Kirby launches TULS’ Public and Community Sectors Guide
A student guide to volunteering has received a glowing endorsement from one of Australia’s foremost legal figures, the Honourable Michael Kirby.
The Honourable Michael Kirby (Adjunct Professor in Law at UTAS) recently visited the UTAS to officially launch the Tasmanian University Law Society (TULS) Public and Community Sectors Guide.
The booklet is a valuable guide for law students on career pathways into the public and community sectors.
Prof Kirby also wrote the foreword to the booklet.
Professor Margaret Otlowski, Dean of the Faculty of Law, thanked Prof Kirby for his contribution and for launching the publication.
“Prof Kirby is a fearless advocate for social justice causes and he has worked for a wide range of not-for-profit organisations.
“From a faculty perspective, we wholeheartedly endorse the social justice direction TULS is taking.”
Prof Kirby said he commended the project and congratulated the students for putting the “very attractive” publication together.
“I was the shiest little boy in Law year one back in 1958 and I probably would have remained the shiest, but one of the pushy members of the group, Murray Gleeson, decided he would nominate me to be elected to the student’s law society and thus began my glorious career.
“I became a volunteer in student activities and became legal advisor to students whenever they got into trouble.”
Prof Kirby described advising a fellow student who was threatened to be sent down (expelled) after performing an orientation-week striptease, which had unfortunately taken place in front of three nuns.
“This is the important message you have to get out via a book like this: logic seems to tell you that if you’re doing things for others and not for yourself, then you are doing it at the price of your performance,” he said.
“But I think if you’re involved in things that are worthwhile, you feel good about yourself and you see a point to your life and the processes that you’re involved in.”
Dr Christine Beuermann, UTAS Faculty of Law, said the project was galvanised by the Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Lecture given last year by Andrea Durbach.
“TULS has a wonderful corporate careers guide but we didn’t have anything for students to look at the range of volunteering options in the public and community sector.
“Over summer this wonderful group of students worked hard, either putting together the guide itself or providing training so students can go and take up some of these opportunities,” she said.
“I’m amazed the students have time to study, with everything else that is going on in their lives.”
Image: Left to right,Lokesh Kashyap, 21, Madeline Sheehan, 22, Prof Michael Kirby and Theo Kapodistrias, 22. All three students are in their final year of their Law degrees.