D-Brief
News from the Deakin School of Law Volume 5, Issue 2, Mar 2012
D-Brief is the electronic newsletter, providing law students with current information.
Please note you may need your student username and password to enter some websites.
Welcome from the Interim Head of School
Dear students
I wish to extend a very warm welcome to all our new students and to those of you who are returning.
D-Brief is the School of Law's electronic student newsletter and will keep you up to date with course information, upcoming opportunities and School events as well as competitions and events hosted by the Deakin Law Students' Society. I trust you will find it a very valuable source of information as you progress through your studies at Deakin.
As many continuing students will know, our former Head of School, Professor Anne Rees, retired at the beginning of this month. You can read about some of the developments in the School during Anne's time here in the Farewell, below. The University is currently in the process of recruiting a new Head of School and we will advise you when an appointment has been made.
I wish you all the best with your Trimester 1 studies.
Julie Clarke
Interim Head of School
Farewell to Head of School, Professor Anne Rees
Professor Anne Rees, who has been the Head of our Law School since 2007, retired last week. Over the past five years, under Anne's leadership, the School has undergone considerable change. This has included:
- A significant growth in student and staff numbers
- Expansion of the Warrnambool feeder program from two to three years
- Expansion of the Professoriate. The School now boasts six Professors and seven Associate Professors
- Establishment of the Centre for Rural Regional Law and Justice, based at the Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus under the directorship of Richard Coverdale
- Expansion of the number of clinical places available to Deakin students
- Establishment of internships with Harwood Andrews lawyers, the ANZ Bank and the Water and Energy Ombudsman
Click on a hyperlink below to skip directly to the article you are interested in.
GENERAL NEWS
Farewell from Head of School, Professor Anne Rees
$500 available towards your textbooks- Geelong Law Association Scholarships
Applications are now open for MLL351 Law Clinic for Trimesters 2-3 2012
2012 Vis Moot Team ready for departure!
Reminder for graduating students in October 2012. Make sure your Professional Experience is complete!
Australian Government - Rio Tinto NTRB Scholarships for 2012
Would you like free leadership coaching?
$5000 scholarship available for junior lawyer
An invitation to Deakin Law Students to publish your story on the School's website
EVENTS
March 2012
Law and the Future of Food Conference, 30 March 2012, Canberra, ACT
August - September 2012
Practical Legal Skills (PLS) 2012, 20 August - 7 September
EMPLOYMENT & PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Tipstaff position - Supreme Court of NSW
Professional Experience Placements available at Victoria Legal Aid in Trimester 1, 2 and 3, 2012
School of Law Employment & Professional Experience placement and Internships opportunities web page
Ignite your career by getting an early start with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
GENERAL INFORMATION
Key information for current students
Critical dates for 2012
IT and computing
The Library
Support for off-campus students
Course Structure examples
Assessment information
Your course progression
Receiving important information from the School
Professional Experience
Course/Student Advisors
Online University Handbook
School of Law website
Law Essentials
DUSA
DEAKIN LAW STUDENTS' SOCIETIES
Deakin Law Students Society (DLSS) Burwood
Deakin Law Students Society (DLSS) Geelong
Deakin University Commerce & Law Society (DUCLS) - Warrnambool
GENERAL NEWS
Farewell from Head of School, Professor Anne Rees
Dear Students
This is my last message to you as Head of School as I am retiring from Deakin. Indeed by the time you read this I expect that I will have retired.
Dr Julie Clarke will be taking over as the Interim Head of School pending the appointment of a permanent Head of School. Recruitment is underway for that position. However, Julie anticipates being in the position for some months.
I have been with the School for almost five years. In that time, the School has grown significantly especially at the Burwood campus and we have expanded on the Warrnambool campus where we now teach the first three years of the LLB degree. Our graduates continue to do well in employment and that is very pleasing. The number of clinical places we are able to offer has tripled and we have added a number of new and interesting electives including Negotiation and Mediation and Personal Injuries Compensation Schemes. The Deakin School of Law is well regarded within the legal profession and this is a testament to the focus of our programs and the quality of the teaching.
I wish you well with your studies and for the future.
Professor Anne Rees
$500 available towards your textbooks- Geelong Law Association Scholarships
Geelong Law Association Scholarships are available to help Deakin law students who, because of some hardship, disability or disadvantage, may not otherwise enjoy the benefits that flow from participation in higher education.
