Yesterday was the law society orientation. Basically they spend the day trying to get you excited about joining the law society and take part in their different activities. I won’t bore you with that, since I wasn’t exactly jumping out of my own chair all day. It was all the first year law students- and in Canada it would mean I would be among the youngest, but here there were mostly right-out-of-high-school kids. What I did learn about is what all the steps are to become a lawyer here. I guess the real reason these brits can go right from high school to law is because their 3 year degree is not the end (p.s this isn’t the course I’m in). After uni they have to go to another college and take another 1 year course in practical law- which costs about £14,000- and then hopefully get taken on for a year training contract (this is sort of like articling in Canada). And that is just to become a solicitor. To be a barrister (so you actually work in the courts) you have to do a whole other process. Canada’s 7 exams upon returning (before the Bar exam) aren’t sounding so terrible...
Today I just got back from my first lecture. I have to just laugh at this situation. We only had one today- and it may have been the easiest ‘lecture’ I have ever attended. This particular course- learning legal skills- is for all first years, despite which law program you are doing. So today this lovely Italian woman walked us through tips for law school(do the readings, stay on top of the assignments blah blah blah) and even had someone come in and talk to us about our textbook. Thankfully, after tomorrow’s second ‘lecture’, we just go to tutorials for this class. It will obviously be key for the program- it’s not the subject I’m laughing at- more that I feel like I have been transported back to my first year. There was a massive line after class to ask questions- I can’t even guess what they were asking about. The thing is- I will take this while I can, because after tomorrow I suspect I will be longing for these silly baby steps.
Oh another thing we learnt about at the orientation is the Pro Bono “extra curricular” programs. They have a free legal advice clinic type thing they set up- and while I know nothing that can be of use yet, first years can apply to do administration- which may be boring but looks great on your resume(and is essentially what I did at the law firm in vic!). The other thing is the innocence project. It deals with cases where prisoners have maintained their innocence through trial and even while in jail- and this group gets assigned two cases. They spend however long going through al the evidence etc and trying to find a way to prove their innocence. For both of these you have to apply by next week, and I think Amy and I are both just going to attempt it. Because I am certainly not joining the netball team.
Since the internet is out, I have no fun articles to talk about- but I do have a new word of the day!
mens rea: [latin: a guilty mind] The state of mind that the prosecution must prove a defendant to have had at the time of committing a crime in order to secure a conviction.
There you go- I hope the internet will kick in soon! To waste the afternoon, I think I will go for a stroll downtown and perhaps stumble into the mall… I still need some flat boots!
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