Election Guide 2023

The UTS LSS acknowledges the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation,theBoorooberongalpeopleoftheDharugNation,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 knowledgefortheselands.

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)bereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmittedbyany process without specific written consent of the UTS Law Students’ Society. Enquiriesaretobeaddressedtothepublishers

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

WHAT’S CHANGED

This year, the UTS LSS has introduced some important constitutional changes that have reformed our elections process

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 Georgina Hedge who can be contacted at elections@utslsscom

ELECTION NOTICE AND TIMING

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

NOMINATIONS

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

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

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

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

If you wish to alter your nomination, you must do so within the nomination period by contacting the Electoral Officer.

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

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!).

RESULTS

Results for positions are decided on the number of votes each nominee receivesThe 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.

BY-ELECTION

Where there are unfilled positions after an election, that are not filled by the Appointment process, the Council will hold a by-election to fill those vacancies. A by-election notice will be issued to members at least 14 days prior to the byelection being held. The notice will provide the nomination period for the by-election. Where there are multiple positions available in a by-election, a person may nominate for up to 2 positions by submitting their statements of candidature in accordance with the requirements of the by-election notice. The person elected to Council will be decided by a simple majority of the Council.

Any Executive and/or Director/Representative positions left open after the General Election and Appointment process will be opened to By-Election in late 2023/early 2024

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SECRETARIAT: PRESIDENT

Current Position

Holder(s) Georgina Hedge

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.

Key Initiatives

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

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

Internal Focus

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

Estimated Weekly Workload 30 - 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.

Key Skills

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.

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.

Professionalism: You will be required to address all issues with professionalism, particularly when dealing with external stakeholders.

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.

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

The role of President is an extremely rewarding role, but can also be extremely draining and consuming. The magnitude of commitment to the role of President means that the right candidate must be sustained by their drive and vision for the Society Without a genuine passion for the LSS and its role in contributing to the student experience, it will be very difficult to weather the challenges that come with running a Society of the LSS’ size.

While the role may seem daunting, being President has genuinely been one of the greatest experiences I have ever undergone. It has skyrocketed my personal and professional development, while also growing my confidence in trusting my vision and communicating that with a variety of stakeholders

SECRETARIAT: SECRETARY

Current Position

Holder(s)

Key Initiatives

Natasha Lloyd

The Secretary is responsible for the administration and governance of the Society in accordance with the Constitution, By-Laws, Grievance Policy 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.

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 administration of the Grievance Policy and the general support of the wider Council and student community.

Estimated Weekly Workload

5-10 hours per week

Key Skills

Organisation: The ability to be organised and meet deadlines is crucial in this role. While this most notably applies in respect of notice requirements, staying organised is helpful in a number of circumstances such as coordinating the delegation to the ALSA Conference or communicating with stakeholders like the Faculty of Law.

Attention to detail: As there are a number of formalities in regards to producing Minutes, Motions and Agendas, attention to detail is a requisite skill. Careful compliance with these requirements ensures that the actions of the Society cannot be disputed or impugned. Further, attention to detail assists in drafting or proofreading bylaws and policies that have a wider impact on Council.

Key Skills

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.

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

Being the UTS LSS Secretary in 2023 has been an immense personal privilege and has given me access to the best university experience I could have possibly asked for Though handling grievances and managing a large number of people can be, at times, a personally taxing role, it has also been incredibly rewarding, and as Secretary you have a real ability to shape the future of the society

By volunteering as Secretary, you will undoubtedly build strong personal and professional skills in communication, organisation and problem solving that will serve you well into the future. This year, through drafting and passing substantial governance reforms to our Council structure and elections process, it has been a special feeling to be a part of such tangible change - but the work is not done and there is plenty of room to grow in the role for whoever is up for the challenge! If you are considering nominating, my advice to you is to be honest, to be clear and to be genuine. Those three traits will take you far on the UTS LSS Council and will set you up for a successful tenure as Secretary!

SECRETARIAT: TREASURER

Current Position Holder(s) Serena Chedid

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.

