The elected representative body of law students at The University of Queensland

The UQLS is a student society that has become an integral part of the Law School at The University of Queensland. Founded by former Chief Justice of Australia Sir Harry Gibbs in 1937, we have a long and proud history of fulfilling the academic and extra-curricular needs of law students and the broader UQ community.

Since that time, the UQLS has sculpted the educational experience of jurists like Patrick Keane AC, to notable public figures like Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO, and to outstanding social citizens like Out for Australia CEO Luke Furness.

The UQLS is distinguished by the broad range of activities it offers, with the purpose of providing our students with the opportunity to gain valuable extra-curricular experience which compliments and extends their legal degrees, as well as creating networks that carry through to careers in the legal profession and beyond. These services and events are planned and executed by our Management Committee and Executive, of which there are 40 volunteers. In order to serve our near 4,000 active annual members, the UQLS operates across ten portfolios: Education; Diversity & Wellbeing; Internal Competitions; External Competitions; Socials; L Card®; Sponsorship; Careers; Sport; and Design & Communications.

Each of our services and events are designed to cater for a diverse range of students, and a diverse range of extracurricular needs. Our Education portfolio provides students with access to mentoring assistance and resources. Our Internal and External Competitions portfolios facilitate an exceptional hands-on learning experience through mooting, client interviewing, negotiation, and witness examination competitions, all with the opportunity to further participate in domestic and international competitions. Our Diversity & Wellbeing portfolio is dedicated to ensuring all of our initiatives remain accessible and welcoming to students of all backgrounds and circumstances. The Society also gives students the ability to further their professional connections through our Careers and Sponsorship portfolios by hosting events with legal professionals from a range of businesses and firms and providing support services for students looking for employment. The UQLS also caters to students’ overall wellbeing, through Sports and Socials, encouraging peer networks to grow so that students can support each other throughout their studies through more relaxed social settings. We also run an annual comedy sketch show, the UQ Law Revue, which gives our members the opportunity to be a part of an original play, written, directed, choreographed, and scored by Law students. Our satirical news platform, The Obiter, also provides students with a platform to draft articles which are shared with the wider community. All of the services we provide aim to enhance the UQ law degree experience for every law student and the university experience for our wider members, and seek to assist with the advancement of their education.

With such a large presence on campus, the UQLS has become a significant source of opportunity, learning and support for students across all stages of their law degree.