LAWSOC Executive Inquisition Just so you can get

LAWSOC BUDDY NIGHT 2011
CONTENTS
EDITORS:
Oscar Ward
Anna Sturman
Page 4
Letter from the Editors/Presidents Report
Page 5
Social Report/Competitions Report
Page 6
A Guide to Passing LAWS101
Page 7
LAWSOC Executive Inquisition
Page 8
PUBLISHER:
Page 9
BluePrint Ltd
Page 10 Message from Professor Scragg
CONTACTS:
obitermagazine@gmail.com
Page 11 Advert
Page 12
Oscar - 0273135352
Page 13
Anna - 0220718260
Page 14
Page 15 Workplace Dress Tips
SUPPORTERS:
A massive thank you to all our
contributors and supporters; Seamus Woods, Greg Belton-Brown,
George McLellan, LAWSOC, Andy
Luck, Simpson Grierson, Bell Gully, Paul Williams, Richard Evans,
John Caldwell, Lynne Taylor, Scarlett Moody, University of Canterbury Law School
Page 16 Bruce Rennie’s Guide
Page 17 Gregornomics
Page 18 An Exclsuive Interview with Paul Williams
Page 19 Summer Internships - an Inside Perspective
Page 20 Activists Break the Law to Defend Animals
Page 21 Staff Inquisition
Page 22 LAWSOC’s guide to the stars
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, the
Faculty of Law, or LAWSOC. This
magazine is intended merely
to educate and entertain. The
editors accept no responisbility,
whatsoever, for inaccurate or offensive material.
If you have something you want to write about, Obiter magazine
would love to hear from you! You never know, we may be able to post
you article in the first edition next year. If you do have something in
mind, flick us an email at obitermagazine@gmail.com or come and
see Oscar or Anna and we’ll get back to you!
SALES:
If you are interested in advertising in the next edition of Obiter
please e-mail us.
Obiter Magazine and LAWSOC would like to express condolences to the friends and family of Lisa Willems, a 43 year old
law student who was a victim of the February 22nd Earthquake.
Letters from the Editors
Wow, what a crazy few weeks we have had! Fortunately
the earthquake has only delayed this term’s edition of
Obiter. We are proud to bring you Obiter I 2011!
I would like to welcome all the new students to the Law
School and in particular those enrolled in LAWS101 and
LAWS110. Our Education Officer, Seamus Woods, has
compiled a great little guide for you to help get you
through first year law.
We have a Lawsoc Executive inquisition so you can get
to know whose who on the Executive this year. Do feel
free to approach any of us if need be, we don’t have an
office at the moment but our contact details are on the
Canterbury website.
Our staff inquisition for this edition includes John Caldwell and Lynne Taylor so a massive thanks must go to
them for answering our questions.
If you do want to write for us in our next edition please
don’t hesitate to ask Anna or myself. Hope you all enjoy
this magazine!
Love Oscar and Anna
xx
Because it is that time of year where we all prepare
ourselves for PFO letters in the hope that we may get
a summer internship, this edition has some workplace
dress tips (if you do get an interview). And Richard Evans
has kindly written to us about his experiences at a law
firm in Wellington over the summer.
Andy Luck has compiled a clever Bruce Rennie style
guide to Law School which is a wee bit different to Seamus’s more formal academic guide. Good laugh though,
have a read.
We have another column from Gregonomics, this time
on the economic effects of the Christchurch Earthquake.
Obiter Magazine also has an exclusive interview with
Paul Williams who played at Buddy Night. This guy has
Welcome back to 2011, the year of the tent! I hope everyone is safe and well.
President’s Report
some talent with his lyrics; look him up on youtube if you
haven’t heard of him!
I started writing this address at 11.00am Febuary 22nd
and life was very different back then. I was writing this
in our LAWSOC office, in a law building just in front of
where my car was parked out the front, and was wearing
a LAWSOC singlet that was definitely not signed by Russell Crowe.
Sadly our Marble Palace has seen better days, however
much like Michael Jordan and David Hasselhof, she will
make a comeback. Until that day I hope you are enjoying
the current campfire atmosphere of the UC. I was never a
big fan of camping, I was always afraid of the bears. I have
since learned that they are lovable friendly creatures ,but
that is neither here nor there.
The 2011 exec has literally been working all Summer to
bring you a year of great social events that Charlie Sheen
would be proud of. On that note I hope you all enjoyed
our Bell Gully Buddy Night last week, Paul put on a great
show and is definitely a name to watch out for in the future. I see Buddy Night as a great platform for LAWSOC
to promote emerging artists. Our next event is the Law
Camp on the 8th,9th,10th of April. I would like to encourage all 2nd & 3rd years to sign up for this getaway as it
is an amazing way to get to know your year group and
make some fond memories. To Quote Jono Boyce, “This
ain’t no study retreat.” On top of this we will deliver a full
calendar of social events to ensure your work/play scale is
well balanced.
On the Educational front, the grand academic Jedi Knight
Seamus Woods is here to make your life a lot easier.
LAWSOC will be running extra tutorials for 100’s and 200’s
to ensure that you guys are well looked after post quake.
The firms also wish to advise that Clerking applications
have been extended to April 14th for Canterbury Students. It’s great to know the big players have our backs.
On a personal note I would like to thank everyone who
got out post quake and Volunteered in Uncle Sam’s army.
The response was simply outstanding and we couldn’t
have done it without you. The student image has forever
changed and the residents out in the Eastern suburbs will
never forget what you have done.
I look forward to catching up with all of you soon, whether that be in a tent lecture or at one of our forthcoming
social events. I look forward to a great year, and my one
piece of advice would be get to know as many students
as you can. LAWSOC is here to cater for all your needs, too
quote the great scholar Optimus Prime
“we are here, we are ready, we are waiting”
Stay safe, look after you mates and don’t
do anything Charlie Sheen wouldn’t do.
Chur,
Mullz
Competitions Report
Well it’s been a tumultuous couple of months but fear not –
competitions haven’t fallen through the cracks.
