Past Scholar
Tim Goodwin
Tim Goodwin
LL.M. 2012
September 2011 Report from Harvard Law School
The first month of study at Harvard Law School (HLS) has been rewarding and engaging. I am thoroughly enjoying the experience thus far, and thank the Foundation and Club for their support, without which I would not be here. I expect reports to be much shorter in the future, but thought I would use this opportunity to outline a number of introductory points.
Orientation
The first three weeks of study at HLS was LLM Orientation. The Orientation program was made up of introductory lessons in aspects of US law, information sessions on HLS services and assistance programs (e.g. loan information, student support services, health services) and social events.
The Graduate Program at HLS (who is responsible for LLM, SJD and other international students or researchers) ran an entertaining and informative program. The services available at HLS are incomparable to Australian universities. The entire School is committed to ensuring the welfare of their students is maximised and their opportunities after graduation are limitless. The staff at the Graduate Program is committed to assisting LLM students in whatever way they can.
My fellow LLM students are a wonderful and interesting group of people. I have made close friendships already with a variety of people from around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Belgium, France, UK, Ireland, Canada and South America.
Academics
I was assigned an LLM Course Advisor, Adilson Moreira, who is a 5th year SJD candidate from Brazil. Adilson was immensely helpful in finalising my class list.
In the Fall Semester, I am studying the following subjects:
· Constitutional Law: Separation of Powers, Federalism and the 4th Amendment with Dean
Martha Minow;
· Constitutional Law: 1stAmendment with Richard Fallon; and
· The Warren Court: Seminar with Michael Klarman.
I intend to study American Indian Law in Winter, and am currently enrolled in the following subjects in Spring:
· Political Economy After The Crisis with Roberto Mangabeira Unger and Dani Rodrik;
· Group Rights as Human Rights with Neus Torbisco Casals; and
· Law and Social Movements with Lani Guinier.
I have chosen these subjects in order to cover Constitutional Law, social movements, human rights and legal theory with a view to having a well-rounded subject range, and to ensure the subjects match my Long Paper topic selection.
My fall classes are wonderful. HLS Professors are engaging, challenging and analytical in a way that I only rarely experienced during my undergraduate years. (I should say that there were a number of ANU Professors who were as engaging during my undergraduate years, I do not want to be taken as criticising them!) The professors expect that you have done the reading, and so spend little time reciting facts and holdings, but focus on analysis and critical engagement. It is an academically liberating experience. It often hurts to be thinking so much.
Long Paper
I have decided to complete a Long Paper for a number of credits as part of my LLM. I need to submit a proposal by Friday 7 October, signed by a Professor who has agreed to supervise my paper. I am in the process of completing my proposal and confirming a supervisor, so will update the Foundation and Club on those developments in the October report.
However, I can report that I intend to examine whether the Australian Constitution should be amended to include a Right to Consult and Consent for Indigenous peoples regarding legislative and administrative decision-making. The particular right is contained in Article 19 of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Article 19 states:
"States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them."
The Long Paper will involve analysis of the content of Article 19, the impact on Australian Constitutional Law of an amendment incorporating Article 19, and comparative constitutional analysis (in particular, Indigenous Rights in Latin American Constitutions).
I have been assigned to an LLM Long Paper advisee group on Constitutional Law.
I have had a meeting with a Reference Librarian, Janet Katz, assigned to my group, who was amazingly helpful in assisting me in researching the subject matter and conducting a literature review. I have a feeling Janet will be instrumental over the coming eight months!
Extra-curricular activities
I have joined a number of organisations, including the General Board of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. It is a wonderful Law Review, which allows general board members to be involved in article selection as well as tech editing. The entire General Board discusses and approves all journal articles selected or solicited for publication. A short
piece I wrote for the Law Review blog is online at: http://harvardcrcl.org/2011/09/23/in-their-own-words-civil-rights-and-aboriginal-australians/
A Maori LLM student, Natalie Coates, and I have been in touch with the Harvard University Native American Program. We are attended a potluck evening with HUNAP next week to meet some of the Native students and staff on campus.
I have had the pleasure of catching up with Professor Mick Dodson while on campus, who is here as Co-Chair of Australian Studies.
Dr Alice Hill from the Harvard Club of Australia has very kindly been in touch and is organizing two functions, one with Menzies and Sykes Scholars and the other with the general Australian
community on campus, both in October. I am looking forward to both events.
I look forward to reporting on my studies and activities in October.