Estimated Weekly Workload

5-7 Hours per week

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 legally responsible for any financial mistakes the Society makes. Therefore, it is important you take some aspects of the role with care and responsibility.

Key Skills

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 provide sound reasoning for it (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.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

Despite the work, I have found the role to be great for my personal and professional development. I have had the opportunity to meet new people, both on and off Council, and make some incredible friends along the way Additionally, my understanding and knowledge of finances and accounting has grown exponentially To use an analogy, Council is like a pressure cooker. There will be times where things become intense, where you will not always see eye to eye with everyone on everything and you have to get comfortable with that this, the position is incredibly fulfilling and something I would encourage others to take advantage of.

SECRETARIAT: VICEPRESIDENT (SPONSORSHIP)

Current Position

Holder(s) Georgia Neaverson

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

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

Key Initiatives

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

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

Estimated Weekly

Workload

During Summer: 25 hours per week; During Semester 1: 20 hours per week; During Semester 2: 10 hours per week.

Key Skills

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.

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 interested in HR, or who has an outward facing job in which they enjoy liaising with externals. Having come into this position over halfway through the year, 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

ACTIVITIES: VICEPRESIDENT (ACTIVITIES)

Current Position

Holder(s) Lucie Vayriot

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

Key Initiatives

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

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

Estimated Weekly Workload

The weekly workload of the VPA changes depending on the time of year. During the organisational periods for First Year Law Camp and Law Ball, the VPA can be expected to spend approximately 25 hours per week on their LSS work (some weeks more, and some weeks less). In less busy periods, the weekly workload is closer to 10 hours per week but can sometimes be as little as 5 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.

Key Skills

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.

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 fun and highly rewarding position. One of the highlights of being VPA is seeing how the initiatives you are running are bringing together the wider UTS:Law community You get to witness firsthand the positive impact that your work is having on other people. For example, seeing people band together on a Sports team, having the time of their life on the dance floor, or making life-long friends at an event. The opportunity to gain experience in areas which Law students do not typically have the chance to gain experience in is also unparalleled The role is one where your creativity can flourish and the opportunities are endless. You must be passionate because the role is hard work at times but it always feels worth it in the end

ACTIVITIES: SOCIALS DIRECTORS

Current Position Holder(s) Ruby Stewart and Ariane Sharpe

Semester 1: 2 x Start of Semester Events, First Year Law Drinks, Start of Semester Party, and Law Cruise

Key Initiatives

Semester 2: Law Ball, and an additional Semester 2 Event (e.g Pub Golf)

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

Estimated Weekly Workload

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: Due to venues, DJs and photographers booking out rapidly, you must be prepared to organise things weeks, if not months, in advance

Key Skills

Communication: You will be interacting with a range of entertainment/hospitality services. This requires communicating with professionalism and clarity.

Independence: You need to be confident and capable of completing tasks. You will, of course, have the help of your VicePresident, 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.

ACTIVITIES: SPORTS DIRECTOR

Current Position

Holder(s) Tom Connell

Key Initiatives

Estimated Weekly Workload

Semesterly Kickstart

Semesterly UTS Sport

Intervarsity Sports Day

SCLSS Sports Day City2Surf

Weekly workload during semester: 2hours per week

Weekly workload during peak periods e.g organising events and communicating with externals to organise events: 4-5 hours

Communication: Being able to reach out for help from other members of council will greatly assist in your role as you will often be working on your initiatives independently. Being able to identify when you are having issues or are struggling to complete a task will also greatly assist within the role.

Key Skills

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

Sports Director is a fun role for any individual who loves to garner groups of people to be active! It is important to ensure that you stay up to date with the dates within the council calendar so that your initiatives can be well supported. Remember to be creative in the events you produce, to ensure that they are well-received and engaged with!

