What it's like in an office

The topic may appear to be straightforward but moving from a school environment to an office can be quite confronting to some. I thought I would go over some quick tips for coping for your first few weeks in an office environment.

If you’re an intern this might give you a heads up on somethings to look out for!

1.      The noise level is quiet

When you’re studying getting to control the noise in your environment is pretty standard. More over, if you’re at school you can always tell your friends nearby to be quiet if they’re disturbing you. In an office that’s not always the case

Depending on whether you’re in a cubicle or hot desking things can get pretty noisy. Not only are there employees who some how forget to put their phone on silent every day – but you can also over hear the inevitable work calls where you can’t move them to another room because they need /all/ that stuff on their desk.

2.      Doors open and closed is an issue

Some how on this blog I always end up talking about the weirdest of things. I don’t know if it’s just that I’m a little bit too picky – but one of the things that I’ve really struggled with is knowing when to shut someone’s door.

There seems to be a lot of unwritten rules about this. Generally, we’d think phone call – shut the door, no call open the door. But…depending on where you work, who it is and how tense the conversation is you can be opening and closing that door all day long!

If you’re interning be prepared for a lot of awkward hesitations in the doorway. Whether you’re knocking on an open door, closed door, door way, or just staring at the people inside hoping they give you an idea of whether you’re meant to be inside or not – there’s a lot of awkwardness when you first arrived in an office.

But rest assured you’re not the first socially awkward person to have no idea what you’re doing!

3.      The printer is always broken

If you thought that your library printer was never working – then prepare yourself for the office printer. Not only are you going to be cursing out a printer that never works, you’re going to be joining a group of people who are overly tense and also cursing out a printer that is never working.

The exciting thing is – there’s always one person in the office that everyone expects to be able to fix the printer. Fingers crossed it’s not the new intern who has no idea what they’re doing! More often than not by the time the printer is actually printing pieces of paper out there’s 100 documents backed up in the system and you’re going to be using up a forest worth of paper on documents people have already forgotten about.

4.      Emailing vs. talking

Continuing on with the theme of administrative issues – whether you should email someone or talk to them is a new issue that you never imagined would exist. Except somehow when you come to work with someone within a 100 square meter radius it’s an issue. It’s either an issue because 1. You just made a coffee and really can’t be bothered to get up to talk to them or 2. If you go to talk to them they’re going to want to see it and the printer isn’t working.

But if you do print it you a. have to worry that it’s not going to get through to them and b. they may have questions which starts a confusingly long email chain that gets everyone aggravated.

Choose wisely.

But all in all, it’s fun working with lots of people who are passionate about what they’re doing. An internship can introduce you to industry challenges, critical flaws in your education and reveal whether you truly enjoy the work or if it’s time to adjust your career trajectory.

Don’t shy away from an opportunity to work in an office environment – embrace the challenge and let me know how you go either on my Instagram; lulu_hensman or my tumblr thisisluluh.tumblr.com

Or leave a comment below!

3 types of handouts and how to use them effectively

How to study from a handout?

It can be pretty disconcerting when you’re given a sheet of paper in class with some information, some questions and maybe a few dot points. What should a good student do with these seemingly simple pieces of paper?

I used to diligently hold on to them in the belief that the simple possession of these pieces of paper would bestow upon me the concept that they were meant to explain.

This obviously is not entirely true. Holding onto them, while useful, doesn’t teach you anything that you didn’t already know.

To study from a handout you need to classify it into three groups.

1.    Simple concept

This handout is to cover one idea within one topic. It usually contains a few paragraphs, maybe a diagram and some summary dot points underneath.

Since this handout doesn’t cover anything particularly vital to your course, don’t be too stressed about keeping it in the handout form. The best way to get the most information from these pieces of paper is to perform the following analysis.

A.    What is the layout?

If the hand out sets out an answer or information in a way that you don’t usually it’s important to evaluate and compare your normal answer to the example answer. Sometimes you may find that the example answer will reap higher marks or allow you to answer something faster because it is more efficient and displays the information that the examiner wishes to find.

B.    Is this information in the textbook/workbook?

If your course has been assigned a textbook or workbook, you should check to see if this topic is covered in the workbook. If it isn’t, it’s important that you transfer the information to your notes so that you don’t forget about the topic. While it may not be critical, it’s fairly evident you’ll need it on the final.

