Law Student Gazette

1. Liberty Victoria and The Castan Centre Lecture

Date: Thursday 13 May, 2010
Time: 6 pm – 7:30 pm
Venue: Monash University Law Chambers, 
              472 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Speaker: Julian Assange
Topic: Geeks versus gag orders: has censorship been privatised?
RSVP: castan.centre@law.monash.edu.au
             or 9905 3327
Entry: Free

Entry will be by RSVP only (names will be checked at the door).
The evening will be an off-the-record event. No media.

Julian Assange is an activist, journalist, and the editor of WikiLeaks.com, which was founded to disseminate documents, photos and video which have political or social significance. WikiLeaks recently published US military footage showing a number of people – including two Reuters journalists – being killed by a US helicopter gunship.

The website has published thousands of explosive secret documents, including the manual for the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, documents exposing high-level corruption in Kenya, top secret Church of Scientology manuals and the membership list of the far-right British National Party.

Mr Assange was born and raised in Australia. He won the Amnesty International Media Award (New Media) in 2009 for his work on extrajudicial assassinations and disappearances in Kenya, and the Index on Censorship’s Economist New Media Award in 2008. He has been described as the founder of WikiLeaks, although he does not use that term himself.

For more information see:
www.law.monash.edu.au/castancentre/events/2010/assange-lecture.html

2. The Great Law Week Debate

Witness internationally-respected Monash Law Alumni battle it out with current Monash Law students, over this highly controversial topic at the annual Great Law Week Debate. Grand Finalist of the Commonwealth AAT Moot.

Amit Golder (Law/Arts) will lead the student team to argue ‘Criminals don’t deserve the same human rights as everyone else’, supported by Natalie Devitsakis (Law/Arts), who has been ranked in the top ten of Australasian British Parliamentary Women’s Debating Championships and Sashi Balaraman (Law), a Grand Finalist at the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships.

But proving this point won’t be easy against the Monash Alumni team lead by one of Melbourne’s most respected QCs David Galbally (BJuris 1972, LLB 1974) and team mates Dick Gross AM (BA/LLB 1980) author and former three-time Mayor of the City of Port Phillip and Kate Metcalf (BJuris 1977, LLB 1979) a lawyer with three decades of experience gained inside businesses ranging from global household names to one-woman micro-businesses.

Overseeing the Great Law Week Debate as moderator is Monash Law graduate Will Fowles (BCom/LLB 2004), who in 2005 became the youngest ever member of the Melbourne Cricket Club Committee and in 2008 ran for Lord Mayor of Melbourne.

Date: Wednesday 19 May, 2010
Time: 6 pm – 7:30 pm
Where: State Library of Victoria,
               Theatrette, 179 Latrobe St,
               Melbourne (Entry 3)
Cost: Free
RSVP: By Wednesday 12 May, 2010
             marketing@law.monash.edu.au
             or (03) 9905 2630

For further information see:
www.law.monash.edu.au/news/events/

1. Clinical Legal Education Applications

If you think you need hands-on practical experience of real clients with real cases – including court appearances – before you leave law school, please note that Clinical Legal Education applications are now being accepted for Clinical Period 3:
 2010 (July – November) until Friday 5 June, 2010.

For application forms and unit information please see:
www.law.monash.edu.au/cle.html
 or at the Law Student Services counter.

Clinical Legal Education Programs Available:

LAW5216 Professional Practice (12pts)

LAW5217 Law Reform and Community Development (6pts)

LAW5128 Family Law Assistance Program (Professional Practice) (12pts)

LAW5149 Advanced Professional Practice LAW5149 (6pts)

Sexual Assault Clinic – SECASA

Criminal Defence Clinic – in conjunction with Rob Stary and Associates

Human Rights Clinic – in conjunction with the Castan Centre for Human Rights at Holding Redlich

Commercial Law Clinic – in conjunction with Moores Legal, solicitors

1.Trimester Result and Unit Discontinuation Date

Trimester 1 result releasing date:

Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) program – compulsory unit results will be published on Thursday 13 May, 2010.

Master of laws program, including JD electives – results publication date can be accessed online:
www.law.monash.edu.au/postgraduate/results-release-dates-2010.html

Trimester 2 unit discontinuation date:

Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) program – compulsory units:

If you discontinue a unit before Tuesday 8 June 2010, you have ‘Withdrawn early’, meaning no financial penalty and the enrolment record will not be recorded on transcript.

Master of laws program, including JD electives – census dates information can be accessed online:
www.law.monash.edu.au/postgraduate/census-dates-2010.html

2. Upcoming Postgraduate Learning Skills Seminars and Workshops

Seminar 3: Legal citation and referencing

Some of the questions addressed:
How do I incorporate others’ ideas appropriately through referencing in legal assessment tasks?
What is and how do I avoid plagiarism?

Dates: Friday May 14, Thursday May 20, Thursday May 27, 2010
Times: 2:30 pm – 4 pm, 4 pm-5:30 pm, 11:30 am-1 pm
Venues: Clayton, City Chambers, City Chambers

Use the my.monash booking system to book your place:
my.monash.edu.au/news-and-events/bookings/library/

Online language and learning resources are also available at:
www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/

END OF GAZETTE 11/5/10

1. Asia-Pacific Model UN Conference

The Asia-Pacific Model UN Conference (AMUNC) is the largest Model United Nations conference in the region. Now in its 16th year, AMUNC has developed a reputation as one of the premier events in the region for aspiring young leaders, with nearly 600 of the best and brightest from across the Asia-Pacific and beyond in attendance.

Date: Sunday 11 July- Friday 16 July, 2010.
Venue: University of Sydney

For a week, AMUNC captures the glitz and grind of the diplomat’s world. Through the Model UN framework, you will have the opportunity to grapple more immediately with the intricacies of some of the pressing issues facing our global community be it in international security, law, economics, or the environment.