CAREERS: VICEPRESIDENT (CAREERS)

Current Position Holder(s) Miranda Clinton

Ongoing:

Supporting the Careers (Activities) Directors and Careers (Publications) Director where needed

Overseeing all processes and procedures conducted by Directors

Collaborating with the internal Careers and wider UTS LSS team to increase the innovativeness, diversity, accessibility and quality of all initiatives

Key Initiatives

Specific Initiatives:

Beyond Corporate Mentoring Program

Clerkship Seminar Series

Skills Workshops

Clerkship Networking Evening

Beyond Corporate Careers Fair

LinkedIn Photoshoot

Clerkship Guide

Careers Guide

Careers Blog

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 5 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

One of the key attributes of a successful VPCA is high organisation levels both as an individual and within the team. Diairising key dates and setting clear expectations is key to this, and the VPCA must be confident in creation organisation systems and strategies for the ideating, planning and implementation of initiatives.

Passion and Empathy

A genuine passion for students careers, development, and a high level of empathy is key for the facilitation of careers initiatives and ultimate success of the VPCA. 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.

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.

Problem-Solving

Intrinsic to any leadership position is the ability to innovate and problem-solve where required. This is particularly relevant where the VPCA is required to liaise with externals 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, 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.

CAREERS: ACTIVITES DIRECTORS

Current Position Holder(s) Selene Vuong and Dillan Goro

Beyond Corporate Mentoring Program Panels

Key Initiatives

Clerkship Panel, Breaking into Law Panel; and Legal Technology Panel

Clerkship Seminars

Clerkship Networking Evening Skills Workshops

Estimated weekly workload

5-10 hours a week

15-25 hours a week during Clerkship Period (April-May)

Teamwork: regular internal communications within the team to effectively organise, delegate and execute tasks necessary to run Careers events, and taking initiative where possible to avoid undue stresses

Key Skills

Communication: clear and concise verbal and written communication is critical when liaising with firm representatives and external stakeholders. There is some leeway in internal communications to forgo formalities however this discretion is not substantial

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.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

The role is a rewarding opportunity to interact with firm representatives whilst working to deliver exciting Careers events. The role does require you to remain professional at all times, and the workload is not excessive for the majority of tenure However, the clerkship season is quite burdensome and will likely prevent you from being able to balance your studies and work commitments.

CAREERS: PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR

Current Position

Holder(s) Alyssya Warty-Hasan

Key Initiatives

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

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

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

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

Key Skills

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

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

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

Your time as Careers (Publications) Director will be a rewarding one You are one of the few directors whose projects will outlast your tenure and your time at UTS. 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.

COMPETITIONS: VICEPRESIDENTS (COMPETITIONS)

The Vice-Presidents (Competitions) are newly established positions upon the re-amalgamation of the former Mooting and Skills Portfolios. This will require the Co-Vice-Presidents to work effectively in a job-share role including the efficient division of allocating who will be responsible for specific competitions.

These roles will require significant coordination 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 to improve the engagement of competitions as well their facilitation in accordance with the Competition Rules.

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

Further tasks include:

holding a judges workshop; collaborating with faculty for key initiatives; overseeing the appointment of judges; updating the honour roll; reviewing correspondence by directors; & lastly, but not limited to general administrative control.

Estimated Weekly Workload

As a VP with many events, 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 7-10 hours per week where there are no competitions or initiatives and up to 25 hours on weeks you will be running events.

Current Position Holder(s) Blake Sanchez-Cruz & Jemma Newton

Key Skills

Communication

The ability to keep on top of the mass amount of correspondence that will reach your inbox is critical. The role is also a leadership position and active communication with your team will make it easier for your weeks to run smoother.

Problem-solving and critical reasoning:

In the role you will constantly be required to utilise problem solving skills – whether it is to solve a last-minute catering order or to proofread and edit a mooting question, you will need to be able to solve problems on your feet and for this reason a background in mooting is extremely helpful.

Policy, Law & Rule Knowledge:

There will be several instances where the VPs will be required to interpret & objectively apply various policies or rules, particularly in instances of a breach. Additionally, it is quite helpful for the VPs to attain a comprehensive understanding of certain areas of law to be able to assist where necessary.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

These roles are highly-challenging but rewarding position If you are passionate about competitions (or certain competitions) and more broadly, fostering great competitiors, this role is a great way to bring your inner visions to life! It is also a lot of fun, allowing you to really build and retain a diverse, expansive professional and personal network.

