Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of...

27
UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 1 Handbook 2015 A collaborative initiative of the UTS Faculty of Law and the UTS Law Students’ Society

Transcript of Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of...

Page 1: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 1

Handbook 2015

A collaborative initiative of the UTS Faculty of Law and the UTS Law Students’ Society

Page 2: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 2

Handbook Contents

1. Welcome and Introduction to the Brennan Program

a. Professor Lesley Hitchens (Dean, UTS Faculty of Law) 3 b. UTS Law Students’ Society 4 c. An introduction to the Brennan Program 5

2. Program objectives and structure 6 3. Brennan Program registration, communication and participation 7

a. Registering with the Brennan Program 7 b. Brennan Program Forum on UTSOnline 7 c. A guide to your Reflections of Justice (ROJ) blog 7 d. Communication channels for Brennan Program 7 e. Contacting the Brennan Program 8

4. Reflections on Justice a. Description and purpose 9 b. The range of activities and Award requirements 9 c. ROJ Activity Examples 10 d. Activity information 11 e. ROJ points flowchart 12

5. Leadership through Service a. General requirements and rationale 13 b. Service criteria and Award requirements 13 c. Choosing a service activity 15 d. Prior approval of voluntary work and logging past service 15

6. Brennan Program Alumni Group 16 7. Frequently Asked Questions 16

Appendices

1. Study Guide 17 2. Approval for future service under Leadership through Service 20 3. Claiming past service under Leadership through Service 22 4. How to set up and log your Reflections on Justice Points on

UTSOnline 24

Page 3: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 3

1. Welcome and introduction to the Brennan Program A. From Professor Lesley Hitchens (Dean, UTS Faculty of Law)

At UTS we believe our students are being educated to contribute to society, as well as to enhance their own lives and careers. To assist with developing those capacities, I am delighted that in the Law Faculty we have the Brennan Justice and Leadership Program, which is explained in this Handbook. This unique Program was established in 2011. Successful completion of the Program will be marked by receipt of the Brennan Justice and Leadership Award. The Program and Award are named for Sir Gerard Brennan AC KBE, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia and UTS Chancellor. His life and career exemplify the qualities of professional leadership, service and excellence sought to be nurtured in the Program. Successful democracies require high ideals, good institutions, excellent leadership, and citizens who believe in those ideals and participate. Furthermore, many commentators today believe that fundamental concepts of justice are failing to be incorporated into our social, economic and political arrangements. We hope to address some of these concerns in the education of our law students and through participation in the Brennan Program. Having a legal education is a great privilege, so also is working and using that education, whether as a legal practitioner or in another career. However, we know there is evidence that legal education has a capacity to ‘break down student idealism and value commitments’ and this could contribute to the documented lack of mental wellbeing in law students and the legal profession. It is important that all law schools assist students to find a sense of wellbeing, fulfilment and satisfaction in their studies and later professional work and we feel the Brennan Program will contribute to the development of the values and attitudes which will stand our students in good stead into the future. We worked closely with the UTS Law Students’ Society in setting up the Brennan Program, and I am delighted to say that the Faculty and the LSS have never cooperated so closely on a joint project, and continue to do so as the Program enters its fifth year. As Dean of UTS Faculty of Law, I feel privileged to work with the talented students and staff engaged in this Program. Professor Lesley Hitchens Dean, Faculty of Law University of Technology, Sydney

