Interview with Morgan Robins, UNE Law Students’ Society
UNE Law Students’ Society is dedicated to providing its members with support and advice for UNE law students, and there is no doubt that President, Morgan Robins’ has been working hard with some iso-projects for the society!
Morgan recently spoke with us on how the society has remained close with their social activities via online zoom meetings, and how they have created some fun and education new events for their members.
What has been the biggest challenge for UNE Law Students’ Society and how has the club adapted to the changes to campus life during the government lockdown restrictions?
I think the most challenging thing that the UNELSS has experience as a result of the lockdown restrictions has been that all our initial planning at the start of the year for our plans have all had to be redesigned to suit an online space and come up with new ways to engage students. To overcome this challenge the Law Society has been in contact with other Law Societies to see how they are reacting to the changes and bouncing ideas off them to better our society. We also have been working on some virtual events!
What are some of your top tips in staying connected as a club during this time?
I think it is essential to have an informal way to contact members and try and stay as relaxed as possible. When the restrictions were first imposed, we had a causal Zoom session for the exec to just catch up and talk about how they are handling the big shifts we’ve all been subjected too.
The UNELSS mainly connects via a Facebook group chat and we hold our meetings over Zoom. We find this works well for us as the exec is easily contactable and having the video call meetings gives the allusion that we are all together.
What’s the best thing about being involved in your society?
The best thing about being in the Law Society would have to be the friendships formed with the other executives and the close relationship to the law school enabling us to try our best to help law students and provide meaningful activities and resources to them.
It is extremely rewarding to see events both educational and social that the Law Society run which have an impact on students’ lives, even if that impact is simply a fun distraction to the stresses of university.
Participating in O-Week events is also a great experience to introduce new students to the law school and university and have the opportunity to guide them based on personal experience.
On a personal level being in the Law Society, and now being the President has massively increased my confidence and has provided me with opportunities to increase my public speaking and networking skills, which I don’t believe I would have had the opportunity to do without the support of the law school and the exec.
Describe your study space
I am very lucky to have a very quiet house! My study space is in my bedroom, I have a big wooden desk that is surrounded by indoor plants and crystals. It is a very calming space, I have a big yellow chair to do my readings in, and the bright colour lifts my mood and has created a warm happy space.
What iso-projects have you been working on?
I have many iso-projects I’m working on, for the Law Society we are actively contacting legal professionals to collect a bank of videos, articles, etc, to create an online resource bank for law students. We are also exploring how to run a fully online client interview competition.
On a personal level I also have a number of iso-projects the main one at the moment is learning to roller skate with my roommate and reconnecting with fitness and art.
What do you look most forward to when restrictions are eased?
I am most looking forward to all my friends returning to Armidale and being able to see them in person! I am also looking forward to going back to attending on-campus classes and just interacting with people not over a screen.
What have you enjoyed about staying at home?
I have enjoyed being around my pets all day (I have two little cockatiels who love to try and help with whatever I am doing) and having the chance to slow down and have time to myself.
I have really liked that I have still stayed connected to my friends and that we are thinking of fun ways to interact whilst this is all going on. One of my favourite things so far has had to be running a TikTok tutorial for my friends to learn the Carol Baskin dance. You can imagine all the laughter and a bit of an Abbey-Lee Miller moment from me.
It has also been great to be able to be wrapped up in a blanket all day with how cold it has gotten!
Are there any events coming up with your club?
Yes, the Law Society has a few exciting events coming up! We are running online study sessions, we are hoping this will replicate the conversations students have in the 15 minutes before an exam when they are waiting out by Lazenby Hall. We also hope it will be a way to ease anxieties before exams and be a chance for students to get to know each other.
An Online Careers Fair/ Resource bank is being created as we speak, this will have information from UNE Lecturers on tips for study, their experience and how their career progressed to Ted Talks to a session by the Learned Crew on being an In-House Lawyer. The Society is really excited for this project as it will be a great asset for students!
A Client Interview Competition is being organised by our Competitions Officer which will be a great experience for all law students no matter what year they are in, to experience competitions, and get practical experience.
We also have collaborated with the Ag Law Society and the Law School to work on offering a research project to law students!!!
Community is everything – especially as a student. Connect with people who have similar interests or studies as you.
Follow UNELSS on their journey or see the range of Clubs and Societies here.