COMPETITIONS: SUBJECT MOOTING DIRECTORS

Current Position

Holder(s) Arye Kavarana and Bilvika Abburi

7x Subject Moots (Torts, Commercial, Constitutional, Contracts, Criminal (Opens)

Tasks include but not limited to:

Key Initiatives Organise question writers and benchbooks

Organise judges and grand final bench

Create timetables for competition rounds

Distribute submissions to competitors

Estimated Weekly Workload

Fluctuates depending on whether there is a moot being held. 30 hours per week during competition; 10 hours per week in between competitions.

Time management

Key Skills

Flexibility

Professionalism

Team work

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

Being a Subject Mooting Director is a difficult role that requires a lot of organisation and being detail-oriented, but overall the role is incredibly rewarding as you witness competitors develop over time. It is a great role to develop time management and organisational skills along with interpersonal skills.

COMPETITIONS: MOOTING DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Current Position

Holder(s) Caitlin Fichardt

1x Mooting Development program per semester

Key Initiatives

Estimated Weekly

Workload

Key Skills

Tasks: 2x mooting competitions

Organise Mentors

Organise each session and invite guests to present

Junior Championship Moot

Junior Criminal Law Moot

Tasks:

Organise question writers and benchbooks

Organise judges and grand final bench

Create timetables for competition rounds

Distribute submissions to competitors

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

Semester 1 - 5 hours per week

Semester 2 - 15 hours per week

Organisation Empathy

Time Management

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

This role is particularly important as the Director is in charge of building mooting talent amongst first and second year students. Hence, it is an especially rewarding one!

COMPETITIONS: INTERVARSITY MOOTING DIRECTOR

Current Position Holder(s) Noah Darmenia

Competitions including but NOT LIMITED to:

UTS LSS MULS Intervarsity Contract Law Moot, UNSW Private Law Moot, SULS Baker McKenzie Nations Womens Moot, UTS LSS Ashurst Intervarsity Legal Technology Moot, Nicholas Cowdery AO KC Criminal Law Moot

Key Initiatives

Key Tasks

Organise question writers and benchbooks Organise judges and grand final bench Create timetables for competition rounds Distribute submissions to competitors Liaise with externals/universities

Estimated Weekly Workload

Fluctuates – approximately 30 hours per week during competition, 10 hours per week in between competitions.

Key Skills

Time management Flexibility

Professionalism

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

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

COMPETITIONS: CLIENT INTERVIEW DIRECTOR

Current Position

Holder(s) Anastasia Zimonopoulos

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

Key Initiatives

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

Estimated Weekly Workload

12 hours of competition time weekly on an allocated day. 6-8 hours on competition preparation and collating scoresheets

Key Skills

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

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

This role is extremely rewarding and insightful if you enjoy Client Interview. As the role can be quite demanding during the competition it is crucial to stay organsied and up to date with deadlines

Running this competition and watching different teams competing not only allows you the opportunity to teach but also to learn from their knowledge and experience as a competitor. This role requires you to be very personable as the client interview competition itself focuses heavily on one's interpersonal skills.

COMPETITIONS: NEGOTIATION DIRECTOR

Current Position Holder(s) Hannah Everett

Open Negotiation Competition; Junior Negotiation Examination Competition; Open Gauntlet; Junior Gauntlet

Key Initiatives

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

Estimated Weekly Workload

12 hours on competition days and 5-10 hours preparing for competition rounds.

Key Skills

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

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

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

COMPETITIONS: WITNESS EXAMINATION DIRECTOR

Current Position

Holder(s) Youngone Oh

Open Witness Examination Competition; Junior Gauntlet; Junior Witness Examination Competition; Open Gauntlet

Key Initiatives

Reaching out to prospective judges to gauge their interest and availability. Creating a weekly competition timetable. Booking rooms. Editing weekly problem questions and distributing this to competitors and judges. Communicating with competitors about the details of the rounds and providing round recaps. Reaching out to volunteer witnesses and connecting them with competitors. Developing competitors’ skills by organising/running workshops. Stepping in as a judge or witness where needed on competition days.

