The Public Interest Law Network and Indigenous Law and Justice Hub are proud to present Unlocking Justice – A Decarceration Symposium on the evening of August 20th.

Through a keynote and panel discussion, attendees are invited to engage with and critically reflect upon the theoretical and practical dimensions of decarceration within settler law. How does decarceration necessitate rethinking the role and responsibilities of those working with and within the settler justice system?

Join us at 5:15pm Tuesday 20th August for welcome drinks and nibbles provided by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s catering service. Formal proceedings begin at 6pm sharp and we encourage attendees to come early to ensure you get a good seat.

Unlocking Justice brings together multidisciplinary leading thinkers and actors in decarceration in Australia.

KEYNOTE:
We are thrilled to be welcoming Debbie Kilroy OAM as our keynote speaker for the evening.
Debbie was first criminalised at the age of 13 and spent over two decades in and out of women’s and children’s prisons. Driven to end the criminalisation and imprisonment of girls and women. Debbie established Sisters Inside, as well as her law firm, Kilroy & Callaghan Lawyers. An unapologetic abolitionist, Debbie’s activism work centres on dismantling the Prison Industrial Complex and all forms of carceral control and exile. With a firm belief that there should be ‘nothing about us without us’, Debbie established the National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls to centre the voices, experiences and aspirations of criminalised and imprisoned women and girls in order to change the face of justice in this country.

ARTWORK:
The featured artwork is 'Travels of Time #2' by Ranga, a Latje Latje/Mutti Mutti artist. "Each step we take leads us to a new pathway to our future. Some may lead us back, but it is up to us to find a solution to stay on track." This artwork has been licenced through the Torch.

Tickets via the link below!
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/unlocking-justice-a-decarceration-symposium-tickets-964289063547?aff=oddtdtcreator

Join PILN on Tuesday 13 August in the Student Enrichment Centre (Law Building) to watch and discuss the 2018 Four Corners episode 'Backing Bourke: An outback town's bold experiment to save its young people from a life of crime'. This 45-minute episode follow's Bourke's bold justice reinvestment program whereby money is shifted out of prisons and into community.

Whilst discussions of criminalisation are rife in our legal education, there is a lack of conversations surrounding alternative criminal justice models. PILN is aiming to fill that gap. This workshop is intended to provide some context to decarceration as an alternative to the current carceral model in Australia. It is a precursor to our upcoming event Unlocking Justice – A Decarceration Symposium, on the evening of August 20th. We hope that you will join us on August 13th to discuss what decarceration could look like in Australia in preparation for this groundbreaking event.

As always, free bevvies and food are provided!

Register via the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1VGiL0GUsoiGeIFH0CiEhoSR9naKke-tAyqE6DMz4rlk/edit?fbclid=IwY2xjawEiNBpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHX1yvLCcf9cYwPTonTPRMwF0kCjATXefrzca_NDz1ScpydaKCY2BSrKbiw_aem_zfwdiK9qivg6SZ_cNcc7sw

On Wednesday 8 May at 6:00 pm in the Student Enrichment Centre (Law Building) we will be joined by Dr Erin O'Donnell, a water law and policy expert and senior lecturer at Melbourne Law School. PILN is proud to present PIPS#4: Making Change: Working with Communities on Water Justice.

At this workshop, Dr O'Donnell will be sharing with us the work she has done with governments and in academic institutions. We will be diving into the possibilities of attributing legal personhood to rivers, and gain an understanding of how the settler law and state might better recognising First Nations water rights. As a legal professional, what does it look like to work meaningfully alongside communities? Our workshop component considers the practical skills needed to engage with relevant stakeholders, develop proposals and advocate for their implementation.
As always, free bevvies and food are provided!

Register here to come along: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScgwwpxZALr.../viewform

This event is proudly supported by the MULSS ESJ portfolio.

On Wednesday 24 April at 6:00 pm in the Student Enrichment Centre (Mezzanine, Law Building) we will be joined by Agata Nabaglo and Paige Santelli from Tenants Victoria to dive into the side of property law we don't get to cover in class.