Page 4: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 4

B. From the UTS Law Students’ Society Welcome to the Brennan Justice and Leadership Program! Our names are Ashleigh Barnes (President) and Paul Bonjour (Brennan Program Director) from the UTS Law Students’ Society (UTS LSS). The UTS LSS is a student-run organisation and the peak representative body for law students at UTS, catering to their social, educational and vocational needs. The Brennan Program is a joint initiative of the UTS LSS and the UTS Faculty of Law, which aims to strengthen the social justice consciousness among law students and allow students to develop their leadership qualities. It is an invaluable opportunity that encourages students to further engage with the community in areas that are outside of the standard law curriculum at university. The program entails regular discussion group forums amongst students, voluntary service hours within the community and numerous social justice seminars and activities, such as the one-off hospital and detention centre visits and the Speaker Series events conducted by the UTS LSS and the faculty of Law. This initiative, developed in 2011, was fostered by the progressive and unique relationship between the UTS LSS and the Faculty. Together, we look forward to continuing the development of our working relationship and the Brennan Program in the coming year. The Brennan program allows for your voice to be heard in relation to some of the pressing social justice issues that surround our everyday existence. The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance to make a valuable contribution to your community and better the lives of others. Being involved in the Brennan Program means meeting like-minded individuals and expanding your knowledge of the issues that shape the legal profession you may one day be part of. Whether you are commencing your legal studies at UTS as a Juris Doctor (JD), a postgraduate or undergraduate student, your time at law school will be one of the most demanding yet rewarding experiences of your life. Getting involved and maximising the opportunities provided by both the UTS LSS and the Faculty will ensure you get the most out of your time here. There are myriad opportunities available here at law school, and of all of these, the Brennan Program is one that we strongly encourage you to partake in. Challenge yourself. Challenge what you (think you) know about the social justice issues that surround us in the community. Get involved at law school. Get involved in the Brennan Program. We look forward to meeting you all throughout the year! Ashleigh Barnes Paul Bonjour

President UTS Law Students’ Society

Brennan Program Director UTS Law Students’ Society

Page 5: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 5

C. An introduction to the Brennan Program

i. An invitation to all UTS law students to join the Program

The Brennan Program is a voluntary initiative that is open to all UTS law students. Throughout your degree, we will offer many engaging reflection and volunteer opportunities. We hope that you will participate in these experiences and obtain the Brennan Justice and Leadership Award. We recognise that much will depend upon your other commitments, and that these will vary from semester to semester. Feel free to continually vary your level of activity, participation in and engagement with the Program, and accumulate points when you are able to.

ii. Information Sessions

Information sessions for students are held at the beginning of each semester to answer any questions you may have and to organise student discussion groups. The dates and times of these sessions and are advertised on the Program website and UTSOnline page. There is no need to register for these sessions. Simply come to one of these meetings to learn more! If none of these times suits you, contact the Program Administrator at [email protected] with any questions you have.

iii. Program governance, administration and contacts

The Brennan Program is a joint initiative of the UTS Faculty of Law (Faculty) and the UTS Law Students’ Society (LSS), under the ultimate authority of the Dean of the Faculty of Law. A Steering Committee, drawn from the LSS and the Faculty, oversees the Program design, administration and operation. Day-to-day administration of the Program is delegated to the Program Administrator under the operational oversight of joint Program Directors drawn from the LSS and Faculty.

Page 6: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 6

2. Program objectives and structure The American jurist Roscoe Pound wrote that the defining quality of all professions is that their primary purpose is ‘pursuit of the learned art in the spirit of a public service’ (The Lawyer from Antiquity to Modern Times {1953} p5). Law’s connection with justice, its role in distributing power and rights, and calling the exercise of each to account, means that its practice is more firmly impressed by the claims of justice, the public interest and service than many other callings. The Brennan Justice and Leadership Program is a voluntary program for UTS law students. It seeks to strengthen the justice consciousness, idealism and sense of service that they bring to their studies and later professional work. It is a joint initiative of the UTS Faculty of Law and the UTS Law Students’ Society. Second, the Brennan Program also seeks to develop each student’s capacity for personal and professional leadership. Across the wide range of professional roles in which they work, law graduates enjoy privileged access to opportunities for social, group and individual leadership. Leadership is inextricably linked to service. The Program offers students opportunities to strengthen their capacity and commitment to leadership through service. Third, it is important that law schools assist students to find a sense of wellbeing, fulfilment and satisfaction in their studies and later professional work. The pressures of studies and later professional legal work often pose challenges to a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. However, there is evidence that the satisfaction and renewed sense of purpose that comes from service to others greatly enhances the meaningfulness of studies and professional work. In summary: a characteristic shared by many lawyers at the top of the profession is a concern for the ends that the legal system is serving, the justice of its outcomes and of its administration. It is the aspiration of every law school to produce the lawyers who will lead the next generation. UTS students have this personal ambition. The Brennan Program seeks to fire student idealism and lay the foundations for future professional leadership. These are the objectives of the Brennan Justice and Leadership Program. The Program has separate components of reflection and service. In the reflection component, students complete specified activities that reflect on the idea and ideal of justice, in general intellectual and specific social contexts, and the obstacles to its realisation in the domestic and global community. The reflection component is designed to stimulate an intellectual engagement with the idea of justice, ideally to continue across the student’s law program and well beyond, and generate a group conversation about law and justice among students. Its complement is the service component under which students undertake voluntary roles with a service and leadership element. Students who complete the requirements of both components of the Program qualify for the Brennan Justice and Leadership Award. The Program and Award are named for Sir Gerard Brennan AC KBE, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia and UTS Chancellor. His life and career exemplify the qualities of professional leadership, service and excellence that the Program seeks to nurture. On 17 March 2011 Sir Gerard Brennan launched the Program and chaired its first reflection activity, a panel discussion with Julian Burnside AO QC and Christine Adamson SC (now Justice Adamson of the Supreme Court of NSW) reflecting on the place that the concern for justice occupies within their professional practices.