The Geelong Law Association Scholarships are provided annually and are valued at $500 each. Each year the Geelong Law Association awards:
- Two $500 Books4U bookshop vouchers for commencing students
- Two $500 Books4U bookshop vouchers for continuing students
Eligibility
Applicants must meet all of the following criteria. The applicant must be a full-time student who:
- is an Australian citizen, or holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa
- is a commencing student at Deakin University in undergraduate Law or a Law combined course of study in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) or continuing CSP enrolled existing student in Law or a Law combined course
- receives one of the following Centrelink benefits - Youth Allowance, Austudy or Abstudy. (A certified copy of your Centrelink income statement must be provided with application)
- resides in the G21 footprint and is enrolled on the Geelong campus at Waurn Ponds
- is not the recipient of any other Deakin University scholarship.
Selection Criteria
After meeting the eligibility criteria (above) the scholarship will be awarded to applicants with outstanding academic merit based on ATAR or grade point average (GPA) from previous/current higher education studies.
How to apply
Applicants must complete: The scholarship application form [114KB PDF] and include a cover letter and a certified copy of your Centrelink income statement. For more information please visit the Geelong Law Association Scholarships webpage.
2012 Applications close: COB Friday 16 March 2012.
Applications are still open for MLL351 Law Clinic for Trimesters 2 and 3 in 2012
MLL351 Law Clinic counts for 12 days towards the Professional Experience compulsory requirement of the LLB course and is worth one credit point. If you have competed 16 units of Law, have a Law elective available and a course WAM of 65 you are eligible to apply.
Places are available at many centres across Melbourne, Geelong and the Western Suburbs for Trimester 2-3 in 2012.
To apply: Complete the Application form [68KB PDF] and return to the LLB Program Coordinator.
Applications close: Trimester 2 applications close Friday 8 June 2012. Successful applicants will be notified soon after this date.
2012 Vis Moot Team ready for departure!
Deakin's representatives for the 2012 Vis Moot competition are undertaking final preparations for departure to Hong Kong and Vienna to participate in the oral rounds of the Moot against law schools from around the world, in front of some of the world's foremost international commercial law experts.
The Vis Moot is an international mooting competition held in Hong Kong and Vienna each year, focussing on the law relating to the international sale of goods and international commercial arbitration. Last year, over 80 teams competed in Hong Kong and over 250 teams competed in Vienna. It is the world's most prestigious private international law moot, and Deakin is one of a very small number of universities that has participated in the Vis Moot every year that the competition has run. In fact, Deakin has been participating in the Vis Moot for almost as long as the School of Law has existed.
This year's Vis Moot team was comprised of nine students coming from all three of the Burwood, Geelong and Warrnambool campuses. Four students - Preeti Sharma, Priya Parghi, Daniel Fullerton and Rebekah Case will soon be representing the team and the School of Law at the oral rounds of the competition in Hong Kong and Vienna. The team has prepared intensively, on a full-time basis, since 2 November last year and has undertaken a rigorous process of preparing written legal submissions and practising the delivery of oral submissions.
By the time that Deakin's delegation departs, the team as a whole will have participated in approximately 40 to 50 practice moots judged by over 30 different past Deakin Vis Moot students. The preparation is intense, and the standards are extremely high. But the rewards are well worth the effort - students successfully completing the Vis Moot program earn credit for MLL355 International Litigation and Dispute Settlement, the team's practice moot program is an excellent opportunity to meet past Deakin Vis Moot students and visit some of Melbourne's leading law firms, and the competition itself is an excellent way to sharpen your written advocacy, oral advocacy, analytical, problem-solving and collaboration skills.
While the oral rounds for the 2012 Vis Moot will not take place until the second half of March and early April this year, I am always interested in expressions of interest from students and am always happy to provide further information about the program and the competition. Interested students can contact me at benhay@deakin.edu.au at any time. Selection for the 2012 / 2013 competition will take place from mid-year this year.
I look forward on updating the School of Law as to the team's progress at the oral rounds in Hong Kong and Vienna this year!
Ben Hayward
Coach - Deakin University Vis Moot team
Reminder - Planning on graduating in October 2012? You MUST make sure your Professional Experience is complete!
