Law Student Gazette

1. The International Bar Association Launches Student Membership

As of November 2010, full-time law students from around the world are able to join the International Bar Association (IBA) via a new student membership scheme.

The Global Voice of the Legal Profession

Historically, the core of the Association’s membership has been made up of bar associations and law societies, senior individual in-house counsel and private practitioners, and major national and international law firms.

Over the past decade the Association’s membership has broadened in focus to include younger lawyers and associates – with an interest in international and cross-border legal issues – in an ongoing effort to foster relationships and facilitate the exchange of information between more experienced practitioners and the legal minds of the future.

Following the success in engaging young lawyers with the IBA, the IBA is opening its membership to undergraduate and postgraduate law students, so that the benefits of membership can be enjoyed by all those involved in the legal profession, from the lawyers of tomorrow through senior and retired practitioners.

Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the IBA, describes Student Membership of as ‘one of the most significant steps the Association has taken in its history… because we feel that students of the law have the potential to provide such an important partnership with the IBA.’

Bridge The Gap Between Legal Education And Professional Practice

IBA Student Membership was founded as a platform for students to access the wealth of information and experiences available through the IBA and its committees. By joining the IBA as a Student Member, members have an opportunity to bridge the gap between their academic legal education and future professional practice, becoming a part of exciting developments at one of the largest and most influential legal organisations in the world.

For just £20.00 a year (approximately $30.00 USD) Student Members can gain access to:

· A vast online library of substantive legal information, including: newsletters, practice-area specific journals and magazines, webinars and the IBA’s bi-monthly flag-ship magazine, International Bar News

· A growing network of fellow law students from around the world

· Information and guidance from leading qualified practitioners in various areas of law

· The ability to participate in cutting edge research, writing and editing in specialised legal practice areas

· A number of CV enhancing projects including serving on the Student Steering Committee, and online writing and advocacy competitions.

For more information about IBA Student Membership visit:
www.ibanet.org or email student@int-bar.org

END OF GAZETTE 15/11/10

1. Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) Examinations – Trimester 3, 2010

Due to a delay with the building at 472 Bourke Street, the Trimester 3 2010 Master of Laws (Juris Doctor) examinations will now be held at the Monash University Law Chambers and not at Cliftons as previously advised.

The JD Trimester 3 exam timetable is available at: 
www.law.monash.edu.au/jd/students/examination-timetable-2010.html

1. Advance your Career Prospects at Belbridge Hague Solicitors

Summer Clerk Work Experience 2011

Belbridge Hague Solicitors are seeking two highly motivated Law students over the coming summer holidays to assist solicitors and gain invaluable experience in applying legal knowledge and skills to the resolution of real-life legal problems.

The benefits of undertaking legal work experience cannot be underestimated as prospective employers highly regard relevant work experience. Whilst you will not be paid for your work experience, you will get to work on files where your input can make a difference and enhance your understanding of your chosen field of study. Get the advantage over other graduates who have had a more narrow focus in the experience.

Don’t be pigeon-holed into one restricted area of law – take the opportunity to see different areas of law and work out what suits you before you apply for graduate positions.

For further information and applications see:
www.bhlaw.com.au/careers
flyer

2. Community Legal Centres – Pro Bono Volunteering

CLC Volunteers is a national database of community legal centres with information about current volunteering opportunities at a CLC.

Summer is approaching so why not add some Pro Bono experience to your life by volunteering at a Community legal Centre?

Potential volunteers can log on to:
clcvolunteers.net.au

To find out which CLCs are seeking volunteers, a green light means the CLC is taking volunteers, a red light means they are not. Information about each CLC is available.

The site has an excellent section on what to expect as a volunteer at a CLC.

Student pro bono is where students, without fee, reward or academic credit provide or assist in the provision of services that will provide or enhance access to justice for low income and disadvantaged people, or non-profit organisations that work on behalf of those people, or that work for the public good.

The most important single function of pro bono projects is to open a student’s eyes to the ethical responsibility of lawyers to contribute their services.

For more information on Pro Bono including a free guide to opportunities please see:
www.nationalprobono.org.au/home.asp

3. PhD Fellowships, The University of Hong Kong

Fellowships of HK$240,000 (US$30,760) per year plus conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$10,000 (US$1,280) per year for selected full-time PhD candidates with outstanding academic performance and research ability/potential.

For more information see:
www.rgc.edu.hk/hkphd

For online applications see:
www.hku.hk/gradsch/apply

Initial application to the Research Grants Council: Monday 6 September – Wednesday 1 December, 2010

Full application to HKU: Monday 6 September – Wednesday 8 December, 2010

4. Postgraduate Studentships, The University of Hong Kong

Studentships of no less than HK$157,200 (US$20,150) per year for qualified full-time MPhil (2 years) and PhD (3 to 4 years) candidates.

For online applications see:
www.hku.hk/gradsch/apply

Main Round Application Period: Wednesday 1 September – Wednesday 8 December, 2010

5. University Postgraduate Fellowships, The University of Hong Kong

Fellowships of HK$70,000 (US$8,970) for the entire normative period of study plus Postgraduate Studentships of no less than HK$157,200 (US$20,150) per year for selected full-time PhD candidates with an excellent academic record.

