Law Student Gazette

1. Attorney-General’s Department Essay Competition

The Attorney-General’s Department is holding an essay competition in the lead up to the 2011 Commonwealth Law Minister’s Meeting (CLMM) as this is the first time that Australia will host this meeting of First Law Officers from the Commonwealth. The CLMM 2011 meeting will be held in Sydney from Monday 11 – Thursday 14 July, 2011 and will be attended by over 50 Commonwealth countries.  The essay competition winner will be flown to Sydney to attend the CLMM opening ceremony and will have the opportunity to meet with the Attorney-General and the international Commonwealth delegates. The winning entry will be published on the CLMM 2011 website and in other forums.

Please note – The essay competition closes on 5.00pm AEST on Monday 6 June, 2011.

For further information including the Terms and Conditions please see: http://www.clmm2011.org/www/clmm/clmm.nsf/Page/CLMMessaycompetition_CLMMessaycompetition

2. 2011 Great Law Week Debate

‘Social Media is Free Speech Gone Mad’

Witness a team of prominent Monash Law Alumni battle it out with current Monash Law students, over this highly controversial topic at the annual Great Law Week Debate.

For further information please see Great Law Week Debate

3. International Criminal Justice Project

The schedule has now been finalised. To see the full list of speakers and topics, as well as more information about the International Criminal Justice Project, please visit the website.

International Criminal Justice concerns the response of the international community to mass atrocity. How such ruptures between people and communities arise, are addressed or are left unaccounted for, raise serious questions for the international community, as they do for Australia. This Symposium brings together national and international experts (including keynote speakers Lord Iain Bonomy of the Scottish Supreme Courts and Judge in the Miloševic´ Trial, Professor William A. Schabas of the National University of Ireland, Professor Rob Cryer from Birmingham University and Justice David Harper AM, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, Victoria) to consider the coherence and legitimacy of this complex area of international law and

For flyer please see International Criminal Justice Project

4. International Law Association Invitation

The International Law Association (Australia Branch) cordially invites you to the launch of its Victorian Chapter. We are delighted that former High Court Judge, the Honourable Michael Kirby AC CMG, will be speaking at this event on New Encounters with International Law.

5. Shine Lawyers Torts Moot Competition

The QUT Law School, in conjunction with leading law firm Shine Lawyers, is running a Torts Moot Competition in the Law School’s Electronic Moot Court and Industrial Court from 8^th – 12^th August 2011.

You are invited to send a team from your law school to take part in this moot. Please find attached a copy of the rules of the competition and a registration form. The problem will be released at the end of May and the moot schedule will be available in June on the site

https://wiki.qut.edu.au/display/lawmoot/Shine+Lawyers+Torts+Moot

Registrations close on Friday 17 June, 2011. We look forward to seeing a team from your Law School at QUT in August

6. Semester 1 SETU

The Semester 1 SETU (Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units) online surveys  are now open and you can access these surveys by going to https://my.monash.edu.au/study/resources/evaluations/

We would really appreciate it if you could please complete a SETU survey for each Unit in which you are enrolled as we would like to hear your feedback.  The Office of Planning and Quality will send you reminder emails to complete a SETU survey for each Unit in which you are currently enrolled until you do actually complete all of  the surveys.

The SETU online survey contain 2 sections for you to complete before the survey shuts down   – one section is all about the Unit  and the other about the teachers in that Unit.  We do use the feedback that you give us to help identify those Units where

1. Teaching and Learning is of a particularly high quality –  so that we can learn from the practises in those Units
2. Improvements are needed – so that we can make sure improvements are implemented before the Unit is offered again.

7. Transnational Law Program Summer 2011 Conference

Law students are invited to the Transnational Law Program Summer 2011 Conference, Utrecht, The Netherlands. On behalf of CALS (Committee Australasian Law Students)- a not-for-profit student organization, which facilitates opportunities for Australian law students to attend international conferences/events. As a partnering organisation, CALS is invited to the Transnational Law Program Summer 2011 Conference in Utrecht University, Netherlands, which is to be held from 4 to 6 August 2011. In this regard, we are seeking to send highly motivated Australian law students to accompany us to the conference. For further information and costs please see the Invitation and to register please see Registration form

1. Library User Survey

Time is running out. Fill in our user survey before it closes on Wednesday 18 May. Law representation so far is low, so please give us your feedback.