Page 7: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 7

3. Brennan Program registration, communication and participation

A. Registering with the Brennan Program

To officially start participating in the Brennan Program, students need to register via the Brennan Program homepage on the UTS Law website at www.law.uts.edu.au/brennan. A hyperlink takes you to the registration page. Registration continues while you are enrolled in a UTS law degree, and ends upon your graduation. Once you are registered in the Program, you will have access to the “Brennan Justice and Leadership Program Forum” on UTSOnline and will be automatically signed up to the fortnightly Brennan newsletter.

B. Brennan Program Forum on UTSOnline

This forum contains resources for Brennan participants including:

- announcements regarding upcoming social justice lectures and seminars - program guides and contacts - useful reading material - access for students to post items on the Discussion Board to extend the conversation

about justice. - your Reflections on Justice (ROJ) blog

Access to the Brennan Program Forum is not limited to sessional enrolment but extends for the duration of your studies at UTS.

C. A guide to your Reflections on Justice (ROJ) blog on your Personal Learning Space - UTSOnline

After becoming familiar with the Brennan Forum on UTSOnline, it is essential that students set up their personal Reflections on Justice (ROJ) blog via the Personal Learning Space on UTSOnline.

The ROJ blog enables students to record their participation in activities and self-reflection notes, earning ‘points’ throughout the Program. Students are encouraged to document their engagement in the program, track progress and write personal impressions of their experience. A guide to setting up the blog on UTSOnline is contained in Appendix 4 to this Handbook. Students can’t accumulate ROJ points without the ROJ blog! (see appendix)

D. Communication channels for Brennan Program

UTSOnline: Announcements are posted regularly on the Brennan Program Forum on UTSOnline to inform students of new lectures and other activities and opportunities available under the Program. Newsletters: Fortnightly newsletters are sent to students registered with the Program, containing a digest of recent announcements, articles and voluntary opportunities.

Page 8: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 8

Web: There are two primary web pages for the Brennan Program where students can find out all they need to know about getting started in the Program, relevant contact details, program FAQS. These web pages are located at the UTS Faculty of Law and UTS Law Students’ Society (LSS) websites: Faculty: www.law.uts.edu.au/brennan/ LSS: http://www.utslss.com/socialjustice/brennan-justice-a-leadership-program Social Media:

UTS:Law Brennan Program

@BrennanProgram Friend us now! Brennan Program FAQs are published separately—see the program home page and UTSOnline Documents folder. They address many questions and are a point of reference!

E. Contacting the Brennan Program

Enquiries about the Program should be directed to the Program Administrator: Alexa Dodd Student Programs Coordinator UTS Faculty of Law [email protected].

