Student: Ying Chin (2014)

The UNSW Law Journal is completely edited, managed and coordinated by students – a fact which never ceases to amaze me.

About the Journal

LAWS3065 is a unique subject in that it builds off existing extra-curricular involvement. The subject allows you to take course credit for an Executive role on the Journal as an Executive Editor (12 UOC), Issue Editor (12 UOC) or Digital Editor (6 UOC). To gain one of these positions you must first apply to the Journal as a General Member – a role in which you edit (and edit, and edit!) in a team of inspiring, friendly students. Upon acceptance as a General Member you can nominate yourself for an Executive position. If elected to the Executive, you can then choose to take course credit.

Digital Editor

In 2014 I was fortunate enough to take on the position of Digital Editor – a fascinating role in which I was responsible for the Journal’s online presence. In maintaining the Journal’s website and social media accounts I was able to embrace my inner journalist, writing articles and concise summaries for Pre-requisite courses.  I became (possibly too) familiar with Excel while managing the Journal’s subscriptions, invoices and payments. I further liaised with UNSW academics to source recommendations for publication in the Journal’s Student Research Series on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN). As an Executive member, I was constantly involved in discussions about the publication process, constitutional reform and general management issues – conversations which allowed me great insight into areas extant to my digital domain. I also helped in organising Journal launches and editing events. Most substantially, I was jointly responsible for recruiting new members onto the Journal – one of the most rigorous and challenging tasks I undertook. I highly recommend capitalising on the course credit offered for these roles due to their demanding (but extremely rewarding) nature. I enrolled in my 6 UOC in first semester which allowed me space to adjust to what was a very steep learning curve, as I juggled learning multiple new skills. Fortunately, I was surrounded by a fantastically entertaining, supportive and caring Executive team who (frequently armed with baked goods and Tim-Tams) were always there to help. My workload as Digital Editor was quite varied, ranging from a few to many, many hours a week. This volatility reflects the largely self-driven nature of the position – you can invest as little or as much time as you need depending on what outcomes you wish to achieve. As a Media/Law student majoring in Public Relations and Advertising this was the epitome of my dream subject. You do not require a media background to excel at the role – only a passion for legal debate and a willingness to learn.