Go to http://surveys.insyncsurveys.com.au/surveys/MonashUniLibraryClient2011/

.: End of Student Gazette 16.05.2011 :.

Thank you!

1. Castan Centre In-House Internships – Applications Now Open

The in-house internship program gives Monash Law students who are interested and passionate about human rights the opportunity to become involved in the work of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law. Interns will have the opportunity to assist in a variety of programs. These could include; research and writing on human rights projects, writing articles for the Castan Centre newsletter, and assisting with public education events such as lectures and the annual human rights conference.

Deadline for applications 

Applications for both winter (full time) and second semester 2011 (part-time) must be submitted by 5.00 pm Friday 20 May, 2011.  There will not be interviews for the internships and students are expected to write a cover letter of no more than one page only.

Details of selection criteria and the application process are available on the Castan Centre website, at:
http://www.law.monash.edu.au/castancentre/internships/in-house-internship.html.

Students may apply for the following intakes:

Full time Internships – 11 – 21 July, 2011

This full time internship will run for two weeks over the winter break. This year, interns undertaking the winter internship will be working solely on assisting in judging our essay competition and administrative tasks associated with our Annual Conference to be held on 22 July 1022.

Part-Time Internships – Semester 2, 2011

Students can intern 1 day per week for 11 weeks over the first semester. Internship dates for Semester 2, 2011 will be between 25 July 2011 and 21 October 2011 (12 weeks, with one week off for mid-semester break). 

2. 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 applications for the following Clinical Legal Education units will be accepted for Clinical Period 3, 2011 (Jul-Nov) until Thursday 2 June, 2011:

* LAW5216 Professional Practice (12pts)
* LAW5128 Family Law Assistance Program (Professional Practice) (12pts)
* LAW5149 Advanced Professional Practice LAW5149 (6pts)

The following Clinical Legal Education unit will be accepted for Semester 2, 2011 until Friday 24 June, 2011:

*LAW5217 Law Reform & Community Development (6 pts)

Application forms and unit information are available from the Clinical Legal Education website http://www.law.monash.edu.au/cle.html or at the Law Student Services counter.

1. Castan Centre for Human Rights Law Annual Human Rights Conference 2011

Registration

The conference sells out more than a month in advance each year, so be sure to get your tickets early.

Registration costs for the conference are:

• $170 Full registration – “early bird” rate until 23 May ($200 registration fee after that date)
• $100 NGOs (Multiple registrations $80)
• $50 Full-time students and concession (limited no of seats available, ID will be requested at the conference)

Registration for the conference is now available online at:
http://ecommerce.law.monash.edu.au/product.asp?pID=188&cID=4&e=1.

Alternatively, credit card registrations can be made by calling 9905 3327 (due to university policy, we can no longer accept registration by fax or email).

For full details please visit the conference website at:
http://www.law.monash.edu.au/castancentre/events/2011/conference-2011.html

2. Hong Kong Maritime Law Scholarship Scheme

Scholarships to study the Master of Laws (LLM) (Maritime and Transportation Law stream) at City University of Hong Kong are available to overseas as well as Hong Kong students. As such, we would be delighted to entertain applications from Australian students.  Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of merit from the applications received.

The scholarship covers full tuition fees for the LLM (around HK$96,000) but not transportation costs to Hong Kong and accommodation.

The scholarships are awarded on the condition that the recipient agrees to undertake work within the maritime industry in Hong Kong for a period of 1 year on graduation. This may provide students with opportunity to further their careers in this field.

Applications to study the LLM at City University and for the scholarships close on the Tuesday 31 May, 2011. 

