O-Week Edition

UNSW Law Society Magazine

EditorialWhen describing just what Voir Dire is to people I’ve been getting responses ranging from the encouraging to the outright dubious, including: “A law student magazine – that’s a bit pretentious, isn’t it?” and “What will it do that [x] doesn’t? already”For those of you who (luckily) have not studied evidence law yet, a Voir Dire is a break in court proceedings to discuss admission of evidence. This decision is done in the absence of a jury and completely shapes what is able to put forward to them. We thought Voir Dire a fitting title because this publication, much like the Law Society generally, is designed to help shape your student experience both within and outside the classroom. In this edition alone we have articles ranging from a spotlight on the Law Society Cabinet (page 4-7) to what students are doing for professional development over summer (page 14). In creating our first edition it was great to see people so enthusiastic about offering their own knowledge or insights to other students. On that note, if you are interested at all in contributing to Voir Dire send me an email at thebrief@unswlawsoc.org. Enjoy the start of semester and be sure to keep an eye out for our next edition around April.

Emily Haworth | Editor of Voir Direthebrief@unswlawsoc.org

EDITOR & DESIGNER

Emily Haworth

COVER IMAGE

Roanize Kruger

WRITERS

Law Society Cabinet, Beidi Zheng, Lee Yang, Harry Holbrook, Ann E m m a n u e l , R o h a n H o r a , S a r a h P a r k , Lachlan Williams, Emma Corcoran, Brittney Rigby

V I C E - P R E S I D E N T

(ADMINISTRATION)

Audrey Chan

PRESIDENTS

Simon McNamara & Katerina Jovanovska

GRAPHICS

All images used within th is pub l icat ion are available under a creative commons license or with the express permision of the owner.

PRINTERS

Voir Dire was proudly printed by FAAST PRINT.

Editorial

Law Society BlogWhat’s new this month?

Contents4 | President’s ReportWe talk to Simon and Katerina about their plans for UNSW Law Society in 2015.6 | Meet the Cabinet8 | What’s Happening in Law Changes in law for Australia and around the world.9 | Agony UncleGot a problem? Agony Uncle can help.10 | Expectation v. RealityDo we really know what we’re getting ourselves into when we start law school? 13 | Rohan’s RecsOur Law Society Music Director recommends his music of the month. 14 | What did we do with our summer?We talk to some students about how they’re spending their summer breaks.

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Check out these articles and more at http://www.unswlawsoc.org/blog

‘Alcohol Reform - A Bandaid Solution’ | Daniel Kwarcinski

A charismatic essay style piece which examines the flaws of the 2014 alcohol reform.‘Law Students: The Coffee Obsession’ | Stephen Klimis

A highly sarcastic but accurate exploration of the coffee obsession that has swept the university. ‘Running from the Law’ | Stephanie Blancquart

An introduction for first years and non sport lovers to UNSW Law Society’s fitness sphere.‘What I Learned From Law School - A Graduate’s Perspective’ | Giridhar Kowtal

A recent UNSW Law Graduate looks back in hindsight at what he’s learned.

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What is the Law Society and what makes UNSW Law Society special?

The Law Society is a support network accessible to all students that aims to assist and develop students in their endeavours at university. Put more simply, it is just a community of organised students looking to help each other out in a number of different ways. If a student is looking to develop skills to assist their studies, we can assist them. If students need clarity to find their passion and make it a career, we will help them to find it. If they’re just looking to build a social network, have some fun and enjoy their time at university we have them covered. What we do is engage with students to ensure that they leave university enriched, passionate and excited about the world beyond.

The most special part about the society is the willingness of students to contribute. Our executive has over 100 students on board, all volunteers committed to assisting other students.

What sort of approach have you taken so far in your presidency? What do you want the ‘2015 legacy’ to be?

We are unsure if legacy is the correct term to use, but behind closed doors the phrase “this will be the year of clarity” is being uttered quite a bit. Students often ask us for information that we as older students take for granted - things like “do all students have to apply for clerkships?” What we are hoping to do this year is contextualize all of the events and initiatives we run to ensure students are well informed of the myriad of opportunities available to them. Take a student’s interest in their career as an example; we

PresidentsReport

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are looking to educate students on the range of options out there, to get them face-to-face with professionals in both the public and private sphere and allow them to choose for themselves what their passion is. We want to stop the polarity and stigma associated with making that “choice” between a career in the private sector and one in the public interest. There are no private law or public interest people; only people with a passion waiting to be found.

