Dear alumni and friends,
It has only been a year since I arrived in Melbourne, but in that time I have been overwhelmed by the vibrancy of connections between the Melbourne Law School and the wider legal community. Over the past 12 months I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you at reunions, public lectures and events in Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong, New York and London. I repeatedly come away struck by the affinity and enthusiasm shown for the Law School.
This year, I'd like to continue to strengthen that community spirit by introducing new alumni-dedicated initiatives. In 2008, we launched the monthly MLS e-brief, which provides a snapshot of news and events around the Law School, as well as some special benefits for alumni. I hope you're finding this publication interesting and would encourage you to contact Alumni and Community Relations Manager, Elizabeth Warner, with any ideas or feedback on how we can better cater for your interests. If you haven't yet subscribed, please do so by emailing law-alumni@unimelb.edu.au.
Other recent initiatives include dedicated alumni seating at our public lectures; more reunions and networking events in each state and territory; and a soon-to-be- launched refreshed alumni website. And, with this issue of MLS News, we have reintroduced a revamped twice-yearly newsletter.
The connection between our alumni and students at each stage of their legal education is highly valued by both groups. This year, we are also launching a mentoring program for final year law students and we are thrilled to have 50 mentors already registered. Please contact Elizabeth Warner for more information or to register your interest in becoming a professional mentor.
I hope you find the content of this publication interesting and relevant. Our alumni are a great source of pride to all at the Law School, and I look forward to working with you on initiatives that build links between our staff, students and you, our alumni and community members.
Sincerely,
Professor James C Hathaway