Application: Applicants who have submitted applications to HKPF will be automatically considered for the award of UPF. Separate applications to UPF are not required.

Application Period: Monday 6 September – Wednesday 8 December, 2010

1. Costello Lecture

Fair trade and honesty – the watermarks of the Trade Practices Act

Speaker: Monash alumnus, Mr Graeme Samuel AC, Chairman, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (LLM 1977).

Introduced by: Tim Costello AO (BJuris 1976, LLB 1978, DipEd 1979), CEO, World Vision Australia.

Whether its bunk beds, bank mergers, phone contracts or corporate collusion, the enforcement of the Act through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is central to our lives.

Graeme Samuel, Chairman of the ACCC will set out the reach of the legislation, what it means for fair and honest dealings, and how it ‘enhances the welfare of Australians’.

Date: Wednesday 24 November
Time: 6 pm – 7:15 pm
Venue: BMW Edge Theatre,
              Federation Square, Melbourne
RSVP: Friday 19 November
             marketing@law.monash.edu.au or 9905 2630
Cost: Free

For further information see:
costello-invite-2010-new 

2. Monash University Law Review – Special Issue on Climate Change

The book is to be launched by guest speaker, Professor The Honourable John Thwaites

Date: Monday 22 November, 2010
Time: 6 pm – 6.30 pm, followed by refreshments
Venue: Monash University Law Chambers,
              472 Bourke St, Melbourne
RSVP: Wednesday 17 November, 2010
             marketing@law.monash.edu.au or call (03) 9905 2630

For further information see:
law-rev-bklnch

1. AIAL Essay Prize In Administrative Law 2011

The Australian Institute of Administrative Law (AIAL) was established in 1989. The objects of the Institute include:

(a) to promote knowledge of and interest in administrative law;’
and;
(b) to publish and encourage the publication of papers, articles and commentaries about administrative law’.

To advance these objects, the Institute has resolved to conduct a competition to be called the AIAL Essay Prize in Administrative Law.

A prize of $2,000 will be awarded to the author of an essay displaying original thinking on a topic of the author’s choice relating to administrative law.

The competition is open to any interested persons.

For queries contact:
linda.crebbin@act.gov.au

The closing date for entries is 1 May 2011.  Late entries may be accepted.

For rules of the competition please see:
AIAL Essay Prize

2. Criminal Law Discussion Forum

Dr Martine Marich, criminal law lecturer in the JD program, has set up a criminal law discussion forum on Facebook. If anyone wishes to join, the address is Martine Marich.

For further information see:
www.facebook.com/pages/Melbourne-Australia/Dr-Martine-Marich-Criminal-Law-Specialist/160294310669430

1. Clerkship Tutorial: Tune your Legal Research & Writing Skills

Be work ready – refine your research and writing skills for your summer, or winter, clerkship in this hands-on two hour tutorial.  This session is designed to refine skills which will assist you during your clerkship.

Topics covered will include key resources, analysing a topic, tracking and reporting on your research and preparing a letter for a client.  Law firms use clerkships to identify students to take in their traineeship program. Make yours the best clerkship ever.

Sessions will be offered on:

Date: Thursday 18 November, 2010 and
          Thursday 13 January, 2010
Time: 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Venue: first floor lab

Please register through the Library Class Booking system at:
my.monash.edu.au/news-and-events/bookings/library/

END OF GAZETTE 8/11/10

1. Aide To The Chief Justice Of Victoria

A vacancy exists to fill the position of Aide to the Chief Justice of Victoria.  Working at the Supreme Court is an exciting opportunity. 

The position involves working closely with the most senior judge in the state.  It is an excellent position for a person wishing to launch a career in the law or government.  The position is highly suited to recent graduates in all areas. 

Please forward copies of your application to:
nicole.morris@supremecourt.vic.gov.au. 

For queries contact:
Executive Associate to the Chief Justice, Vivienne Macgillivray:
9603 7184 

The closing date for applications is Friday 19 November, 2010.

For more information see:
Aide to the Chief Justice
Personal Aide to the Chief Justice SC0871 2010

2. Internships and/or Honours/Postgraduate Research Topics

We have three lawyers on our Board and sector with many issues regarding legislation, precedent and the intersection of state and federal jurisdictions. There are several small and large projects that may be of interest to interns, or even Honours or Masters students seeking a topic.

There is a strong relationship between law and policy outcomes in the gambling sector. Our projects may be of particular interest to students wanting to access general state or federal graduate programs or who want to work with NGOs.

Some of the immediate projects concern the impacts of High Court decisions in gambling and racing and some with the implications of state laws. We also have some administrative law issues for investigation.

We can offer a secure and supportive workspace in the CBD (Collins St) with access to a computer and broadband for the duration of the internship or research. We are about to move into our new premises and launch our website.