In this session, we will hear all about the work that Tenants Victoria do to support renters – from applications, to repairs, notices of eviction and everything in between. You'll be guided through some key provisions from the Residential Tenancy Act, and gain a practical understanding of what it’s like to support a client who is experiencing issues as a tenant. We will explore how to interview clients empathetically and effectively, spot the issues they are experiencing, and help them complete the necessary legal documents to resolve them.

Who knows, maybe you'll even pick up some tips to take home to your sharehouse or family!? As always, free bevvies and food will be provided!

Register here to come along: https://forms.gle/EAWkxSuLbdJCh2pF8

This event is proudly supported by the MULSS ESJ portfolio.

On Wednesday 10th April at 6:00 pm in the Student Enrichment Centre (Law Building) we will be joined by Elle Triantafillou and Ovi Rajashinghe from the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service! Elle is a solicitor with Wirraway (Police and Prison Accountability Practice) and Ovi practices with specialised youth program Balit Ngulu.

The workshop will focus on the skills needed to defend clients against criminal charges on the basis of police misconduct as well as discussing how civil litigation can be used as a mechanism for police accountability after a criminal matter has concluded. We will delve into specific areas such as police powers of entry and arrest, elements for the defence of unlawful arrest, and factors for clients to weigh up when determining whether to pursue a civil claim against police. If you're hoping to pursue a career in social justice, and are tossing up between practising civil or criminal law, this is the workshop for you!

As always, free bevvies and food will be provided!

You can sign up to secure your attendance here: https://forms.gle/TYR8cWUDhtQZnrgN6

This event is proudly supported by the MULSS ESJ portfolio

The high rates of stress and anxiety experienced by members of the legal profession are well documented, with the culture of overwork and stress often beginning in law school.

Law students and lawyers are often motivated to engage in social justice work because they care – but this same quality can leave them open to higher rates of experiencing vicarious trauma and burnout. So what can we do to make sure we have the support systems in place to ensure we can bring about meaningful change for the better?

The HR Community & PILN are proud to host Katie Robertson (she/her) and Amelia Walters (she/her) who bring together two diverse yet complementary perspectives on mental wellbeing in the law and will provide real world examples and practical tips for equipping future human rights lawyers to be their best.

Bring your lunch along THIS TUESDAY (9th April) 1-2PM and to join this urgent conversation about wellbeing in human rights law spaces.

On Tuesday 26th March at 6:00 pm in the Law Building (room 317) we will be joined by the incredible Tara Suamba (they/them) and Kelly Cassidy (she/they/he)!

Tara and Kelly are currently lawyering at Q+Law - a free state-wide legal clinic for all individuals who identify as part of LGBTIQA+ communities.

The workshop will focus on soft skills for effectively working with queer individuals in the legal system. Specific areas such as misidentification in family violence cases and the application of practice areas to cisgender versus transgender individuals, as well as heterosexual versus queer couples, will be covered.

Discussions will address examples of both direct and indirect discrimination, including examples of policies that may disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ individuals. Practical exercises will emphasise communication with queer clients and the importance of avoiding assumptions based on heteronormative values.

As always, free bevvies and food from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre will be provided!

This event is proudly supported by the MULSS ESJ portfolio.

Please register your attendance through the link below:
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSdYvFH04An8Y0.../viewform

ll students are invited to the first of the Indigenous Law and Justice Hub’s White Noise events for 2024! We will be joined by Tim Goodwin, a leading barrister and Yuin man in a live podcast recording discussing truth telling and reallocation of public power with our Host, Dr Eddie Cubillo. 

White Noise is the Hub’s hallmark event and podcast series, bringing blak excellence to MLS. It is a chance to really engage with leading Indigenous academics, legal practitioners and community members in conversation for a look at how the white settler law of the justice system continues to impact Indigenous peoples.

Tim Goodwin is a barrister at the Victorian Bar and a member of the Hub Advisory Group. Tim practices primarily in commercial and public law. Tim was one of the Junior Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory and is currently Junior Counsel Assisting the Yoorrook Truth-telling Royal Commission in Victoria. 

Date & time: Thursday 14 March 2024 | 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Location: Law G08, Law Building (106), Ground Floor, 185 Pelham Street, Carlton, VIC