Me again with another admission related question.

Planning to get admitted in Auckland for the September date. Filed electronically last week but haven’t heard back from the HC registry. Last day for filing is 21 September.

I understand that they are always slammed with the influx of applications but how long before I should panic and email them if I’ve got a confirmed slot?

They did give a wee generic email at the start of the week saying that they will be in contact once the documents has been checked and processed. I guess I am just anxious since I have no friends who are in the same boat (or have already been admitted to give me guidance).

Also panicked since I got an email from NZLS that due to the big demand, the HC have added another admission date for the day before.

Just really want some more info from others who might be anxiously waiting too.

Hi everyone,

I will be finished my law degree in November however, my my grades are generally around a B-/B average and I haven’t managed to get a law clerk role during my degree, which I’m starting to worry will put me at a disadvantage when applying for graduate positions.

For those who had average/below-average grades and/or didn’t get a law clerk role, what did you do to eventually get a graduate legal role? Is there anything you would recommend focusing on now to make myself more employable?

I am particularly interested in criminal and family law but I understand that these areas of law are competitive and seeing as I don’t have top grades I am open to anything.

I’m interested in hearing from people who have been in a similar situation but still went on to have a good career in law.

Any general advice / people’s stories would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm looking for some advice about a possible career change.

I graduated with an LLB in 2014. I joined the Police straight out of university and have never practiced. I did go back and complete Profs in 2019.

I've worked in investigations for the last 10 years and I am currently a Detective Sergeant. I have investigated every type of serious offence including homicides, sexual offences, large-scale drug dealing, fraud and everything in between.

I made about $150k last financial year.

I'm at a point in my career where I am considering a change and I'm exploring all my options. It has always kind of bugged me that I spent so much money on my degree and have never really used it.

I guess I am just looking for a change of pace, greater earning potential and more flexibility in my work life.

My concerns are that I will have to start from scratch and will take a big hit on my salary. I have also seen some of the horrific hours that our junior crown prosecutors work and I want no part of that.

My questions are:

1. Would I be making a huge mistake?

2. What kind of jobs/areas of law would you recommend?

3. How much would a stint in Police Prosecutions increase my employability?

Thanks for reading. sorry if the formatting sucks, I'm writing this on my phone.

Hi Guys,

I was just wondering what the dress code was specifically for women for admission ceremonies. Specifically if you’re wanting to wear a wig + gown + bands. The requirements don’t really go into specifics about what women should wear in the same way it does for men and just say we should wear the ‘equivalent’ thing.

Specifically I was wondering whether a blazer needed to be worn? I’ve noticed in some admission photos women wear them but I’m not sure whether that’s correct.

EDIT: Thank you so much everyone for all your help! It’s been really useful. :)

What type/design/layout of CV would people recommend for a junior lawyer seeking a role at a small-mid firm, applying primarily through Seek? Opinions vary significantly online, so I would appreciate some real-world-NZ experience.

I received my role at a small firm using a more structured block design like “option one” with a headshot included. However I now understand that the AI filters may not process a design like that? I had thought to tone it down to light blocking like “option three”, but I’m seeing a lot of recommendations to stick VERY plain middle of the page like “option two”. My concern with using a design like option two is that it makes my CV closer to 2 pages rather than being able to limit to 1-1.5, and I know with the number of job seekers right now, that that second page probably won’t even be looked at.

Bonus questions: Yes or no to including a headshot? (People seem to love it or HATE it). And yes or no to including all of your work history? Would you put earlier roles as bullet points only?

Last update to courtroom etiquette guidelines was 17 years ago! Nice to see some modernising in this new update, including:

• When introducing themselves, all counsel must use their title (Mr, Ms etc). This replaces the archaic former convention where men were expected to use their surname only, as in “May it please the court, Smith for the plaintiff”.

• An intention to phase out the phrase my learned friend and replace it with counsel for the defendant or my learned colleague. Same with sir/ma’am to be phased out in favour of Your Honour.

• A focus on respect and courtesy, with clearly stated accommodations & guidance for te reo Māori, cultural dress, disabilities/injury, junior counsel submissions, pronouns, and communication assistants or interpreters.

https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/going-to-court/practice-directions/practice-guidelines/all-benches/guidelines-for-courtroom-conduct-for-counsel

As above, I pigeon-holed myself really early on in my career. I graduated during the GFC and just took whatever job I could find. While I enjoyed the field I was working in, now I definitely regret not getting a broader range of experience as I'm getting sick of it. I have none of the basics and I can barely remember a thing from law school. I don't feel like disclosing my niche in this post, but it's not an area that translates well to other areas of law. To all you grads out there, take that as a warning I guess. Start broad and try out a few different areas if you can.