Estimated Weekly Workload

20-30 hours during competition, 5-10 hours in lead-up to competition, 0-2 hours with no competition

Key Skills

Good understanding of Evidence Law and structure + strategies of Witness Examination, strong organisational ability. personability, diary management, document preparation, document handling, email and verbal communication, guiding and teaching competitors, and an ability to answer specific, technical questions.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

This role is a very rewarding one! Spectating the rounds and unpacking the problem question with competitors after the round is a very dynamic experience and is especially rewarding if you are passionate about honing your own Witness Examination skills.

It’s wonderful to assist in the development of the competition and the competitors, to liaise with legal professionals and experienced students, and to see the rapid growth in the skill level of the competitors

COMPETITIONS: WRITTEN SKILLS DIRECTOR

Current Position

Holder(s) NEW ROLE

Advice Writing, Paper Presentation, Affidavit Drafting

The tasks involved for these competitions are all administrative and do not require any face-to face communications with competitors.

The tasks include:

Key Initiatives contacting UTS academics to gauge their interest and availability in judging competitor submissions drafting or attaining problem questions; running workshops in conjunction with faculty in relation to each competition collating submissions updating competitor handbooks, and scoresheets and supplementary material.

Estimated Weekly Workload

2-5 hours per week (around 10-15 during self-organised competition weeks).

Key Skills

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

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

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

COMPETITIONS: INTERVARSITY SKILLS DIRECTOR

Current Position

Holder(s) Lara O’Shea

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

Key Initiatives

Organising rooms, judges, catering, questions, gifts and timetables. Corresponding with other university representatives. Fill-in judging and volunteering. Assisting the rest of the portfolio.

Estimated Weekly Workload

2-5 hours per week (around 10-15 during self-organised competition weeks).

Key Skills

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

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

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

This role balances being a skills director, however, not as frequently. Time is split sporadically, predominantly when your own events are being run, e.g., Maddocks Negotiations

This role is incredibly rewarding and allows you meet a wide variety of people You learn to deal with complex situations while seeing some of the strongest competitors. These competitions are intense, so you must execute your role to a high standard.

EDUCATION: VICEPRESIDENT (EDUCATION)

Current Position Holder(s) Peter Markopoulos

The role of the Vice-President (Education) (‘VPE’) is to oversee the functioning of the entire Education Portfolio. The Education Portfolio is split into four sub-portfolios, with each Director facilitating various events and initiatives to cater for the student body:

Education (External Engagement) Director x 1; Education (Internal Engagement) Director x 1; Education (Publications) Director x 2; and Wellbeing Director x 1.

Subcommittee Members x 15

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.

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 20 - 25 hours per week. However, this can fluctuate in less busier times.

Key Skills

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 skillset. As VPE, you will make a multitude of decisions and are often required to have fast turnaround times.

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 scheudled close to each other. This will involve working closely with each director through careful planning.

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.

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 Subcommittee members. A vital attribute 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.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

Holding the position of VPE has been an insightful and fulfilling experience. Through leading a team of five Directors, I have developed various skills varying from leadership to teamwork and time management. These skills have allowed me to become more adaptable to working within a team, in a position of leadership. I have become an open-minded leader by engaging in this role.

On a personal level, I have felt the great impact through making a difference in the law school journey for many UTS Law students, particularly through programs such as the Buddy Project Ultimately, serving on the UTS LSS is a privilege, and I encourage all potential candidates to apply!

EDUCATION: INTERNAL DIRECTOR

Current Position Holder(s) Jonothan Scach

Education Internal oversees a variety of exciting initiatives including the:

Key Initiatives Buddy Project; Buddy Project Launch event; Peer Mentoring Program; Subject Tutoring Database

Estimated Weekly Workload

Workload varies weekly, during less busy periods 2 - 6 hours a week. During busy periods in the lead up to initiatives 4-8 hours per week.

