CONFERENCE 2016 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING July 2016 ALSA

CONFERENCE 2016 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING July 2016 ALSA Council

Motion That LSS’ who have not paid their affiliation fees who make representations to do so be granted speaking and voting rights Moved by Cassandra Page Seconded by Paul Melican

Motion That all Australian Law Students be granted speaking rights Moved by Cassandra Page Seconded by Paul Melican

Motion That all International Law Students be granted speaking rights Moved by Cassandra Page Seconded by Paul Melican

Questions Any questions for the President regarding his report?

Questions Any questions for the VPF and his team?

Questions Any questions for the VPE and his team?

Questions Any questions for the VPA and her team?

Questions Any questions for the Conference Convener?

Quorum Establishing quorum of Council

Motion 9: ASO Designate That Elise Steegstra is accepted by Council as the ASO for 2015 -16 Proposed: Albert Patajo Seconded: Lachlan Robb

Constitutional Amendment 1 Removal of Australian Legal Education Forum from the Constitution The changes that have been requested to conference, i. e. shorter and cheaper mean that the ALEF’s are going to have to change. By mandating the ALEF’s in the Constitution it reduces the flexibility of the Conference Committee to alter the agenda of conference. Technical Description Remove the relevant clauses of the ALSA Constitution and have them recreated as a By-Law. Proposed: Max Stenstrom (ALSA - Conference Convenor 2017) Seconded: Paul Melican (ALSA – President)

Constitutional Amendment 2 ALSA Objects, Clause 6 The purpose of ALSA and its objects should be unequivocal. This is particularly important for becoming a charitable organisation under the ACNC for tax purposes. Technical Description Amendment of Clause 6 of the ALSA Constitution from: “The company’s object is to pursue the following charitable purpose(s)” to: “The company’s primary object is to advance the education of law students by pursuing the following charitable purpose(s)” Explanatory Note / Further information It was said that it was strongly apparent that ALSA had been formed to advance the education of law students studying at Australian universities by conducting a range of activates. However, the current framing of the objects suggests that this is ancillary to our primary purposes and ALSA is therefore not classifiable as a ‘charitable organisation’. Proposed: James Zhao (ALSA - Vice-President (Finance)) Seconded: Paul Melican (ALSA – President)

Constitutional Amendment 3 ALSA Objects, Clause 6. 5(f) The purpose of ALSA and its objects should be unequivocal. This is particularly important for becoming a charitable organisation under the ACNC for tax purposes. Technical Description Amendment of Clause 6. 5(f) from: “entering into any business arrangements, attracting sponsorship and otherwise raising money considered to be necessary for the proper achievement and conduct of ALSA’s objects and activities” to: “entering into arrangements with organisations for the purposes of attracting sponsorship and otherwise raising money considered necessary for the proper achievement and conduct of ALSA’s objects and activities” Explanatory Note / Further information In order to make the educational purpose clearer, it is necessary to amend the objects to this end. It is necessary to revisit clause 6. 5(f) of the Constitution to ensure that arrangements entered into are for the purposes of advancing the education of law students and not for ancillary purposes. Proposed: James Zhao (ALSA - Vice-President (Finance)) Seconded: Paul Melican (ALSA – President)

Motion 1: Textbook Petition All parties who vote yes to this motion will be included as signatories to the final textbook affordability petition (see attached) so that the petition may be sent to its intended audience shortly. Proposed: Alex Bell-Rowe (ALSA - Vice-President (Education)) Seconded: Paul Melican (ALSA – President)

Motion 2: Mental Health Disclosures in Admission Letter ALSA will move forward in progressing the issue, by meeting, either face-to-face or virtually, with state and federal players, including the admitting authority and the offices of the Attorneys General, in all Australian jurisdictions other than Tasmania and South Australia. ACT will be consulted as to the approach in that jurisdiction. Proposed: Alex Bell-Rowe (ALSA - Vice-President (Education)) Seconded: Paul Melican (ALSA – President) Note: The exclusion of Tasmania and South Australia is based on the representations that the relevant LSS/A’s have made. States can be included/excluded based on the local

Motion 3: Flexibility of Learning Arrangements and Delivery ALSA will, in consultation with council, committee and relevant experts, develop a proposed best-practice guide to propose to the Australian Council of Law Deans and other relevant stakeholders, on the subject of flexible learning arrangements to ensure the wellbeing of students who may require flexible circumstances. This will be signed off by individual LSSs, in order to not endanger any part of the relationship with faculty to non-assenting LSSs may have. This will, similarly to previous project go through a research phase where submissions from council and members are welcomed, as well as a draft phase, where council is invited to edit, before seeking the final signatures of council. Proposed: Alex Bell-Rowe (ALSA - Vice-President (Education))

Motion 4: Indigenous Student Engagement Motion 4: Engagement with societies and associations representing the interests of Indigenous students. ALSA will seek to engage with relevant state and federal bodies representing the interests of Indigenous law students for the purpose of developing a stronger relationship with these bodies, and promote a better understanding of the issues that indigenous law students are facing. Proposed: Alex Bell-Rowe (ALSA - Vice-President (Education)) Seconded: Paul Melican (ALSA – President)

Motion 5: Access and Inclusion of Students with disabilities 1 ALSA will work to creating a guide, in consultation with council, members and relevant experts, for the purpose of establishing or cementing an access and inclusion portfolio, for helping to increase awareness of the existence of students with disabilities and the difficulties they face, and for developing practices within their own LSS/LSA that best account for the particular and varying needs of students with disabilities. This is subject to the same review procedure as above. Proposed: Alex Bell-Rowe (ALSA - Vice-President (Education)) Seconded: Paul Melican (ALSA – President)

Motion 6: Access and Inclusion of Students with disabilities 2 ALSA, in consultation with council, members and relevant experts, will look to creating a set of best practice guidelines, for LSSs and law school on how to best facilitate the requirements of students with a range of different disabilities. This will be proposed to the Council of Law Deans and other relevant stakeholders. This is subject to the same review procedure as above. Proposed: Alex Bell-Rowe (ALSA - Vice-President (Education)) Seconded: Paul Melican (ALSA – President)

Motion 7: ACU Intervention Council authorises the ALSA Committee and Executive to take such action as requested by the ACU Law Societies to support their ongoing discussions with their faculties, including: (a) Writing a letter; (b) Engaging in negotiations; (c) Making a public media statement; & (d) Any other action requested by the societies. Provided such actions are within the scope of the advocacy platform. Jointly-Proposed: David Orr (President Mac. Killop Law Students’ Society @ ACU North Sydney) and Mardi Grivas (President St Patrick’s Law Students’ Society @ ACU

Motion 8: By-laws Accept the by-laws as they are displayed on the ALSA Council Webpage Proposed: Cass Page (ALSA – Vice-President (Administration)) Seconded: Paul Melican (ALSA – President)