If it is in in the textbook, your next step is to assess which information source is the best. Your teacher may have said ‘I don’t like the way this is set out in the textbook’ – which is more common than you think. If this or something similar as said make a note in your book not to use this information and transfer the handout to your notes. If nothing like this was said, compare the two answer and see which you understand best.

It may be that explanation in the textbook is better than the one in the handout – other students may find the opposite, and that is why the teacher has chosen to explain two methods. Once you’ve chosen the ideal information source for you transfer it to your notes with a written example if necessary.

2.    Underlying feature

These handouts will explain something that is critical to the understanding of the entire course. Some common topics that these handouts cover are academic theories, grammar and ‘how to answer essays/questions.

To determine how to get information from these is a little more involved that with a simple concept. The process for getting the best information from these concept handouts is the following;

A.    Highlight keywords

Handouts which use words to summarize will often hold critical keywords that will assist you in answering questions. Specific jargon like; ‘marxism,’ ‘independent variable,’ or ‘market value’ if used repeatedly will be a clear indicator that they are needed in answer exam answer or essay.

B.    Assess diagram quality

Sometimes information will be summarized in a diagram. Depending on your learning preferences this may or may not assist you in understanding how the information works together. If it does help you, copy a version of this diagram into your notes. That way you’ll be able to refer to it whenever you need without having to hold onto a piece of paper.

C.    Connect key phrases to form concept paragraphs

Refer back to your highlighted keywords. When you look at the ideas that surround these keywords, you should be able to pick out smaller phrases that make up a larger idea.

For example, if you saw the keyword; ‘legislature’ you would then look at this keyword and find phrases about the legislature such as a definition. If after skimming through the paragraph you find that the rest of the writing adds to the definition then simply write the single summary phrase. Do the same until you reach the end of the handout.

Make sure to highlight your summary phrases as you go along so when you revise at a later date you can see where these summary sentences have come from and draw upon the extra information if necessary.

D.    Don’t lose the handout

Because this handout covers more information than a simple handout, it is best that you don’t throw it away. It can be useful later if you find that you need extra help to cover the necessary information on a topic.

To make sure that my files don’t get crinkled I have a special handouts folder in my bottom desk drawer where I can keep them all together.

3.    Guidance Notes.

You should be able to recognize these pretty quickly. Generally, they’re about five or more pages, and they guide you through the entirety of a topic or course. Common examples of these include your course syllabus or study notes. Other examples might be a reading guide or tutorial outlines.

These critical to your academic success and you should never ditch this beore you’ve synthesized the information they provide.

A.    Highlight keywords

Again it is important first to skim read the document and highlight any keywords that you see. It may be useful to cross reference this with your concept handouts so that you know which words might be more important than others.

B.    Highlight and summarize the first and last sentence of every paragraph

This may sound odd, but most would know that the first and last sentence contain the critical ideas of a paragraph. When you structure your paragraph, the first sentence should introduce the idea, and the last sentence should summarize and maybe explain how it links to your next idea.

This means that when you’re reading a long document like a guidance note you can use the first and last sentence to construct a succinct summary of what the entire handout explains.

Depending on the length of the notes, you could have a summary between 200-500 words.

C.    Prioritize your reading

Documents like these can be very overwhelming. So use your above summary and go straight to the paragraphs that talk about the topics you are least familiar with.

D.    Underline critical phrases and annotate

As you read underline the critical sentences that succinctly explain the idea it is trying to convey. If you’re reading a long paragraph, you may find that half of one sentence and another half of a different sentence form an exact summary phrase. It is best then to highlight these pieces and write them as one sentence in your own notes.

As you go through each paragraph, and highlight important phrases – summarize dot points in margins what the paragraph’s critical points are.

For example, if you were reading a paragraph about voting you might put dot points like

-    Commonwealth government only

-    18 and over

-    Right under constitution

-    Preferential system

That way when you’re revising this quickly, later on, you don’t have to read every word to remind yourself of the important information.

Lulu Hensman

Bring some positivity into your studies!

Bring some positivity into your studies! 

Lately I’ve been thinking about that off putting feeling when you don’t want to study, calm or relax enough to enjoy a leisure activity and you’re feeling far too tired to exercise. It happens and when it does it can set you back in days of hard study and dedication.