Brennan Joint Directors: Professor Paul Redmond Paul Bonjour Sir Gerard Brennan Professor Brennan Program Director UTS Faculty of Law UTS Law Students’ Society [email protected] [email protected] Joint Program Director Joint Program Director

Page 9: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 9

4. Reflections on Justice (ROJ)

A. Description and purpose of the reflections component The first component of the Brennan Program involves attendance at and engagement with lectures, seminars and conferences that have a focus on justice or some other area of social, legal, educational or cultural concern to our society. The idea is that students will reflect upon what they learn at these events and activities, in order to broaden their legal educational experience and increase awareness of issues of social justice, both in our community and in a global sense. The UTS Faculty of Law and UTS Law Students’ Society host a plethora of events and activities each semester. Students are also encouraged to attend external events. ROJ events will be communicated to students through our Newsletter, UTSOnline, Facebook, Twitter and around the campus notices.

B. The range of activities and Award requirements To be eligible for the Brennan Justice and Leadership Award (Award), students must complete 100 points of reflective activities from the list below. A range of activities is offered to stimulate reflection and discussion around the concept of justice and its relation to law and legal system. The following activities attract points under the reflections component.

● Attending UTS lectures, seminars or film screenings (5 points each). The program for these lectures and screenings for each semester is shown on the Program website, Brennan Program Facebook,

● Attending external lectures, seminars and conferences that deal with a topic with a justice dimension and which has either been notified as attracting points under the Program or has been approved for points on an ad hoc basis by the Program Administrator (5 points each unless otherwise approved).

● Participating in UTS Law and Justice discussion groups, meeting at least five times during a semester; the group will post a reflection or summary of each meeting (20 points). Members of the group sign off on the participation of other group members.

● Maintaining a reflective blog with at least seven different entries, posted across a span of several months to reveal a developing perspective, each entry being at least 350 words in length (10 points).

● Producing a substantial reflective piece through creative writing, an essay, law reform submission, video or some other form of media not created or used for student assessment. Students should discuss their project in advance with the Program Administrator (10-20 points). Students may be invited to present excellent pieces at a Brennan Program session and receive an additional 5 points.

● Participation in the Brennan Book Program, which invites all students and staff to read the same book. It gives everyone a chance to read the same book and to come to the Brennan Program with something in common. We are also using the book program to highlight social justice themes and points for discussion within the UTS Law and Justice discussion groups. For 2015, we’ve chosen Chloe Hooper’s true crime/non-fiction novel, The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island. Copies of The Tall Man have been ordered at the Co-op Bookshop or order a copy from Amazon or download from Kindle. (20 ROJ points for reading the book and writing a 1000 word reflection on your ROJ blog.)

Page 10: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 10

C. ROJ Activity examples:

ROJ Activity How to accrue ROJ points Points Internal event attendance

Register attendance in your ROJ blog. E.g. “Innocence Betrayed Film Screening and Panel Discussion”, 10 March 2015, Moot Court.

5 points

External event attendance

Register attendance in your ROJ blog by writing a 350 reflective post or uploading a ticket or registration form.

5 points

Discussion Group

Register attendance in your ROJ blog by listing what group you were in the topics discussed

20 points

Reflective blog A minimum of seven different entries of 350 words each in your ROJ blog.

10 points

Reflection piece A substantial reflection using media of your choice (video, essay etc.) about a topic of interest or even a reflection on an event. Upload this piece to your ROJ blog.

10-20 points with prior approval from Program Administrator

Brennan Book Club

Read the prescribed book for that year and write a 1000 word reflection in your ROJ blog.

20 points

Students may choose whether, how and at what stage of their studies they complete their ROJ requirements. There is no upper limit on points that may be accrued and students are encouraged to participate in reflective exercises to the best of their capacity. Students may not accrue 100 ROJ points in one year, it is encouraged that students develop their insights and experiences throughout the progression of their degree. Students are responsible for recording all ROJ points in their individual ROJ blog on UTSOnline. A central database is not kept of reflection points accumulated by each student. Registrations records are kept as proof of attendance and is not the authoritative record of points accumulated.