For further information please see Hong Kong Maritime Law Scholarship

3. International Criminal Justice Project

International Criminal Justice concerns the response of the international community to mass atrocity. How such ruptures between people and communities arise, are addressed or are left unaccounted for, raise serious questions for the international community, as they do for Australia. This Symposium brings together national and international experts (including keynote speakers Lord Iain Bonomy of the Scottish Supreme Courts and Judge in the Miloševic´ Trial, Professor William A. Schabas of the National University of Ireland, Professor Rob Cryer from Birmingham

University and Dr Daryl Mundis, Chief of Prosecutions at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon) to consider the coherence and legitimacy of this complex area of international law and justice.

For flyer please see International Criminal Justice Project

4. Join the Castan Centre team in the Walk for Justice

The Castan Centre is organising a contingent of Monash students and staff to participate in the Walk for Justice on the morning of Monday 16 May, 2011 at 7.30am. The walk kicks off Law Week each year, and we would love to have a large group of Monash people walking in support of human rights and justice in Victoria. 

The Walk for Justice, now in its fourth year, raises much needed funds for PILCH organisations and their various legal assistance schemes in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. This year’s Victorian Walk for Justice will raise funds to establish a pro bono disbursement fund.  The Castan Centre believes that this is a very worthy fundraising cause.  The walk goes from Parliament House to the County Court, where a breakfast is served.  The event attracts hundreds of participants each year, and this year walkers will include the Attorney General, the Shadow Attorney General and the Chief Justice of the County Court.

The cost of walking is $10 for students and $20 for staff.  You can either fill out the form available on the PILCH website (below) or you can drop your money to Janice Hugo (room 350) and she will organise registration for you.

Full details of the event, and the booking form, are available at: http://www.pilch.org.au/walk/

5. ‘There Must Be Some Way Out of Here’ – Why the Disabilities Convention is Potentially the Best Weapon in the Fight Against ‘Sanism’

Presented by Professor Michael Perlin – Director of the International Mental Disability Law Reform Project and the Online Mental Disability Law Program at the New York Law School, USA.

This will be followed by a Panel Discussion and the launch of the Centre for the Advancement of Law and Mental Health

Refreshments will be provided, so please register your attendance

For further information please see:
http://www.law.monash.edu.au/calmh/docs/calmh-launch-flyer.pdf

To register for the launch only, email Kathleen.Patterson@monash.edu or phone 9905 3303

Register online for the seminar via: (Credit Card is required)
http://ecommerce.law.monash.edu.au/categories.asp?cID=5&c=33531  

6.  ‘Victor’s Justice: Selecting the Targets of International Tribunals’

Presented by the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law

Professor William A. Schabas is one of the world’s leading authorities on international criminal law.  He is Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland, Galway, where he holds the chair in human rights law. He is also an honorary professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in Beijing, and professeur associé at the Université du Québec à Montréal. He is the author of more than 20 books and 275 journal articles, on such subjects as the abolition of capital punishment, genocide and the international criminal tribunals. His most recent book, The International Criminal Court: A Commentary on the Rome Statute, was published by Oxford University Press in 2010. He is editor in chief of Criminal Law Forum. Professor Schabas was a member of the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He is the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in Human Rights. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Royal Irish Academy and he has been awarded the Vespasian V. Pella Medal for International Criminal Justice of the Association internationale de droit penal.

For further information please see:
http://www.law.monash.edu.au/castancentre/events/2011/schabas-lecture.html

1. 2011 Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting (CLMM) Essay Competition.

The CLMM essay competition is open to Australian undergraduate students enrolled in a law degree or related field of study at universities across Australia, and law graduates in the first five years post admission, and includes questions that are related to the Commonwealth, law, politics, history and social justice. 

The winner will be flown to Sydney to attend the Pacific Young Lawyers Forum (a side event to the CLMM) and the Opening Ceremony of the CLMM and have the opportunity to meet me and international Commonwealth delegates attending the meeting.  The winning entry will be published on the CLMM 2011 website and in other forums.

For further information, including the questions for the Attorney-General’s CLMM2011 Essay Competition, is available at http://www.clmm2011.org.  The competition closes on Monday 6 June at 5pm AEST. 

If you would like further information, the action officer for this matter is Ariane Malpas who can be contacted on (02) 6141 3245 or ariane.malpas@ag.gov.au.