If you are nearing the completion of your course, and you are planning to graduate in October 2012, you will need to ensure that the compulsory Professional Experience requirement of your LLB degree is complete. To be eligible to graduate will need to complete your Professional Experience requirements and lodge all associated paperwork by Friday 27 July 2012. Please note the cut off date for submitting paperwork for April 2012 graduation closed on Friday 27 January 2012.
For details of Professional Experience requirement please visit the Professional Experience section of the website or contact Kylie Wiffen.
Australian Government - Rio Tinto NTRB Scholarships for 2012
Rio Tinto and The Australian Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) are again offering two scholarships to lawyers currently working, or interested in working at Native Title Representative Bodies (NTRBs) or Native Title Service Providers (NTSPs).
Successful candidates will undertake a one year Mast of Laws (LLM) in Mineral Law and Policy at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP) at the University of Dundee and must commit to work within an NTRB or NTSP for a minimum period of two years upon their return.
Applications due: Friday 16 March 2012
Further information:visit the Aurora Project website.
Would you like free leadership coaching?
The Coaching and Leadership Motivation (CALM) Research Program at Deakin has developed an innovative coaching program as part of a study.
During a coaching program we will provide students with the beneficial experience of participating in coaching with professionally trained coaches. Students will receive information about leadership and will be coached to help them develop their own influencing and leadership style.
You will receive free professional coaching to help you reach your goals!
If you are someone who would like to develop their leadership style and would like some more information, please contact Oren Shoshan or Josephine Palermo in the School of Psychology.
$5000 scholarship available for junior lawyer
The Gaire Blunt scholarship is offered by the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia. This $5000 scholarship is aimed at persons at a junior stage of their career in Australia, whether as a practising lawyer, academic or member of the public service or corporate sector.
How to apply: Lawyers will need to submit a paper on a competition law topic no more than 10,000 words. Applications MUST be submitted on an official application form obtained from Carol O'Sullivan, Phone: 07 5450 1127.
Applications due: 31 May 2012.
For more information: Visit the Law Council of Australia website.
Spotlight on Students - publish your story on our website
The School of Law website now includes Spotlight on Students, an area which celebrates the diverse range of activities, events and programs that Deakin School of Law students are involved in, as well as awards and nominations they receive.
If you (or someone you know) have done something interesting that you think other law students would like to hear about, please send the details to Nerida Coghill who will guide you through the process for getting this published.
EVENTS
March 2012
Law and the Future of Food Conference, 30 March 2012, Canberra, ACT
This one-day conference, organised by the Australian Centre for Intellectual Property in Agriculture (ACIPA) and the Griffith Law School, will bring together international and national speakers to look at the important role that the law is able to play in improving and enhancing global food security.
Cost: This is a free conference
RSVP: Registrations are essential. Please register online.
Enquiries: Carol Ballard or telephone 07 3735 7772.
August - September 2012
Practical Legal Skills (PLS) 2012, 20 August - 7 September
From the first year of the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) you will commence your training in practical legal skills. Moot, Mediation, Arbitration and Witness Examination are all an embedded part of the program that gives students the opportunity to develop presentation skills and experience presenting in the court room. All law students must complete the compulsory dispute resolution units as part of the Deakin University law degree.
The program is designed to give you an insight into the law in practice and to teach skills which will enable you to work co-operatively and effectively as members of a team, as well as equipping you with a broad technical competency, a specialisation in commercial law and an appreciation of how the law operates in practice.
Visit the Practical Legal Skills website to find out more about the compulsory dispute resolution units and PLS assessment.
Further information: email the Practical Legal Skills Coordinator.
EMPLOYMENT & PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Tipstaff position - Supreme Court of NSW
Applications are invited for the position of Tipstaff to Justice Allsop, President of the NSW Court of Appeal.
The primary role of Tipstaff is assisting the President with court related duties and research. This includes spending a substantial amount of time in court. In the second year of appointment, the tasks involve research and assistance with administering the work of the court with infrequent attendance in court.
Applications close: 2 April 2012
Further information: Contact Justice Allsop's researcher, Louise Dargan.
Professional Experience Placements available at Victoria Legal Aid in Trimester 2 and 3, 2012
There are limited placements for law students with Victoria Legal Aid at either Geelong, Dandenong or Ringwood in T2 or T3. Students will be required to attend one day per week for 12 weeks and will work directly with a duty lawyer at the local magistrates court and assist them with administrative tasks on the day and have the opportunity to see how the legal process works in the Magistrates Court.