Page 11: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 11

D. Activity information

UTS Law and Justice lectures, seminars and film screenings A series of lectures, seminars and film screenings are held regularly throughout the year. Students can explore the issues raised in the lecture within the discussions groups (see below) and share ideas drawn from their individual reflections and experience or individually reflect on the concepts of justice in their ROJ blog. Details of the lectures and seminars offered at UTS are advertised on the Program website, the fortnightly newsletter and on Facebook. Attendance at each accrues a standard five (5) points under the Program, however, students must enter the title of the event, the date and the points tally in their ROJ blog. Preparatory readings for these lectures may be posted in the Readings folder on the Brennan Program Forum site on UTSOnline. Attendance remains voluntary, however, the more you attend the more points you accrue.

External lectures credited towards the Program Students are encouraged to identify, share and attend external lectures, seminars and conferences that deal with a topic with a justice dimension. Details of such lectures will be regularly posted on the Brennan Program Forum on UTSOnline, the newsletter and on Facebook. Please share information about any external lectures or seminars that might interest others in the Program by emailing [email protected]. We will notify students of its details and advise if it attracts points under the Program. The Program Administrator will also approve points on an ad hoc basis for attendance at an external lecture that deals with a topic with a justice dimension and broadly corresponds in depth of treatment with the UTS Law and Justice lectures. The standard points for qualifying external attendance is five (5) points although more points may be given for longer workshops or conferences, etc. External events will require you to upload proof of attendance at the event (eg. ticket, registration confirmation) or compose a (350 words) reflective note in your ROJ blog. Law and Justice discussion groups Students are encouraged to join and contribute to a Law and Justice discussion group. These groups comprise of 6-8 students and meet five times each semester to reflect on the lectures and the notions of justice that emerge, share their own experiences and perspectives, assist each other’s reading and exploration, and to extend the conversation in ways that reflect the particular insights and interests of group members. The groups will be self-managed and operate for a single semester only, although some groups may choose to continue together as a group for another semester, by arrangement with the LSS Co-Director. It is hoped that many students will be stimulated to participate in more than one discussion group over the years. Membership of a discussion group, of course, accrues points towards the Brennan Program. Please log your 20 ROJ points on your ROJ blog by entering the details of the group you were with and the topics you discussed during the semester. Detailed guidance on the discussion groups is contained in the Brennan Program FAQs at the Program homepage and the Brennan Program Forum on UTSOnline. Appendix 1 to this Handbook contains a study guide with recommended books on justice to assist discussion groups as well as individual students.

Page 12: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 12

Page 13: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 13

5. Leadership Through Service (LTS)

A. General requirements and rationale The second component of the Brennan Program is voluntary activity in a range of legal and non-legal settings that involves service to others and also indicates the assumption of some leadership role, for example, through the taking on responsibility or initiative (the service component). That service might take several forms. To be eligible for the Brennan Justice and Leadership Award, students must complete the required number of hours pertaining to the duration of their studies at UTS as set out below:

5 year Degree 200 hours 4 year Degree 160 hours 3 year Degree 120 hours

Minimum 120 hours

Some students may wish to undertake service work together with fellow students. This is something that the Program encourages.

There are many different rationales for the service component that justify its inclusion in the Brennan Program. Some emphasise the privileged, public role that the legal profession plays in the administration of justice, the social roles as advisers and counsellors that lawyers often peculiarly play, and the personal responsibilities that follow from these roles and privileged opportunities. Many would also argue that our lives are given meaning by the service we give to others and that this applies especially to the professional work of lawyers and their personal wellbeing. LTS opportunities will also be communicated to students through our Newsletter, UTSOnline, Facebook, Twitter and around the campus notices.

B. Service criteria and Award requirements

i. Voluntary service

To qualify for the Award, the service must be voluntary, that is, is unremunerated except for reimbursement of costs such as travel expenses, and normally will be undertaken with not-for-profit organisations or projects. (Students should contact the Program Administrator for guidance and, in appropriate cases, exemption from the non-profit requirement.) Further, the service must not attract academic credit or count towards any professional qualification such as under the professional experience requirement for admission as a legal practitioner.

ii. Tiering and capping service The Program encourages sustained, accumulating volunteer experience across law studies, instilling an enduring ethic of service. This has two implications. First, students are expected to accrue service across more than one academic year; no more than three-quarters (75%) of service hours that are accrued under the Program may be performed in one year. Second, students are encouraged to seek volunteer positions in a broad range of services; that is to