2. 2011 Great Law Week Debate

‘Social Media is Free Speech Gone Mad’

Witness a team of prominent Monash Law Alumni battle it out with current Monash Law students, over this highly controversial topic at the annual Great Law Week Debate.

For further information please see Great Law Week Debate

3. Transnational Law Program Summer Conference in Netherlands

Law students of the University of Monash are invited to the Transnational Law Program Summer 2011 Conference in Utrecht University, Netherlands. The Program is to be held from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 of August, 2011.

For details of the conference please see Invitation

To apply please fill out Registration form

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

This tutorial is designed to assist those undertaking a seasonal clerkship at a law firm and in other organisations.  The tutorial focuses on refining research and writing skills needed during clerkship.  Topics covered include critically evaluating a letter for a client & a legal memo and utilising key resources.  Law firms use clerkships to identify students to take in their traineeship program.  Make yours the best clerkship ever.

This tutorial will be held on Thursday 26 May from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm in the Law Library first floor computer lab.  Please register through the Library Class Booking System:

https://my.monash.edu.au/news-and-events/bookings/library/view/28945/  

We will also be holding at least one of these sessions in the City. Details to be finalised, the tutorial will be advertised through the Gazette and in the Library Class Booking System.

2. How do you rate the Library? Have Your Say

Every two years Monash University Library conducts a user survey. The survey is designed to give Monash University staff and students an opportunity to rate the Library’s performance and to identify areas for improvement.

This year’s survey is being run between the 4th and 18th of May. The overall results of the survey will be published, but individual responses will be kept confidential and no personal identifying information will be collected.

You can complete the survey online at:
http://surveys.insyncsurveys.com.au/surveys/MonashUniLibraryClient2011/

3. Improvements to the Library from your Feedback

A number of improvements that have been made in response to suggestions made in the 2009 survey can be viewed in the summary report at http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/about/user-report.pdf

The large discussion and photocopying room on the first floor of the Law Library has had a makeover. Come check out the four new photographic paintings, on loan from Monash postgraduate Art and Design student, Tiziana Borghese.

https://blogs.monash.edu/library/2011/05/02/new-look-for-the-law-library-discussion-room/

4. Law Library Seminars

Improving Structure and Coherence

How to make a finished work flow through from background, definition, thesis statement, argument outline, paragraph claims and evidence, to the conclusion.  What belongs where, and how to link it all together.

Writing Clearly and Concisely

Communication matters – your writing has to be precise (or ambiguities arise) and concise (or penalties apply).  Your writing also has to use academic written language conventions, which are a specialist area in themselves.

1. JD Students Study Assistance

For students needing study assistance at the Chambers, Trish Hughes will be in one of the break-out rooms on the ground floor.  No appointment is necessary.

.: End of Student Gazette 09/05/2011 :.

1. Book Launch – Current Trend in Regulating Same-sex Relationships

For further information please see Invitation

2. Castan Centre for Human Rights Law Annual Human Rights Conference 2011

Registration

The conference sells out more than a month in advance each year, so be sure to get your tickets early.

Registration costs for the conference are:

• $170 Full registration – “early bird” rate until 23 May ($200 registration fee after that date)
• $100 NGOs (Multiple registrations $80)
• $50 Full-time students and concession (limited no of seats available, ID will be requested at the conference)

Registration for the conference is now available online at –
http://ecommerce.law.monash.edu.au/product.asp?pID=188&cID=4&e=1.
Alternatively, credit card registrations can be made by calling 9905 3327 (due to university policy, we can no longer accept registration by fax or email).

Full Details

For full details please visit the conference website at –
http://www.law.monash.edu.au/castancentre/events/2011/conference-2011.html

3. Compete in the Castan Centre’s Human Rights Moot Competition

Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 Castan Centre Human Rights Moot Competition, which will be held from Monday 15 August through Monday 22 August, 2011. Monash University will be entering two teams of three students (Senior Counsel, Junior Counsel, Solicitor).

The event is sponsored by Clayton Utz who will provide the following prizes:

Winning team: $3000
Runner-up: $1000

How to Apply

Interested students should apply by 5pm on Friday 6 May by sending a short cover letter, CV and academic transcript (WES version is fine) via your student email to:

Erica Contini
Project Officer, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law
erica.contini@monash.edu

To be eligible, students must be in the equivalent of at least third year of a combined undergraduate law degree, or any year of a JD degree but must not have completed their degree. It is preferable that competitors have completed some studies in human rights law.