Our goal for 2015 is to ensure all of our events, not just careers events, are accompanied by a sense of clarity and context that allows students to develop and make informed choices about their university careers.

Are there any initiatives – new or old – you are particularly e x c i t e d a b o u t i n t h e upcoming year?

Absolutely! Coming up very soon is the King & Wood Mallesons JD Impact Program which will connect new Juris Doctor students with older year mentors to kick-start their degrees. It is an acknowledgment that JD students enter university with different interests and goals to Undergraduate students and we are incredibly excited for the launch of this brand new program!

The Law Society is also going to be filming a Social Justice Documentary this year that will follow a group of UNSW student volunteers to the central west of NSW to undertake volunteer work with indigenous communities. This is a huge leap forward in terms of developing the social justice conscience of UNSW Law students and something that is

promising to be a great initiative. As Presidents we are thrilled that the Society is taking greater strides to bring students closer to the issues and allow them to engage with the community outside of a strictly legal sphere.

Aside from that, we are bringing back all of the “classics”, all of the great events students know and love. Our vast array of mooting and skills competitions will be returning strong as ever, the Careers Fair will be back with a wider range of career options for all students and of course Law Ball will be rolling on in Semester Two, so keep an eye out!

What advice would you give to students wanting to get involved in the Law Society?

The advice I have for all students new and old is reasonably simple:Take the first step, and we can help you with the rest. If you’re in first year, sign up for LawPLUS and come along to Law Camp and the rest is easy. Even if you miss out on those, sign

up for a competition or come along to a social justice event. Just get a foot in the door and the rest is easy!

It’s never too late to get involved. It doesn’t matter whether you are a first year student or a mature age student undertaking postgraduate study, the law society offers all sorts of programs that can benefit students. Even if you have never been involved thus far, the ship has never sailed and all are welcome!

Say hello! We love to meet new people, particularly law students as they always tend to be quite engaging. If you do see us lurking around the corridors of the law building, or hiding away in the Law Society Office on Level 3 of the Law Building, take a moment to say hi! We love meeting our members and are always keen to have a chat.

Simon McNamara & Katerina Jovanovska | Presidents

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Ivan Xolalpa | Treasurer

Justin Teo | Vice-President (Education)

Joshua Beale | Secretary

Jas Opdam | Vice-President (Activities)

Audrey Chan | Vice-President (Administration)

What 3 words sum up your portfolio? Typing...typing...typing.

As a law student, what phrase are you most sick of hearing?Lecturer: ‘Hmm, can you tell me the facts?’ WE ALL KNOW THE FACTS

OKAY?Teach us a legal term – the more useless, the better.

Wednesbury unreasonableness: an admin law term that lets you review a decision if it was so unreasonable that no reasonable person could have made it.

It always makes me imagine some poor guy named Wednesbury who was just very bad at life.

What 3 words sum up your portfolio? Communicating important information.

As a law student, what phrase are you most sick of hearing?“You’re studying law?! Oh you can bail me out when I commit *insert a

crime*” - no, please do not aspire to a life of criminality because of my tertiary education choices.

Who would you rather team up with - Mike Ross or Elle Woods? Why? Elle Woods; she received a higher LSAT score than Rachel Zane and #girlpower.

Also, like her, I did not realise there were readings for the first week of class.

Cabinetmeet the

What 3 words sum up your portfolio?Support. Wellbeing. Teamwork.As a law student, what phrase are you most sick of hearing?“All you need to remember is [insert rule], and you should have no problems! Now here are the [numerous] exceptions to the rule...”

Who would you rather team up with - Mike Ross or Elle Woods? Why? Mike Ross. He didn’t spend 5 years going through law school, and he still

kicks butt. Respect.

What 3 words sum up your portfolio?Welcoming, active, enthusiastic.As a law student, what phrase are you most sick of hearing? “Please remove all labels from your water bottle” in exams. Seriously, when every law exam is open-book, why would anyone try to write notes on the label of their water bottle?

Who would you rather team up with - Mike Ross or Elle Woods? Why? Mike Ross, because he has a photographic memory and I could use him to get to Harvey Specter.

What 3 words sum up your portfolio?‘Making it rain’.As a law student, what phrase are you most sick of hearing? ‘Did you do the readings?’Who would you rather team up with - Mike Ross or Elle Woods? Why?Mike Ross for sure! His photographic memory and smoothness would be

essential in many different situations.

