Law Student Gazette

1. Semester 2 Unit Evaluations

The Law Faculty performed well on the S2 2009 Unit Evaluations. On Q5 (Overall Satisfaction), the Law Faculty was ranked in second place with a median score of 4.04 (just behind the Faculty of Arts with a median score of 4.05) . We were well ahead of the University average median score of 3.94. Our faculty also had a much higher response rate (50.88%) than the University average (42.14%) and than the Faculty of Arts (27.89%). A total of 91 Law Faculty Units were evaluated (46 UG and 45 PG). The following 13 Units achieved a score of at least 4.7 (which was the University’s “Outstanding” band for S1) : 

• LAW7087 – Local Government Law – 5.00
• LAW7262 – Goods and Services Tax – 5.00
• LAW5127E – Trial Practice and Advocacy – 4.91
• LAW7318 – International law and Economic Cultural and Social Rights 4.88
• LAW5116 – International Law of the Sea – 4.88
• LAW4160 – Negotiation and Mediation Law – 4.86
• LAW4225 – Non Adversarial Justice – 4.85
• LAW4229E – Comparative Tax Policy – 4.83
• LAW4522 – Remedies – 4.83
• LAW4524E – Road Trauma Prevention and Compensation: Comparative Analysis – 4.83
• LAW7434 – The Law of Climate Change – 4.79
• LAW7315 – Regulatory Methods – 4.77
• LAW4130 – Law and Social Theory – 4.75

You may view the S2 UE reports online at    https://emuapps.monash.edu.au/unitevaluations/wr/uewr_rp1_public_yearseme.jsp

END OF GAZETTE 15/12/09

1. 2009 Monash Transition, Retention and Progression Forum

With the release of the Bradley Review of Australian Higher Education, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, has called for major structural reform of the sector, declaring at a recent Universities Australia conference that “we must focus on students, their experiences and pathways, the knowledge they gain, the skills they will use, the public good they will deliver”, creating a new “student-centred, demand-driven” higher education system.

Please join academic and professional staff from other Victorian universities and secondary schools in active discussion and presentations that showcase approaches to the numerous challenges set out in the Bradley Review.

Law Faculty presenters include Lloyd England, Anthony Lester and Michael Beaconsfield.

Further information including the full program and keynote speakers:
http://www.monash.edu.au/cemo/monash_transition_forum_2009/Program.html

2. Getting a Job in the Legal Profession in Australia – An Event for International Law Students and Recently Admitted International Lawyers

Leo Cussen Institute invites international law students and international lawyers admitted to practice in Australia from 2007 onwards to an informal networking event.

Date: Wednesday 9 December, 2009
Time: 5.30 pm – 7 pm
Venue: Level 1, 360 Bourke Street, Melbourne (Leo Cussen Institute)
RSVP: Sophie Lambrou:  slambrou@leocussen.vic.edu.au

Download the flyer:
PTC Getting a Job Flyer [PDF]

3. Conference – Cross Border Collaboration, Convergence and Conflict

The Internationalisation of Domestic Law and it’s Consequences

Date: 9 February, 2010
Venue: Banco Court, 184 Phillip St, Supreme Court of NSW, Sydney

The Art of Persuading Judges

Date: 10 February, 2010
Venue: Sydney Law School, University of Sydney

Download the full program and registration form:
Brochure for Sydney Conference [PDF]

1. Expand Your World!

Study a language!  You can choose from among 14 languages which are offered at the Clayton campus.   A Law degree allows you to pick up other units.  Languages are a very popular choice as many students realise that knowing another languages increases their career prospects and expands their life experience.  Languages can be studied at any level of proficiency, from the beginners’ to advanced level.  You’ll also get a solid feel for a new culture and society.  You might choose an immersion experience:  that is, to travel abroad with other fellow students and spend the summer on intensive language and cultural study.

Professionals who speak other languages are called upon to travel and exchange information with people in other countries.  Regardless of your career of choice, if you’ve learned another language you’ll have a real advantage. One means of achieving this is to enrol in the Diploma of Languages.  This is the equivalent of a major in the language of your choice.  The Diploma is undertaken at the same time as your other studies and adds one further year of study to your bachelor’s degree.   Alternatively, you can use any spare elective units in your current degree for language study. Whatever language you study, learning it will make a difference in how you see the world and how the world sees you.