We have been working with the Dean and Simon Dorset
(Master of Moots) to see if it is possible to run an adapted
format of competitions in term 2. This is not yet settled,
as at the time Obiter is going to print the midsessional
exam schedule has not been released. Also, the Dean is
concerned that any competitions programme must not
adversely affect students’ studies. Our sponsors, Bell Gully,
Buddle Findlay, Russell McVeagh and Minter Ellison and the
NZLSA have been extremely supportive and we expect to
be able to announce more about competitions very soon.
In the meantime here’s some information about the competitions we hope to run this year.
Russell McVeagh Client Interviewing Competition
In this competition two student lawyers interview a client
for 25 minutes. The client, played by an actor, is provided
with a fact scenario outlining that person’s personality,
which competitors must deal with, and a legal problem,
which the competitors must find out more about during
the interview. The aim is to extract information, build a
relationship, and provide options to the client. In this competition, a bit of charisma and having the ‘gift of the gab’
go a long way. The 25 minute interview is followed by a 10
minute self-evaluation. The competitors are overseen and
graded by two judges.
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts Witness Examination Competition
This competition involves individual students competing
against each other and requires competitors to assume the
role of a lawyer in a fictional court case. Each competitor is
given briefs detailing the facts of the case as well as a witness. One student is counsel either for the plaintiff (civil) or
the prosecution (criminal) while the other student acts as
Social Report
W
ow! What a start to the year we have all had. It is clear
that 2011 is going to be different and things aren’t
going to happen how they used to, but we can promise
you one thing- LawSoc is going to try our hardest to bring
you some amazing social events throughout the year
where you can let loose and have some much needed enjoyment with your fellow peers.
Now that we are getting back on track with the academic
year Lawsoc has already jumped right on board with our
first event of the year which promised to set the bar high.
The first years, the buddies, the beer, the bush, and Paul
Williams all proved to be a great combination for Buddy
Night 2011! Yes once again we were at the beloved and
revived Bush Bar for a night of fun and bonding between
the years. If anyone couldn’t find their buddy we will be
emailing you there details and if you have trouble getting
in contact with him or her let us know at LAWSOC and we’ll
sort you out with another buddy!
Following Buddy Night it just keeps getting better. Law
Camp is happening and is promising to be the best yet.
Same location, same fun activities and same amount of
punch and goon. It will be unbeatable so if you are a second year frighteningly listening to Finn inform you that
defence counsel. Two competitors then enter a simulated
courtroom setting where they each must perform direct
examination and cross-examination of the witnesses before
a judge. What wins over the court is presenting a persuasive
argument through clever questioning and fact gathering.
Buddle Findlay Negotiation Competition
In this competition students compete against each other in
teams of two. Each team receives a common set of facts and
a confidential set of facts known only to that team before
the negotiation. The two pairs of students must then either
negotiate a transaction or resolve a dispute on behalf of
their respective clients within a 50minute time period. This
is followed by a ten minute self-evaluation. The practical
experience gained in this competition is valuable as dispute
resolution is such a significant area of the law. The skills the
winning team will showcase are problem-solving under
time constraints, lateral thinking, and effective communication with their client.
Bell Gully Mooting Competition
In this competition students compete in teams of two in a
mock court situation to argue a legal problem. Although
the problem is hypothetical, you are expected to apply
the law as in a real case. Each team must submit a written
outline of their submissions. After formal introduction to
the bench each team has 40 minutes to present their case.
All moots are heard as if before the Court of Appeal of New
Zealand.
So, stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.
Keep checking the LAWSOC facebook page and your student email for further details.
Love from,
Lucy and Simon xx
Crimes will be the failing of you, come to law camp and
bond with your fellow sufferers.
Even though the semester is moved around and dates
have changed that is not going to stop Lawsoc offering
the best event’s as always. Those of you who know the joys
and wonders of race night and wine night will be even
more delighted to know that they will be joined together
for an unforgettable night not to be missed… watch this
space! Following this it is non-stop with the Ball promising
to wow again keeping up to the standard set last year.
All this aside, it is a pleasure to be able to
be in the position to offer social events for
our members this year and we are stoked
to see you back on campus and thriving
in the tent environment. Good luck with
everything and can’t wait to catch up for
some bevs in the sun!! xx
Sue Rainey
Social Officer
A guide to
passing
LAWS101
and 110
“Look to your left, look to your right, only
one of you will get into 2nd year law”.
Good God if that doesn’t scare you nothing will, especially with the addition of
LAWS110 to the mix (until last year it
was only LAWS101). Talk about double
or nothing.
Cruel-yet-attention-grabbing
intros
aside (take note for your first essay), welcome to first year law. I hope you have a
ball! A Lawsoc ball that is. But I also hope
you pass well enough to get into second
year.
HOW?
Here’s how.
[For the record, I was writing this when
that mongrel earthquake hit, and was
just about to start typing advice; if it
happens again, just change unis. Here
goes.]
1.
Join Lawsoc and get a Buddy
A Buddy is a friendly, older law student
who can show you the traps while you
first find your way around Law School.
You can use them as much as you want
to, even if you want to get a tour or ask
what to study for the first test or just get
to know someone. Having passed first
year, they are also going to be full of tips
for success too!
Older students will tell you that a Buddy
is crucial to success at Law School. This
isn’t priority number one for no reason.
The reason is not that this is a Lawsoc
magazine.
2.
Know where you are heading
As early as possible in a course it always
helps to know the topics you are learning and how and when they are being
assessed. For example, what does the
first test in LAWS101 assess? Or Paper
Two of the LAWS101 exam? Has the
new-fandangled research and writing skills assignment in LAWS110 really
come about because NCEA is too retarded to teach people how to use the English language to the Law School’s liking?
stupid enemies) so that you can discuss
theories and ideas etc. An open, relaxed
forum where you feel comfortable is invaluable in law. Even if it is only one other person, it can be the most important
part of your study.
Once you know how the course fits together, you will be surprised how much
more relaxed it makes you feel.
7.
3.
Organisation
Get a wall planner. Put key assessment
dates on it. Again, just having an idea of
when things are happening will make
you feel way more in control of your
studies.
4.
Come to Lawsoc tutorials
Closer to the time of tests and exams, a
certain Handsome Devil will put on Tutorials which work through past tests
and dish out many tip-top top tips. This
is a key area of academic support which
has always been popular, so make the
most of it.
