Harry Power

Are you working while studying? Yes. For the past year and a half, I've been working as a part-time Law Clerk in a law firm in the City. Before that, I was involved as a U:PASS tutor here at UTS and working in the hospitality industry.

What does your job involve? Is it related to your degree? The job involves doing a lot of legal research, drafting letters to clients, preparing briefs for Counsel, doing discovery of documents and reviewing evidence for trial etc. So yes, it is definitely related to my degree: seeing how what I’ve learnt in Law School plays out in the real world.

How do you manage the competing demands of university and work? Yeah, it certainly can be a challenge at times. Having to juggle full-time study and part-time work definitely doesn't leave a lot of spare time, especially if you've got extra-curricular or family commitments on the side. Really, it comes down to being organised and managing your time effectively.

Fortunately, UTS really encourages that form the get-go and allows for a flexible approach to study that I haven't really seen in other institutions. By this I mean they offer night-classes, allow you to take subjects in block-mode, and generally has a pretty good online course content delivery. The uni also has a number of programs which help new students adjust to university life; such as U:PASS, a fantastic initiative which sees older students who have already passed a subject returning to run supplementary sessions for new students to help them understand the content. I went to every U:PASS session that I could when I was in my first two years and I attribute a lot of my success to it.

What led you to choose UTS:Law for your studies? UTS was the only university that offered the degree I wanted to do. As a wide-eyed high school leaver, the chance to combine two very interesting areas, medical science and law, made UTS a pretty compelling choice.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your degree? Why? The people I’ve met and the lessons I’ve learned. From my own experience, generally all of the students that attend UTS are an easy-going, down-to-earth, bright bunch which makes it a real joy coming to campus every day. I’ve met some of my best friends here at UTS, and that's something I’ll always be thankful for.

Furthermore, what I really enjoyed about UTS was that many of the lecturers tried to go beyond focussing on what the law simply is; but rather, what the law should be and the various challenges we’re facing in getting there. That kind of 'bigger picture' perspective I’ve been incredibly grateful for. In many cases, the lecturers strove to go beyond your classic lecture-theatre environment, delivering the content in a more thought-provoking way. For instance, in my Refugee Law and Practice course, rather than simply getting to know the legislation and case law (read: the approach taken in nearly all other subjects), we were tasked with stepping into the shoes of a stakeholder involved in a refugee detained upon Manus Island and developing an advocacy strategy for achieving our stakeholder’s respective goals. It was a fresh take on the content that made me identify my stakeholder’s limitations, forcing me to think globally about a real world problem. This kind of experience was invaluable, and for me, indicative of UTS’ deeper determination to teach their courses in a more dynamic and practical way.

Where would you like your double degree to take your career? I'm still weighing up my options, but at this point I'd love to go into an area of the law that draws upon both my legal and medical science knowledge.

Are you involved in extra-curricular activities such as the Mentoring program, Brennan program, Mooting, LSS? How has this experience aided your career/personal development? Yes, throughout my degree I've been involved in several of the extra-curricular activities offered here at UTS.

In my first year, I attended the UTS LSS First Year Peer Mentoring program which proved a really valuable experience in getting to learn some of the basic legal concepts and skills from older students. In my third year, I was the mentor helping out the newbies, a kind of circularity characteristic of UTS that comes with being really happy and willing to give back on campus.   

I was also lucky enough to be involved in the Mooting program here at UTS. Mooting, for those of you who don’t know, is essentially legal debating. You take either side of a dispute and present your best arguments before a judge to try and win the case. For those who succeed, the University supports competitors at both the national and international level. I was lucky enough to represent UTS over in Oxford at the Price Media Law Moot competition which was a great experience.

Finally, I’ve been involved in both the LSS (Law Student’s Society) and the United Nations Society. Both societies are pretty active on campus and, for a naive kid straight out of high school, it was welcome to meet some like-minded students who were in the same stage of life as me.

What would your advice be for someone who is looking at studying Law at UTS? Give it a go, if you’re keen. There’s a lot to be had here, so take it. Take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you such as the exchange program, the BUiLD (Beyond UTS International Leadership Development) Program, the Brennan Program and many of the clubs and societies that exist on campus. It’s a good fun ride, but, you have to make the effort.

Also, don’t be put off by the work load. Yes, it can be big at times, but by banding together, getting through the content isn’t so difficult. Don’t miss classes and don’t be afraid to engage with your lecturers. You’ll be surprised how helpful they are.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience at UTS:Law, or the University as a whole? If you’re considering law, then I would highly recommend UTS. It’s a well-respected degree without the angst or pretence of some other institutions. You’ll come out more confident, and (hopefully) you’ll have learnt a little something which puts you on a career path you’re interested in.