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DEAN'S FOREWORD •a In this 2006 edition of Blackacre, the student magazine of the University of Sydney Law School, may I salute the class of 2006. You are indeed a gifted group of students who have performed exceedingly well as students over the last half decade. It is now time to embark upon the next stage of your legal careers. For some it will be work in law firms and doing professional legal training with the College of Law. For others, it may be jobs in business or in commerce or in the welfare sector. Some of you I hope will continue your legal studies by undertaking postgraduate degrees, either at this Law School or abroad in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, in Canada or in Japan. On behalf of the entire staff of the Law School, I wish you well in your futures. I know you will uphold the highest ethical standards of our profession as you climb the career progression ladder. Never forget that each and every one of you are members of the alumni of this Law School whose students have played such a significant role in the development of our nation. In your turn, you will be called upon to play roles in and outside of the law to build our fine nation and to nourish its future. I shall always be proud of my 2006 class. Professor Ron McCallum Dean >^"»*s\2/*T^ PRESIDENT'S ™*I FOREWORD When I began my law degree in 2001, 2006 and its conclusion, seemed like the far distant future. Like any new law student, I was swamped by the enormity of the activities taking place around me and the overflowing talent of my fellow students. Slowly, however, the mist began to lift and some clarity emerged. I learnt the joys of the (now dearly departed) Level 5 Party; I nervously and tentatively undertook my first moot and auditioned (mostly unsuccessfully) for the Law Revue. Slowly, studying law at Sydney University began to seem more natural. Eventually, lazing on Level 5, preferring pong to Litigation and raiding the Law Society Cafe or the Convenience store became enjoyable routine. To everyone who has shown the dedication, talent and spirit necessary to complete a law degree at Sydney University I say, Congratulations. For me, the most memorable aspect of this experience will always be the like-minded and enthused people I met on my own journey through law. The people that made it less about doing your readings and more about kicking a ball at First Year Camp, dancing at the Law Ball and cavorting about at ALSA. The more some things change, of course, the more others stay the same. When I began my law degree I was told that 2006 would be the year of the New Law Building. If I did Honours, I thought, I could be the first to study in it. Well we have now finished our law degree - and the New Building remains incomplete. Here's hoping that it can, in the near future, go beyond its current status as a hole-in-the-ground and become a central meeting point for law students at Sydney University. I encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on the friends they've made in their time in law, and the changes in themselves. There are of course those of you who found law wasn't really your thing, and will leave Phillip St glad not to return. There are others, however, who have begun a life long journey in the law. Let us hope that the company will always be so pleasant. I would also encourage everyone to recognise and thank the students who have made so many of these experiences at Law School possible. There is a tendency, I think, considering the often over-the-top nature of SULS elections, for some people to be a little bit cynical about the motivations of those on the Executive. Those who have undertaken these positions, however, who have laboured over a hot SULS office computer making spreadsheets and selling tickets, who have stressed about everything going to plan and who have dragged themselves out of bed for our early morning Exec meetings every week will know that these are largely unselfish positions. In some way or other, you have benefited from the work of these students - be it through going to the gym at the Leagues, reading the Careers Guide, going to see a public forum, or even reading this very publication. The list of people who have contributed to SULS in 2006 is staggering, and fully supports its nature as an administrative juggernaught. The Executive itself, however, deserves special recognition. In 2006 they were: Vice President (Social Justice) Mimi Zou Vice President (Careers) Tash McCarthy Vice President (Education) Michael Janda Treasurer Lisa Chang Secretary Dave Halpern Sponsorship & Marketing Director Michael Jools Social Director (Law School) Jess Saya Social Director (Campus) Amy Dobbin Sports Director Richard L'Estrange Competitions Director