5.
Know your learning style
I.e. are you a visual / auditory / kinaesthetic learner? You will be surprised
what difference it makes.
Because of the nature of the subject,
law caters particularly well to auditory
(hearing) learners. If you are a visual or
kinaesthetic learner you kind of have to
help yourself. Even bullet points in notes
works. Making diagrams of your notes is
good. Using different colours is good.
6.
Study groups
Law is a subject where you learn a lot
from other people’s ideas and talking to
people. Form study with your friends (or
Law is hard – stick at it!
Remember that law is a skill. It is not
innate – very very few people can do
it naturally. So be prepared for it to be
hard at first. The only way to learn a skill
is to practice practice practice, to know it
is hard and battle through the difficulty.
Believe me, I remember how frustrating
it is to be told that, one day, the penny
will just drop and you will be able to analyse a case. But it does. Often without
you realising for a while. So don’t give
up. No Frodo don’t give in!
8.
If you need help, ASK!
If you get to the halfway point in the
year and you suck at law, the only case
you can analyse is a case of Marlborough
Sauvignon Blanc, you think NZ’s founding document is the Treaty of Wu Tang,
the only statute you can interpret is the
Statue of Liberty, then ask for help.
Talk to the Law School or the Education
Officer of Lawsoc - we can put you in
touch with a senior student willing to do
one-on-one tutorials etc.
Good luck you fine young things.
Seamus Woods
LAWSOC Executive Inquisition
Just so you can get to know whose who on the exec we compiled an inquisition.
We asked everyone:
1. What was your best 2010/2011 summer memory?
2. What is your favourite case?
3. What is your favourite song?
4. What is your best memory of law school so far?
5. What’s your favourite LAWSOC social event?
6. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
7. What were you doing when the earthquake hit?
Mike Mullins - President
1. Ausi for New Years or relaxing on the beach at Lake Brunner
2. Usually one involving a rapper. Lil Wayne’s case on gun possession is hysterical.
3. A tie between Eminem - Cinderella Man & Rebecca Black - Friday
4. Making my Law Revue Debut in 2009 as Clint Ricards.
5. Buddy Night Ft Paul Williams
6. In the city of Los Angeles where the helicopters have cameras or perhaps in New York
the concrete jungle where dreams are made and where theres nothing you can’t do.
7. No comment
Erin Jackson - Vice President
1. Being mistakenly booked into a brothel instead of a backpackers the night before BDO.
Maybe not best, but hilarious.
2. Dudley & Stephens. It’s about survival and cannibalism, and a shipwreck. Pure drama.
You can’t make that stuff up!
3. Too close to call. This shit starts argument==s amongst people anyway.
4. Aside from Law Ball 2010, the all-nighters. Enclosed Spaces + Excessive Caffeine.
5. Close call between Buddy Night & Law Ball!
6. Probably as the crazy cat lady who never used her degree. Kidding...
7. Having coffee under the glass roof in Cafe 101. Less than ideal.
Jono Boyce - Treasurer
1. Seeing stingrays, penguins and seals, playing wizard sticks on New Years eve in
Abel Tasman, and interning in Welly!
2. Baigent v Random House (UK), where Dan Brown was sued for plagiarising a book
when writing the Da Vinci Code – the case itself was uninteresting until the judge
wrote a Da Vinci type code into his judgment which you can solve yourself while
reading it.
3. The Reeling – Passion Pit (at the moment!)
4. That would have to be when Professor Scragg berated a girl (making her leave the
class in tears) in my 101 class for reading Canta magazine while he was lecturing on
statutory interpretation.
5. Anything with horse races, buffet food and alcohol – sounds a bit like Lawsoc
Race Night?
6. Judging by the last six years, I’ll probably still be at uni in 10 years time. But really,
hopefully in a sweet-as job with a castle and a jet ski. I drew a picture in a leadership
course last year when we had to goal-set:
Seamus Woods - Education Officer
1. Daylight saving time
2. R v Dudley and Stephens (1884) 14 QBD 273
3. O when the saints go marching in
4. Having a competition to see who could get the most naked during the equity midsessional
5. The races
6. Cryogenically frozen
7. I was chucking together a shabby article for this magazine
Sue Rainey - Social Officer
1. So easy, lying in the sun in Rarotonga with the best group of girls. It was the best trip, living life the Rarotongan way which involved biking round the island, drinks all day, hamburger happy hour, snorkelling in the reef and dancing to beats from the 90’s with the locals.
2. The one where the little old lady got convinced by her son to mortgage her house to
finance him and then constantly refusing to see a different lawyer. Inevitably it turned sour
and instead of blaming her thieving son she turned on the lawyer. Poor little old lady blaming everyone but the cause.
3. Anything by ABBA
4. So difficult to pin down just one! Definitely the last two law revues were pretty unforgettable.
5. That is tough the ball last year would be hard to beat. Although race night 2010 syndicate win was a defining moment and hard to forget! Every event is up there for me LawSoc
always delivers!
6. On a yacht in the South Pacific living the high life. Otherwise perhaps in the middle of
London working and living the dream.
7. Walking to class right below the central library, pretty awful, especially seeing the poor
guy up on the scaffolding trying to get down as quick as he could.
Anna McIntyre - Promotions Officer
1. Being the token Kiwi at several Australia Day parties. They loved it.
2. R v White – The guy tried to kill his mother by poisoning the milk for her tea. Was a good plan
till she died of natural causes before she could drink it. All that cunning planning for nothing…
3. That’s a tough one – but I would have to go with Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah.
4. In a 200’s lecture – can’t remember which – and a guy tripped over as he tried to climb over
a rail into a seat. To cover it up he threw his jandal down in anger as though it was the jandal’s
fault...don’t worry buddy I swear no one saw a thing.
5. Buddy night – all the pretenses of being a classy meet and greet, then two hours later…
6. Hopefully well away from here, with a lot of money in my back pocket.
7. No comment
Obiter Editor - Oscar Ward
1. Watching my mate reel in an 18pound snapper in the coromandel.
2. Mustapha v Culligan (2007) 275 DLR (4th) 473
3. Mary Jane’s Last Dance - Tom Petty
4. Professor Todd singing to us after finishing his lectures in contract law and torts! Oh
and Law Revue!
