S|M| i |L|E Social Media in Legal Education is a new collaborative project by Australian legal academics. The project aims to promote and support the integration of social media into legal education, starting as a resource and repository for the ongoing explorations of academic collaborators, Kate Galloway, Kristoffer Greaves, Melissa de Zwart and Melissa Castan; others will be involved too. It aims to be a useful resource for academics, ECRs and HDR students, law students, and legal practitioners. Please take a look at the libraries there.
Have you ever wanted a quick and dirty guide to the main principles underlying the methods and motives for correct use of footnotes and citations in Australian law?
Legal citation has been referred to as a ‘peculiar human custom’.1 It allows a writer to refer to legal and non-legal authorities clearly and consistently, so as to support the arguments made, as well as to enable a reader locate the references. The purpose of providing references is to acknowledge sources of your writing, and demonstrate the breadth and depth of your research. We set out for you here* the shortest possible instructions on Australian legal footnotes style. Read the rest of this entry »
"I seek not to know the answers, but to understand the questions."
There has been a burgeoning of law schools in Australia in the last 15 years, matching a rise in demand for law degrees. Yet there has been little exploration of the expectations and aspirations of young students commencing a law degree in Australia. By contrast, a number of studies on features of professional life for practising lawyers are emerging. In particular, recent studies have shown high levels of stress, anxiety and depression among practising lawyers. In addition, there is evidence of high levels of attrition of women from private legal practice in the first few years following admission and a significant under-representation of women in the senior levels of the profession. [read on] Read the rest of this entry »
I have been on the lookout for a list of people using twitter to share news and views on Australian law (or in twitter terms #auslaw), mainly for the benefit of law (and legal studies) students who ask me for recommendations. You can follow people’s own curated ‘twitter lists’ that collate tweeters on different topics, but you need to know who to start following in order to make best use of lists. And perhaps this list may prompt some of our non-tweeting colleagues to start up the habit.
So below is my attempt at (an incomplete) listing those twegals who like to tweet (the little bios are the tweeters’ own). I would welcome any other suggestions, and if I have left you off inadvertently, or you don’t want to be here, please let me know. Read the rest of this entry »
A recent article in the Australian (here) noted that there are fewer law students taking jobs in firms and more law students taking jobs in industry and commerce. The article is titled ‘Fewer graduates choosing practice …’.
Is this trend really a matter of choice or a case of taking what is available? Certainly, the article refers to AAR development director Jane Lewis who noted that
‘Growth in law firm jobs had not kept pace with the sharp increase in graduate numbers … so it made sense that a greater proportion of law graduates were being employed in the corporate sector.’
If you are down by law, in-law, outlaw, legally blond, legal tender, below the bar, above the law or presumed innocent, you may be interested in some of the events coming up in Law Week (16-22 May) the official site is here.
All jurisdictions have law tours, open courts, seminars and a mix of serious and fun events, and most have a PILCH/Pro Bono Walk for Justice on the 16th May (see your local Public Interest Law Clearing House for details)
Survive Law blog has kindly set out their national round up for you (click here).
You can select your forum conveniens by clicking the link below.
Like what you see? You can subscribe to this blog by scrolling to the bottom of the page, or follow us on twitter @amicae1.
Should I have asked about the dress code in the interview?
A career in the law: be prepared…
The NSW Young Lawyers have just released a great booklet on how to ‘Survive and Thrive in your First Year of Law’ (the pdf is available from their site click here). It is full of honest advice about starting life as a law student, and then as an early career lawyer. Have a look back at our post on Depression and the Dark Side of the Law.
Amicae Curiae has asked some of our ‘girlfriends of the courts’ on their top tips* for starting out in a law career, and here are the best ones (read on):
ps like what you see? You can subscribe to this blog by scrolling to the bottom of the page, or Follow @amicae1
I have been talking to a friend about the ‘incremental disadvantage’ faced by under-represented groups in legal practice. Lots of little lost opportunities eventually add up to a big disadvantage. Interesting in this light is a study by Nancy Leong and Jennifer Mullins which finds that fewer female than male students publish case notes in US law Journals. It might not seem like an issue but scholarly publications are relevant to later employment and promotion opportunities. The authors also include some practical suggestions for addressing this issue.
See Leong, Nancy and Mullins, Jennifer, An Empirical Examination of Gender and Student Note Publication 1999-2009 (March 8, 2011). Available at SSRN:
Victorian Women Lawyers and Victorian Women Barristers invite all female second-final year Law students to participate in the 2011 Law Student Mentoring Program.
Now in its fourth year, the Program has developed into a celebrated vehicle for encouraging the next generation of female lawyers to gain valuable insights into the legal profession. This year, registration will occur online via the website: www.vwl.asn.au with registration open until 8 April. The invitation is here: 2011 Female Law Student Mentoring Program Info Flyer
From Supergirl to Invisible Woman: The divide between student perception and professional reality in corporate legal practice by Melissa Castan and Jeannie Paterson in the Alternative Law Journal 2010
Young women are prominent and successful at Australian law schools, yet women remain under-represented in the senior echelons of the legal profession. In this article the authors examine factors affecting the attrition of young women lawyers from corporate legal practice, and make suggestions regarding the responsibilities of law firms and law schools to address this issue… (Long version here).
Welcome to Amicae Curiae, A blog discussing the role of women in the law, in legal education, as students as academics, and within the legal profession. What does Amicae Curiae mean? Literally it means girl friends of the courts. For more on what and Amicus Curae is read this.
1. Finding Australian Law Blogs: https://amicaecuriae.com/2012/04/28/finding-australian-law-blogs/
2. 64 (and more) Australian Legal Tweeters: https://amicaecuriae.com/2011/08/14/64-or-more-australian-legal-tweeters/
3. Australian Legal Info on Twitter: https://amicaecuriae.com/2011/08/24/australian-legal-info-on-twitter/
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