+ Social Justice Working Party Naomi Elford

+ Purpose To create a dialogue on and/or awareness of how we can get students to interact more with social justice What do we envisage engagement with social justice lead to What type of graduates are we hoping to produce What affect will this have on the legal profession It is ideal that we expand upon the foundations set with the National Pro-Bono Resource Centre to harness future collaboration between our respective organisations What do students want? Jobs What do employers want? Well-rounded legal graduates SOCIAL JUSTICE

+ Aims and Objectives Provide encouragement and support for LSS initiatives, Thematic discussions/future progression Individual assistance national policy development and lobbying, Policy Development (E.g. RRR) Lobbying/Advocacy and raising awareness of social justice issues among law students and the community at large, Relationship with National Pro-Bono Resource Centre

+ Thematic Discussions October: The benefit to law students November: Changing the attitudes of law students January: Positions on your LSS Committee February: Social interaction (discussion groups, lectures, cultural/political relevance) March: Community/firm involvement

+ Future Progression Social Justice Breakfast/Dinner; Mentoring schemes with low SES schools; Non-legal volunteer work (eg refugees); CLC volunteering arrangements; Which LSSs run these particularly well? Additional suggestions?

+ ALSA Policy Development: RRR Regional Lawyers face increasing difficulty attracting and retaining staff, impacting their ability to provide necessary services. Advocacy timeline: 2009: ALSA media campaign; 2010: The Law Council of Australia took up the issue, requesting ALSA not produce media material; 2011: ALSA must ensure the issue does not lapse; 2011: ALSA policy paper on legislative intervention;

+ ALSA Policy Development: RRR Rural Bonded Places in LLB and JD degrees similar to the program existing in Medicine What is the Medical Program? 25% of all first year CSP Students who accept a scheme offer commit to working in an area of workforce shortage for a period of time equal to the length of their degree

+ Progressive Recommendations ALSA will collaborate and collate data collected on each topic and create handouts canvassing the issues and what we want done. These handouts will provide an ideal overview of internal LSS education issues and be available online for members You can pass these down to your new Presidents and VPs every year, ensuring your LSSs have smooth education handovers These can also be used in submissions to your faculty – having a problem with feedback? Refer to our progressive recommendations.

+ Function Provide recommendations regarding the process of introducing social justice into your law school, and source feedback from LSSs on the development of such processes; The WP should be constantly researching and updating LSSs on how they can improve, relevant social and cultural issues that need to be brought to the forefront of initiatives; Fostering an environment in which there is constant communication between each LSS and ALSA, and ongoing engagement with the issues surrounding social justice.

+ Teleconference Agenda Items DurationDescription 10-15Thematic Discussion 10Review/discussion of LSS Guide 5LSS specific issues 10-15ALSA Policy Development – RRR Paper 5ALSA update 10 Review of nationalprobono.org.au Social Justice Opportunities section

+ Get involved! Sign up to the working party and dial in to the teleconferences (dates on next slide) Teleconference Participants: LSSs President, or VP responsible for Social Justice Knowledge sharing on LSS Social Justice initiatives Working Party Member: Lower level LSS committee members, or students who are not on the LSS Assist in drafting policy propositions. Join the facebook group and join the Social Justice Working Party (SJWP) mailing Send out progressive recommendations and notices of meetings to your members Use our resources

+ Meetings October 2011-April 2012 Working Party meetings will be held at the following times: The benefit to law students XX/XX/XX at XX am/pm Changing the attitudes of law students XX/XX/XX at XX am/pm Positions on your LSS Committee XX/XX/XX at XX am/pm Social interaction XX/XX/XX at XX am/pm Community/firm involvement XX/XX/XX at XX am/pm