Law Student Gazette

1. Monash Environmental Pledge

Welcome to the Monash Environmental Pledge.

In 2011 all Monash students and staff are asked to ‘Take the Pledge… Live the Pledge‘.

By making simple changes to your lifestyle you can make BIG changes for the environment .  And, for every Monash student or staff member who takes the Pledge, the university will commit $5 towards on-campus renewable energy schemes.  Our aim this year is a target of 10,000 pledges and for all those who pledge, we will be conducting random draws for great sustainable gifts, such as coffee mugs, chocolate, water bottles and heaps more.

So, play your part by making your commitment to the environment and sustainability at Monash.

Remember, with over 60,000 staff and students across all of the campuses, your actions count – visit

http://fsd.monash.edu.au/environmental-sustainability/monash-environmental-pledge

Sign up today!!

1. Legal (r)Evolution Conference

The Progressive Law Network is holding its inaugural conference focusing on four themes for social justice and law reform: Asylum Seekers, Gender, Environment and Indigenous Law.

Speakers include; Julian Burnside AO QC, Dr Susan Kneebone, Brian Walters SC, Professor Caroline de Costa, Mr Simon Molesworth AM QC, Professor Ian Lowe AO, Senator Elect Larissa Waters, Dr Bronwyn Naylor, Dr Paula Gerber, Dr Stephen Gray and more.

This conference will showcase individuals and organisations that have made and continue to make important contributions to the ongoing quest for a fair and just society using their legal skills and advocacy.

Tickets are now available at our website: www.progressivelawnetwork.org.au

Legal (r)evolution; A symposium of legal ideas for a better world.

1. Unit and Teacher Evaluation Summer Semester Units 2010 – 2011

Some of the Summer Semester 2010 – 2011 Units are being evaluated online as part of the University’s trial of SETU – Student Evaluation of Teachers and Units.

These surveys will close off on 2nd March so please make sure that you completed the online SETU surveys before then. You can access the surveys via your my.monash portal.   We really do want know what you thought about your Units and of course if you have any suggestions as to how we can improve them even further. By providing us with feedback about your Units you help us to keep improving our Units and to give you the best possible learning experience that we can. We do value your constructive comments and suggestions for improvement and take these on board when redesigning our Units for the next offering. The performance of our Units each Semester is closely monitored and reported to the Dean and to the Faculty Executive Committee.

The Summer Units participating in SETU are:

• LAW4127 – Collective labour rights
• LAW4164 – International refugee law and practice
• LAW4177 – Introduction to Family Law
• LAW4218 – Jessup Moot
• LAW4523 – The judiciary in comparative perspective
• LAW5104 – Civil Procedure
• LAW5114 – Sentencing and sanctions
• LAW5149 – Advanced Professional Practice
• LAW5216 – Professional Practice
• LAW5217 – Law reform and community development
• LAW5218 – FLAP

1. Graduate Careers Fair

Seize the chance! If you’re looking for a graduate job after you’ve finished your studies, then come and speak to over 120 employers in person to find out how to increase your chances in getting your dream job.

For details visit: http://careers.monash.edu.au/students-grads/events/graduate-fair.html

2. New System for Unit Evaluation for 2011

The University has decided that with effect from Semester 1 in 2011 all Unit evaluations will now be automatically administered online each Semester together with a new section which asks you to also evaluate the Teaching in your Units. This new system is called SETU (Student Evaluation of Teachers and Units) and you will be able to access the SETU  surveys via your portal. These surveys are confidential and any data viewed by Faculty staff will be aggregated and de- identified. Participation in the SETU surveys is voluntary but we would really encourage you to complete a SETU survey for each Unit in which you are enrolled every Semester as we really do want know what you thought about your Units and of course if you have any suggestions as to how we can improve them even further. By providing us with feedback about your Units you help us to keep improving our Units and to give you the best possible learning experience that we can. We value your constructive comments and suggestions for improvement and take these on board when redesigning our Units for the next offering. The performance of our Units each Semester is closely monitored and reported to the Dean and to the Faculty Executive Committee.

1. Chief Justice’s Medal for Excellence and Community Service – Nominations are Now Open!

The Chief Justice’s Medal for Excellence and Community Service is awarded to a student who is in their final year of a Bachelor’s Degree in law at any Victorian university in 2010 and who is judged to have demonstrated a commitment to community service throughout their law studies as well as excellence in scholarship.

For further information and to download a nomination form visit:
www.law.monash.edu.au/current-students/stud-exp/cj_medal.html

The full application must be submitted to the Faculty of Law by Friday 14 January, 2011.

2. Last Student Gazette

This will be the last Student Gazette for the year! The Student Gazette will resume in the first week of February.

END OF GAZETTE 13/12/10

1. Chief Justice’s Medal for Excellence and Community Service – Nominations are now open!

The Chief Justice’s Medal for Excellence and Community Service is awarded to a student who is in their final year of a Bachelor’s Degree in law at any Victorian university in 2010 and who is judged to have demonstrated a commitment to community service throughout their law studies as well as excellence in scholarship.

For further information and to download a nomination form visit:
www.law.monash.edu.au/current-students/stud-exp/cj_medal.html

The full application must be submitted to the Faculty of Law by Friday 14 January, 2011.

1. Chief Justice’s Medal for Excellence and Community Service – Nominations are now open!

The Chief Justice’s Medal for Excellence and Community Service is awarded to a student who is in their final year of a Bachelor’s Degree in law at any Victorian university in 2010 and who is judged to have demonstrated a commitment to community service throughout their law studies as well as excellence in scholarship.

For further information and to download a nomination form visit:
www.law.monash.edu.au/current-students/stud-exp/cj_medal.html

The full application must be submitted to the Faculty of Law by Friday 14 January, 2011.

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. 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. 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