Help wanted: barrister guides for University Students

06/03/2008

Diversity

The Bar Association, through the Equal Opportunity committee, has arranged an open half day visit to the Bar and the courts for female students from the universities of Newcastle, Wollongong and Western Sydney. This visit is taking place on Friday, 14 March 2008. As part of the visit, we have invited judges from the courts located around the Queens Square precinct to meet with the students and have a brief chat to them about being a judge, and being a female in the practice of law. We seek your help to act as guides for the morning and to meet the judge.�We need at least 16 barristers.� At most the commitment is between 8:45 am and 12:45.� The more barristers, the less time: two hours each. Participation involves: * meeting a small group of the students -�3-5�(depending on the number of barristers who can help); * talking to them very briefly about your practice�at the Bar; * showing them your chambers if it is convenient (and if you wish to); * taking them up to a court and briefly explaining the procedure; * having coffee, and later in the morning;and * accompanying them to visit their allocated judge.� If you are in court, it would be great if you could take them to court so that they can see a woman advocate in action - be it in a trial, contested motion, or a directions list.� If possible, it would also benefit the students if you could join them for lunch and refreshments in the Bar association. The proposed program for the half day is: 8:45am - arrive at the Bar Association.� Introduction and welcome from the president.�Students divide into groups, meet with their allocated barrister, view chambers (then or later, and depending upon the wish of the barrister). 9:15 am�to 1:00 pm -�attend courts. Each barrister can design her own program.�Some judges may meet some groups before court, some meet them mid-morning, and some just before lunch.���� Mid-morning, hand over the group to the second barrister (if we are fortunate and have more barristers than groups), or if you are the second barrister, pick up the group and show them some more courts or chambers. 1:00pm�- Deliver the students back to the Bar Association.� Refreshments and lunch. The judges of the Supreme Court, the Federal Court and the Land & Environment Court have been very supportive, and we wish to ensure that the visits to the judges in particular go as smoothly as possible.� Depending upon the judge, the visit to the judge will be in her court, just before the lunch adjournment, or at a time convenient to her, if she is not sitting. We do hope that you can assist - either for the whole morning or for a few hours.�We are looking for barristers with a range of experiences and specialties. Could you please contact Julia Baird on jbaird@12thfloor.com.au or Trish McDonald magpies@tenthfloor.org as soon as possible if you can help, if you know anyone who can help, or if you are aware of any trial that would be interesting for students to see. Julia Baird and Trish McDonald for EO Committee, NSW Bar Association 10�March 2008