It’s unavoidable sometimes. Some strands of psychology suggest that allowing these meltdown moments to happen actually vital for avoiding burnout. It may be a sign that you’ve pushed yourself past the breaking point, and now it is not the time to thrash out that essay which is due in two months.

Being a studyblr (Study blogger for those of you who aren’t on my [Instagram] [tumblr] or [twitter] accounts) it can be hard to give yourself downtime. I love seeing all of you progress, but I’m sure most of you feel the same pressure. When you see that everyone else is studying, you feel like you should be. But this isn’t always true.

Peer pressure is a key factor for why studyblrs are so successful. We work together as a friendly community that encourages an enthusiasm and drive for learning and dedication. I’ve never seen a bad word said about another studyblr, and I’m certainly not knocking the community. However, addressing the obvious needs of tired workers and students is important. Please don’t take this post as degrading or down playing the value of the community in any way.

When you’re faced with these ‘icky’ or ‘blank’ feeling moments, it’s important to immediately recognize the situation. When you’ve had continuing feelings of demotivation, unhappiness or a serious lack of motivation, it indicates an emotional imbalance.

As a legal and international relations student, sometimes the things I study are confronting. This may include severe assault, rape, potential terrorism or legal defenses for torture. At first, they may appear, uncomfortable but not disturbing topics. In combination with each other, they may influence your emotions. This does not mean that you are a weaker person than other students, but it is important that you bring some positivity back into your studies.

Bringing positivity to your studies can take three forms:

The first is the most obvious:

The most common method for bringing positivity back into your studies or work is to use brighter materials. Some bloggers recommended a scented candle or pen as these are small, unintrusive items that can brighten your day.

Simple things like cups of tea can also be advantageous. It’s a well-known fact that a cup of tea can soothe emotional turmoil. Interestingly enough it’s because the warmth of the mug simulates being hugged. That releases a hormonal reaction that encourages a feeling of comfort. Of course, this warmth can be emulated by any other type of hot drink. I wouldn’t recommend falling into using coffee as this stimulus does also increase the level of adrenaline hormones which can encourage anxiety.

Decorating work spaces, using colored notebooks or stickers are also simple material ways to bring positivity back into your environment. You should find that if you pick up on the emotional issue quick enough that you can move forward with your studies much faster than you would if you ignored it. With that in mind, mental health is just like physical health. Sometimes it will recover quickly and other times you may need to rest for a bit first. Don’t expect yourself to jump straight back into work; you may need a few days break.

To encourage yourself to relax truly, try taking down any to-do lists, sticky note reminders, and similar items. You should put them back up as soon as you feel ready. However, these items may keep you in a continuing fight or flight feeling. It is very easy to be overcome with the amount of work you have to do and catastrophize about when it has to be done.

I am famous for messing up due dates and convincing myself it’s due earlier than it is. Once I submitted a law assignment a full week early because I’d written it into my diary earlier, in the fear that I would submit it late. The down side is that I got less time to ask questions, was more stressed and probably stayed up later working on it than I should have.

The second form of bringing positivity is to bring mental positivity.

The most common forms of mental positivity are seen in quotes and meditation. 

Quotes work to remind you of your goals and that while what you’re doing in the short-term is negative; there’s an overall positive outlook. This is critical for assessing your current mental state. If it ever appears that you’re unable to move beyond the negativity that you’re currently facing, you may consider seeking professional help.

Mediation can assist in controlling anxious thoughts and grounding yourself in the reality of now. Other forms of meditation can also be witnessed in mindfulness which is a daily habit that can be used for long term anxiety control. Mindfulness is also great for instilling a more positive outlook on life and is believed to improve mental concentration.

The third lesser used form of positivity is critical academic focus:

A lot of university subjects are highly biased. This is not necessarily negative, but it can mean you have a skewed view on an issue. If you find yourself researching a topic that appears to be nothing but frightening, it may be a good idea to initiate some independent research Undoubtedly with a little digging you will find an opposing opinion. While that opinion will not invalidate all the other academic research, it can help to remind you that what you’re being taught is not always 100% true.