5. Law Ball
6. I made this question but I can’t even answer it!
7. In advanced land law, Liz Toomey handled the situation pretty well. There’s even a
youtube audio file of that lecture when the quake hit!
Anna Sturman - Obiter Editor
1. Proooobably visiting Rajasthan for New Year’s, because it involved both
ridiculous amounts of shopping and getting to have my very own camel for two
days.
2. R v White; when I was a second year and battling through Crimes the fact that
the attempted murder weapon was milk and the name of the case was white
seemed like the most amazing coincidence. I want you to know that I did in fact
pass Crimes…
3. This question could result in a heated debate, but I’ll try. At the moment it’s
Psychotic Girl by The Black Keys, from which you can draw your own conclusions, ha!
4. Seeing a segway fall over on the way to my Public final. Does that count as a
Law School memory? I don’t care, it was amazing.
5. 200s night. Oh the things that happen on 200s night.
6. Journo-ing it up either in the States or the UK. With too many pairs of shoes
and no life insurance, most likely.
Rachel Walsh - Law Revue Producer
1. Having a colonoscopy and a gastroscopy......at the same time......delish.
2. R v Brown - the close mindedness and conservatism overwhelms.
3. Straight out of Compton by NWA
4. Anything that involves the fabulous law Revue!
5. Law Ball - the beauty and gorgeousness of law kids all dolled up makes me happy :)
6. Alone with ten persian cats in Hello Kitty attire, running a musical theatre company
and practicing some serious family law. Hopefully I would have had a hair cut by then
too...
7. I was outside the History building heading to law and med and in a blonde moment
I ran under some falling masonry. A lovely law kid came to my rescue! Bless you Mr Law
person!
Lucy Edwards - Competitions Officer
1. Lunchtime meetings at the Dux planning competitions for 2011 and imagining Simon
Inder was Mike Mullins
2. McNab v Mullins. Where one party sued the other over a stolen haircut.
3. Slice of Paul by Paul Williams feat Mike Mullins.
4. When it was announced that Mike Mullins and Lucy were crowned law ball king and
queen 2010. Worst moment? When it was a different Lucy :(
5. Nothing is more social than competitions. Except maybe Mike Mullins.
6. President of UCom.
7. Physically-Sitting in Advanced land wondering why Liz Hadn’t finished the lecture yet as I
had to get back to planning competitions. Mentally- thinking about Mike Mullins.
Simon Inder - Competitions Officer
1. Lunchtime meetings at the Dux planning competitions for 2011 wishing Lucy wasn’t
wishing I was Mike Mullins.
2. Any case from Competition Law
3. The Competition Song - Pennywise
4. Timekeeping for the 2010 Mooting semi final
5. Nothings more social than competitions
6. Master of Moots
7. In advanced land, but wondering why Liz hadn’t finished the lecture at 12.50 because i
needed to plan the next competition.
Andrew Holland - Junior Officer
1. White water rafting in Taupo.
2. Has to be R v Collins really.
3. Living on my own by Queen/Slice of Heaven
4. Law Revue
5. Law Camp
6. Hopefully finished and with an awesome job.
Michael Kensington - Junior Officer
1. Spending new years with some mates camping just south of Raglan, mean surf, no one along the
whole beach, and more muscles than you could possibly eat.
2. Pratt Contractors Ltd v Palmerston North City Council [1995] 1 NZLR 469 - Its from Palmerston
North surely it’s got to be a good case? As we all know that’s where Mark Lundy was from.
3. Paul Williams - I’m a rebel is getting play a lot at the moment, Vampire Weekend - Giving up the
gun is another big favourite, Any old music that parents listen to always goes down well.
4. Professor Todd singing to the torts class, really helped my understanding.
5. Buddy Night, Although being a first year at it was intimidating, last year was pretty awesome,
can’t wait for this years one!
6. Degree - Boom, Have Travelled the world - Boom, May have met “the one”, who knows what will
happen?
7. In A5 on the end of the isle getting pushed out of the way by someone who was trying to get
near the wall, quite a scary experience though because I wasn’t here for the September earthquake.
A Message from our Dean of Law...
To all Law students
I should like to commend the students of the University of Canterbury for the outstanding work
that they have performed in assisting the citizens of Christchurch clean up after the earthquake
of 22 February. They have made an outstanding contribution to this community. The original idea
was Sam Johnson’s, a Law and Arts student, and the entire student body has embraced the concept. I also commend Kohan McNabb, President of UCSA, for his outstanding work.
LawSoc, led by Mike Mullins, has been extremely forthcoming in offering assistance to me and I
am grateful for that.
Teaching has been underway for three weeks at the time of writing. Staff have demonstrated a
huge commitment to this institution and have enabled lectures to proceed as normal, regardless
of their own personal circumstances. The School of Law will present a full programme of study for
its undergraduate students, with standards unaffected.
We all look forward to returning to our offices, common rooms, lecture theatres and tutorial rooms.
I hope that by the second semester we will have returned to a more familiar landscape, in every
respect. In the meantime, keep your spirits up and apply yourselves to your studies. Make sure you
keep reading your university e-mail and looking at the UC “Restart” webpage.
I send my very best wishes to all of you.
R J Scragg
Dean and Head of Law.
It’s not enough to be one of the crowd. To fit in.
Moments of brilliance are more often than not,
the work of people who defy the crowds.
They challenge assumptions. They risk being different.
It’s that person, that unique individual we’re after
at Simpson Grierson.
Workplace Dress Tips
ver the years, millions of otherwise competent people
O
have lost job opportunities because they did not dress
properly for their interview. A huge 70% of human communication is non-verbal,. What people see is often what makes
the biggest and most lasting impression, especially if their
opinion is not positive.
Through the way you’re dressed for an interview, you are looking to tell potential employers that you are a professional who
is serious about the job, and won’t embarrass them in front of
clients with your off-the-wall or casual look.
Typically, new college graduates and workers who have not
had to look for a job in a while are the most likely to make
clothing faux-pas. Generally, the key is to dress conservatively
and err on the side of formality. With certain clear exceptions
(such as fashion design), an interview is not the time to show
of how creative you are, clothes-wise.
