Social Justice
The NDSLS Social Justice portfolio strives to provide Notre Dame Law students with the opportunity to engage with important issues that intersect with the legal profession. The NDSLS aims to help law students become empathetic lawyers with the ability to understand how they can utilise their legal skills to advance justice.
The Social Justice portfolio focuses on two annual events: The first, the Notre Dame Winter Sleepout in semester one, and the second, the Social Justice Lecture in semester two.
This portfolio's initiatives invite students to consider a holistic approach as they enter the legal profession. Students with a passion for social justice are encouraged to get involved with these events to gain insight into legal problems so they can become exceptional legal advocates.
If you have any questions about the Social Justice portfolio please contact our Social Justice Director Tahlia Blair at socialjustice@ndsls.org.
Annual Events
Winter Sleepout
This year Notre Dame Sydney Law Society, Notre Dame Social Justice Society, and the Student Association of Notre Dame Australia organised the annual Notre Dame Winter Sleepout.
Every human on earth has the right to shelter, as stated in article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
This year we fundraised for Kingsway, a grassroots organisation providing short-term and crisis accommodation.
Social Justice Lecture
Each year the Social Justice Director selects an issue that Notre Dame law students are passionate about and presents a guest speaker. The speaker will share their knowledge on the subject to help students explore this issue further.
Date: TBA
Purpose:
A. Raise awareness about the experience of homelessness by students sleeping rough for one night.
B. Students fundraising for Kingsway to help them provide essential services to people experiencing homelessness.
Date: TBA
Purpose:
A. Enable students to deepen their understanding of a social justice issue and apply this understanding in the legal profession.
Directors
2020: The Social Justice Director, Jasmine Robertson, organised the annual Winter Sleepout with Covid moving the fundraising event online, inviting students to sleep in their own backyards to experience a night of sleeping without the comfort of adequate shelter brings. The Director also established a connection between RACS, an organisation providing legal services to refugees and people seeking asylum.
2019: The Social Justice Director, Rebecca Saleme, organised the annual Winter Sleepout and a lecture that provided students with invaluable insight into mental health. Students learned about key facts surrounding mental illness, followed by a presentation on coping methods such as mindful meditation.