For example, while poverty is a real issue that is spread around the globe, there are a lot of papers suggesting that there are real policy changes that would completely alter the modern existence of poverty. Focusing on these possible changes and promoting them will provide you with an alternative positive outlook that could also remotivate you for studying and hard work.

Good luck remotivating yourself and I hope that even if you’re not feeling down, you start to bring in a little extra positivity to your work and studies today!

The Underage Lawyer Celebration - printable release!

As promised I am celebrating my second year anniversary with the studyblr community by releasing my first set of printables. Theseprintables are available here  or in the link below. I will be posting them onto Tumblr as well sometime this week.

Assignment(s) Progress Tracker.

The printable is essentially a progress tracker. Just fill in your question, due date and description to begin. It should be used at the beginning of the semester. You should use this sheet to track all the projects, tasks, jobs, and exams that you have due.

I’ve included a progress management tool on the right side. To use this tool break your project up into twelve components or less. Then every time you finish a component color in a square.

By using this tracker, you can be sure you’ll never forget an assignment or fall behind again!

Essay and written assignment planner

This planner is ideal for written pieces of work. It takes you through the critical steps of setting up and argument. By breaking down the argument and research onto this thought diagram, you can make sure you won’t miss those essential steps that are preventing you from achieving high grades.

We begin by writing a synopsis. This fundamental step will guarantee that you fully understand what you are meant to do. Secondly, the printable asks you to examine your course outline and rubric. 

These steps will make sure that you’re not writing something that your teacher doesn’t want to read.

A targeted piece of writing that fits what the examiner wants to see will always fair better than a random piece of writing that doesn’t quite suit the course’s intention.

From there we move onto examining the question – but don’t get too keen too fast! Break your chosen statement down into ‘operative terms.’ Operative words are the key features of the statement. These keys words are what the entire argument will hinge on.

Example:

To what extent did English law affect Australian Law during the 1850s?

In this example the operative words would be;

[Extent] -Shows you need to show a ‘degree’ of application, e.g., mostly, likely, partially, not at all or completely.

[English Law] – Shows a critical condition for your answer.

[Australian Law] – Shows an essential condition for your answer.

[the 1850s] – Shows a key restriction and consideration for your answer.   

The next questions look at what research and what theory you will need to apply. 

You may choose to do these together depending on the subject that you’re studying.

For subjects like law or English theories may be irrelevant but you may like to supplement principles for authors, directors, artists, etc.

The general idea of these sections is to identify what is most critical to your section. Knowing what, who and why of the most important ideas in your field will help to narrow your research.

After this follows the section on your points.

Feel free to download the printables and include more or less points in your piece. This section is designed to be flexible and fit your needs. To get the most out of it, I’d recommend writing a topic sentence out in full. Then follow the topic sentence with dot points that flesh out your argument.

In between each box write a ‘linking’ statement that reveals how you plan to build your argument with the next paragraph. This will strengthen your writing and help the reader to follow any argument.

A study-day planner

Following that printable, I have designed a printable that is useful for using when preparing for a day out studying. A lot of the time when preparing to travel somewhere to study you may be anxious to make sure that it is a productive day.

This printable includes:

    A checklist for things to bring

    A checklist of things to check before you choose your study destination

    A session planner questionnaire

I included the questionnaire because to have a productive day you must have clear goals. Simply telling yourself to ‘finish everything’ is not structured enough. It is far better to spend twenty minutes considering which tasks you will do first and how long they will take you than ad hoc drawing things from a pile of work.

When estimating how long something will take you to complete; a rule of thumb is to estimate how long it will take you to finish and then double it. That will usually be enough time to help you complete the work. It also gives you wiggle room in your schedule to take breaks and deal with any mishaps along the way.

There are many ways to order your tasks; some suggest putting the hardest first, and others suggest setting smaller tasks to build the sense of achievement.

Personally, I promote using easier types of tasks first then focusing on harder ones. You should never use checking emails as a starting task, but some small task like:

-    Edit paragraph [a]

-    Download next lecture

-    Complete reading set [1]

They are all simple tasks that will help you get into the productive swing. Setting long tasks such as ‘research issue [x]’ can take you off track. When beginning any study session make sure that you are focused and clear on your end goal.