Here is a brief, basic guide to how to dress for a job interview.
This is, of course, not a set of hard and fast laws, just some general ideas of how to go in order to make the best impression
during a meeting:
Men: Hair should be cut or at least combed back away from
the face. Face should be clean-shaven, or the mustache/beard
should be trimmed.
Women: Women should wear their hair up and back so the
employer can see your face and you don’t have to keep brushing your hair from it (which looks like fidgeting).
Men: A long-sleeve white or neutral solid color dress shirt with
a collar. A suit jacket, cleaned and pressed, in dark blue, black,
grey, or brown. A tie, clip-on or otherwise. The tie is the one
item where a man can express some creativity with the color
and pattern, as long as it doesn’t clash with the rest of the suit.
Women: A short- or long-sleeve blouse that covers the shoulders, with or without a suit jacket. Unless you want the interviewer to be distracted by other things than your qualifica-
tions for the job, no cleavage should be showing.
Men: Slacks that (ideally) match the color and fabric of the
jacket, cleaned and pressed. If you’re not sure if different color
jacket and pants match, ask a female friend or family member.
Women: Slacks that match or compliment the jacket, or a
dress/skirt that meets or goes past the knees. Hosiery, as long
as it’s not fishnet stockings.
Men and Women: No jeans, cargo pants, or shorts.
Men: Black or brown dress shoes that have been shined. Black
or brown dress socks.
Women: Dress shoes that cover the toes. No 6-inch pumps or
anything someone could call “stripper shoes.”
Men and Women: No sandals, sneakers, flip-flops, or bowling
shoes.
Make sure teeth are brushed and flossed. Do not wear cologne
or perfume (you never know if your interviewer is sensitive to
smells or has allergies). Other than a wedding/engagement
band, men should not wear jewelry (earrings, necklaces,
bracelets, tie clips, etc.). Womens’ jewelry should be small and
tasteful, and should not include nose rings or piercings other
than the ears.
Dress with greater latitude ONLY if the employer mentions it
before the interview. When you’re setting up the interview,
if you are told explicitly “Don’t worry about dressing up” or
“Leave the tie at home”, that’s a safe sign to relax the formality.
Still, try to dress exactly like other people in the office. If you
don’t know how that is, call someone (like a receptionist) and
ask.
Otherwise, even if you know workers come to the office in
tank tops and shorts, you come to your interview dressed for
business.
Sourced from Glipress.blogspot.com
Circle the odd one out
Bruce Rennie’s Guide.
... To Screwing Your Way To The Top Of The Law School.
With research assistance from Andy Luck
OU’LL remember last time
we were discussing deficient attestation clauses,
but for the time being, and
for however long after that
that it proves necessary
to make the point at hand, your obiter
editors – Mr. Oscar Ward and Ms. Anna
Sturman, both law students – have
suggested that my prose should be of
more direct use to new law students
– that is to say, first-year law students.
I suppose, of course, that this is a fair
opinion one could hold – a sound
knowledge of the principles of succession only becomes vital when one is
enrolled in the Laws 301 course itself,
although one can imagine any number
of situations where such knowledge
could prove handy before that. Giving
advice to a grocer, for instance. But for
now, I shall focus on how one might
best use the act of coitus – or what a
younger soul might call copulation - to
advance through the social hierarchy of
the law school.
No doubt many of you with your beers
and your stereos are aware of the influence one may wield through the use
non-conjugal relations with your peers.
Of course this need not be limited to
your peers – one could fornicate with
someone who was not one’s direct
peer, such as a mariner, for instance.
However, one might not be aware –
and indeed, given that one has read
this far into this piece, it could be a fair
inference one could draw, if one was
willing to draw inferences so soon into
the piece – that one could use one’s
procreative time more effectively to
advance through the social hierarchy of
the law school.
By now I seem to have reached an
approximate half-way mark, which
is where I usually begin to add the
substantive content. In the present
case, one might be advised to seek
licentious encounters with boys who
ride skateboards, which seems to be a
popular thing to do, or with sellers of
cornbread. For those more interested
in females, such as heterosexual males,
homosexual females or those who are
more fluid in their preferences – so to
speak - girls wearing fingerless gloves
tend to be both of higher status and
more open to lascivious advances,
although this knowledge may not be
especially helpful in warmer months,
such as November, December, January,
February and March. For these months,
and indeed, the warmer phases of
October and April, one might look for
females wearing overly-large hats, or
females carrying buckets if one was
eager to advance through the social
hierarchy of the law school.
I turn now to the issue of approaching
the object of what I suppose you would
call your erotic fixations. Laughter can
be useful, as can skittles. If your admiree is busy, perhaps in conversation
with friends, or with people who may
not be friends – perhaps co-workers,
acquaintances or, in rare cases, strangers - wait patiently, because science
has shown that patience is arousing.
When an opportunity arises, let your
admiree know you were waiting – and,
indeed, how long you were waiting for
- if you wish to advance most rapidly
through the social hierarchy of the law
school.
I appear to be out of column space
for this instalment, suffice to say that
seducing one’s way to the top of a
social hierarchy is complex, and we are
yet to receive guidance on the matter
from the Court of Appeal, or indeed the
Supreme Court, the highest court in the
land if one does not count parliament.
If you have any questions regarding
this advice, you have my cellular phone
number.
Royal Gossip
The Royal rumour-mill kicked
into high gear yesterday as several independent sources publicly alleged that Prince William
has a limp-wristed handshake.
The rumour, which has now
been confirmed by Obiter magazine, surfaced when his Highness
touched down in Christchurch
for a brief PR stint.
The UC law student who shook
the Prince’s hand described the
encounter to our reporter. “I
thought for a second I was shaking hands with the Queen”. “It
was utterly terrible for everyone
involved really - it was like grabbing a hold of a moist bag of children’s teeth. To be honest, at that
moment I really wished I was in
the car with Diana.”
Interpreter for the Governor General, Amesh Pating Patal, defended HR Prince William. “I’m sure
the Prince was merely turning his
mind to weightier matters, such
as the plight of AIDS-stricken Africans in the former colonies, or
his hair loss.”