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Chris Scarf | Vice President (JD)

Michael Tran | Vice-President (Skills)

David Yang | Vice-President (Mooting)

Istiak Ahmed | Vice-President (Private Law Careers)

Christopher Wong | Vice-President (Public Interest Careers)

Teela Reid | Vice-President (Social Justice)

What 3 words sum up your portfolio? Exciting, challenging, rewarding.

As a law student, what phrase are you most sick of hearing? Jurisdictional error and jurisdictional fact - you’ll understand what I mean when you

do Admin law!Who would you rather team up with - Mike Ross or Elle Woods? Why?

Mike Ross, you just can’t beat his eidetic memory.

What 3 words sum up your portfolio?Fun, serious and mature.As a law student, what phrase are you most sick of hearing? “Marks don’t matter”...we all know that isn’t true!Who would you rather team up with - Mike Ross or Elle Woods? Why?

Definitely Elle Woods. Not only did she actually go to Harvard, but she also has much more sass than Mike Ross.

What 3 words sum up your portfolio? Death. To. Corporates.

As a law student, what phrase are you most sick of hearing?I got in on bonus points.

Teach us a legal term - the more useless, the better.Entering an agreement with clean hands. The principle that one must always

wash one’s hands after using the bathroom and before entering contracts.

What 3 words sum up your portfolio? Inclusive, pro-active, committed.

As a law student, what phase are you most sick of hearing? In evidence, but... “the exception to the rule is...”

Who would you rather team up with, Mike Ross of Elle Woods? Why? Neither. I’m more a Cleaver Green fan.

What 3 words sum up your portfolio?Fun. Educational. Rewarding.Who would you rather team up with - Mike Ross or Elle Woods? Why?Mike Ross so I don’t have to memorise anything. Mike can do all the memorising.Teach us a legal term – the more useless, the better.Mala fides - acting in bad faith. No one really uses it because of bona fide - acting

in good faith.

What 3 words sum up your portfolio?Fun, Proactive and approachableAs a law student, what phrase are you most sick of hearing?I agree with you, but I interpreted it...Teach us a legal term – the more useless, the better.

Fiduciary duty : a legal duty to act solely in another party’s interests. Parties owing this duty are called fiduciaries.

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What’s Happening in Law?

National Security Legislation

On the 25th September 2014, the Senate passed the controversial National Security Legislat ion Amendment Bi l l (No. 1) 2014. This allows Australian Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Officers greater immunity on crimes committed during ‘special intelligence operations’ and, with a warrant, limitless power over access of information on any computer. Internet rights group, Electronic Frontiers Australia, is concerned that this could impede on the privacy of Australians who have absolutely no connection to terrorism.Download Restricted?

Last December, Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull presented a reform that sought to block would-be downloaders in Australia from accessing popular websites that host the illegal material. Same time last year, we saw the popular torrent search-engine, Pirate Bay, go offline as a result of a

police raid in Stockholm, which resulted in the company’s servers and other computers and equipment been seized and the website shutdown. Perhaps more famously, in America, is the action that was brought against Jammie Thomas-Rasset by the Recording Industry Association of America where she was ordered to pay $1.92 million for the 24 songs she had shared via music-sharing program Kazaa.No More Shisha?

In the ongoing war against smoking, revised laws under the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 (NSW) may see the end of shisha or argileh smoking. Originated from Persia, the shisha or “hookah” is an instrument used to smoke flavoured tobacco. Under the revised laws, all commercial outdoor dining areas in NSW will be smoke-free, with the legislation applying to all ignited smoking products, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes and water pipes.

Australia

Around The World

Japan Employees, take your Holidays

In an attempt to combat the increasing number of hours worked by the Japanese population, Japanese government has proposed a new law which would oblige employers to ensure that their employees util ised their holiday leave. The law’s primary purpose is to ensure that workers will get enough rest. It will make it the legal responsibility of employers to ensure the workers take their holiday.

NorwayIllegal to give to the homeless

In Norway, anyone who gives loose change or offers a homeless person food or water as an act of kindness would see up to 6 months to a year in jail, under the new proposed law. The Norwegian government aims to introduce this policy to ban organized begging nationally. If successful, it will not only criminalise beggars, but also people who deem to help them.