If you are planning to study for a long time, you may want to pencil in ‘checkpoints.’ These are preplanned breaks where you will review where you are on your to-do list. These can be useful as they can allow you to access whether you’ve set yourself too much or too little. It is also crucial to give yourself multiple breaks when studying for a long period.

Lectures and tutorials...

The final two printables are a double set. The first is a plan for making tutorial notes. By using this planner, you will structure the information received in a tutorial in such a way that you can isolate different parts of relevant information.

I have also designed it so that it is simple to use and won’t be distracting you from actually participating and listening in the tutorial. I usually run off ten of these sheets at a time and keep them in a folder. This makes it easier when it comes to exam time too because I don’t have to flick through my entire notebook to find just one week.

The second plan is for your lectures. This is an overall structure of a page that your notes could look like. It is my spin on the popular ‘cornel method.’ If you have enjoyed that style of notes, I’d recommend trying my printable. I’ve added in an extra section for a keyword tagline and questions. These are important because when you return for later revision or as a reminder to yourself about the lecture you have key words to fall back on.

Having the question section takes away the anxiety of having to ask a question at the end of a lecture. Instead, you can write it down when you think of it and email your lecturer or tutor after class. No more end of class stress!

I hope all of these help your studies, and if they help you, please let me know or tag me under #theunderagelawyer!

Link to download

Illegality and your workplace

Illegality in law

As many of my readers or listeners are those involved in small commercial enterprises, I thought it would be good to explore the doctrine of illegality. Illegality is a simple rule which is subject to many exceptions. At its core, it can completely void a contract in situations where a statute has made the action illegal.

Some may have taken this doctrine for granted believing it unquestionable that contracts for theft, drug dealing or murder were unenforceable in a contract of law. Clearly, illegal acts were the types of contracts that were intended to void with under this doctrine. However, as the society and regulatory standards have evolved so has the application of this principle extended. Leaving some enterprises, contractors and consumers at the mercy of legal interpretation.

Explaining the illegality doctrine

A statute may expressly or impliedly render a contract illegal therefore, requiring courts to make it inoperable leaving neither party with any remedy. Those who have already benefited from the contract will not have to pay back their benefits. However, just because a statute prohibits a contract does not always mean it is unenforceable. ACCC v Baxter found that; A law unilaterally prohibiting the action doesn’t void a contract. It is dependent on factors such as:

-    Language

-    Expertise of the parties

-    Scope

-    Purpose

-    Party intent

For example; if a statute prevents unlicensed homes from breeding animals it does not necessarily prevent a contract to purchase a pregnant dog. Ledlabratories Servier v Apotex Inc puts forward the statement that ‘the decision inevitably turns on their facts.’ The comment shows just how uncontrollable this doctrine can be when dealing with acts that lack the character of illegality.

A statute may encourage the courts to prohibit an action where:

-    There are a variety of public policy factors

-    On balance, it should not be enforced

The precedents in this area must be treated with the same level caution as the statutes because courts may approach the facts differently, leaving much ambiguity. The doctrine of illegality is an excellent example of the importance of courtroom advocacy. An advocate that is capable of disproving the fault of their party has effectively seduced the court for their party.

Applying the doctrine requires that consider ation for the following facts:

-    Prima facie appearance of statutory prohibition

-    Whether illegality applies to the formation or operation of the contract

-    Statutory construction weighed against public policy considerations

There is a vital difference between an illegality that prevents the formation or operation of a contract and one that has a close relationship with public policy. Courts will often consider contracts which are illegal formation or operation more favorably than those that contravene public policy. Mostly, the favorable consideration is because the doctrine is intended to prevent the degradation of law and justice amongst society. It is not designed to circumvent the commercial dealings of general businesses.

Additionally, if the fault between the parties is unequal then the term pari delicito (in equal fault) applies as the presence of fraud, undue influence or oppression prevents the fraudulent party from relying on an illegality defense.

Nelson and Fitzgerald v FJ two prominent precedents in this area support the finding by stating, a contract which is lawful and enforceable upon formation may be binding upon its operation but not those which are against public policy considerations.

If an agreement requires something illegal, it is different to if something illegal must be done to finalize the contract. The statement forms the hard rule of illegality from a Singapore Case; Tien Sew May v Boon Lay Choo. The underlying principle of the case is that while the defense of illegality and public policy isn’t ideal, it may make a contract enforceable if it is beneficial for the general public.

