Footnotes (by the Sydney University Law Society)

Whether you've only just entered your law degree, or are a few years in, it is guaranteed you have come across clerkships one way or the other. So what exactly are they? Are they the right thing for you? What do they mean for your career beyond law school? Join us as we sit down with ex-clerks and USYD alumni Bru Hammer and Ammellia Fu from White & Case as they discuss their clerkship jour...

The Australian jury is known as a quintessential part of our legal system, as it provides a way to enable the general public to participate in and access the law. This tenant of the Australian court has been touted as essential to a fair trial, and ensuring the transparency of the legal process. Yet, as with any part of the legal process, the jury system has its own discourses. So, join us as we t...

In June 2022, the NSW Parliament passed the Bail Amendment Act 2022, introducing new reforms, specificially requiring bail to be "refused following conviction and prior to sentencing where the offender will be sentenced to full-time detention, unless special or exceptional circumstances can be established". We sit down with The Honourable Justice Bellew as we discuss his experience with judging on...

In the finale of our Careers miniseries, we sit down with the Dean of Sydney Law School, Professor Simon Bronitt, as we discuss legal opportunities outside clerkships and commercial law. Nick talks to Simon about his own academic career and those of the students he has seen come and go through Sydney Law School. Simon also offers some exceptional advice on how to standout and make the most of your...

Welcome to episode 2 of our careers miniseries and this time we’re discussing the topic currently on every penultimate student’s mind: CLERKSHIPS, and possible alternatives. Join Tamsyn and Nick as they sit down with Vivienne Davis, who completed a clerkship last year, and Bridget Dawson, who was a paralegal at the Crown Solicitor’s Office, as they discuss all the secret tips and tricks to nailing...

With clerkship season well and truly underway, this episode is the first of three in our careers miniseries, intended to help our fellow students with all things careers. To kick things off, Nick sits down with the SULS Vice President (Careers), Thrishank Chintamaneni, to discuss the ins and outs of beginning your professional legal career during university. This episode discusses general careers...

2022 is shaping up to be a year where COVID-19 remains in the headlines. With a marked increase in community cases, more people being hospitalised with COVID and a booster rollout underway for adults, some big legal questions are being discussed, including: – Will booster shots be able to be legally mandated by employers? – Can an unvaccinated person be legally prevented entry to a business?, and...

It is frequently the case that, when we think of the good that a lawyer can do, we think of pro bono work. But, rather than being exclusive to roles of advocacy, pro bono work features prominently throughout the legal profession. In this episode we spoke to two lawyers at Clifford Chance who are intimately involved in their pro bono practice; Amanda Murphy (Counsel, Perth) and Alexandra Zhu (Senio...

It's not everyday that you see a YouTuber get sued in the Federal Court for defamation. It's not everyday when the person suing is the former NSW Deputy Premier. In a year of high-profile defamation case after high-profile defamation case, one of the slightly unexpected ones is growing in public contention. This episode, we unpack the facts, the defences - particularly the ones struck out - and th...

In the wake of commencing a second semester amid the continued lockdown, students may be left wondering where to turn if faced by the simple, yet challenging question - can I afford this? In situations such as these, equity - the premise that students are entitled to study, and experience law school without barriers - matters deeply. This episode, we take a look at SULS' own Equity Committee, the...

International education has many sides; to some, it is a valuable sector, to others, an additional policy concern. But to the thousands of students who come to Australian universities, it is a goal to pursue - beset unfortunately by bias and obfuscation. This episode, we spoke to Khanh Tran - a law student at the University of Sydney, and an international student ambassador for the City of Sydney...

With the predominance of corporate opportunities for law students and graduates, it may be easy to think of law, and the work it presents, in a certain manner. At university, however, there exists a massive range of initiatives, programs, and courses of study which give the students the opportunity to work, and volunteer in social justice, which themselves have the potential to translate into fulf...