Beidi Zheng | 1st Year JD

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Dear Agony Uncle, I have heard that class participation (CP) is an important component at law school. Do you have some meaningful advice on how to approach this?Some people find CP enjoyable for unconventional reasons. Others do not (me). In law school, CP marks can range from ten to thirty percent. When it is ten percent, most people take a ‘meh’ approach given the insignificance of ten marks. However, when the mark is twenty percent or over, you have to miraculously speak 2500 words of ‘meaningful chatter’ (comparable to a problem question/essay) during the semester to receive a decent amount of marks.The best way to approach CP is to somehow come up with a ‘lightbulb moment’ by reciting a monologue that fits in like a jigsaw puzzle piece with the topic the lecturer is rambling on about. Never ever use the phrase ‘I got nothing’ (own experience), the lecturer may or may not draw unfavourable inferences.Yo Agony Uncle! I have read that there is a class attendance policy while at law school. How important is attending class for my life as a law school student?The eighty percent attendance policy creates paranoia for students who (in)frequently want to leave a lecture for good/bad reasons. When teachers call the roll at the start, you may notice fellow colleagues having a facial expression similar to this (:D). However, when the lecturer decides to pass the roll around like in a game of pass-the-parcel, it unnecessarily distracts

students from important class material. Some students always ask you: ‘Hey bro, has the roll come around yet?’No matter how boring a lecture is, you ‘should’ stay for the whole duration. Valuing your expensive universi ty education is very important. Nevertheless, it is alright in extreme circumstances to escape ‘intolerable misery’.Hey Agony Uncle! Many individuals have told me that the amount of law readings in a week is comparable in length to reading a Harry Potter book. Is there somehow a way to make doing law readings enjoyable?Law readings are dry like the seaweed packaged at Asian supermarkets. Some prominent examples of textbooks include the almost half-a-decade old ‘purple textbook’ and the blue doorstopper that recently got some orange boxes on the cover. Textbooks should have colour in them to relax your eyeballs and keep you awake (the two examples do not). To make doing law readings less cumbersome, you have to be a creative individual which involves being colourful. You may want to consider util ising rainbow-like colours for highlighting/underlining:1. Case Titles (Red)2. Ratio (Orange)3. Statute material (Light Blue)4. Important words in statute sections (Dark Blue)5. Policy/theory-related material (Purple)6. Amusing material (Green)Lee Yang | 3rd Year JD

Agony Uncle

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EXPECTATIONVS. REALITY

I am both incredibly excited and a little scared about my first law class. The last time I was in a classroom was nearly 5 months ago, so getting back into it will be good, but I’m a little worried about how full on things will be from the beginning. Not only do I hope that the class will be engaging, but I also hope that I’ll feel like I am in the right degree. I imagine I’ll feel a little overwhelmed by the calibre of the people around me, but I guess most people will feel that way, right?

I can actually barely remember my first law class (which I’m taking to mean that it couldn’t have been completely horrendous). There were a few students who knew fancy terms like “habeas corpus”, which made me certain that I was the most ignorant person there. But most people seemed rather nervous and uncertain of what to expect which was reassuring. I also remember the most important lesson a law student ever learns, which is that the answer is always “it depends”.

First Law ClassHarry Holbrook | 1st Year Ann Emmanuel | 5th Year

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Harry: They’ll probably all wear suits, and after class some of them will debate the significance of a case from the 1930s. I’m kidding! I know a few law students at UNSW, and they are all really hardworking, motivated people who I enjoy being around. I suspect this is reflective of most law students - you need to have worked quite hard to make it to this point. I enjoy meeting new people, especially when we have shared interests, so I hope that I’ll be able to build a network of friends who I can work with and have fun with.

Harry:Balancing my studies with other extracurricular activities, while also finding time to enjoy myself will be a challenge from the beginning I think. With this difficult balancing act will also come some stress, so making sure I do my best to counteract that

Ann:Law students do wear suits and debate after class. But the former is usually when only they’ve got a moot on, and the latter is usually never about anything remotely academic. For the most part, I found that law students are basically like other human beings. At the start. Then all the legal thinking and judgment reading takes over and they have to give us a specific course on ethics to make us human again. (Not completely joking there). But you’ll find that everyone in law school is quite diverse – they’ve got into it for different reasons, have different experience with legal studies and want to get different things out of their degree.

Ann:Balancing life with law studies has definitely been one of the most difficult aspects of the degree – the readings (if you do them) can take hours and still make little sense. The best piece of advice I’ve been given about this was from a friend who

What Law Students Are Like

The Most Difficult Part of Law School

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with some time away from it all to relax and unwind will be important. I know I’m in for a fair amount of work with assignments and readings as well, so I think that will be quite hard too.