To apply:
Please email Marlene Ebejer with your preferred trimester, preferred location and contact number and include a statement of commitment to attending the placement for 12 days over 12 weeks.
For more information: Visit the Placement Scheme webpage or email Marlene Ebejer.
School of Law Employment & Professional Experience placement and Internship opportunities web page
The School of Law has a regularly updated employment and professional experience webpage where we will post information about any job, Professional Experience placement or Internship opportunity as information becomes available.
Other employment opportunities listed on webpage include:
- Commercial Litigation Paralegal (3rd year + law student)
Other Professional Experience Placements listed on webpage include:
- Volunteer Positions in the United States fighting the death penalty
- International Internships in India and Indonesia for legal interns
- Article clerks in Commercial, Property and Migration Law in Melbourne.
Ignite your career by getting an early start with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
PricewaterhouseCoopers (trading as PwC) is a global professional services firm. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms.
Visit PwC to find out more about the Student Experience Award, Vacation Programs, the Technology Academy, or the Melbourne Business Placement Year.
Key Information for current students
StudentConnect is where you can access your enrolment information including your course, unit and address details, track your assignments, check and pay your fees, view results and re-enrol online.
Current Students should be the first place you visit to find key resources, study support, IT and computing information, student services and groups, activities, and news.
Students may withdraw (in first trimester):
| Up to 31 March | WE |
Withdrawn Early (No Penalty) |
| Up to 6 May | WL |
Withdrawn Late (appears on transcript) |
| Up to 1 June | WN |
Withdrawn Fail (appears on transcript) |
Students may withdraw (in second trimester):
| Up to 15 August | WE |
Withdrawn Early (No Penalty) |
| Up to 9 September | WL |
Withdrawn Late (appears on transcript) |
| Up to 5 October | WN |
Withdrawn Fail (appears on transcript) |
Students may withdraw (in third trimester):
| Up to 15 December | WE |
Withdrawn Early (No Penalty) |
| Up to 13 Jan 2013 | WL |
Withdrawn Late (appears on transcript) |
| Up to 15 Feb 2013 | WN |
Withdrawn Fail (appears on transcript) |
You should familiarise yourself with the 2012 Important dates in the Student Handbook.
IT and Computing
The Deakin IT website contains essential IT information including how email works at Deakin (including your email address, webmail and email redirection) and internet access.
Key links on the IT and computing site are:
- Software
- Usernames and passwords
- IT service desk
The Library
The Library provides information resources and services that will form an integral part of your university experience.
Support for off-campus students
Learn about the support available to off-campus students
The School of Law recommends that students follow one of the model course structures when planning their studies.
The School of Law is committed to maintaining appropriate assessment standards. Please review the assessment expectations for more information.
All students should use the Course Structure provided when planning their course progression. The Course Structures are designed to ensure students have the acquired knowledge they need to undertake prescribed units throughout their course (including co-requisite and pre-requisite units) and to assist you to complete your course in a timely fashion.
Students can check their own course progression by logging in to StudentConnect and clicking on the ‘View course progress’ link.
Students can seek assistance from the Course Advisors on your home campus who are available to assist you with any course queries that you may have, or alternatively you might like to contact your home campus with any course enquiry.
Important information about staying in touch with the School of Law
Receiving important information from the School
Important information from the School of Law is distributed via D-Brief, the School's monthly newsletter, and also other occasional emails. These emails are ONLY sent to your DEAKIN EMAIL ADDRESS. If you want to have these email redirected to a different email address you can arrange this by using the email forwarding facility. Please set this up so you receive important updates from the School of Law.
Please note: When communicating with the University it is very important to include ALL the relevant information in your email, phone message etc. Your full name, student ID, course name/code, unit code and title, campus are all relevant and assist us to help you more efficiently. Consider creating an email signature for your name, ID, course and campus that can be added to the bottom of your emails. Please view instructions on how to create a signature.
Requesting information
If you are seeking information about any aspect of your law studies you should:
1. Visit the Current Students area on the School of Law website.
2. Email or ring the appropriate staff member. You MUST include your full name and Student ID number in all correspondence.