Model UN allows you to escape beyond the confines of theory and place yourself in the shoes of our national leaders. But, perhaps most importantly, AMUNC is about connecting with like-minded people in developing valuable professional networks and forging life-long friendships.

 Spots are limited so sign up fast.

 The closing date for registrations is Monday 31 May, 2010

For further information and to register please see:
www.amunc.net
AMUNC 2010 Flyer

2. Progressive Law Network Cross-Campus Social Event

The Progressive Law Network (PLN) is new organisation specifically dedicated to:

Providing information to students and practitioners about alternative legal career paths in the environmental, human rights and social justice sectors.

Facilitating connections between law students, professionals and community advocacy organisations.

Encouraging law students and practitioners to utilise their law degrees to effect positive social change.

Engaging law students with their communities and the challenges facing them, while encouraging intelligent and informed legal activism/advocacy.

Organising events to provide a forum for an exchange of views and opinions about new developments in alternative careers, environmental law, human rights law and other social justice-related issues.

The PLN was formed at Monash University early this year by a passionate group of law students, all hoping to achieve social and environmental justice through the use of their law careers. We aim to be a cross campus network for law students and law professionals alike and we welcome your involvement!

Our Inaugural Event with Brian Walters SC

Date: Thursday 20 May, 2010
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: The Fad Gallery, 14 Corrs Lane, Melbourne

For further information see:
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=117942531562683&ref=mf

Legal (r)evolution

This is a 2 day conference to be held after the end of semester 2, 2010. We’re planning this now, stay tuned for further information.

Ongoing Events

Date: Weekly Meetings on Wednesdays
Time: 5 pm
Venue: Wholefoods, Building 10, Clayton Campus.

Legal Speak

These are weekly radio sessions, discussing recent developments in the legal sphere relating to human rights, environment and social justice.

Join Us
To join our mailing list and to keep up to date visit:
http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/ProgressiveLaw

Check out our blog
thepln.wordpress.com or the facebook group.

Send an email to
progressivelaw@yahoogroups.com

3. The Great Law Week Debate

Witness internationally-respected Monash Law Alumni battle it out with current Monash Law students, over this highly controversial topic at the annual Great Law Week Debate. Grand Finalist of the Commonwealth AAT Moot.

Amit Golder (Law/Arts) will lead the student team to argue ‘Criminals don’t deserve the same human rights as everyone else’, supported by Natalie Devitsakis (Law/Arts), who has been ranked in the top ten of Australasian British Parliamentary Women’s Debating Championships and Sashi Balaraman (Law), a Grand Finalist at the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships.

But proving this point won’t be easy against the Monash Alumni team lead by one of Melbourne’s most respected QCs David Galbally (BJuris 1972, LLB 1974) and team mates Dick Gross AM (BA/LLB 1980) author and former three-time Mayor of the City of Port Phillip and Kate Metcalf (BJuris 1977, LLB 1979) a lawyer with three decades of experience gained inside businesses ranging from global household names to one-woman micro-businesses.

Overseeing the Great Law Week Debate as moderator is Monash Law graduate Will Fowles (BCom/LLB 2004), who in 2005 became the youngest ever member of the Melbourne Cricket Club Committee and in 2008 ran for Lord Mayor of Melbourne.

 Date: Wednesday 19 May, 2010
Time: 6 pm – 7:30 pm
Venue: State Library of Victoria
             Theatrette,179 Latrobe St,
             Melbourne (Entry 3)
Cost: Free
RSVP: By Wednesday 12 May, 2010
             marketing@law.monash.edu.au
             or (03) 9905 2630

For further information visit
www.law.monash.edu.au/news/events/

1. Call for papers – Beyond the Public Debt Crisis: The European Monetary Union at a Crossroads

Online journal Re-public invites contributions for its upcoming special issue titled ‘Beyond the public debt crisis: The European Monetary Union at a crossroads’. The public debt crisis of Greece and of other peripheral eurozone countries is casting doubts upon the viability of the current institutions and mechanisms of the European Monetary Union.

Possible topics include:

What are the political and social implications of the existing institutions of the eurozone?
How do existing EMU mechanisms affect the balance between financial and productive capital?
Are existing investment tools adequate for pulling out peripheral countries out of recession? How could cross-European investments in sustainable industries be set up?
Is the EMU in need of fiscal transformations? Of allowing for fiscal transfers from rich to poorer states? Of an enlarged EU budget?
How could the structural inequalities within the eurozone between peripheral and core member states be addressed?

Essays should be approximately 1,500 – 1,800 words.

Please submit contributions in any electronic format to:
phatzopoulos@re-public.gr

The closing dates for applications is Saturday 15 May, 2010

For further information see:
www.re-public.gr/en/?p=2352

1. Upcoming Postgraduate Learning Skills Seminars and Workshops

Seminar 2: Reading efficiently and critically

Some of the questions addressed:

What reading styles and speeds are the most appropriate to adopt in order to cope with my reading?
How do I improve my understanding and keep focused when I’m reading?
What critical reading skills do I need to develop in order to help me question and evaluate my reading, and improve my analytical writing practice
How do I choose key ideas to create useful paraphrases and summaries?
How do I become an effective self-critical reader?

Dates: Friday May 7, Thursday May 13, Thursday May 20, 2010
Times: 2:30 pm – 4 pm, 4 pm – 5:30 pm, 11:30 am-1 pm
Venues: Clayton, City Chambers, City Chambers

Use the my.monash booking system to book your place:
 my.monash.edu.au/news-and-events/bookings/library/

Online language and learning resources are also available at:
www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/

END OF GAZETTE 3/5/10