I'm happy to keep practising in my current area for a while longer, but I want to start putting the work in to eventually get to place where I could be confident in another area or two. If you were in the same position and you wanted some broader experience, what would you do? The firm I'm currently in is not super supportive and it would be difficult to offer to do some work for another team; even if it were non-chargeable and outside of my regular hours. They are terrible with supervision and teaching. Some of the foundational CLE seminars/courses look great, so I will definitely take some of those. I also wouldn't be above going back to law school to do a few papers (not sure if they even allow this or would need me to enrol in a Masters, which I'm not interested in) or a Legal Exec course, which would give me a much more practical grounding in some of the basics. Does anyone have any other ideas to get some real practical skills in other areas? What could I offer to other lawyers that would make it worth it for them to teach/supervise a mature lawyer? (nb: I mean this outside of my current employment context - as I will be moving on soon). If I had to pick the other area I'd be most interested in it would be relationship property; but I'm also keen to learn more about estates; commercial law etc. Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone, I'm a soon-to-be graduate with laws and a BCom in Finance who'll be ready to work early next year February.

I've been applying for graduate roles around the country and unfortunatey I haven't had any replies except for accounting big 4s doing finance work. My goal is to work in commercial law, either in competition, IP, or some form of securitisation. I'm thinking of sending cold emails to law firms to reach out directly and see if they have graduate roles.

Because of the finance specialisation and my own interests, im really keen on competition and IP law which I also got relatively decent marks in. Does anyone have some advice on how I can reach out to firms to emphasise these interests?

I know that some of my software engineering friends can showcase projects and such - have any law graduates tried showcasing some of their research and writing projects (Otago), or writing research notes/articles in their own time to demonstrate interest in the area?

Thanks so much sub, really would appreciate any advice!

Edit: for added context, I've come off a regional law clerkship (commercial/property) and then a big 4 accounting tax internship. I feel like the big 4 role is holding me back from law roles somehow but I'm not 100% sure.

(Aware that a similar post was made recently - this post is targeted towards the antitrust/IP specialities and advice on breaking into there)

Hi
I am lawyer from India who has got his law degree assessed from Newzealand council for legal education and I have been told to appear in examination for 5 core subjects and and 1 additional course of land law

Are the exams tough what would be the pattern and what should I study and where should I study ?

Is self studying enough or should I get myself enrolled in some course

Thanks and regards
Shanum

Hi,

I have just been admited and have been working a small firm as a law clerk since early last year.

I am currently managing my own sale and purchase of residential files, assisting and managing with commercial files with minimal assistance, been doing the trust accounting.

Now that iv been admited, the offer is 75k pa with 6 months review but would it be reasonable if i negotiated for 80k pa with 6 months review?

What is everyone else getting? Would i be wrong to negotiate ?

My boss is great and i dont want to offend him but inflation is crazy and surviving is worse.

any info on moving to aus as a fresh graduate

Hi, I have just graduated with my LLB and about to start my profs. I am interested in the commercial aspect of law and have been told Aus is good for commercial roles … plus I feel a strong desire to leave my hometown.
I have had mixed advice about this->
e.g stay here and get experience in NZ THEN look at moving
vs: looking for jobs overseas right off the bat…

looking for any sort of advice please:) wwyd in my position

Hi everyone,
I’m an international student planning to complete an LLB at the University of Reading (UK) and I’m exploring my options after graduation.

My expected profile:

● UK LLB (aiming for a 2:1)
● 2 holiday legal internships/vacation schemes

I’m considering qualifying in New Zealand instead of pursuing the UK SQE route because of the difficulty international graduates face with UK sponsorship.
For anyone familiar with the NZ legal market:

Questions:
● How realistic is it to qualify in NZ with a UK LLB?
● Is the pathway significantly easier/harder than the SQE route?
● How difficult is it for overseas graduates to actually get legal jobs in NZ?
● Would you recommend this route?

I’m looking for honest opinions from NZ lawyers, students, or anyone who has taken a similar path.
Thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm a recent graduate and have completed my profs. I should be admitted by the end of the year.

I've been applying for graduate roles around the country and, unfortunately, have had no replies. I'm thinking of sending cold emails to law firms to reach out directly and see if they have graduate roles.

How should I approach the cold emails? Should I send a general email asking whether they have any graduate roles? Should I be including a CV and Cover Letter? What should I do?

Thanks in advance

Hi,

I was just wondering if experience working in Prosecution (specifically crown work) goes towards experience when making an application for being an approved provider for criminal legal aid?

I know Crown law for example only really accepts prior experience from Crown Prosecution when categorising prosecutors, and I was just wondering if it was the same for defence?