Spokesperson for the Republican
Movement, Sir Charles Whitchurch QC, mocked this suggestion. “He’s a pussy, they’re all
limp-wristed pussies and we
should behead the lot of them.”
Writer David Icke added to Sir
Whitchurch’s comments, alleging “He’s a lizard, they’re all limpwristed lizards and we should
behead the lot of them.”
Buckingham Palace could not be
reached for comment.
John Smith
Gregonomics
Poor investment decisions
S
ometimes in life the line between what’s right and wrong
can be a bit blurred. It can come
down to value judgements, political beliefs, what you had for
breakfast this morning etc etc.
But occasionally, somewhere a decision
gets made that’s just dumb. I don’t care
who you are, where you’re from or what
you believe in. It’s just #&%!ing stupid.
The Earthquake Commission (EQC) is the
proud owner of one of these beauties.
Phrases like “investment portfolio’s” and
“long term yields” aren’t exactly sexy. But
when the cost of a mind bogglingly stupid investment decision moves from the
millions into the hundreds of millions,
maybe we should start talking about
it. The EQC has roughly six billion in assets – almost all of this will be used on
rebuilding our city. About 69% of which
are invested in New Zealand government
securities. What’s the problem with this
you say? It doesn’t take an economics
(or law) degree to work out that when a
major disaster hits domestic asset prices
tend to tumble. As UC economist Eric
Crampton pointed out: overseas investors lose confidence, get scared, and sell
up. Meanwhile, our friends over at the
EQC too have to start selling up – they’ve
got to convert their investments into cold
hard cash so we can have the funds to get
our city back together. But they’re doing
this in a buyers market at a deflated price.
And by definition this was always going
to be the case – the EQC doesn’t need to
cough up unless there is a major disaster.
But it gets worse. On the day of the quake,
buried under news stories of heartache
and loss was this:
“ A devastating earthquake in Christchurch today pushed the New Zealand dollar to a nearly two-month low and interest rates plunged as the economy looked
set to take another hit.”
Basically the NZ dollar lost about a cent
in the wake of the quake. Now a cent
doesn’t sound like much, but according
to my back of the napkin calculations the
fund could have made about 42 million
dollars in profit from this event. Instead
they probably lost more than that. No
one likes to profit off a disaster, but when
it’s the fund that’s there to help you recover from it; I think it is acceptable.
It’s probable that the root of such a silly
decision is political. People don’t like
New Zealand dollars going overseas.
Buy NZ made and whatnot. I don’t really
understand their logic; but even if I’m
wrong and everyone else is right, surely
you need an exception here. Bake sales,
cricket games and the like are all great.
But I don’t think any of them came close
to making 42 million. And when the cost
of all this is put at about 20 billion, every
little 42 million counts.
by Greg Belton-Brown
An Exclusive Interview with Paul Williams
Paul Williams, whose musical career took off on youtube talks
to us before performing at Buddy Night...
C
an you tell me a bit about who influenced you musically?
Kanye West has definitely been a favourite musician over the
years. My favourite bands would have to be the Strokes and
MGMT.
Did you ever think your youtube views would take off like
they have? And do you know what they are up to now?
Definitely not it was just a bit of fun to try and get a few views
originally and it went from there. Not sure what they are at
specifically now but it’s crazy how they just took off like that!
Do you ever read the comments on your youtube videos?
Definitely at least once a week they are mostly positive but
there’s always some idiots out there.
Have you ever had random people approach you that
know you through youtube? What was that like?
Yeah a bit, yesterday at the movies in Nelson this random guy
text me asking to do an online rap battle I stupidly agreed
and the next day I thought man I’m going to regret this and
they never did anything and he said it was because his mate
got scared and didn’t want to battle. Nelson is obviously a
small place and everyone knows everyone so I do get people
coming up to me on the streets at times.
Tell me what was it like playing at the Canterbury University Tea Party last year?
That was pretty scary I was very nervous. I had never done
anything like that, performing in front of a crowd and with
other big bands like kids of 88. I even shared a cab with
motorcade!
I don’t think naked and famous like me – my mate said “do
you know who this is?” when they tried to take some of the
carrot cake I was going to eat but we didn’t realise it was
Naked and Famous that he was talking to!
You’ve got some talent with lyrics, how do you come up
with some of your lines? Do you keep a pad on you at all
times or do you sit down and brainstorm?
I have a book on me with a pen always in it but that’s for
when I know I’m going to forget it. I used to sit down and
write some rhymes but slowed down on that now and putting a bit more thought into things and editing it more to
make it more complete.
What does 2011 have in store for Paul Williams? Is there
any chance of an album?
That would be really cool, I’m moving to Wellington in 2
weeks, hopefully a bigger city will be a cool way to meet
people and make connections. I’m going to a drama performing arts school but I want to do audio engineering. I’m still
unsure at this stage so we’ll see how it goes and have a bit of
fun along the way.
What do you do outside of rap?
I’ve always played basketball – haven’t played as much lately.
Also done musicals and plays at school. That’s pretty much it.
I have played a bit of casual cricket and volleyball too. Actually somehow I got a game for Nelson college 1st 11! 5 runs in
two innings!
At the Canterbury Law School we are really looking forward to seeing you on buddy night, what are you planning on bringing to Buddy Night?
40 minutes of stuff my main songs – I normally look on
youtube and choose the songs with the most views and play
them, also my new release which you will get to see!
What makes Nelson the best town in New Zealand?
Lots of things for example the great weather today! There’s
also a nice beach, great vibes and great people.
Mike wanted me to ask you this - Did you start the turf
war with Blenhiem? In regards to his lyrics “cause Blenhiem wanna fight us” over the ‘who has the most sunlight
in NZ’ debate?
No I don’t think so, I know a few people from Blenhiem but
don’t think there’s any hate, we are almost like a team. That
said, there is a rapper in Blenhiem who wanted to battle.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Probably on a private island on Bahamas! But really my dream
job would be a professional rapper – it’s a tough goal to
set but I think its achievable, also now that limewire is shut
down, the music industry has a chance to take off again so
who knows what the future will bring.
Summer Internships - An Inside perspective
An Account of a Summer Internship from a Canterbury Law student...
