LSS Showcase
University of Wollongong
Law Students’ Society
Jessica Dawson, Nathan Johnston and Adam Friend
Because we all have to start
somewhere..
 Student engagement
 Committee discipline
 Liaising with your law school/university/media
 Social events
 Education
 Administration
Student engagement
 It begins on day one!
 Orientation Day
 Student feedback is the only way we can
improve
 Social media – quality over quantity
 Communication is important
 PLT closure
 Keep your LSS/LSA relevant – offer a variety of
initiatives, and don’t be afraid to experiment!
Committee discipline
 Code of Conduct
 Meeting schedule released well in advance
 Strict adherence to guidelines
 Combined effort of President and VP
Administration
Liaising with your law
school/university/media
 Help me, help you
 Closure of PLT program – UOWLSS engaged students,
gathered feedback and made recommendations
 Professionalism is key
 Need to maintain long-term working relationship
 … but keep in mind – you are there for the
students
 Faculty merger
 Know the facts, don’t make assumptions
Social events
 Get creative
 Keep it simple
 Timing is key
 Gather feedback at the end of your term
Education
 Equity
 Careers
Equity
 The Law Student Playbook
 First Year Pilot Mentoring
 Women in Law Luncheon
 #YOLO Week
 ALSA Equity Grants
 Community Legal Centres project
 SCLSS Equity Breakfast
The Law Student Playbook
 4 sections
 Introduction
 Student Life
 Serious Side
 Help Desk
 Authored by President and VP’s
 Designed in Apple’s Pages (big mistake)
 Printed with Kwik Kopy
 Photos from Photoshutter
First Year Mentoring
 Pilot program only
 Second semester; post clerkship applications
 40+ first years and 30+ mentors ended in approx.
25 first years : 16 mentors
 Engaged the Student Service Advisors
 Grievance Officer (senior year rep.)
 Mentor guide
Women In Law Luncheon
 On campus
 Alumni network – Chief Counsel to the NSW Fair
Work Ombudsmen
 Friend networks
 Small cover charge for charity
#YOLO Week
(You Only Lawschool Once)
 4 days
 Physical wellbeing
 De-stress
 Look out for your mates
 Harmless fun
 Coordinating with various other
clubs/CSE/university
Careers
 Clerkship Support Scheme
 Penultimate Year Dinner
 Clerkship Expo
 Clerkship Guide
 Pimp my CV
 Covering the Covering Letter
 Application Bootcamp
 Ace The Interview
 Networking After Five
 Statistics
Careers (cont.)
 Beyond Corporate Careers Seminar Series
 Criminal Law Careers
 Policy Based Careers
 International Careers
 Careers Guide
Clerkship Support Scheme
 Penultimate Year Dinner
 Sponsored by faculty, CSE and Careers Central
 Approx. 20 students
 5 clerks from variety of firms
 Introduction only
 Guides available
 Clerkship Expo
 Firms sponsored for
 Each present on different topic
 Expo space
 Ensure students go to EVERY stall
Clerkship Support Scheme
(cont.)
 Clerkship Guide
 Covered career skills and firm profiles
 President to coordinate firm material
 VPE and Careers to do career info
 Pimp My CV and Let’s Cover Covering Letters
 Careers Central
 Two sessions per week; full time works and non
 Registration
Clerkship Support Scheme
(cont.)
 Application Bootcamp
 Two days in two separate weeks, 10 – 2
 Careers Central: application criteria model ways to
answer, psychometric testing, student example, how
to use CV Mail
 Subway provided
 Gave space and time to application criteria
Clerkship Support Scheme
(cont.)
 Ace the Interview and Networking After Five
 Need to be held sooner
 Understanding of how the clerkship process works
 Student Life at UOW run Networking After Five
 Complain
 Statistics
 For next year’s sponsorship
Beyond Corporate Careers
Seminar
 Alumni
 Breadth of careers
 Q and A style with networking after
 Guides present
 Food
 Registration
 No charge
 Piggyback other events; second session
Careers Guide
 Create a culture of building
 Don’t need to reinvent the wheel
 SSAF funded
 Online release
 Clerkship tear out section
 Aim at younger years
Education (General)
 Elective Availability
 Second Year PASS
Elective Availability
 Communication
 Regular meetings
 Cross-Institutional
 International short courses; AIM etc.
Second Year PASS
 More than PASSing
 Alternative to lack of faculty funding
 Property Law
 First ranking student
 As a ‘tie it all together’ lecture
 Pre-exam show bags
Administration
 Welcome to Adam’s amazing meeting minutes!
Meeting Minutes
Handover
 At UOW, we have a comprehensive Handover
system, involving the yearly updating of a
‘UOWLSS Committee Position Handbook’.
 Includes:
 Preliminary Sections – Nature of Committee/Aims of
LSS
 Constitutional Definition of the Role
 Progressive Advice/Position Information
Progressive Advice/Position
Information
 Define the Role - From your perspective what were the duties of the
role? What areas could the role have covered that perhaps you
didn’t have the opportunity to undertake?
 Role within the Committee – How does your role interact with other
positions within the committee? What does reporting look like?
 Where is the portfolio now? –If you had another term what would
you focus on?
 Challenges –How did you deal with them? Have you dealt with
similar challenges differently to others in this handbook?
 Contacts – What contacts have you made? How helpful were they?
Did they seem willing to assist the committee in the future? How
indebted is the committee to them? YOU! Would you be happy to
assist in the coming years in this portfolio?
Questions?
#gonglyf
#welovethegong
Further questions/assistance
Jessica Dawson
president@uowlss.net