Tim Goodwin
2011 Sykes and Harvard Club Scholar
September 2011 Report from Harvard Law School
The first month of study at Harvard Law School (HLS) has been rewarding and engaging. I am thoroughly enjoying the experience thus far, and thank the Foundation and Club for their support, without which I would not be here. I expect reports to be much shorter in the future, but thought I would use this opportunity to outline a number of introductory points.
Orientation
The first three weeks of study at HLS was LLM Orientation. The Orientation program was made up of introductory lessons in aspects of US law, information sessions on HLS services and assistance programs (e.g. loan information, student support services, health services) and social events.
The Graduate Program at HLS (who is responsible for LLM, SJD and other international students or researchers) ran an entertaining and informative program. The services available at HLS are incomparable to Australian universities. The entire School is committed to ensuring the welfare of their students is maximised and their opportunities after graduation are limitless. The staff at the Graduate Program is committed to assisting LLM students in whatever way they can.
My fellow LLM students are a wonderful and interesting group of people. I have made close friendships already with a variety of people from around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Belgium, France, UK, Ireland, Canada and South America.
Academics
I was assigned an LLM Course Advisor, Adilson Moreira, who is a 5th year SJD candidate from Brazil. Adilson was immensely helpful in finalising my class list.
In the Fall Semester, I am studying the following subjects:
· Constitutional Law: Separation of Powers, Federalism and the 4th Amendment with Dean
Martha Minow;
· Constitutional Law: 1stAmendment with Richard Fallon; and
· The Warren Court: Seminar with Michael Klarman.
I intend to study American Indian Law in Winter, and am currently enrolled in the following subjects in Spring:
· Political Economy After The Crisis with Roberto Mangabeira Unger and Dani Rodrik;
· Group Rights as Human Rights with Neus Torbisco Casals; and
· Law and Social Movements with Lani Guinier.
I have chosen these subjects in order to cover Constitutional Law, social movements, human rights and legal theory with a view to having a well-rounded subject range, and to ensure the subjects match my Long Paper topic selection.
My fall classes are wonderful. HLS Professors are engaging, challenging and analytical in a way that I only rarely experienced during my undergraduate years. (I should say that there were a number of ANU Professors who were as engaging during my undergraduate years, I do not want to be taken as criticising them!) The professors expect that you have done the reading, and so spend little time reciting facts and holdings, but focus on analysis and critical engagement. It is an academically liberating experience. It often hurts to be thinking so much.
Long Paper
I have decided to complete a Long Paper for a number of credits as part of my LLM. I need to submit a proposal by Friday 7 October, signed by a Professor who has agreed to supervise my paper. I am in the process of completing my proposal and confirming a supervisor, so will update the Foundation and Club on those developments in the October report.
However, I can report that I intend to examine whether the Australian Constitution should be amended to include a Right to Consult and Consent for Indigenous peoples regarding legislative and administrative decision-making. The particular right is contained in Article 19 of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Article 19 states:
"States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them."
The Long Paper will involve analysis of the content of Article 19, the impact on Australian Constitutional Law of an amendment incorporating Article 19, and comparative constitutional analysis (in particular, Indigenous Rights in Latin American Constitutions).
I have been assigned to an LLM Long Paper advisee group on Constitutional Law.
I have had a meeting with a Reference Librarian, Janet Katz, assigned to my group, who was amazingly helpful in assisting me in researching the subject matter and conducting a literature review. I have a feeling Janet will be instrumental over the coming eight months!
Extra-curricular activities
I have joined a number of organisations, including the General Board of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. It is a wonderful Law Review, which allows general board members to be involved in article selection as well as tech editing. The entire General Board discusses and approves all journal articles selected or solicited for publication. A short
piece I wrote for the Law Review blog is online at: http://harvardcrcl.org/2011/09/23/in-their-own-words-civil-rights-and-aboriginal-australians/
A Maori LLM student, Natalie Coates, and I have been in touch with the Harvard University Native American Program. We are attended a potluck evening with HUNAP next week to meet some of the Native students and staff on campus.
I have had the pleasure of catching up with Professor Mick Dodson while on campus, who is here as Co-Chair of Australian Studies.
Dr Alice Hill from the Harvard Club of Australia has very kindly been in touch and is organizing two functions, one with Menzies and Sykes Scholars and the other with the general Australian
community on campus, both in October. I am looking forward to both events.
I look forward to reporting on my studies and activities in October.
Tim Goodwin
2011 Sykes and Harvard Club Scholar