S
ummer clerking is a central part of graduate recruitment
for New Zealand law firms. Around this time each year,
fourth year law students (and sometimes third) apply
to firms in the hope of spending the summer working there.
Firms with summer clerk programmes range from those in the
glassy towers of Shortland Street and Lambton Quay to the
specialized, boutique and regional.
Summer clerking is a chance for the firm to see you at work
and, in particular, for you to see yourself at work – to experience for the first time what your career might look like.
The following is a personal perspective drawn on my two summers of clerking in both Auckland and Wellington. Hopefully
it’s a heads-up as to what lies beyond CVmail, interviews and
offer functions.
That said, working in a commercial rather than academic environment brings new and rewarding challenges. A dominating
focus on the client makes for different research techniques, a
different approach to problem solving, very different writing
styles and a working atmosphere far removed from the law
library. There’s a real excitement in supporting the client’s interests and in being a part of their deal or transaction – even
for a student with no background in commerce.
Don’t get too hung up on the big firm / small firm distinction.
However big the firm may be, you’ll be working in a small
team. It’s that team and the people in it that will largely define
your experience at the firm. Beyond the brochures and merchandise thrown your way, focus on the people you’ve met.
THE WORK
For me, it was a huge relief to discover a) that I could be useful
and b) that I could enjoy being useful.
The work you do will vary from team to team. My first summer in civil litigation involved researching novel and uncertain
points of law, before applying them to the dispute at hand.
In the public law team I was involved in monitoring legislative and regulatory processes for clients, explaining their effects and assisting clients’ participation in those processes. Besides researching and explaining the law, other work included
managing the masses of documents and evidence involved in
litigation, proofreading others’ work and adding to the firms’
precedents database.
You work as part of a team. In Public Law there were eight of
us, led by one partner. Typically, the partner manages client
relationships and delegates work out to team members. The
points of law we worked on as individuals all related to each
other and culminated in the final advice provided to the client.
This process and teamwork was fascinating to observe and be
a part of. The law was very often uncertain or the politics contentious, making for some incredible discussion and memorable banter – you don’t splash out on expensive legal advice
where the answer’s obvious.
It’s often claimed that the law degree you’re working towards
is of little use in practice. I disagree.
There’s huge satisfaction in looking at
a set of facts, being able to identify the
problem and then knowing which statute or even which text book to go to.
By way of example, in an insolvency matter I was able to demonstrate an equitable interest in a property acquired through
a ponzi scheme that, working through constructive trust
principles, we were able to caveat. Equity and land law were
made very real. While not expected to remember every case, I
was surprised at what I could remember when prompted and
proud of the research and problem-solving skills I’ve acquired
in the course of my degree.
THE LIFESTYLE
Summer clerking is an opportunity to not be a student (or to
pretend not to be a student). Inane though it sounds, wearing
a suit, having a regular routine of ‘corporate hospitality’ and
working on the 18th floor of a tall building surrounded by caffeine and general corporate-ness is, quite simply, fun. While
apparently the novelty wears off, I’ll enjoy it while I can.
What I struggled with was the wave of exhaustion that hit each
afternoon around three. Eight hours of focused concentration
between set hours is quite a change from the flexibility and
variable workloads (i.e. cramming) we know as students. By
the time one arrives home, cooks dinner and completes miscellaneous housework, bed is all that remains. Again, I’m told
you get use to this. Some even handle families and children on
the side (how well I am not so sure).
There are benefits to this routine. A constant rhythm makes
the gym and other habits easier to maintain. You also learn
to treasure your free time. In both Auckland and Wellington
I lived with other summer clerks keen to explore their surroundings, with weekends in the Wairarapa and on Waiheke
and a variety of brunching. So much for saving.
For fear of sounding cute, you stand to make incredible friends
with like-minded and ambitious individuals from around New
Zealand. There’s every chance they’ll go on to be your colleagues.
Good luck.
Richard Evans
Activists must break the law to expose cruelty
A
month ago they chained themselves to the top of silos at a
battery hen farm to draw attention
to the plight of battery hens. Today
they are nursing rescued battery
hens they took during a daring rescue last night.
Last night Deirdre Sims and Marie
Brittain illegally entered a Waikato
battery farm rescuing several hens
and documenting appalling, but
typical, industry conditions.
Ms Sims explains, “The public don’t
get to see what goes on inside factory farms. Breaking the law and
risking arrest is the only way we can
expose the cruelty that these industries go to great lengths to conceal.”
The action was taken in support of
‘Person in a Cage’ Carl Scott who
is currently living in a cage for one
month and calling for the public to
make submissions to the government to ban battery cages.
“During our rescue last night we
found a hen which had become
trapped underneath the feed tray.
She is very weak and thin, indicating she had been trapped for days
unable to reach food or water. In a
shed containing approximately 20,
000 hens, its not surprising that a
single hen could remain trapped
without farm workers noticing. She
is unable to stand and it is unclear
at this stage if she will be crippled
for life.”
“Both Marie and I have been inside
battery hen farms countless times.
But time and again we are shocked
and saddened by what we see. The
suffering of these animals is unimaginable and unacceptable.”
“The egg industry is proposing to
replace standard battery cages with
so-called ‘colony’ cages. But for a
battery hen, a cage is still a cage.
Three millions hens can’t walk properly, run or stretch their wings. Its
not a normal life for a chicken and
cages need to be banned immediately,” concludes Ms Sims.
Sims and Brittain are calling for the
government to listen to calls from
the public to ban all cages for layer
hens including the proposed colony
cage systems. The Code of Welfare
for Layer Hens is open for public
submissions until 29 April.
From Deidre Sims
The Lecturers Inquisition
This edition we asked your lecturers...
1) Where were you when the earthquake struck?
2) What is your hot beverage of choice?
3) Which case do you believe has the most astounding fact pattern?
4) Does the world care too much about the royal wedding, and how do you feel about the monarchy in general?
5) What do you miss most about the Marble Palace?
John Caldwell
1) I had just left a doctor’s appointment before the earthquake; after the earthquake I urgently drove to see another
doctor (my wife);
2) Morning coffee, pre quake, brewed by Professor Todd.
Stephen Todd is a talented Professor who not only warbles
away to his students but who also, admittedly not always
without complaint, makes daily coffee for the Law School
academic staff.