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

Key Skills

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

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

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

This role has provided me with an amazing opportunity to meet and work with many students across all year groups and make many fond memories. Achieving record breaking numbers at the Buddy Launch and introducing a brand new event has also made this role so rewarding It has been such a great experience!

EDUCATION: EXTERNAL DIRECTOR

Current Position Holder(s) Nathan Politis

In this role, the director is responsible for organising and promoting at least two annual Speaker Series events that are on topical legal issues. These are typically in-person events.

Key Initiatives

Additionally, this role oversees the administration of the Advocates Mentoring Program (AMP). You will be responsible for organising all aspects of the Program, including pairings and facilitating the Opening Breakfast and Mid-Program Survey.

You will report to the Vice-President (Education), update the Buzz with relevant content, and build a supportive environment by attending LSS initiatives.

Estimated Weekly Workload 7-8 hours per week.

Flexibility: Most of the time you will only be doing 1-2 hours per week. Closer to your initiatives, this can increase to 7-8. However, this is only for a limited time.

Key Skills

Time management: Do not forget that you have to attend other LSS events during the semester. Ensure you can balance uni, work and LSS requirements.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

This role is a beginner-friendly way into immersing yourself with the UTS LSS I have had the opportunity to organise incredible, noteworthy events

If organising Speaker Series is easy, you’re doing it wrong! The point is to pick a current issue of law or socio-legal issue that can engage your audience and attract an impressive panel. Speaker Series can be extremely rewarding if you put in the work, and your VP will be there to guide you and assist you in achieving great success.

EDUCATION: WELLBEING DIRECTOR

Current Position Holder(s) Priscilla Spalding

The Wellbeing Director is in charge of a few exciting key events:

Key Initiatives Autumn and Spring Smile Projects; R U OK? Day event; Wellbeing X Equity Panel

Estimated Weekly Workload 1-3 hours per week.

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

Key Skills

Leadership: you will lead the SWC (Student Wellbeing Committee), a group of 8 students that are passionate about wellbeing and mental health, 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).

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

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

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

EDUCATION: PUBLICATION DIRECTORS

Current Position

Holder(s) Ryan Little and Alexander Chan

Education (Publication) Directors are responsible for the following:

The Law School Manual - released at the start of the year for First Years

Key Initiatives

The Camp Survival Guide - released for First Year Law Camp

The Bar Productions - fortnightly podcast episodes

The Full Bench - annual academic journal

The Electives Guide - advertises the various electives at UTS Law

Estimated Weekly Workload

The workload varies, but is approximately 6-8 hours per Director, each week. It may increase depending on the proximity to the release of a publication.

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

Professional email etiquette: publications require you to reach out to professionals, thus your correspondence must be professional.

Key Skills

Attention to detail: this is particularly relevant for the written publications as you will be required to edit several submissions for spelling, grammar, flow, etc.

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

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

The role is very fulfilling and allows you to build transferrable skills. 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.

MARKETING: VICEPRESIDENT (MARKETING)

Current Position Holder(s) Paris Mitropoulos

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.

Managing the team of Marketing Directors and IT Director is arguably the most important aspect of the role. You will manage the team by allocating tasks, following up, providing detailed feedback, and filling in where necessary. The team is big, and as such you must ensure communication about expectations and tasks is clear.

Key Initiatives

The VPM is in charge of creating and producing publications like this one! This includes the Sponsorship Prospectus, Obiter, and the Election Handbook. These are very time-consuming tasks, and should be done with lots of time to spare.

Further, the VPM is responsible for creating, organising the sale of, and distributing merchandise. It is up to the VPM on whether they wish to create new merchandise or not.

Active recruitment is an integral part of being the VPM. Orientation week is a very busy time and requires the VPM to generate hype and excitement both before, and when events are happening.

Estimated Weekly Workload

25 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.

Key Skills

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.

