Mission Statement


The Victorian Law Students’ Society is a group committed to addressing the issue of sexual harassment
and inappropriate sexual behaviour within the legal profession. Sexual harassment impacts an
overwhelming number of members of the legal profession and its continued prevalence needs to be
addressed. As law students we have a responsibility to our peers, our profession, and our community
to take action. We must speak up against inappropriate behaviour, advocate for change from our
institutions, and treat one another with empathy and respect.

This issue is not one which is easily addressed. It will not disappear overnight. It does not come solely
from one kind of action. It must be dealt with as a community, with a perspective of longevity, and
with recognition that it is a complex space to navigate. We are not the first group who has sought to
generate positive change in this space and unfortunately, we may not be the last. However, by openly
working together we believe this is a positive step toward creating the best conditions for our future.

This statement is a commitment by the student representative bodies of each law cohort across the state
to dedicate significant time, consideration, and effort to advocating and generating change around
sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour within the legal profession. As a group we are
developing communal resources, behavioural expectation guidelines, and event safety procedures to
ensure that every student who enters a law degree in Victoria will receive education and information
that is aligned and consistent. We believe that this will enable the next generation of young lawyers to
share a unified perspective on what is appropriate behaviour, how to respond to concerns, and what
we can each do as individuals to better ourselves in this space.

We cannot do this alone. Your student representatives need your help. This issue is too complex and
too big to be dealt with by some alone. Change must come from everyone in our community. We must
demand better of ourselves, our peers, and our organisations. It is the responsibility of every single
student to acknowledge the immense privilege that comes with accessing the calibre of higher
education we receive within the law. If we cannot stand by our own profession as being one in which
we are all fit and proper people, we cannot then stand by our communities. We must ensure our own
integrity to be accessible to those accessing the law through us.

We owe it to ourselves, to our community, and to the advocates who have come before us to do more.
Over the next year and beyond we will continue to collaborate to create change in this space and we
hope that you will join us in our endeavours.

We are committed to:
- Developing policy scaffolds for use across all Victorian Law Students’ Society’s and Associations.
- Implementing uniform event safety procedures.
- Providing resources and relevant support services information to students as needed.
- Working collaboratively by sharing resources, information, and advocacy.

These commitments will expand and be communicated to our members as the working group continues
their work to address this issue.

Signed by the 2020/2021 Victoria Law Students’ Society and Association Presidents.