beachbed asked: Its weird, i get alot of different responses from what law students think of their degree/ themselves in their degree. Interesting because i considered doing law. As i'm a Melbourne info sponge at the moment Do you know cool places to drink, that i must know about ?

That doesn’t surprise me. I’ve wanted it so badly for so long and I never really thought I’d get it so hating it is not an option. My only problem with Law, now, is that I’m not working hard enough at it, and that’s no one’s fault but mine.

I’ve been asked this before! I could almost have a FAQ page! I don’t drink out too often but I have a few favourites, keeping in mind that I have a northern suburbs bias.

For cocktails: Madame Brussels, Polly too in winter, or if you’re planning on continuing on to…

For dancing: the Night Cat, because I can’t club. Also ideal to take a particular other you might want to be cosy with.

For music: the Northcote Social Club (helped by the fact that I can stumble home from there).

But there are lots of places. I vaguely remember liking New Guernica but that was at the tail end of a messy night. I love rooftops so if it’s early or a quiet night I try the Carlton or the Rooftop Cinema & Bar, but any other night Madame Brussels has become my second home - it never has a queue, and it’s lovely.

Depends on what you’re after really. :)

beachbed asked: cool ! im at UOM. Im originally from Sydney (dont judge me), but now i live here! im currently procrastinating finishing a media essay. Whats it like studying law ?

I would judge you, hard, for being a Sydneysider but the fact that you’re here now gets you points. Especially if you intend to stay.

Studying law is… Not as hard as I expected, but it is harder to motivate myself to work at it than I expected. I thought I’d morph into a good student when I started Law but that hasn’t happened. We’ll see how I go at the end I suppose.

beachbed asked: Hi hows it going ! Im Matt. Which university are you at ?

Hi Matt! I’m at La Trobe. I love it.

Which university are you from?

A legal limerick

tangara:

There was a law student named Rex

Who had very small organs of sex

When charged with exposure

He said with composure

De minimis non curat lex

(via ali-chatoyant)

figmentmemoirs asked: Hey, the pictures from your travels are awesome! Id love to go to china one day soon. Ive also noticed you study at la trobe, I just graduated from there! and Im already missing the campus! I'm wanting to study Law this year, hopefully if I get accepted. Would you have any advice for me? :-)

Hey, thanks! :) It was amazing, and I actually went with La Trobe Law! It’s for their second year elective subject Introduction to Chinese Law. I had an amazing time, and though the subject only involves two weeks in Shanghai, I thought it was a good excuse to spend another month seeing the rest of China. And it was. :)

I’m sure you’ll be accepted! About half of La Trobe’s Law intake is from graduate students. I was accepted to transfer from International Relations in my third year with just under a B average. As for advice… don’t sit on tumblr putting off essays like me? I’m a terrible person to ask really. Join the LSA in your first year (I haven’t but I wish I had), and make sure you’re passionate and can try to be optimistic about what you’re studying, because a lot of it is damn dry. I wouldn’t be doing it for the sake of it, or just because you think it’s a clear path to making money. It helps to know where you want your law degree to take you. Sorry if none of this is too helpful, I’ve only just finished my first year of Law so I’m no expert.

Oh, and if a Chinese professor asks you to send him a photo of yourself… don’t.

I’ve never really given money to homeless people before.

But I think something about China, despite being completely different to Australia, combined with the knowledge that I’d have to get by solely on Youth Allowance of $360 a fortnight (of which approx $230 goes on rent) has temporarily changed me.

Tonight I saw a guy sitting in an enclave of a shopfront on Swanston St. I was drunk, my housemate having given me two or three shots of Bacardi 151 before we left (which I downed in about two minutes, never having had it before and mistaking it for tequila) and three vodka and tonics. The guy was selling watercolour paintings of the city. A young, very tall guy was standing in front of him threatening to pour water over all of his work.

“How would that be?” he sneered.

Being drunk, I of course said quite loudly that it wouldn’t be very nice, to which he responded that I should “shut the fuck up” and I think made some physical threat. My housemate told me to stay away, but she herself lingered, saying something to a friend of the harasser. The confrontation became a little more heated, the friends grabbed the guy and started to pull him away. I walked around him, told the homeless painter “I don’t have much, but you can have this” and handed him a $10 note.

I wish I hadn’t said that.

I ran down the street, found three police cars, was frustrated at the lack of police until someone pointed out that we were standing in front of the police station. I ran in, and though it looked unstaffed, a policewoman came out ten seconds later. I told her a man was being hassled just around the corner. By the time I’d left the building, at least two policemen were out to help that guy.

I love our city.

I took the NightRider home, but since my housemate was staying at her boyfriend’s I got off alone.

In China I was horrified to see people sleeping in pedestrian underpasses and in bushes between lanes of busy roads. So I was a little startled to see blankets move on the bench of a bus shelter when my approach was heard, then go back to covering someone’s face.

“Hey!” I said.

A man’s head poked out.

“I’m on Centrelink too. It sucks. But have what’s in my purse.” I pulled out my last ten dollar note.

“No, no! You can’t do that.”

“is it offensive?”

“No, no, but—”

“It’s fine. Have a good night.”

He yelled thanks and God bless “young lady” all the way as I walked down the street and around the corner to my house.

I had a fantastic night. If I can work for Legal Aid, or do public interest law or pro bono work, or something, when I graduate, I will be a happy girl. A million dollars couldn’t make me feel as purely good about myself as I do tonight. And if it’s for purely selfish reasons that I’m now broadcasting, fine. I don’t care. At least two needier people than I have benefited.

MR MERKEL: So this amendment made it clear that you had to be in detention on a full-time basis. So that is in the extrinsic materials. So there was no question if someone on parole or on home detention would not be caught by the disqualification and that comes out as a result of that definition.

Can I take your Honours next to Part VIII of the Act starting at page 122 dealing with -

KIRBY J: So Paris Hilton would now be disqualified, but last week for a short time she would have been entitled to vote?

MR MERKEL: Yes, your Honour, and she would have been entitled if she were in Australia and an Australian citizen to be standing here unburdened by the five-year point at least.

KIRBY J: I just wanted you to know that I follow these things.

—

Roach v Electoral Commissioner & Anor [2007] HCATrans 275 (12 June 2007).

What a guy.