Now is the time

00:50

Good Evening and I'm very grateful that you're here

00:54

tonight attending our virtual annual

00:58

Law Awards Ceremony. My name is Lesley Hitchens

01:03

and I'm the Dean of the Faculty of Law here at UTS.

01:09

Our annual Awards Ceremony and Graduation Ceremonies are two of the

01:14

highlights of the Law Faculty. Certainly for me,

01:20

they're events that I look forward to in particular

01:24

every university year but sadly this year,

01:29

we have not been able to hold graduation

01:32

but we can at least do this small event to celebrate and to honor our

01:40

students and also those of you who generously support us through

01:46

donations and through the other ways in which you

01:51

support our students, whether it's through

01:54

mentoring or

01:58

teaching guest classes and so forth. And so,

02:01

I'm very grateful to have you here this evening

02:05

and I hope that you'll enjoy what will be quite a brief ceremony.

02:14

Before I go on, I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal People

02:18

of the Eora Nation upon whose ancestral lands

02:22

our city campus now stands. I'd also like to pay respect

02:27

to the elders both past and present, acknowledging them

02:32

as the traditional custodians of knowledge

02:35

for this land. So as I said, it's a very great pleasure to

02:40

welcome you here this evening, whether you're a student

02:44

a family or friend of the students or you're a friend of UTS Law. And as

02:51

I've said, importantly having those of you who

02:54

donate prizes to our students, you are especially

02:58

welcome in making this ceremony but also

03:03

our prizes system as it were

03:10

happen possible. And especially grateful to you

03:17

for your continuing generosity and interest in the Faculty of Law

03:21

and our students. Your support is more important than ever as a faculty

03:28

and as a university. We face some ever-growing challenges in

03:32

the years ahead as you'll be aware.

03:37

I'd like to particularly acknowledge and welcome this evening

03:40

The Honourable Michael Kirby AC CMG to our event.

03:46

Michael Kirby has been a great friend to the Law Faculty and has

03:52

continued over a number of years to mentor individual

03:57

students, something he always takes very seriously

04:01

and I know that it can often be a life-changing experience

04:05

for the students who are being mentored. If I can just also remind you that this

04:12

is being recorded this evening and it will be available on our 2020 Law

04:18

Awards Hub.

04:21

This year, I think perhaps it's more important than ever

04:25

to stop and acknowledge the remarkable achievements

04:29

of you, our students. We want you to know that we admire your resilience, your

04:36

adaptability and your desire to succeed no matter

04:40

what obstacles are put in your path.

04:44

When our students start out, they think they have a long journey ahead of us,

04:48

whether it's three, four or five years but it passes very quickly and I never

04:54

cease to be amazed that students I got to know in their

04:57

first year, often in their first weeks, are what in seems like a moment,

05:03

now advanced students or they've even graduated.

05:09

However, that connection doesn't stop there.

05:12

One of the privileges as academics is to be able to see the successes of

05:17

our graduates, as they progress in their careers and to

05:22

remain connected with them as alumni and

05:25

through the many ways in which they help the Law Faculty and

05:29

our law students to flourish. The faculty too has been active in

05:34

developing opportunities for lifelong learning

05:37

and we hope that the short courses that we've been developing

05:41

will be of benefit to our alumni. And it's why I'm also pleased that

05:47

tonight we're able once again to have an alumnus of UTS Law as our guest

05:52

speaker. This year it's another opportunity

05:56

to mark the journey of our graduates and to draw wisdom from them

06:02

but I want to take this opportunity also to acknowledge the faculty's academic

06:07

staff. It's their excellence in research and

06:10

teaching, supported by our dedicated professional

06:13

staff that sustains the reputation of UTS Law. It's

06:20

their commitment to the classroom that enables and inspires our students.

06:26

This year, I have been particularly impressed,

06:29

amazed actually, and humbled by their resilience, by their ability to

06:34

adapt quickly to the changing environment. They moved

06:39

to online teaching within a week and it seems as though there is a new

06:44

situation and a challenge almost on a weekly basis and yet they

06:49

did that with a great spirit of collegiality

06:52

and of service to the faculty and to the students.

06:57

The demands of moving online, and for many of our colleagues

07:01

home schooling at the same time, as well as travel limitations,

07:06

have had an inevitable impact on research this year

07:10

and yet despite these challenges the faculty has continued its impact,

07:15

its commitment to impact and social change.