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 and the Faculty of Law. 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 Although there are periods of higher stress, such as at the start of the year for the release of the Prospectus and training of the Marketing Team, it is ultimately worth it. I have felt immense personal growth, both in a personal and professional capacity, especially in communication and organisation senses.

I highly recommend a previous Marketing or IT Director to apply for this role. It is fun and enjoyable to see various initiatives come to life!

MARKETING: MARKETING DIRECTORS

Current Position

Holder(s) Anna Shapcott, Alec Ramsbottom, Olivia Banfield and Parinaa Shah

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 portfolios, 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.

The Buzz

Key Initiatives

The Buzz is a fortnightly newsletter that the Marketing Directors produce. Being the Editor of the Buzz is a very enjoyable experience, which each Marketing Director gets to do at least twice a semester, and requires them to compile information from the rest of Council about past and upcoming initiatives. It is a fun way to interact with UTS LSS members and does not take very long to do.

Humans of UTS Law

Humans of UTS Law is a marketing initiative that showcases unique experiences and stories that various UTS Law Students have acquired during their university studies. It aims to inspire other students and share their extraordinary achievements!

Photography and Live-streaming

Photography and live-streaming are tasks that are shared between the VPM and all MDs for UTS LSS initiatives when requested. These requests are distributed based on availabilities, so is a flexible and irregular task.

Estimated Weekly Workload

On average, a Marketing Director will spend 10 hours a week doing marketing related tasks including working on Canva, scheduling posts, keeping up to date of requisitions and emails.

Key Initiatives

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.

Creativity: A large part of the role of Marketing Directors is the creation of graphics. Using design software Canva, you will make lots of graphics to be posted on our social media pages. You must use your creativity to effectively market the varied initiatives of the LSS.

Communication: Maintaining good communication skills is crucial to the role. The Marketing Team are 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

Holding the position of Marketing Director has been an amazing opportunity. We have greatly enjoyed the experience of working in a closeknit team to create and develop graphics marketing the initiatives of the LSS. While the role can be stressful and time-consuming, the organisation skills gained have been incredibly valuable and the connections gained with the Marketing Team as well as the wider council make the stress very worthwhile.

We encourage this role to individuals who have a passion for graphic design, or for those who wish to learn more about it!

MARKETING: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR

Current Position Holder(s) Lara Cullen

The Information Technology Director (Marketing) is responsible for managing, designing and updating the Society’s website. 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

Key Initiatives

The main responsibility of the IT Director is keeping the LSS website updated with the current initiatives that are being run. There is an expectation that the IT Director will ensure that the website is modern, relevant, and efficient By nature, this may include implementing new design modifications, reconstruction of pages and menus, improving the website software, and updating and installing new plugins.

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. Consistent tasks include updating the website calendar, maintaining the website, updating plugins and website software, keeping up to date of reqs and emails.

Estimated Weekly Workload

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.

Marketing + Web design knowledge

Key Skills

Creativity

Time management

HTML coding skills

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

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

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

SOCIAL JUSTICE: VICE-PRESIDENT (SOCIAL JUSTICE)

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:

Estimated Weekly Workload

x Justice Action Committee Members.

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

External role

The VPSJ also serves on the UTS Faculty of Law’s Equity and Diversity Group, as well as the Brennan Program Management Committee. The VPSJ is also required to liaise with key stakeholders from the Faculty and industry to provide volunteering and collaboration opportunities.

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 20-25 hours to their LSS work.

In less busy periods, the workload could be as little as 5 hours a week.

Key Initiatives

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.

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 not only be up to date with their own work, but on top of

Passion

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

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

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

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

SOCIAL JUSTICE: BRENNAN PROGRAM DIRECTORS

Current Position

Holder(s) Benita Roy

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. The position has a dual role:

1. 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

2. 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:

Brennan Program Discussion Groups. Annual Westmead Drive/Charity Event. RASA Week.

This year the Brennan team ran the inaugural inter-society collaboration with the public speaking society, where we held a public speaking competition! We encourage future Brennan Directors to adapt this initiative as they wish and get creative!