3) In Judicial Review I always enjoy the eponymous Maddever case (students may need to consult their dictionaries).
The Maddever parents’ delightful ten-year-old son had a
talking to from the Principal for a playground incident. To
restore their son’s rightful honour, the belligerent Maddevers spent the next three years of their lives challenging the
cautionary words of the Principal, who eventually did resign
exhausted. On judicial review, the High Court was blind to
the rightness of the Maddever cause
4) Does the world care at all about the royal wedding? Depends on the monarch - King Richard does a great job within
the Law School
5) Professor Todd’s coffee, and, of course, law students..
Lynne Taylor
1) When the earthquake struck I was sitting at my desk in my
office. By the time it ended I was huddling in the door frame.
2) Trim flat white with one sugar.
3) The one where the ship wrecked crew members turned cannibal and ate the cabin boy and then tried to argue necessity
as a defence to a murder charge.
4) I suspect most of the world doesn’t give a toss about the
royal wedding. As for me, I can’t wait to (a) see Kate’s dress (b)
find out who Harry’s date is and (c) spot the Duchess of York in
the crowds outside the Abbey. The monarchy is my favourite
long running soap opera.
5)The company of the staff and students who used to inhabit
it.
LAWSOC’s Guide to the Stars…
In such tumultuous times as these, it
seemed only right that we took a leaf
out of Mr Moon Man’s book and gave
you all the inside scoop on what the
universe has in store for you… (NB this
is about as real as the aforementioned
character’s yarns)
ARIES (The “Gallavin”)
Oh my oh my you are a fiery wee thing
aren’t you?! Tearing up those Law Reports with your sword of justice (euphemism?!) and soldiering for the cause.
Chill out, Aries. Simon says. Actually I
say. Whatever, just have a herbal tea
and enjoy watching Virgo try to school
the others.
LEO (The “Round”)
We allll know how you roll, Miss slash
Mister Leo. So flamboyant, so generous
and positively oozing charm and magnanimous spirit. Yes, we just played to
your ego, aren’t we clever. Don’t blush
now… The way for you to get through
this difficult time is to buy everything
in sight. You’re looking good, you’re
helping the economy. You’re practically
a saint.
SAGGITARIUS (The “Toomey”)
Gypsy kid. We can’t have any of your
meandering ways around here, this
is a LAW SCHOOL and obviously our
egos can’t handle little drifters like you
waltzing around and bringing down the
vibe. So your job for the next few weeks
(read: your degree) is to up the ante and
buys some proper shoes, ok?! Yes yes,
the environment is cool, we get it.
TAURUS (The “Todd”)
Reliable old soul, you do what you do
when you do what you do. Obviously.
We’ve had a peek at the stars, and the
solar system in general and it appears
that it might be time for you to shake
things up and try waking up on the
other side of bed or somesuch (NB this
doesn’t apply if your bed is against a
wall on one side. Don’t be stupid about
it).
VIRGO (The “Scragg”)
Now we get that this whole Marble
Palace being trashed thing is getting
on your nerves you cleanly beast you.
Efficiency has been reduced to an all
time low, etc etc. Have a beer. Get over
it. Also, the stars told us that the moon
told them that Saggitarius and Aquarius
have been getting together and walking barefoot places. We suggest you
take some positive action here.
CAPRICORN (The “Dorset”)
Discipline and structure, that’s what our
courses are all about. If only Capricorns
were actually goats and could ascend to
the top of the Marble Palace to reclaim
our territory. But that’s just my little daydream forming a prequel to this advice:
Your lucky number is 7 and if you see
Lucy Liu then chuck on some charm
and schmooze, you won’t be especially
lucky but she was the hottest Angel.
There I said it.
RYONE else during this difficult time,
Aquarius. Nah, we jest, you’re all right.
But if you continue to avoid your online
lectures in order to drink and smoke
and talk about how the solar system
is lining up (it’s going fine by the way)
then expect…Oh hell, this is normal
for you isn’t it?! Earthquake schmearthquake, old habits die hard.
CANCER (The “Merrett”)
Nurturer, protector. A good homemaker. WHY ARE YOU DOING LAW??! Sorry,
sorry, just asking. We all love a good
bake sale. Just rarking you up Cancer,
we love you and your cookies. We
understand that the lack of library and
general Law Building is hard for you,
and the universe is trying to sort that
for you with the air of a band’s manager
trying to find groupies. The universe
loves you, Cancer. It also loves groupies.
Who doesn’t?!
SCORPIO (The “Finn”)
GEMINI (The “Richardson”)
We know that the real reason you stop
in the middle of class is so we can
ACTUALLY talk about food and sex and
thus associate you with good things,
Nicky. But now, to your star-signians;
adaptable and witty wee blighters, you
lot. Appreciated, some of the other star
signs are getting us all down with the
doom and gloom. Pat your selves on
the back, pass go and collect $160.
Investigator. Fascination with power.
Need. We. Say. More. I bet you’re itching
to have a heart to heart with ye olde
Mother Nature and see why she laid the
smack down, huh? Well, all I can say is
don’t use the ye olde tag to her face,
cause shit will get nasty. Apart from
that, go for your life, write us a sweet
report when you’re done and we can
all learn from your hard work, cheers
Scorpio!
LIBRA (The “Boister”)
PISCES (The “Joseph”)
Scales, balance, etc. You know the yarn,
you’ve had this “star signs are crap”
business out with Pisces before, haven’t
you? News flash, we’re here and there
is nothing you can do about it without
a time machine, Libra; a time machine
and a list of people to dispose of. Anyway, lucky colour is yellow and lucky
cases start with “R”. We can’t really go
wrong there, surely.
AQUARIUS (The “Cheer”)
Rebellious and eccentric, you have been
a thorn in the side of pretty much EVE-
The dreamer. Is that where all this “administrative” and “constitutional” stuff
came from?! Bah, humbug. Anyway,
there isn’t reaaaaally enough time this
semester to beat around the bush (unless it’s the Bush. We hear that place is
going off ) so try to argue your points
nice and neatly and refrain from excessive citation. No one looks at it anyway
dude…
LAWSOC on
Clubs Day 2011