Essentially this means that the courts will enforce an illegal contract if  otherwise more people would suffer unjustly.

When the illegality involves fraud

The principle ex dolo malo non-oritur actio or no right of action can have its origin in fraud, is the underpinning principle of illegality. It means that the defendant will find favor over the plaintiff (the person bringing the action to court) was fraudulent or took part in some of the fraudulent act.

Where they are both equally at fault the courts will apply; potior est conditio defenditis or equal in responsibility better is the state of the possessor. That essentially means that the defendant will benefit more than the plaintiff if the courts see such a case. The holding was applied in Holman v Johnson by Lord Mansfield.

Characterizing the doctrine

This principle is unique as both parties are at fault and not just one. It arises to provide not individual justice but the continued efficacy of the legal system. Therefore, the courts must delicately balance between judging enforceability and not encouraging or frustrating a contract. There are several features that define the leniency and severity of the courts approach to illegal contracts.

The first is the Bowmakers rule; A party to illegality may recover through legal or equitable interest if a claim can establish without reliance on illegality their right to recover. The finding was also seen in part in a later case called Tinsley v Milligan.

Note, the manner in which illegality is articulated in court will alter whether the courts will view the doctrine as a defense, mitigating factor or fundamental limitation. That is essential because it will modify the impact that illegality will have.

The second important factor is windfall gains. Windfall gains is a term used to describe the unexpected benefit of one party at the expense of another. When the plaintiff is likely to receive a windfall gain despite both parties having had a hand in the illegality such as witnessed in Nelson v Nelson the court will not refuse relief as long as the claimant was mistaken or ignorant as to the circumstances which made the contract illegal. It must also be reasonable for them to be ignorant of it, i.e., Signatories to a lease under which a specialty legal statute has recently been enacted. This is interesting because it is one of the few exceptions to the general premise that ‘ignorance is no excuse under the law’.

Thirdly, it may still be the contract may still be enforced when the statute intended to protect a particular class of person for which the claimant is a member. For example, if a law wanted to protect small business construction companies it may continue to enforce the contract if it benefits the small construction company. 

Finally, where the contract's illegal purpose has not achieved the defense of illegality cannot be raised.

As you can see the doctrine of illegality is a very complex area, but with a highly restrictive application. It's nothing to worry about, but it's certainly worth looking into before you engage with any new contracts!

The major flaw in a young legal mind

This piece is available in audio form - can you believe it!? 

Listen here!

Recently I found myself questioning what it is that I love about law. For years, I've boldly claimed that I love everything about it, the good sides, the boring sides, the dull sides, the corrupt sides and the mind-blowingly complex sides.

However, I've discovered that I don't.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still in love with the law, I'm just coming to realise I don't love it all. Some may claim that this is the natural reaction of maturity. A realisation that law is as diverse as it is complex. No one area can be called the same for each were created to deal with a different issue.

Each field has its appeal much like various types of burgers. Vegetarian burgers offer healthy choices, but meat always seems more satisfying. Just like property law provides clear legal intrigue – but we all know human rights law holds the complexity that can only be described as the way your mouth waters when you see the juice run off a steak.

Some parts of law seem to sizzle with excitement and something in my brain can't help but choose it over other options. What's interesting is that I have never before considered I would choose one area over another.

And why not choose property law?

Who can deny the thrill of sending a caveat request or delving deep into native title to discover a real and continuous connection to the land?

What is not to love about intense contractual negotiation? Surely there is no lawyer that can't feel that warm-belly satisfaction of having both the best deal and a happy client. It's a rare combination but the drive to achieve it lives in the heart of every property lawyer.

So then why do lawyers find themselves not enjoying it – or any other branch of law?

I could give hundreds of analogies for where the enjoyment and deep-set love for each branch and denomination of law come from but it wouldn't explain what I mean.

It is not merely a branch of law I have questioned my love for, it is the traditional study of it.

In some senses, the study of law is not the law itself. The study of law often misses the raw truth about the foundations of our society.

For the study of it misses the fact that the law is merely concrete.

