holder(s)
Mario Gallo 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
2 - 4 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.
R E P R E S E N T A T I V E
First year representatives
Current Position Holder(s)
Sean Athanasopoulos and Mikaela Medina 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.