07:21

Thus, colleagues have used their expertise

07:24

to raise concerns about the impact of COVID on Indigenous Australians

07:29

and prison communities, exploitation of international students through low

07:34

forms low cost wage labour and potential

07:39

internationally environmental

07:42

disasters. At the beginning of the year, we were very excited to move in to our

07:49

beautiful new faculty home, UTS Central, and I am

07:53

sitting here in the building tonight where I had hoped to be able to welcome

07:57

you, so that you could see what a beautiful

08:01

building it is. It's state-of-the-art, it's contemporary,

08:05

innovative and just such a beautiful space. It's

08:09

very much like our faculty but sadly at the present

08:14

where we are, we've had very little opportunity

08:18

to experience this. Within a month of moving here,

08:22

we had to go into lockdown and work from home

08:27

but we do hope in the new future that we will be able to make full use of this

08:32

space, to welcome you, our students, guests and

08:36

friends of the faculty and to make it a hub for new and bold

08:41

ideas within the precinct.

08:45

Tonight we are here to celebrate our students achievements.

08:49

Whilst we can't celebrate you in person and give you your moment to walk across

08:54

the stage and receive your award, I want you to know that we recognise and

08:59

applaud your hard work and perseverance. Your achievements reach

09:05

across a broad spectrum, reflecting the key

09:09

components of what we aim to achieve through the legal education we

09:13

provide at UTS. Many of the awards honour academic

09:18

excellence and of course we value excellence and we

09:22

value the fact that our students are prepared to strive for that excellence

09:26

and to take pleasure in their learning and their achievements

09:31

but we also value the development of skills.

09:34

Skills that are necessary to ensure that our graduates are equipped to apply

09:39

their knowledge as professionals. Some of the awards

09:44

acknowledge success in those skills. Skills that are embedded within the

09:49

formal curriculum but also beyond through activities and

09:53

competitions organised by the faculty and student

09:57

body. As well, our awards recognise service

10:02

that many of our students have made to the faculty

10:05

and to the university and the wider community.

10:09

Leadership through service is an important value

10:12

in our faculty. It is part of what it means

10:16

to be a professional and I'd like here just to acknowledge

10:20

two prizes that I always regard as very special

10:24

at the annual Awards Ceremony. The first is the Dean's

10:28

Leadership Prize and that has been awarded this year

10:32

to Ben Fong, who was President last year of the Law Students' Society

10:38

and the Dean's Service Prize, which has been awarded this year to Margaret Cai

10:44

and I will say a little bit about Margaret Cai in a moment, so that you

10:48

will get a sense of why she has been awarded

10:52

that prize. So the recognition that we give to students,

10:57

whether it's through skills or extracurricular activities through

11:00

service and leadership as is as important as the recognition

11:05

we give to all other awards. It's what being a law student at UTS means,

11:12

disciplinary knowledge, professional skills

11:16

service. To our students, my congratulations to all of you who are

11:22

receiving awards this evening and to our donors family and friends,

11:27

thank you also for your support to our students

11:31

and to our faculty.

11:36

I hope as students this evening that you will take the time to reflect

11:42

on your achievements and in spite of all the difficulties we

11:45

are facing at the moment enjoy your success and as I said we're

11:50

looking forward to the time when we can properly

11:53

all be back together again in this beautiful faculty.

11:58

Now I would like to introduce you to Nicholas Saady,

12:02

our speaker this evening. Nicholas joins us from California. He graduated

12:09

from UTS with the university medal and First Class Honours

12:14

in 2018. He worked as a graduate lawyer at Herbert Smith Freehills and he then

12:21

went on to hold a to study a Master of Laws at

12:25

New York University Law School, where he has since graduated.

12:31

He studied there on a Dean's Graduate Award Scholarship

12:35

and the Elias Lieberman Fellowship Network. Nick will sit the New York Bar

12:41

in September 2020 and commence working as a second

12:46

year attorney in the Civil Litigation Group of Davis,

12:50

Polk and Wardle in New York City in October

12:55

2020. It's a great pleasure to have you here

12:59

tonight Nick, welcome!

13:03

Thank you Lesley! I'll start with some good news, tonight is a testament to your immense

13:09

intelligence and skill. You've been aptly rewarded

13:14

for your diligence and dedication. Savor the moment and enjoy it with your

13:20

loved ones. The even better news is that your

13:24

journeys have just begun. If you're a first or second year student,

13:28

you have a cacophony of subjects to go. If you're a latter year student or

13:33

recent grad, you have a lifetime of work to go.