I am speaking in metaphor, where concrete refers to the dark grey, rough-edged and unattractive foundations upon which a house is built. The house is society and it is because of concrete that it can stand firm. Just like the law the concrete we know remains partly unfinished because there's always a chance of extending the house; somewhat unsightly, because there's no way to ever completely make it polished and mostly it does not carry the flourish and beauty of the house above it.

A builder, as a lawyer, will see the beauty in concrete – but I am beginning to question if the study of law can create people that appreciate such imperfection. Too often I have been taught to ask why there is a hole in the law.

Should it not be assumed that if there is such issue, it is open to interpretation? Do I honestly need another academic to tell me this?

As a young student of the law, I'd like to propose that the study of law is failing to build the legal mind. The legal mind must learn that law is not a solid block of polished marble which is the feature of a house. Rather it is the unpolished and unfinished block of concrete that holds up the house.

So what is it that I have fallen out of love with?

Arguably it is not a side of the law. Perhaps it is more a theology of law – I wish more academics openly embraced the imperfection and omissions of law. If we had such comprehensive documents not only would governments become overwrought with predicting, protecting and presuming but courts would lose their flexibility.

Is it not the beauty of the common law system, that it advocates for adaptability? Is not a national pride that our judges have an acute awareness of the need for interpretation when providing modern justice.

Is it not obvious that this openness to interpretation has provided justice in times of hopelessness. While easily overridden, statutes should not be a comprehensive source of law, rather they are a mere crutch upon which the courts rest interpretation.

I am no legal theologian but the more I study independently and work with professionals it dawns me that I have held the law to be perfectly created. Studies of law propose old law is overwritten with new law. But the truth is, there is no such thing as new law. Instead we merely refine and add to an old, imperfect foundation.

Students and lawyers all must realize the aim for perfection is not futile in law, but perfection in law will not come from what is recorded. Rather each lawyer must act as the mouth piece through which justified interpretation can occur. I have fallen out of love with calling law perfect – rather, it is imperfectly providing the lectern from which lawyers provide justice.

Lulu Hensman

The ultimate senior school/high school guide

Study Tips

a) Online Stuff

If you're a bit nervous about online things, then there are three websites you should try. They were essential to me getting through senior school. - Please do yourself a favor and just try them out.

Facebook

We've spoken a bit about this before, but I thought I'd explain to you how most senior students communicate and why it's best to build a Facebook profile before you start your senior years.

In my final year, we had a year 12 Facebook group, and it was how the girls set up planning meetings, practices, and organized parties. It was the easiest way for other members of my year group who I might not see every day let me know that I had to bring in something or lead a part of a meeting.

Even if you only go on it for school purposes and have minimal information about you, it's a good way to keep yourself in contact. Also, if you're ever unsure about what the homework is or need to get someone's notes, it's the fastest method to ask around the class.

Tumblr

Tumblr is different to Facebook. It is completely anonymous, so there is no need to put up a picture or name that's connected to you. The reason I'm suggesting it is because I learned a lot of valuable information from the stubyblr community.

#studyblr on tumblr screenshot

On Tumblr, everything is organized through hashtags '#'. Under the hashtag '#study', '#studyblr' or#studyspo you can find a wealth of information about websites and techniques that can help you to complete your studies.

On the image, you can see the end of a study post where the poster is giving tips on how to give a good presentation in front of the class. There's also a post where another member is showing the homework they've completed. I found this motivating especially when I felt that I was the only person in the world studying, or just wanted a reminder that my hard work would be worth it.

Screenshot of Kahn Academy homepage

Kahn Academy

Through this website, you can sign up with Facebook or manually through a form. It's an online site which stores educational quizzes, games, and videos. It has interactive and non-interactive components that allow you to learn from other teachers/experts without having to go and ask for help from your school.

The materials on this site can also teach you different methods that your school might not teach you. Various methods can be useful if you're struggling to reach the same answers as the other students.

You can see in the image all the classes I'm currently doing. You can log in and see all the classes that are available. I enjoyed the crash course history – but there are hundreds of courses and videos to try!

b) Homework

The senior school won't have as much homework as you're expecting. Unlike middle school, senior school teachers aren't interested in checking off a list of homework completed and uncompleted.

However, it's crucial that you do keep up with your assigned tasks. These tasks are paramount to building an understanding of what's going on in class and broadening your knowledge.