For queries contact:
pwilson@responsiblegambling.org.au

For more information see:
RGAC INFO 2010 long

3. 2 PhDs –  Arts: Law -Legal Governance

The Legal Governance Concentration of Research Excellence (CORE) in the Macquarie Law School, Macquarie University, is offering up to two full time Macquarie University Research Excellence PhD Scholarships (MQRES) under the supervision of Professor David Weisbrot AM, the co-convenor of the CORE.
 
The successful applicant will join an innovative team of researchers at Macquarie Law School who are undertaking inter-disciplinary research on contemporary issues related to legal governance and public policy.

For queries contact Professor Weisbrot:
+61 2 9850 8760 or david.weisbrot@mq.edu.au
 
Applicants will need to complete a candidature/scholarship application form and arrange for two academic referee reports to be submitted to the Higher Degree Research Office.

Please quote the allocation reference numbers 2010313 and 2010314 on your application form.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 30 November, 2010.

For more general information see:
www.hdr.mq.edu.au/information_about/scholarships/
hdr_scholarships_domestic_and_international

1. The Castan Centre for Human Rights Law Present Dr Joo-Cheong Tham

With commentary from Sam McLean of GetUp! “Money and Politics: Why it matters to human rights”

Date: Thursday 4 November, 2010
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Venue: Monash University Law Chambers, 
               472 Bourke Street, Melbourne
RSVP: castan.centre@monash.edu 
              OR 03 9905 3327

Money politics and its regulation are high on the political agenda. Money politics, however, is not usually perceived as a human rights issue – human rights organisations that have engaged in the debate on money politics are few and far between and even then, such issues are rarely seen as questions of human rights.

This lecture argues that money politics falls squarely within the human rights agenda for three reasons:

-Progressive realisation of human rights is likely only to take place through democratic political processes; insofar as money politics undermines the democratic integrity of the political process, it is likely to undermine the progressive advancement of human rights;
-Money politics raises challenging questions for human rights organisations in terms of their funding and use of money to influence the political process;
-Money politics directly implicates two important rights – freedom of political association and freedom of political expression.

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

2. The 2010 Monash University Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Public Debate 

Topic: Does John Brumby or Ted Baillieu offer the best climate change policy for Victoria?

Climate change is one of the defining political issues of the 2010 State Election. Which political party offers the best response to what Kevin Rudd once described as the “greatest moral challenge of our time”?
 
The proceedings will be followed by a question and answer session, moderated by Monash University Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Phillip Steele.’

Date: Thursday 4 November, 2010
Time: 6.30 pm- 8.30 pm, refreshments from 6.00 pm
Venue: Building F1.01, Monash University Peninsula Campus,
              McMahons Road, Frankston
 
Speakers include:
 
Brian Tee ALP MLC, Eastern Metropolitan Region;
David Morris Liberal MP, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment;  
Colin Long, Greens Candidate for Southeastern Metropolitan;  
Simon Molesworth AM,QC; and
Professor Robert Brooks, Associate Dean (Undergraduate) Faculty of Business and Economics

Please RSVP to:
rsvp.peninsula@monash.edu

1. 2010 Annual Essay Competition in European and EU Studies

Honours and postgraduate students in the Faculties of Arts, Law, and Business and Economics are particularly encouraged to apply. Essays should focus on recent developments in Europe and the European Union and should be between 4,000 and 6,000 words in length.

A first prize of $500 and a second prize of $300 will be awarded. To enter, please send an electronic version of your essay together with your name, Faculty, address, email and level of study to:
Patricia.Arnold@monash.edu

The closing date for applications is 5 pm Friday 19 November, 2010.

For queries contact:
kirsten.macleod@monash.edu

For more information see:
Flyer – MEEUC Essay Competition 2010

2. 2010 Governor-General’s Undergraduate Essay Competition

There is only two months until the closing date of the 2010 Governor-General’s Undergraduate Essay Competition, which is offering up to $33,000 in cash prizes to the winning authors of 2,500 word essays.

 Now in its seventh year, it is Australia’s most prestigious essay competition and provides undergraduate university students (including LLB, JD and Honours students) with the opportunity to be recognised for their academic skill, talent and research.

 A prestigious panel judges the finalists essays each year. The panel for last year’s competition was chaired by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, The Hon R. S. French AC.

The highly topical and engaging competition questions can be accessed at:
www.essaycompetition.com.au

 The competition closes on Friday 17 December, 2010 at 5 pm.

3. International Study Opportunity

The Faculty is offering postgraduate students the opportunity to enrol in the unit ‘LAW7453E – Innovation: Labour, competition and intellectual property law perspectives’ which combines attendance at the law conference ‘Business Innovation: A Legal Balancing Act’ in Prato, Italy with the unit study.

To enrol visit the Web Enrolment System:
my.monash.edu.au/wes/

Students may also consider undertaking units offered in the Prato program. For Further Information see:
www.law.monash.edu.au/internships/overseas-study-programs/overseas-study-programs-prato-malaysia.html

END OF GAZETTE 3/11/10