Harry:Law school, and university in general, presents a wide range of opportunities which I’m really looking forward to. I’m excited about the prospect of being able to work alongside and to be challenged intellectually by other students. I hear activities such as mock trial and mooting are great too. I’m keen for some of the social justice and community service opportunities that I can take on and the social events, including those run by the Law Society, are something that I’m also excited about.

Harry:It’s probably a little cliche, but I decided to study law so that I could help people. Ensuring that all people have access to just outcomes is something that I care about, and want to be able to pursue whilst at university and after I graduate. From my law degree, I expect to have the opportunity to help people, and to gain the confidence required to fight the bigger issues in society. Further, I hope to be able to build a lifelong network of individuals who I can interact with on both a professional and personal level. I’d be lying if I didn’t include the fact that I’d also like to be able to get a job with my law degree.

said that if she worked past 5pm she would start questioning what she was doing with her life, which I realised was why I often became disillusioned with my studies. While you probably wont often be able to stop working at 5pm (my friend who gave me this advice was clearly not a law student), setting times for when and how long you’re going to study might be useful.

Ann:The best part of first year was not law camp but was hanging out with the friends that I’d met there for basically the rest of the year (and the rest of my degree). I also remember really appreciating the freedom of university life compared to the 8:30-3pm monotony of high school. Admittedly, I’ve yet to do a moot, which is probably law school blasphemy, but from second hand experience, it seems that if you are interested in it, mooting is a brilliant way to learn about how the law actually works in the courtroom.

Ann:This degree has caused several quarter-life crises, weakened eyesight and has made it impossible answer a simple question without giving a counter-argument. It has also shown me numerous possibilities of how I can become a useful part of society and has helped me clarify my “miss universe” goal of “making a difference” to focus on access to legal services for those to whom the justice system doesn’t always do justice.

What do you get from a Law Degree?

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Contributers WantedAre you a law student with a lot to say? Do you want to share your artistic talents with UNSW? Are you looking to gain some practical writing experience? We want people to write short articles about their life as a law student, their thoughts and opinions of world events, their professional experiences and their favourite fictional lawyers. We also want people who can help make Voir Dire the best looking publication out there.

If you are interested in contributing send an email to thebrief@unswlawsoc.org

Rohan’s Recs

Work it by Missy Elliott Apart from the fact that old school rap makes me feel like a badass boss and not a nerdy law student, when Missy Elliott starts talking backwards, it reminds me of all my confusing Public Law Readings. Ahhh good times!My Love by Justin Timberlake Not only does this song remind me of a simpler time when all I needed to do was remember my 9 times tables, but just recently I realised that in the chorus JT says “ain’t another woman that could take your spot my love” instead of “and another womans gonna take Mike Scott my love”. I guess I used to just be a massive fan of ‘The Office’.

Blank Space by Taylor Swift One of the catchiest songs of the summer! Got me through all my law exams last sem! However I’ll be honest, I think the song perfectly describes law school - “darling it’s a nightmare dressed like a daydream”.

Love on Top by Beyonce Besides the fact that when I sing Beyonce I somehow transform into a soulful diva who don’t need no man, it just motivates me to get that HD at the end of the sem. “HD it’s you! You’re the one I love! You’re the one I need! You’re the only one I see”

Rohan Hora | Law Society Music Director

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Where do you work? What is your role?

My role is as a legal community advocate for Supporting Asylum Seekers Sydney Advocacy (SASSA). It is a subsidiary of Asylum Seekers Sydney Advocacy, but SASSA has more of a social and advocacy-based focus. The body provides legal relief to refugees and asylum seekers in several detention centres across Australia, but mainly to Villawood Detention Centre, the largest one in Australia and located in NSW. How did you get this role?

The UNSW Law Society advertised this role. After applying, I was contacted over the Christmas break for an interview. What type of work do they do?

SASSA assists refugees in detention centres in various capacities, from applying for a bridging or protection visa upon first arriving in Australia to assisting with visa appeals to court representation and ministerial applications.What is the most interesting part of your role?

Dealing with people from very different backgrounds with very different life stories. While the issue of asylum seekers is politicised, my role is purely to provide assistance and act as a community advocate, so it is a really eye-opening role.What has surprised you most about your work?

My work is practical, hands-on and involves engagement with clients, so it differs from most legal work available to students. I think that has been the most surprising part of this role because I have previously completed administrative and logistical functions in a legal position.