For further information please see:

For more information about the moot generally go to –
http://www.law.monash.edu.au/castancentre/events/2011/moot.html

For more information about applying to be on Monash’s teams go to –
http://www.law.monash.edu.au/castancentre/events/2011/monash-team.html

4. International Criminal Justice Project

International Criminal Justice concerns the response of the international community to mass atrocity. How such ruptures between people and communities arise, are addressed or are left unaccounted for, raise serious questions for the international community, as they do for Australia. This Symposium brings together national and international experts (including keynote speakers Lord Iain Bonomy of the Scottish Supreme Courts and Judge in the Miloševic´ Trial, Professor William A. Schabas of the National University of Ireland, Professor Rob Cryer from Birmingham

University and Dr Daryl Mundis, Chief of Prosecutions at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon) to consider the coherence and legitimacy of this complex area of international law and justice.

For flyer please see International Criminal Justice Project

5. Join the Castan Centre Team in the Walk for Justice

The Castan Centre is organising a contingent of Monash students and staff to participate in the Walk for Justice on the morning of Monday 16 May, 2011 at 7.30am. The walk kicks off Law Week each year, and we would love to have a large group of Monash people walking in support of human rights and justice in Victoria.

The Walk for Justice, now in its fourth year, raises much needed funds for PILCH organisations and their various legal assistance schemes in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. This year’s Victorian Walk for Justice will raise funds to establish a pro bono disbursement fund.  The Castan Centre believes that this is a very worthy fundraising cause.  The walk goes from Parliament House to the County Court, where a breakfast is served.  The event attracts hundreds of participants each year, and this year walkers will include the Attorney General, the Shadow Attorney General and the Chief Justice of the County Court.

The cost of walking is $10 for students and $20 for staff.  You can either fill out the form available on the PILCH website (below) or you can drop your money to Janice Hugo (room 350) and she will organise registration for you.

Full details of the event, and the booking form, are available at: http://www.pilch.org.au/walk/

6. StandWithUs Fellowship – Hebrew University of Jerusalem

SCIL – Student Conference on International Law

Monday 1 – Thursday 4 August 2011 in Jerusalem

The conference aims to bring law students who are interested in international law from around the world to Israel, to hear about the complex international law issues that take place there.

Registration opens on Sunday 24 April, 2011

For further information please see Walk for Jerusalem 2011

7. VADR CPD Presentation – ‘Taking the Heat out of Workplace Issues’

Lynne Witynski, Principal Adviser, Standards & Equity, State Services Authority is speaking about an exciting project new she is currently managing, ‘Taking the heat out of Workplace Issues’. The project aims to come up with a creative risk management model for an integrated complaints handling system for the entire Victorian public service following research within the service which highlighted the cost of poorly managed disputes. Over two hundred conciliators, mediators, and others involved in ADR are now actively participating in this far-reaching work.

1. 2011 Great Law Week Debate

‘Social Media is Free Speech Gone Mad’

Witness a team of prominent Monash Law Alumni battle it out with current Monash Law students, over this highly controversial topic at the annual Great Law Week Debate.

For further information please see Great Law Week Debate

2. Monash Sports Membership Promotion 2011

Get fit for less than $2.70 a visit!*

Get rid of the cost of a coffee and put it towards a membership at Monash Sport. For under $2.70 a visit it’s definitely a worthy investment.

For a limited time only, sign up for a direct debit or 12 month membership and get the first month FREE!* And to sweeten the deal we also present all new members with a complimentary joining gift.

For further information please see Monash Sport Membership Promotion

1. Learning Skills Seminars

The Writing Process

How to organise your time around assignments, timing the planning, researching, drafting and editing, as well as dealing with problems like writer’s block.

Improving Structure and Coherence

How to make a finished work flow through from background, definition, thesis statement, argument outline, paragraph claims and evidence, to the conclusion.  What belongs where, and how to link it all together.