What do you do if you see, or experience a hate crime? With the rise of unprovoked, racially motivated attacks in both Australia and abroad, it's the difficult question on everyone's minds. In this episode, we chat with Professor Gail Mason from the Sydney Law School, who specialises in criminology, and the study of hate crime. We examine both the existing legislation, the ways in which it may fac...

Why Law? is Footnotes' new series, made in collaboration with the Education Portfolio of the Sydney University Law Society, asking and answering the questions law students may have during the course of their education, and employment. In our second episode, we chat with Professor Cameron Stewart, about his experience and advice dealing with impostor syndrome, as well as his own journey studying, w...

The law, from perspectives outside and inside, is a formal, detail-oriented affair. But a semester studying any unit at law school will unearth details which are memorably funny, and absurd. To what extent, therefore, can the law entertain such humour? In this episode, we compile some of the best instances of legal humour, ranging from facts, judgements, and written submissions. We also take a loo...

Why Law? is Footnotes' new series, made in collaboration with the Education Portfolio of the Sydney University Law Society, asking and answering the questions law students may have during the course of their education, and employment. In Part 2 of our first episode, we approach the psychology, and theory behind burnout, and the solutions which may help us tackle it. The guests on this episode are...

Why Law? is Footnotes' new series, made in collaboration with the Education Portfolio of the Sydney University Law Society, asking and answering the questions law students may have during the course of their education, and employment. In Part 1 of our first episode, we discuss the ideas, reasons, and theories behind burnout - a condition law students, and graduates may be wondering why they are fa...

New year, new team, same amazing, dedicated content! Season 3 of Footnotes is kicking off, and we can't wait share what we have in store. Here's a quick message from the team, covering what we want to do in our time in the driver's seat.  Footnotes is a podcast created by the Sydney University Law Society for students, by students, and available wherever you get your podcasts. If there is any...

What do Geoffrey Rush, Rebel Wilson and Alan Jones have in common? All three were involved in defamation trials. But what exactly is defamation, why is NSW considered the defamation capital of the world, and what statutory changes have been proposed to improve our defamation laws? We break down these issues with the help of Professor David Rolph from Sydney Law School, an expert in the modernisati...

Law School Legends is Footnotes' new series interviewing prominent academics and alumni of Sydney Law School about their careers, passions and advice for budding students and practitioners. In part 2 of our interview with Professor Peter Gerangelos, we delve into the reasons behind the public's fascination with US constitutional processes, his passion for teaching and his thoughts on his ubiquitou...

Law School Legends is Footnotes' new series interviewing prominent academics and alumni of Sydney Law School about their careers, passions and advice for budding students and practitioners. In our inaugural episode of this series, we interview Professor Peter Gerangelos about his journey from studying in Sydney Law School to a successful career in public law and academia, his passion for teaching...

The recent 'Raise the Age' campaign aimed to raise the age of criminal responsibility in Australia from 10 to 14. In this episode, we explore Australia’s current policy on the age of criminal responsibility, look into the backgrounds of kids who are ending up in prison because of it, and also discuss potential alternatives to the current practice of youth incarceration. Associate Professor Garner...

What will a career in law look like post-pandemic, and has the student experience been irrevocably altered? Are the current social distancing laws fit for purpose, or an over step and an erosion of our civil liberties? Will the COVIDSafe app mean that privacy is a thing of the past? The Footnotes team discuss all things Covid-19 in our latest episode, featuring interviews with privacy law exp...

Considering a career in commercial law? Keep hearing buzzwords like "legal tech" or "legal innovation" but not sure what they mean?  In this episode, we interview Kristie Barton (Clerk and Graduate Programs Manager), Bryce Craig (Lawyer, Technology + Digital) and Lauren Ziegelaar (Legal Transformation Lawyer) from Gilbert + Tobin about clerkships and graduate roles, how the delivery of legal...

How has the legal profession been (mis)represented in popular culture? How has our perception of the law profession changed over the years? The latest episode of Footnotes explores these questions and more. Can we truly rest our case on the basis that it's "the Constitution, it's Mabo, it's justice, it's law, it's the vibe and... uh... no that's it, it's the vibe" (The Castle)? Footnotes is a podc...