13:38

Look forward to your paths ahead. This pandemic has shown that so much needs to

13:43

change in this world. Big questions have been raised about the

13:48

role of government, the power of corporations

13:53

the importance of listening to experts and social, racial and generational

14:00

inequality. In addition to those big questions, we

14:04

still face the challenges posed by climate change,

14:08

white nationalism and human rights abuses, to name just a few.

14:13

We need to address those big questions and challenges.

14:18

In the words of former U.S. President Obama,

14:21

now is a time where we need to prove that together,

14:24

ordinary people can do extraordinary things

14:29

but you are not just ordinary people. As UTS Law students and graduates, you

14:35

stand in a privileged position, with such privilege comes a

14:39

responsibility. You now have a duty and that duty is to

14:44

make an impact. That's the first of my two messages to

14:49

you tonight. Go out and make a positive impact on

14:52

your communities, your country and your world.

14:57

Taking on the big challenges and addressing those complex questions.

15:02

Your impact might be achieved through your academic work,

15:06

pro bono work or legal practice. It might be big, it might be small, it

15:12

might occur now, it might occur in a few years time.

15:15

Whatever it is, make sure that it counts. Your education

15:20

and experiences at UTS Law have equipped you with the capabilities to do this

15:26

and you've been trained to think critically and constructively by the

15:29

best academics and practitioners in Australia.

15:33

You survived the readings, you survived the exams amidst

15:37

the lure of the tab machines in the bars of Wentworth Park,

15:41

you navigated the stream of interesting individuals at Central Station,

15:45

you managed to stay healthy despite the delicious steady stream of Asian

15:50

restaurants in Haymarket, you balance the risks of arriving too

15:54

early at networking events, with arriving early enough to get the

15:57

best appetizers and for merchandise. And then you got through a

16:02

semester of what Fat Boy Slim would call eat,

16:05

sleep, study, lockdown and repeat. And that leads me to my second message

16:11

to you tonight, in the current climate how can you successfully

16:15

make a positive impact? A tough research question. Using my

16:20

impeccable research skills, I googled, I consulted the oracle of all

16:26

worthwhile knowledge - UTS Law. Typing that into the Google's

16:32

search bar, I clicked, I then found the UTS Law Website

16:36

and the first thing I read was this: "a dynamic and innovative law school

16:42

achieving great success for the quality of its legal education

16:46

and research". In there, there are three critical

16:50

amazing words dynamic, innovative and success.

16:57

Those three words are critical for you as you continue on your journeys

17:01

and seek to positively impact the world. First be dynamic. Don't be afraid to

17:08

change things up, whether that be your career path, your

17:12

interests or even in your location. Your education

17:16

at UTS has equipped you with the capabilities to adapt

17:21

and innovate. Don't be afraid to be different,

17:26

whether that's through embarking on a unique area of legal practice,

17:30

starting a non-profit or pro bono organisation

17:33

or investing your time in a startup and then if you add another two factors

17:38

to the four factor balancing exercise, which you'd be

17:41

accustomed to, which are hard work and perseverance,

17:44

you'll be on the way to the third word, success.

17:50

Dynamism, innovation, hard work and perseverance .

17:55

Like the maxims of equity, ingrain those four words into your brain

18:00

and you'll be on the path to success.

18:04

Now some of what i'm saying might seem a bit crazy to you,

18:08

it might seem out of reach let me tell you that it's not.

18:13

If there's any imposter syndrome, drop it now.

18:17

I can remember it eating away at me during my time as a student.

18:21

Questions like "should I be here?", "how to get that mark?",

18:25

"am I good enough?". The answers to all of those questions

18:29

are yes. Just remember Michael Jordan was cut from his varsity basketball team

18:35

during his sophomore year. Bill Gates' first company

18:39

failed miserably. Einstein couldn't get a job for two years after he graduated

18:45

and J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected by 12

18:49

different publishers.

18:52

Now you are some of the brightest legal minds in our country.

18:57

Remember that. Let it inspire you as you embark upon the remainder of your legal

19:03

careers and your degrees here at UTS.

19:07

You're going to need every ounce of confidence in the current world.

19:11

It's not an easy place but you need to look on the bright side.

19:17

The radically different reality in which we now live

19:20

presents opportunities for you to be dynamic,

19:24

innovative and successful. As well educated and driven youth who

19:30

are willing to work hard and persevere now is the perfect time for you.

