The University of Queensland Law Society

The University of Queensland Law Society (UQLS) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organisation with a long and proud history of serving the academic and extra-curricular needs of University of Queensland Law students and the broader UQ community. The same aims and purposes that inspired the former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Sir Harry Gibbs, to found the UQLS in 1937 continue to drive us in everything we do.

The Patron of the UQLS is Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.

The UQLS is organised into three portfolios:

• Education & ALSA
• Activities
• Careers & Publications

Education & ALSA

Education

A key objective of the UQLS is to promote excellence in both teaching and learning. Three Education Officers are available to represent the concerns of law students. The UQLS acts as an advocate for the student body and actively seeks the opinions of students in a variety of forums.

The UQLS also provides a Notepool which allows access to the summaries of outstanding students in a number of courses. These may be downloaded from the UQLS website.

Competitions

The UQLS runs a series of competitions throughout the year that encourage students to develop their practical legal skills, with a focus on oral advocacy and alternative dispute resolution. In 2009, the UQLS will run Mooting, Paper Presentation, Legal Drafting, Trial Advocacy, Negotiation and Client Interviewing competitions. The UQLS Competitions Team is assisted by the Competitions Advisory Board.

Equity

The Textbook Loan Program aims to assist financially disadvantaged students through offsetting the cost of textbooks for one or two semesters. The UQLS also liaises with the Law School on a variety of equity issues, including those relating to gender, ethnicity and disability.

Activities

Social

On a social level the UQLS organises a wide variety of social functions throughout the year. These include the Law Ball, Halfway Dinner and Law Dinner. Keynote speakers at recent Law Dinners include the esteemed journalist Kerry O'Brien, The Hon Michael Kirby, The Hon Gough Whitlam and The Right Hon Malcolm Fraser. Functions such as these help to promote an enjoyable and inclusive university experience.

The L Card

The UQLS also produces The L Card, the biggest student discount card in Brisbane, in conjunction with the QUT Association of Justice and Law Students (QUOTALS) and Griffith University Law Society (GULS). The L Card provides students with special deals at over 70 hospitality, retail and services outlets in Brisbane. Visit the L Card website to see the full list of deals.

Sport

In the sporting arena, the Law Cup provides a day of friendly competition between law students and practitioners. Every semester, the UQLS fields teams in the UQ Mixed Social, Mixed Netball and Uni Touch competitions.

Law Revue

The UQ Law Revue has become an entertainment highlight on the university calendar. In 2009, the Revue plaued to four full houses at the Schonell Theatre at UQ. The Revue is a satirical take on all things law, politics, society, popular culture and university.

Careers and Publications

Careers

To assist students in learning about and gaining employment with their law qualifications, the UQLS organises a Professional Development Week in March where students can gain information from a wide range of employers. In addition, the UQLS hosts Annual Professional Drinks, where students and practitioners have the opportunity to meet and mingle. The keynote speakers at the 2010 Annual Professional Drinks was The Hon Justice Margaret A McMurdo, President of the Queensland Court of Appeal.

Publications

The UQLS produces five major publications each year. Legal Directions and Alternative Routes to the Top provide valuable career information of intending graduates. The always popular Obiter takes a humorous look at the Law School and life in general, whilst Res Ipsa is the UQLS Annual Yearbook, chronicles the year that has passed. Ratio is a monthly newsletter whichd details all the latest news and events you need to know about in the Law School. This year, the UQLS released the very first LLB Guide.

Want to know more?

Elections are held at the Annual General Meeting in September for all of the UQLS Executive positions. This is your chance to get involved in the running of the UQLS, so look out for calls for nominations in September.

If you have any questions or suggestions, drop by the office in the West Wing of the Forgan Smith building (Room 1-W227) or consult the Contacts page.