Greetings Taylorians, old and new! Are you feeling anxious and overwhelmed about starting law school? Do you want to make the most of your time here but are you unsure about which societies to join? Or are you maybe an existing student who wants to become more involved in our societies? Well, fret not because the Lexicon team is here to give you a rundown of every society within TLS, what they have to offer and what might be most suited to you. And while you're at it, we'll link some insightful, past Lexicon Articles for you to read as well!
Taylor’s Mooting Society (Instagram @taylorsmootingsoc)
Taylor’s Mooting Society (TMS) is one of our youngest societies and was started just 2 years ago. Available at most law schools, mooting is an integral activity for almost every law student. A moot is an activity whereby students take part in simulated court or arbitration proceedings. Think of it as an opportunity for students to play lawyers - preparing and presenting arguments before a “judge” the same way you would in Court as a lawyer further down the road.
TMS trains students in the art of mooting throughout the semester, organising regular training sessions and workshops for students to hone their advocacy skills. They also organise competitions, both for beginner and advanced mooters.
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Being a part of the Mooting Society will also allow you the opportunity to attend external mooting competitions, such as LAWASIA, NAMCO and KL-Bar Moots. You will get the chance to attend tryouts for these competitions, and prepare alongside lecturers should you be selected! Membership for this Society is open to all students and will come in handy for you especially in your 4th semester, where you will undertake a compulsory mooting module.
The experience of First-time mooters: https://lexicontaylors.wixsite.com/lexicon/post/pumpkin-up-for-mooting
Taylorians share their experience at one of the biggest mooting competitions, LAWASIA: https://lexicontaylors.wixsite.com/lexicon/post/lawasia-mooting-competition-2019
Traits
Interested in Advocacy
Good public speaking skills
Charismatic
Quick learner with Good Research Skills
Taylor’s Lexicon & CRELDA (Instagram @taylorslexicon & @taylorscrelda)
If you enjoy writing, Lexicon and CRELDA are the societies for you! Lexicon is an online publication that publishes pieces (such as interviews, event reports, reflective pieces, informative pieces) monthly. You will have to audition to be a part of the Taylor’s Lexicon Editorial Board, where you will be tasked with writing articles monthly. If you aren’t able to commit to being on the Lexicon Editorial Board for a whole year, Lexicon welcomes one student guest writer monthly, so any TLS student can send in their submission through the Lexicon Instagram page.
Lexicon writes about a plethora of topics relevant to the students of Taylor’s Law School and is always looking to highlight our students’ talents. Regardless of what your style of writing is, or what your preferred genre is, Lexicon has a place for everybody. The tone of our publications ranges from educational to satirical and everything in between.
CRELDA on the other hand is a board that publishes academic articles once yearly. You may audition to be an editor for CRELDA, or alternatively, you may submit pieces to CREDLA for publication. Comparing the two, CRELDA focuses on academic writing, requiring full articles on a certain area of the law, complete with references and goes through multiple layers of screening before the works are published.
Traits
Enjoys writing
Creative & Passionate
Detail Oriented
A stickler for timelines
Taylor’s ALSA (Instagram @alsataylors1)
Taylor’s ALSA is a subsidiary of Malaysia’s Asian Law Students' Association. It’s among the 11 local chapters, comprising of other law schools in the country wherein its primary focus is to provide law students with a platform to expand their network outreach.
It organises talks to expose law students to the legal fraternity and Taylor’s ALSA has invited esteemed guest speakers to share their experiences and knowledge, which is particularly beneficial as these nuggets of valuable insights will help better equip ourselves with soft skills before entering the workforce. After all, kiasu-ness does run in our blood so what better way to get a head-start than to learn from the professionals themselves to gain a better understanding of the ever-evolving legal landscape.
You’ll get the opportunity to ask questions in real-time during the Q&A segments of talks. Curiosity, in this case, does not kill the cat. Additionally, ALSA isn’t limited to the legal sphere as it has recently organised talks relating to social issues such as Prison Talk and the Sexual Harassment Bill where experts in their respective fields provide real-time insights into the issues at hand. If you’re keen on expanding your horizons, ALSA might just be your cup of tea!
Coverage of one of ALSA’s many events: https://lexicontaylors.wixsite.com/lexicon/post/alsa-national-conference-2019
Traits
Outgoing
Like to network and mingle
Enjoy liaison work
Seeking big-picture projects ad endeavours
Taylor’s Legal Aid Centre (Instagram @taylorslegalaid)
Although access to legal aid may seem foreign in Malaysia due to limited resources available, the concept of legal aid is enshrined under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution that reads “all persons are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection of the law.” Concepts of equity and equality are often championed by us law students, so why not put our knowledge of black-letter law into practice by volunteering to those who are in a financially less advantageous position.
Initiated by the Malaysian Bar Council, the LAC is monitored by lecturers who serve as the bridge between clients and members of the club, who are in fact the ones providing legal advice. Whilst unable to provide legal representation in a court of law, the LAC offers legal advice and referral services to clients. Within LAC’s capacity, they advise on matters concerning landlord and tenancy, family law and employment, as well as consumer protection act and financial services-related matters.
On the other hand, if you’re interested in getting in touch with more contemporary issues, LAC has got you covered! Aimed at educating and raising public awareness about the law, their LAWeeks series, curated by the Street Law department takes a closer look at hot topics like sexual harassment, defamation, medical malpractices and fraud, as well as human rights issues such as institutionalised children and the refugee crisis by providing succinct information in the form of infographics.
One of the LAC’s Streetlaw Activities: https://lexicontaylors.wixsite.com/lexicon/post/legal-aid-centre-fundraising-mart
Traits
Team player
Detail-oriented
Passionate about pro-bono work (the law equivalent to volunteer work)
Interested in exploring the depths of procedural justice and substantive equality.
As you can see, your time at Taylor’s Law School has the potential to be colourful and full of adventure, should you choose to grab the opportunities that come your way. If you’re unsure of what you’ll enjoy, your first semester is the time to explore and discover what you like! Join as many societies as you would like, and get a little taste of them before you choose your main societies. Some students spend their first-semester being a jack of all trades and join every single society before becoming active members of the societies most suited to them in the subsequent semesters.
Disclaimer: Without prejudice, the views expressed in this article are merely from the writers’ observation. While every caution has been taken to provide the most accurate information and honest analysis, please use your discretion before taking any decisions.