19:36

So as UTS Law students and graduates, let's shake things up.

19:42

Let's make an impact and in doing so, remember that we're in this together.

19:48

This world-class institution has created an unbreakable bond between us.

19:54

We stand together as UTS Law, We will work together as UTS Law and

20:00

ultimately, we will make a positive impact as UTS

20:05

Law. Congratulations again and enjoy tonight!

20:09

The future is bright for all of you. Now together, let's go forth as a new

20:14

generation of dynamic and innovative individuals and let us

20:19

dream of a future where our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren

20:24

look back on us with gratitude. That we were successful in fulfilling

20:28

our duty to positively impact our communities,

20:33

our country and our world.

20:40

Nick thank you so much for that! I'm pleased to see that

20:44

despite having the achievements of the University Medal,

20:48

you were still able to understand all the

20:52

other aspects of life as a student around UTS such as the

20:57

food offerings and so forth. I'm glad none of the experience was

21:01

was lost on you but more importantly thank you for the words that you've

21:08

just conveyed because

21:11

we are facing really challenging

21:15

problems I think and yet I see amongst our

21:19

students just incredible opportunities for

21:23

having impact for change and I really encourage students to

21:31

think beyond that and you I know Nick, are a great example yourself

21:36

of someone who is not only focused on study, but really

21:40

thought about the future impact that you can

21:44

have and for example how you can support other

21:47

students coming through as well, so thank you again. Thanks Lesley! It's

21:53

been a pleasure, thank you! And we probably should

21:59

doubly thank you because I think it's about midnight where you are.

22:02

1 am! So we're very grateful. I want to now

22:10

turn to Margaret and Margaret is one of our

22:12

current students and as you heard Margaret was awarded the Dean's Service

22:18

Prize this year. She's currently President of

22:22

the Australian Law Student's Association, which is the body

22:26

that brings together law student societies from across the

22:29

from across Australia and I know personally that she has been

22:34

very active in bringing change this year and ensuring that

22:38

students have a voice on significant issues

22:42

affecting their future careers and so forth.

22:46

She is currently a finalist in the 2020 Lawyers Weekly Australian Law

22:53

Students 'Law Student of the Year' category and

22:55

we've all got our fingers crossed Margaret for that

22:59

outcome. We're yet to hear the results and you will have seen as well that she,

23:04

or you may not have seen, but she also appears

23:08

this evening on the Dean's Merit List, which is

23:12

the first time that we have had a Dean's Merit List and so we're

23:18

very excited to see the students who are appearing as part

23:22

of that recognition as well. So I'd like to hand

23:28

over to Margaret now thank you

23:33

Thanks so much for that Lesley! Thank you everyone for having me today and

23:38

congratulations to every award recipient

23:41

in this virtual room right now! I've been invited to share

23:45

a bit about my experiences at UTS, so I thought

23:49

I'd start at the beginning. I first set foot in a UTS Building

23:54

almost six years ago, as an 18 year old with a bit too much attitude. So the

24:00

gravity of my first days at uni never really struck me until recently.

24:07

When I started my plan was a simple one, I would study hard, I would hopefully

24:13

make some friends and after five years I would graduate

24:17

with two degrees that I'd probably forget about after I used

24:21

them to land my first job. It was a very clinical approach to a

24:26

university and law school that is anything but clinical.

24:31

This year in my role as the President of the Australian Law Students' Association (ALSA),

24:36

I work with students from law schools across Australia.

24:41

When I started my tenure, I had two main aspirations for ALSA.

24:46

First they'll become key stakeholders in the things that matter to us,

24:50

issues like diversity, mental health and bullying and sexual harassment in

24:55

the legal profession and second that in advocating on what we

25:00

expect in our law schools and the legal profession we lead by

25:04

example. It's a vision inspired by the things

25:07

that UTS does very well. Like all other industries this year, the

25:13

legal profession has been punctuated by changes and challenges. While studying

25:18

from home isn't an ideal situation to be in, I'm

25:22

proud to be part of a law school that continues to show leadership in our

25:26

community. In the aftermath of the Dyson Heydon

25:30

revelations, numerous members of our faculty were

25:33

involved in an open letter to the Attorney General calling for

25:36

reforms to the way judges are disciplined and appointed.

25:41

In response to the impacts of COVID-19, the UTS LSS

25:45

started an Elderly Pen Pals Initiative, where students sent messages of support

25:50

to senior members of the community and amongst many other things there's been

25:55

first year speed mentoring events, online careers seminars

26:01

and a new UTS Law podcast to keep us all connected and busy.

