InBrief

Call for lawyers to get involved

The NSW Young Lawyers Civil Litigation Committee’s "Day in the Life of a Civil Litigator" Program will commence on 1 June 2017 and conclude on 29 September 2017.

The Day in the Life Program was an initiative developed within NSW Young Lawyers in 2015. The Program pairs up law students, with practising Civil Litigators who invite them to watch a hearing or mention in court.

The call for lawyers is now open, and the Committee would like to extend the invitation to you and the other members of your firm or chambers. All solicitors and barristers that practice within the civil jurisdiction are encouraged to get involved. The program is not limited to lawyers that are members of NSW Young Lawyers (under 36 or in first 5 years post admission).

The commitment from lawyers is minimal, with a half hour meeting arrangement confirmed either side of a court appearance; it is up to the lawyer to decide how much time they can commit to the student participating in the program.

What’s involved:

• Select an appropriate upcoming court appearance for the student to attend and observe;
• Meet with the student beforehand to discuss the matter and provide a brief outline of what you will be doing during the court appearance;
• Allow the student to shadow you to court and observe the court appearance;
• Discuss the matter afterwards with the student, providing any additional information you are able to about the matter (subject to confidentiality) and the role you play;

The call for students will be announced on 20 March 2017. Once applications are close on 28 April 2017, the matching process will be finalised and the Committee will initiate contact between the lawyer and student in May. The court arrangements must then be facilitated directly between the matched participants.

If you are interested in participating in the 2017 Program, please complete the expression of interest online here by 28 April 2017.