Professional Experience Requirements
The practical legal skills you will learn throughout your study, combined with the professional experience and networks you will develop, will put you on the right path for achieving your future career goals.
Regular, compulsory practical experience placements throughout the course also offer you the opportunity to experience legal environments first-hand and develop useful workplace contacts.
Employers of law graduates have noted that many of the graduate positions or traineeships that are taken up annually are offered to graduates who have previously been employed at these organisations by way a seasonal clerkship, internship or professional experience placement or to graduates who have strong evidence of professional experience on their resume.
To facilitate this the School of Law requires that all LLB students undertake a minimum of 30 days Professional Experience placement (unless otherwise stated in their course rules) in a legal related field over the duration of their course (and prior to completion).
It is not possible to graduate without having satisfied this requirement. In line with Deakin University's policy, before commencing Professional Experience placements, students are required to obtain pre-approval from the School of Law.
To obtain pre-approval, download the Pre-Approval Application Form [169KB PDF] and complete and return to Kylie Wiffen.
It is a student’s responsibility to locate and formalise a Professional Experience placement. Work readiness is an extremely important aspect of you completing your degree and it is to your advantage to make the most of the resources available to you.
For more information please visit the Professional Experience webpage.
Contact your campus office to make an appointment with a Course Advisor.
Burwood Course Advisor
Phone: 03 9244 6555
Geelong Course Advisor
Phone: 03 5227 1277
Warrnambool Course Advisor
Phone: 03 5563 3510
The University Handbook is available online. Please refer to the online version for the most up-to-date information about units, pre-requisite unit changes and other enrolment information.
Avoid fees and missing due dates - check out important dates listed in the 2012 Student Handbook.
Make the Current Students section of the School of Law website your first stop if you have any questions.
Law Essentials is a great resource for all law learners, law graduates and for anyone thinking of studying law at Deakin University.
Need Help? Ask DUSA
DUSA offers a variety of support services to students in the following areas:
- Support
- Advice
- Representation
- Groups
- Advocacy
Contact DUSA today.
Deakin Law Students' Societies
The Deakin Law Students' Society offers students a wide ranging number of services as well as the opportunity to take part in competitions and activities with fellow students.
To find out more about events and services or to get in touch with the DLSS please visit the DLSS Burwood website or the Deakin Law Students' Society Facebook page.
The DLSS Burwood published My 2011 Career Guide Book [PDF 5.1MB], which aims to assist students to start planning for their futures. The Careers Guide includes:
- Current seasonal application dates
- Tips for applying for seasonals
- Suggestions for planning your studies to make application time less stressful, even if you are in your early years of study.
The DLSS Geelong 2012 aims to be a responsible body which provides strong academic support, opens the doors to a variety of career development opportunities and also offers a range of social functions for all law students.
For more information please contact your committee members:
- Lydia de Raad - President, phone: 0439974422
- Amber Colbourne - Secretary, phone: 0414 862 836
- James Turnbull - Treasurer, phone: 0403 313 656
Tuesday 6 March at 12noon: BBQ outside the ic building, free food and drinks for all law students.
Thursday 8 March at 7pm: First Year Introduction night on at Opium Bar, James Street Geelong. Free entry and food with heavily subsidised drinks.
DLSS membership cards are on sale you can purchase them from DUSA and The business and law office. It includes many discounts and deals from you local pubs/ clubs and food outlets. $15 for NON - DUSA member and $10 for DUSA member.
Deakin Law Student Society Hoodies and T-shirts are also for sale a T-shirt is $25 and Jumper is $35. We also have membership deals where you can get a membership & T-shirt for $35, membership and hoodie for $45 and membership, hoodie and T-shirt for $65.
The Geelong DLSS has published the Harwood Andrews Dossier so you can access information about:
- the Society
- its Committee
- seasonal clerkships
- competitions
- social functions
- educational assistance
- the ALSA conference
The DLSS Geelong membership card is on sale for $10 and will be available from the DLSS office or the Reception office of the Faculty of Business and Law.
In O'week we will be hosting the First Year Introduction Night on 8 March 2011, as well as a Free BBQ that week for First Year Law Students on the lawn outside the Business and Law building.
Deakin University Commerce & Law Society (DUCLS)
Visit the DUCLS (Warrnambool) website for more information on events and services.