School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics:
www.arts.monash.edu.au/lcl

END OF GAZETTE 08/12/09

1. Community Ceremony for the Opening of the Legal Year 2010

You are invited to attend the Community Ceremony for the Opening of the Legal Year 2010, an initiative run by the International Commission of Jurists Victoria. The aim of the ceremony is to mark the beginning of the legal year with a secular public event where a broad cross-section of our community can attend.  This includes the legal profession as well as welfare groups, women’s groups, charitable groups, politicians, academics, legal aid groups, indigenous groups, ethnic groups, advocacy groups, religious groups, students and members of the general public. The need to include the broader community in such a ceremony stems from the recognition that any legal system cannot operate without the support and influence of the people it serves. The event is also an excellent opportunity to gain more knowledge about the legal profession and its role in the community as well as a chance to meet some esteemed speakers.

Speakers:

– Professor David de Kretser AC – Governor of Victoria
– David Toovey – Youth speaker and former Oaktree Foundation CEO
– The Honourable Catherine Branson QC – Australian Human Rights Commission President
– The Honourable Justice Sally Brown AM – Host and International Commission of Jurists (Vic) President

Date: Monday 1 February, 2010
Time: 9 am for 9.30 am Start
Venue: Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, Melbourne
RSVP: Tel: (03) 9225 8414 or Fax: (03) 9670 7086
Email: icj-vic@vicbar.com.au
Mail: ICJ(Vic), C/- List A, 205 William St, Melbourne
DX: 90 Melb
Dress: Business Attire

Information provided on behalf of the ICJ with the assistance of Kirsten Hawker and Nicola Giarratana in conjunction with the Monash Law School Ambassador Program.

2. JD and PG Joint Information Session

Date: Wednesday 2 December, 2009
Time: 6 – 7 pm
Venue: Monash University Law Chambers, 472 Bourke St, Melbourne

Further information and to register – PG:
http://www.law.monash.edu.au/postgraduate/info-sessions.html

Further information and to register – JD:
http://www.law.monash.edu.au/jd/information-sessions.html

1. Changes to Library Opening Hours in 2010

A review of Library opening hours was conducted from July to October 2009. The review aimed to improve the service offer and align the hours with user needs based on the 2009 user survey. The 2010 opening hours are simplified for greater uniformity across the library and for consistency of user experience. Through creative solutions, the Library is able to expand opening hours with minimal cost implications.
The following changes of relevance to Law students are to be adopted from 2010. If you are doing Summer units, please note the change of evening openings in point 3. See also http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/hours/

Clayton branches (Law, Matheson, Hargrave-Andrew)

1. The libraries will open earlier, at 8 am (rather 8.30 am), on all days that the libraries are open.
2. The libraries will stay open until 9 pm when open in the evening in non-semester weeks (rather than until 7 pm).
3. Summer hours will be re-organised with a net gain of total opening hours and with no gap in evening openings in February. This should benefit JD students studying by Trimester. From January 4, 2010 until Semester 1 Orientation week, the Law Library will be open until 9 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays (currently Tues/Wed/Thurs but finishing in the first week of February). The other Clayton branches will complement the Law Library opening over Jan/Feb with different evening openings (Matheson on Wednesday and HAL on Thursday).
4. The libraries will open in Orientation weeks for both semesters as per semester opening, i.e. open in the evenings until 9 pm Mon-Thurs.
5. There will be extended opening during exams in the last week of exams, i.e. to 9 pm on Fridays and 10 am-5 pm over an extra weekend.
6. The Matheson Annexe will provide extended opening on Fridays to 9 pm during semester (instead of 5.45 pm).

Changes at Other Branches of Benefit to City Based Law Students:

1. Pharmacy Library (Parkville) will open extended evening hours during semester until 7 pm (instead of 5.45 pm) Monday to Thursday.
2. Caulfield Library will open extended evening opening to 10 pm (instead of from 5 pm) for 8 Sundays during exam periods.

2. Are You Looking for a Recent Issue of a Print Journal?

Boxes holding the current year’s unbound journals on level 2 have been relocated to sit with the bound volumes for each title. The shelving row previously used for current issues has been removed and a browsing area for new issues will be created. The display of the most recent journal issue, currently on level 1 near the Reference shelves, will be relocated to this area.

3. Improve Your Legal Research Skills

Legal Online
A two hour session covering all of Thomson Reuters’ Research Services including our case research hub – FirstPoint, Journals, The Laws of Australia and Online Commentaries.

Westlaw Australia – International content
A two hour session on Westlaw International covering cases, legislation and journals from UK, USA, Canada, Hong Kong and other countries.

These sessions are free and will be held at Thomson Reuters, Level 10, 565 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000. Reserve your place through http://www.thomsonreuters.com.au/support/ts-legal-research-training.asp.  You will receive a certificate of attendance on completion of the course.

For further information, contact Caroline Knaggs in the Law Library on 9905 2604 or caroline.knaggs@lib.monash.edu.au

END OF GAZETTE 02/12/09