Where do you work? What is your role?

Summer Clerk at Gadens.How did you get this role?

I applied during the summer clerk application period.What type of work do they do?

In one word, commercial- Gadens is versatile and across most areas of commercial law. This ranges from property and construction to corporate advisory and dispute resolution. The clients tend to range from medium-sized businesses to multinational corporations.What is the most interesting part of your role?

The most interesting part would be the versatility of the Summer Clerk role. I had the opportunity to experience transactional and litigious based practice groups as well as a 2 week client secondment. In addition to these, Gadens ran a number of presentations and workshops to broaden our areas of the clerks’ personal development. These included training in research, presenting, networking, and also meetings with partners from each practice group to discussing daily operations of the firm. In short, it was a constant learning process.What has surprised you most about your work?

Trust and responsibility. I never expected a great deal of responsibility in commencing the summer clerkship, however I was pleasantly surprised at the level of trust they place in us. From the outset you are attending client meetings, asked your opinion on matters and sent to work in-house at a client (by yourself). Whilst your work is supervised, you are given the opportunity to throw yourself in the deep-end and gain a true understanding of working a commercial law firm.

Summer?

Sarah Park | 2nd Year Commerce/Law

Lachlan Williams | 5th Year Commerce/Law

What did we do with our

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Where do you work? What is your role?

I am currently interning with the Housing Justice Project. HJP is a legal clinic in Seattle, USA that gives free legal representation to low income tenants who are facing eviction. My role during clinic hours involves interviewing clients, distilling fact situations into a legal issue, and searching for any legal or procedural defenses for the client. I then work alongside volunteer attorneys to represent the client and attempt to solve their eviction matter. My favourite part is that this sometimes involves prepping and attending hearings in court. Outside of clinic hours, I primarily do work on research papers in Landlord/Tenant Law. How did you get this role?

Google really is a fantastic thing. I found HJP through googling non-profit/pro-bono legal clinics in Seattle. I found out that HJP has a summer internship programme and found the staff member who oversaw the programme. Sent him an email along with my resume and cover letter, explaining that I was interested in a winter internship, he set up an interview and I got the position. What type of work do they do?

HJP is a non-profit legal clinic. They are one of many clinics run by the King County (the municipality of Seattle) Bar Association. HJP has two offices, and three fulltime staff, but over 100 volunteer attorneys. What is the most interesting part of your role?

So far the most interesting part as been interacting with clients on a daily basis, and getting to do real-life legal problem solving. Having a person sitting in front of you with a legal issue that needs to be dealt with in the four hours that the clinic runs is incredibly challenging and in turn rewarding. What has surprised you most about your work?

Just how different the US and Australian legal systems are, especially given much of our system takes inspiration from the US one. Almost everything is different, most dramatically, the behavior of lawyers in court! The attorneys often use a lot more flare and drama!

Where do you work? What is your role?

I work in a small firm, and whilst I wish I could say my role involved bantering with Harvey Specter or witnessing the unrivalled sass of Judge Judy, it’s really mostly an admin position. An average day involves anything from typing letters, answering the phone and greeting clients to occasionally filing documents in court or some legal research. How did you get this role?

I was lucky enough to know someone who started at the firm before me. Another employee didn’t work out, and I was recommended for the position. What type of work do they do?

The firm specialises in employment and property law. On face value, this doesn’t seem nearly as interesting as murder cases or the criminal justice system, but it’s really shown me how the law applies to everyday, relatable situations. Whilst not everyone is going to be entered into a Witness Protection Program after seeing a Russian Mafia member shoot a man from a bikie gang, everyone who lives somewhere or has a job is guaranteed to be affected by property law and employment law. What is the most interesting part of your role?

I love seeing how each solicitor works and approaches cases, it’s a really great way to learn. Of course, working at a firm that deals with employment issues, such as discrimination or unfair dismissal, means that I’m able to see how our work actually helps those who have been unjustly treated.What has surprised you most about your work?

How much I’ve learnt in such a short period of time, and how much I’ve seen the seemingly boring information I’ve learnt in class translate into how the law really functions. I started at the firm after having already completed Private Law. Yet witnessing how concepts apply in practice has not only strengthened my understanding, but strengthened my appreciation for all areas of law. Who knows, I may even start to enjoy law classes in 2015.

Emma Corcoran | 5th Year Int. Studies/LawBrittney Rigby | 3rd Year Media/Law

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