26:06

Such purpose and resilience is a testament to the character of our Law

26:11

School and the people who contribute to it now.

26:15

Although today is largely a celebration of our student

26:19

cohort, I want to also extend that

26:21

acknowledgement to all the members of our faculty.

26:26

They're the people behind the scenes who constantly

26:29

show up and support us. Last year I had the opportunity to represent UTS

26:35

in Oxford at the International Intellectual Property Moot.

26:39

Our coaches, Isabella and Evana, spent months working to turn our team with

26:44

three from a group who had no knowledge or

26:48

experience in the area of law into a team that made

26:51

the semi-finals. They reviewed draft after draft of our

26:55

submissions, sat through practice after practice and

26:59

while their names might not be on the slide show today,

27:03

they're the reason we made it as far as we did.

27:06

I don't think it's a stretch to say that everyone in this room will be able to

27:10

think of lecturers, academics, other members of faculty that

27:14

have motivated us to strive in ways that go beyond their job

27:18

description. Now like many other students over the

27:23

years, I found myself participating in things

27:26

like social sport, competitions and mentoring programs that I never thought

27:31

I would have been involved in when I first started uni.

27:35

The truth is I'm always going to be indebted to this law school

27:39

for some of the most remarkable experiences I've had

27:42

and some of the most incredible people in my life.

27:46

You know of course like many good love stories, I even met my boyfriend Jonathan

27:50

at Law Camp. It feels arbitrary then to reduce my

27:55

time at UTS down to a handful of highlights but I

27:59

think there are some certainties in all these experiences that are not

28:03

unique to me at UTS. The people we encounter are generous

28:08

with their time< the environment that we study in is one

28:12

where things like curiosity and teamwork help you thrive and from

28:16

day one there's a social justice imperative that

28:20

drives our community. These are the hallmarks of the culture

28:24

at UTS. And so while we might all be feeling a

28:28

bit of Zoom fatigue right now, I think it's a really, really exciting

28:33

time to be a UTS Law student. Thanks!

28:39

Thank you so much Margaret and you of course have been a student

28:44

who has been so involved and it's wonderful to see,

28:49

one of the things I love, is to see that richness of student life and the way in

28:53

which the initiatives that you and other

28:56

students who are active through the Law Student Society and

28:59

other activities to see that initiative that you take

29:04

and I want to say thank you as well for that really generous

29:07

tribute to my colleagues, to the academic staff and for the work that they do.

29:14

And it's perhaps a good opportunity for me to just mention

29:17

also again you will see it on the screen but

29:22

unfortunately we won't see the person on the stage we have an

29:26

annual prize which is awarded not to a

29:30

student but one to one of our academic colleagues and

29:33

it's the Lyndal Taylor and Emma Holt

29:38

Teaching Prize. And it's awarded to an academic who has

29:45

made some special contribution to legal education and I'm very pleased

29:51

to announce this evening that it's Robin Bowley, who not only

29:58

does puts a lot into the subjects that he teaches

30:04

but also who creates a lot of additional opportunities for students to

30:10

experience what it might be like to think about how

30:14

they apply law professionally and so forth. So a particular tribute

30:19

there tonight and in fact it's just coming up on the

30:22

screen now to Dr. Robin Bowley. Thank you again Margaret and

30:28

you of course and like so many of your cohort are some

30:31

of the students that are already having an impact and that we will watch

30:35

with pleasure in future years and so I'm glad that

30:40

you got over that clinical approach to your

30:44

law studies. That concludes our evening now and it would of course, in other

30:55

circumstances, we would be inviting you to some refreshments but

30:58

I hope that you might have an opportunity in your own

31:01

homes to celebrate in the way that you think is appropriate

31:05

the achievements that have been acknowledged here tonight.

31:10

So thank you all for attending this unusual Law Awards Ceremony!

31:17

Congratulations again to our students on behalf of the Faculty of Law and UTS.

31:24

Just to let you know there will be a dedicated website

31:28

with the details of all of tonight's award ceremony, the donors, the awards and

31:33

the recipients and that will be available next week and

31:36

we'll be emailing you a link

31:40

to that website. So for now, I will wish you a Good Evening once

31:46

again thank you and I do hope that you and your families

31:51

are all staying safe in this very difficult

31:55

and uncertain time. Thank you again!