Page 14: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 14

say, volunteer experience need not be in a service that has a legal function for it to be credited under the Program. In this way the Program seeks to encourage leadership and initiative across the legal, social and community sectors. This is also important since students in the first half of their law course may well find it difficult to find a placement in a legal service; many of these services only accept students with more experience and legal study. The intention of these measures is to encourage volunteering and service generally, for the sake of those assisted and for the student’s own sake. The Program does not single out any form of service for special privilege or status. Especially, in the early stages of study, service should be in the wider rather than the legal community; for some students, their volunteering will never have a legal dimension.

iii. Developing leadership capacity and initiative It is an aim of the Program to assist students to develop their capacity for social leadership and personal responsibility. While it is unreasonable to expect that all volunteer service will offer opportunities for organisational leadership, nonetheless, in reporting on what service has been undertaken or is proposed, students should be conscious of and seek out opportunities for the exercise of initiative, the assumption of responsibility and the development of leadership capacity. Students are encouraged to seek out opportunities to demonstrate these qualities. For example, a student might develop a fundraising initiative, lead an awareness raising campaign, take on higher organisational responsibility, or advocate for the needs of their host organisation.

iv. Some instances of voluntary work within the service criteria Instances of voluntary work that is within the service criteria include:

1. Work in agencies that have a service provision function or ethic of care, advocacy and social concern (for example, providing services for homeless people, working with Indigenous organisations, as a teacher of English literacy to child refugees, and advocacy and advice for disadvantaged groups).

2. Volunteering as an intern or research assistant at a Faculty Centre (Viz, Anti-Slavery Australia, the Communication Law Centre or the Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII)).

3. Volunteering or interning with legal clinics, community legal centres and other agencies that have a justice, public interest or service dimension to their work.

4. Exercising leadership in student and university activities, for example, as an executive member of a UTS student club or society or a peer networker with the UTS Student Services Unit.

5. Community service that involves the exercise of initiative and the development of leadership capacity, such as a facilitator / organiser of a community sports program.

On the other hand, activities that are not within the service criteria include:

6. Volunteering as a research assistant with a private law firm. 7. Working without pay in a family business which operates for profit. 8. Being paid by your employer to complete community service work. 9. Unpaid marketing work which has a profit motive.

Neither list is exhaustive of the full range of inclusions or exclusions.

Page 15: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 15

If a student participating in the Beyond UTS International Leadership Development (BUiLD) Program, the Social Leadership at UTS (SOUL) Program, or the UTS Accomplish Award Program performs some voluntary activity that otherwise satisfies these service criteria, the fact that it counts towards that program does not disqualify it from also being counted towards the Brennan Program. Both programs are valuable and complementary.

C. Choosing a service opportunity

Students are encouraged to seek out service opportunities that reflect their own interests, commitments and community attachments. The experience of searching for opportunities to contribute is usually a valuable education in itself and develops initiative and resourcefulness as well as valuable contacts. However, to ensure that any proposed activity is within the Program criteria, students should contact the Program Administrator for confirmation that it fits within the criteria of the Program. To help you find a placement, a letter of introduction is available explaining the Brennan Program to prospective placement organisations and why students might offer their volunteer services. Email [email protected] to request a copy.

D. Prior approval of voluntary work and logging service under the Program

All volunteer work should be submitted to the Program Administrator for prior approval for credit using the form at Appendix 2 to this Handbook. When approval is given and service hours start accruing, students should log the hours actually performed by lodging a claim form with the Program Administrator (see Appendix 3). The Program Administrator keeps a central database of service approved and logged for each student and this is the authoritative record of hours accumulated for each student. (In contrast, as noted above at section 4B, a central database is not held of reflective activities and each student’s ROJ blog with its supporting documentation is the authoritative record.) The Program Administrator keeps a central database of service approved in advance and logged from time to time for each student. Use the forms at Appendices 2 and 3 for this purpose. The Program Administrator’s database is the official record of hours of service accumulated for each student under the Program. We also advise that student’s must keep copies of all approved forms.