Estimated Weekly Workload

The Brennan role has a relatively consistent workload. As there are two directors, this workload is balanced. The initiatives can be split if you prefer.

You will also be required to attend a fortnightly meeting with Crystal and the Faculty Co-Director. This meeting will typically last 30 mins - 1 hour.

Key Skills

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 Brennan.

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.

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

Brennan 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

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

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

SOCIAL JUSTICE: EQUITY DIRECTOR

Current Position Holder(s) Trinity Stockwell

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.

The Equity Director’s main initiatives are:

Key Initiatives

Textbook Equity Scheme

The University Essentials Scheme

Social Justice Conference

Bi-annual Charity Trivia Nights Subsidies

Charity Law Ball Raffle

Estimated Weekly Workload

In busy periods where the Equity Director must be on campus for textbook distribution, 10-15 hours per week but on average 4-5 hours per week.

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.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

Equity Director is a unique role on council, where not only do you provide informative and fun charitable initiatives, but a service to those who experience financial hardship. As such, the role comes with a sense of personal responsibility for others

Equity is a diverse and rewarding role that I would recommend for anyone who is passionate about helping others, especially students who experience disadvantage.

WOMEN’S REPRESENTATIVE

Current Position

Holder(s) Eliza Lo

Key Initiatives

Russo

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:

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

Estimated Weekly Workload 5-6 hours in an average week but can be up to 10-15 hours when events are on.

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, this role has been a highlight of my year and I highly recommend it. 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 undoubtably deepened my connections with other women in law at all stages of their career and these are connections that will be cherished post-tenure.

DISABILITY REPRESENTATIVE

Current Position

Holder(s) Casey Chieu

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.

Key Initiatives

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

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

Estimated Weekly Workload

From 4 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!

Key Skills

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.

Interpersonal Communication: strength in communication will be of great benefit to maintain professionalism and inclusion in the role.

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

Being in a position to implement change from an internal level has been very empowering for the facilitation and manifestation of accessibility and inclusion of all students. I hope for the next representative to continue amending the procedures and policies I have introduced to increase its efficiency and work on creating and implementing further Accessibility arrangements for the digital platforms of the LSS.

FIRST NATIONS REPRESENTATIVE

Current Position

Holder(s) Lara Walker

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.

QUEER REPRESENTATIVE

Current Position Holder(s)

Aidan O’Rourke

The core initiative is the Intervarsity Pride Moot that is held in collaboration with both the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales.

Key Initiatives

Queer Representatives are requires to organise at least two other initiatives per year and are highly recommended to turn to the student body as a source of inspiration.

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.

POSTGRADUATE REPRESENTATIVE

Current Position Holder(s) Aleks Chojnacki

The Postgraduate Representative has both internal and external functions:

Key Initiatives

EXTERNAL INTERNAL

To act as a first point of contact for Postgraduate Law students Be responsible for overseeing, promoting and expanding Postgraduate Law initiatives

Reporting to the Secretary and being responsible for all tasks delegated to the Postgraduate Representative. Liaising with Society members (i.e. Marketing Directors) with any content or planned initiatives

Estimated Weekly Workload 3 - 5 hours per week.

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

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

Key Skills

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

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

PERSONAL INSIGHT ON THE ROLE

My tenure as has been an exciting, rewarding and innovative journey. This journey has proved to be incredibly rewarding in both a professional and personal point of view, and I would encourage anyone to be involved and get out of your comfort zone. Although at times the role may be stressful, it has provided me with the opportunity to expand my network and understand the role that the UTS LSS plays in the career journey of many Law students.

FIRST YEAR LAW REPRESENTATIVES

Current Position

Holder(s) Otylia Pilat and Zachary Sullivan

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

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.

Key Skills

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 genuinely the best introduction to the law society as you can get. It starts by developing the most fundamentalistic ideas of how to operate as part of a team Although society members may agree or disagree with each other, it is essential that the society maintain a uniform approach to delivering information to UTS Law students