In senior school there are a lot of things that your teacher won't talk about in class – however knowing about those little extra bits of information can help to enhance your grades from a 'b' to an 'a.'

Tips (a quick list!)

• Listen to instrumental music not lyrical. Otherwise, you'll get distracted
• Write a list of /everything/ you want to get done, not just what you'd have to get done from school
• Designate a study area and set it up with everything you might need
• Skim read the related textbook chapter. Often the teachers will use the end of chapter questions in your tests- because no one ever reads them
• Set a study time and a nonstudy time – be hesitant to break these times, because it's vital for your ability to balance work and study
• Develop an opinion on everything that you do. Not only will this develop your communications skills but it will ensure that you look at every aspect of the subject to develop a proper opinion.
• Don't ignore any comments that teachers make. Keep a notepad or word doc up in class and write down anything that is important. For example; 'students pay attention to this' – indicates that it may be an important topic that features in the test

c) When you struggle with class

When you struggle in class, it's important that you don't give up. Unfortunately, teachers may not always realize that you're struggling or having trouble.

Instead, you might have to take charge. To do so figure out;

> is it because you're not understanding the teaching methods used?<

Sometimes a particular teacher or method just doesn't want to stick in your brain. And that's fine there are plenty of other ways to learn a load of information.

1. Put the information on to flash cards
2. Write the information into an article (like you can see on my blog)
3. Talk about the information with friends or family
4. Look for a video on related information
5. Talk to a head of the department or other teachers that you trust
6. Arrange for an out school meeting
7. Find an older student to give some notes or tutor you
8. Ask a parent or family member

Telling people that you're having trouble may seem a bit scary, but it's vitally important that you're upfront about how your learning is going. In the senior years and university, you're completely in charge of what happens in your academic career. So now is the time to learn how to call in for help when you need it.

> Is it because you don't have an interest in the subject?<

Unfortunately some classes are a trudge – but I stand firmly by the fact that there is value in every class! If you're bored of your class try doing on of the following;

1. Find real world applications for it
2. Find a news story about it
3. Draw a poster about it using all your favorite colors, actors and stationary
4. Find someone inspirational in that field
5. Figure out how you could use it in your future career

credits to tumblr daydesigner

e) Balancing

a) When it feels like too much

Lots of times in senior school I felt like I was facing a huge workload and then an enormous expectation from friends and family. It can feel like an epic amount of pressure.

However this is going to happen to everyone – don't stress! There are lots of ways to get through it!

credits to tumblr daydesigner

If you go onto Tumblr and search 'printables' you'll find lots of gorgeous looking sheets for putting in planners, writing lists or managing your time. I've taken a few screenshots of something I thought you might like – if you want them just go onto Tumblr and have a look – or you can find others of google images but be careful because they're not always available to download.

ai) Time management

A lot of people will tell you lots of ways to manage your time. Unfortunately, this can prove more distracting than beneficial.

Try the techniques that make the most sense to you but don't feel like you have to stick to them religiously! I've included a few websites that have helped me improve my time management but remember to do what works for you.

In the end, the best technique is routine and habit.

http://www.studygs.net/shared/mgmnt.htm

http://etudiance.tumblr.com/post/132244104798/the-pomodoro-method-is-so-important-and-i-feel

http://studyign.com/post/125463345667/soooooo-school-is-starting-in-about-a-month-for-me

f) Friends vs. School

In senior school social groups will change – sometimes considerably. You might feel the need to spend lots and lots of time with your friends to keep you little group together.

nothing like a meal with good friends!

Don't stress about keeping them close, yes they are your great friends, and you do have awesome memories with them but try to keep things in perspective. There are a hundred and a bit people in your year. That's plenty of people to connect to. If it ever feels like you're sacrificing part of your schooling to keep up a relationship with someone that isn't that interested in you – then drop it!

At the end of the day, you're not going to lose a friendship overnight, but you can fall behind quickly. Don't forget to spend time with others but please don't obsess over losing one friend or another. People will come and go the only thing that you can do is be friendly and welcoming.

Be yourself too – it was hard for me to get used to the idea of just being myself but at the end of the day I had to find friends that accepted that I could be sarcastic, obsessed with law and a massive Justin Bieber fan. It took time, but I did find people that loved that about me, and I know that you'll find people who like you for who you are too.

Lulu Hensman