Page 16: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 16

6. Brennan Program Alumni Group It is intended that alumnus will, over time, be able to stay in touch with the Program via e-newsletter blasts, make positive contributions to the Program such as volunteering in any capacity – from facilitating a discussion group on which the alumnus has a particular interest/expertise, to being a guest speaker at an event at which they have shown themselves, post-graduation from UTS, to be an expert in. Students should see their involvement in the Alumni Group as an opportunity to give back not only to the Program, but to the UTS:Law community as a whole, which has supported all students through their progression in the Program and given them a platform through which to expand their legal educational experience and consciousness of justice in the legal profession and outside of it. The Alumni Group will establish a wider community creating a nexus between Brennan students and graduates, so as to further strengthen the core of the Program. If you are a final year student and you wish to join the Alumni Group when you complete your studies (regardless of whether or not you have completed the Program), please contact the Program Administrator at [email protected].

7. Frequently Asked Questions

To assist with any queries or concerns that students may have, the Program Administrator and Co-Directors have compiled a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document for your convenience. The FAQs purport to cover all issues regarding the Program, such as: how a student can progress within both components of the Program, the various ways in which a student can participate, relevant contacts, what to do should issues arise with any events/activities to do with the Program, what the Program aims to provide students with, etc. The Brennan Program FAQs can be found at the following page: http://www.uts.edu.au/brennan. If you have any questions arising from the FAQs document, and/or your query/concern is not covered by the FAQs, please contact the Program Administrator at [email protected].

Page 17: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 17

APPENDIX 1

STUDY GUIDE

Below is a list of recommended readings and study materials. They are excellent starting points for those students who wish to undertake reflective work in order to accrue points, or even for those who wish to further expand their education in the realm of justice in our society. Michael Sandel’s Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009) is probably the most easily accessible in intellectual terms for those coming fresh to the topic. Some Discussion Groups might consider using Sandel’s book (or the YouTube videos of his Harvard lectures listed below) as their core resource, operating in much the same way as a “book club” might do. There is great value is this approach since it provides an intellectual structure to the discussion without constraining its direction and shape.

Books:

• Chloe Hooper, The Tall Man. Death and life on Palm Island (Camberwell, Hamish Hamilton, 2008; UTS Library 364.349915 HOOP)

• Roy Williams, ‘Due process’, The Australian Literary Review, December 1, 2010, 18-19 (accessible review essay on Sen’s, The Idea of Justice and Sandel’s Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? by an Australian lawyer)

o Copy in the 2011 “Speeches and Readings” folder on the Brennan Program Forum on UTSOnline

• Michael Sandel, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009; UTS Library 172.2 SAND)

o Engaging and accessible account of the principal conceptions of justice, tested against current social problems that explicate or test their cogency and limits.

• Tom Campbell, Justice (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 3rd ed, 2010; UTS Library 179 CAMP ED.3)

o Well developed account of different conceptions and norms of justice informed by an awareness of law’s role and limits in its realisation; the author has a long connection with legal education as well as a deep background in moral philosophy and jurisprudence.

• Amartya Sen, The Idea of Justice (Penguin Books, 2009 (paperback); print and electronic book copy on order by UTS Library)

o Stimulating and more intellectually demanding account that draws upon wider cultural and intellectual sources.

• Julius Stone, Human Law and Human Justice (Maitland Publications, 1965; UTS Library 340.15 STON)

Page 18: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 18

o More complex jurisprudential analysis of thinking on law’s relation to justice across the ages and legal systems

• F E Dowrick, Justice According to the English Common Lawyers (Butterworth, 1961; UTS Library 340.13 DOWR)

o Description and analysis of differing conceptions of justice held by judges and legal practitioners in 20th century England

• Search ‘Social Justice’ at the UTS library

Online articles:

• CNN – Articles about Social Justice o http://articles.cnn.com/keyword/social-justice

• Other e-readings o http://find.lib.uts.edu.au/search.do?N=4293890283&Ntt=social+justice

Online videos:

• Michael Sandel’s Harvard lectures (cf his book Justice: What’s the right thing to do? (2009))

o “The moral side of murder” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEY

o “A lesson in lying” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqzW0eHzDSQ

o “What’s a fair start?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcL66zx_6No

o “The claims of community” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOotE9_OGGs

o “Free to choose” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw4l1w0rkjs

o “Putting a price tag on life” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O2Rq4HJBxw

o “Debating same-sex marriage” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzD9P-9sj4M

o “This land is my land” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGyygiXMzRk

o “The good citizen” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuiazbyOSqQ

o “Arguing affirmative action” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUhReMT5uqA

o “Hired guns” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yT4RZy1t3s

o “Mind your motive” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rv-4aUbZxQ

• TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

o Kevin Bales: “How to combat modern slavery” http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_bales_how_to_combat_modern_slav

ery.html o Bahia Shehab: “A thousand times no”

Page 19: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 19

http://www.ted.com/talks/bahia_shehab_a_thousand_times_no.html o Sunitha Krishnan: “The fight against sex slavery”

http://www.ted.com/talks/sunitha_krishnan_tedindia.html o Dan Pallotta: “The way we think about charity is dead wrong”

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong.html

o Kakenya Ntaiya: “A girl who demanded school” http://www.ted.com/talks/kakenya_ntaiya_a_girl_who_demanded_sc

hool.html o Bobby Ghosh: “Why global jihad is losing”

http://www.ted.com/talks/bobby_ghosh_why_global_jihad_is_losing.html

o Bryan Stevenson: “We need to talk about an injustice” http://www.ted.com/talks/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_about_

an_injustice.html

Page 20: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 20

PRE-APPROVAL FORM

Approval for FUTURE service under Leadership through Service

Name: Student number: Student email: Degree and year of study: Name and address of organisation and nature of its activities: Description of your proposed role or tasks for this organisation:

Page 21: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 21

Do you anticipate that this activity allow you the opportunity to exercise leadership, initiative or responsibility? If so, please specify:

OFFICE USE ONLY Signature of Brennan Program Administrator:

Approved: Yes No

Page 22: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 22

CLAIM FORM Claiming PAST service under Leadership through Service

(Please retain a copy of all Claim Forms submitted)

Name: Student number: Student email: Degree and year of study: Period covered by this report: Name of Organisation: Position within Organisation: Description of service (including number of hours given to each item of service) for this reporting period:

Page 23: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 23

Did this activity allow you the opportunity to exercise leadership, initiative or responsibility? If so, please specify. Dates/time period worked for Organisation: Total hours logged with organization for this report period: Name and contact details of Organisation Supervisor: Signature of Organisation Supervisor:

OFFICE USE ONLY Signature of Brennan Program Administrator:

Approved: Yes No

Page 24: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 24

How to log your points under Reflections on Justice

Your ROJ points are logged using your Personal Learning Space. If this is your first time using the Personal Learning Space you will need to initially set it up. Creating your Personal Learning Space

1. Log into UTSOnline 2. Under the ‘Quick Links’ tab you will see the ‘Campus Pack Personal Learning

Space’ link.

3. Look for the Campus Pack ePortfolio sitelink and select ‘Add content’

Page 25: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 25

Setting up your blog. 1. Click on ‘Blog’

2. You will be prompted to name your site; the name of your site should contain your name, e.g. ‘John Smith Reflection Blog’.

Page 26: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 26

Sharing your blog You will need to share your blog so the Brennan Program Administrators can view it. To do this:

1. Click on ‘Settings’ on the top right hand side 2. Click ‘Permissions’ 3. Click ‘Courses’ and search for Brennan Justice Leadership Program in the

search bar. 4. Add ‘All Instructors’

To make your blog more easily accessible you can make your personal learning space available on your ‘My UTSOnline’ page by adding the module:

Page 27: Brennan Program Handbook Spring 2011 · The Brennan program allows you to hear the voices of prominent figures, advocates and victims alike. The Brennan program gives you the chance

UTS Brennan Justice and Leadership Program | Handbook | 27

From now on to access your blog you just click on ‘Personal Learning Space’ on your ‘My UTSOnline’ page:

This is now where you log events attended, discussion group participation and reflection pieces. Remember, if you haven’t logged it here – it’s not on the record!