Alex McCauley Womens Officer Tash Simonsen Public Forums Director Pip Hetherington Campus Director Gideon Silverman Publications Director Hettie Kelso Design Officer Shelley Gardner IT Officer Adrian Bright Equity Officer Nicholas Fernandez Photographer James Simonian You all have my undying gratitude. From a new Social Justice Journal to a new website, to a new ping pong table to an expanded range of competitions and an invigorated social program, SULS in 2006 has proved to be hard-working and innovative. Our expanded Campus Committee has also been profuse in its enthusiasm and energy. To all of our sponsors out there in the "Corporate Sector" I say a very loud 'thank you'. Without you only a fraction of what we do would be possible. As we advance warily into the VSU era, your support becomes every more important and even more appreciated. I benefited so much from the activities that SULS provided throughout my degree. I hope we have gone some way, in 2006, to creating a culture that will encourage others to take part in the same way. I would also like to thank the Dean, Ron McCallum for his unceasing work in running the Faculty. Much of my role as President is to act as a representative of the student body to the Faculty, and Ron's commitment to learning and student experience will be remembered fondly by the departing class of 2006. I wish you every success and happiness for the future. No doubt our paths will cross again, be it on Phillip St, in the Supreme Court or at the Leagues. When they do, I look forward to reliving some of the memories that have made this degree so satisfying. Oliver Jones >rr^4^r^< Blackacre is brought to you Publications Director Henrietta Kelso Designer Sze Lok Ho Head Editors Mila Ceracina Rob Chiu Team Charles Alexander Enriching the student experience since 1874 Duncan Campbell Ying (Alice) Chen Shelley Gardner Tim Lam Sharda Ramjas CONTENTS^ 6 Aurora Project Eric Knight 8 Mooting Odette Murray 11 EPP Kevin Leong 13 Amicus Curiae Lit Nathaniel Rowe 16 Jessup Kate Smyth 18 Shanghai Winter School Joy Albert 20 Sports Report Richard L'estrange 21 Law Revue Charles Alexander 23 Law Ball Amy Dobbin 24 Law Ball Photo Collage 26 Class of 2006 Photo Collage 28 Shanghai Winter School Photo Collage 30 In Memory of Nathan Trepezanov James Windon 31 Profiles ^^**N6''**^S» AURORA PROJECT ERIC KNIGHT The Aurora Project played an important role at the law school throughout 2006. On campus, the impact was mainly felt on the walls of the stairwells and occasional lunch-time meetings where advertisements called for students to apply for its program. It was in the remote indigenous communities all around Australia that the Aurora Project came into its own, connecting Sydney law students with the pressing legal and policy issues facing Australia's indigenous people. The Aurora Project is an independent organisation, but one which draws heavily on the support of enthusiastic and socially motivated law students. Its aims are humble: to send penultimate and final year students on internships to Native Title Representation Bodies, Indigenous Land Councils and policy institutions in indigenous affairs. These bodies are responsible for representing indigenous peoples in legal matters ranging from native title and land rights claims to capacity building in health and education. The achievements of the Aurora Project are great: it has allowed young law students to enter the world with the importance of indigenous affairs and public service in the forefronts on their mind. In 2006 many Sydney law students prepared their backpacks for a ride outward bound. Hagbarth Strom (2006) ventured west to the Goldfields Land Council in Western Australia where he met with indigenous clients to work on native title cases being brought before the court. Chloe Johnco (2006) travelled to the Cape York Institute in Queensland where she worked under prominent Aboriginal leader, Noel Pearson, to translate laws affecting remote communities into a plain English guide. Kate McCrossin (2006) worked with the Lingiari Policy Center in Sydney where she researched for publications on contemporary indigenous issues concerning native title. Eric Knight (2006) was sent to the Central Land Council in Alice Springs where he worked with lawyers to advise indigenous communities on land management and negotiation of pastoral and mining leases. These students were among many who were involved in the program. The experience of these students in their respective internships cannot be summarised by bland descriptors such as 'legal experience', 'practical training', or 'research skills'. If the achievements of the Aurora Project are to be generalised they would need to be framed in terms of broader aspirations which the Aurora Project inspired through its placements.