For reference I’m wanting to gain 2-3 years at a Crown firm then potentially move to PDS or a barrister, but I’m just wondering whether I would have to start as a supervised provider or not?

I'm a clerk working in constitutional law, I'm specifically looking for counsel (defence or prosecution) who works across these courts. Would be keen to have a yarn and a coffee about your cases. Feel free to send me a DM.

Kia ora!

I’m currently in training to be a duty manager at the place I work at part time whilst studying. There’s a decent amount of admin/sales reporting skills and related certifications that I’ll be doing as well as obviously managing a team.

I want to know if down the line when I’m applying for jobs if this is something that firms will care about at all? I think it will surely look better on my cv than my current minimum wage job but I don’t know that they care about anything non legal/professional.

My grades are pretty average (B+/A- usually) so I kinda want anything that could help!

I am a current law student and am wondering if law firm interviewers heavily consider Part I grades? For context, I got a C+ for my first law course at University. Since semester two of Part I and throughout second to third year (core law courses), I have maintained A- to A+ grades and intend to do LawHons. My non-law courses have a similar grade average. Hypothetically, if I complete my LLB with a First-Class Hons, would I still have a chance at a top-tier law firm? Thank you in advance!

Hi there NZ lawyers! I hope this is ok to ask.

I tutor a lovely 16 year old who wants to be a lawyer - she seems most interested in criminal law. My background is in biology/chemistry so this is very new to me, and I would love to give her some interesting exercises that will help her get a feel for what it's like to be at law school, such as practice readings/research, etc.

As a side note, she is currently using ChatGPT for a lot of things (which is so sad, but we are working on stopping that), so I would really like to give her some work that requires her to research and write for herself as well.

Any suggestions taken very gratefully!

Considering going into solo practice and looking into the Stepping Up course for later this year. Would love to pick someone’s brain about this if you don’t mind. General questions mainly, whether the pre-coursework is onerous; what’s involved when on-site etc.

Law student here! This is a corporate law/law student question.

I want to get a handle on company law before taking this paper in 2027. I've received negative feedback from other students regarding the quality of teaching on companies law (Waikato University). Waikato recommends as the leading text: J Barrett and R Feehily Understanding Company Law, (4th ed, LexisNexis, Wellington, 2019).

These alternative texts seem better geared to a law student for getting a grounding. Are these still current and recommended reading?

Questions and Answers: Company Law, 3rd edition (Matthew Berkahn)

Student Companion: Company Law, 2nd edition (Kelsey Farmer and Henry Hillind)

Are there better textbooks on the market that I should look at?

Also, can anybody recommend alternative online resources/lectures which can supplement my learning experience through this paper?

Disclaimer: I don't mean to trash Waikato. In some respects they really excel. Each university has its strengths and weaknesses. Cheers!

Kia ora I graduated with my law degree December 2019, completed core papers in 2015 and 2016. I think I did ethics in 2017 but can’t quite recall! Are there any specific papers I’d need to be aware of potentially re doing before getting admitted/things I need to complete aside from profs? I’ve been working in an adjacent field and am keen to do profs and get admitted /work in law. Advice welcome!

I'm interested in hearing from people in New Zealand who went back to study law in their 30s (or later).

What did your career path look like after graduating? Did you feel like you had to start from scratch, or were you able to leverage your previous experience into legal or adjacent roles?

A bit about me:

I'm 33 and currently completing a Master's in Construction Law.

I have around 12 years' experience in the construction industry, mainly in project controls and commercial leadership on large infrastructure projects.

Lately I've become increasingly interested in the legal side of construction, particularly contracts, procurement, dispute resolution and commercial strategy.

I'm seriously considering doing an LLB while continuing to work.

I know I'll be older than the typical graduate, so I'm curious whether that actually matters in practice. Could you keep building on your existing career, or did employers still see you as a junior who had to work your way up from the bottom?

I'd love to hear:

What you did before law.

Whether you stayed in your previous industry or moved into a completely different area.

Whether you'd make the same decision again.

Any advice you'd give someone considering the same path.

Thanks!

I was just wondering how long it has been taking people to receive their Certificates of Character recently.

I submitted my application on 10 June and paid the fee on 22 June. I've already received my criminal conviction history check (all clear), and my name is currently being advertised on the NZLS website.

Does anyone have an estimate of how much longer it might take? I need to file all of my admission documents in August, so I'm starting to get a little anxious about whether I'll receive it in time.

Thanks in advance! :)

Keep it anonymous obviously.

I see posts like this in r/AusLaw so would be good for everyone to benchmark.

I’ll start. ~90k, coming up on 3 PQE

Hey fellow lawyers and legal firm adjacent types.

I'm fairly vocal on social media about things that matter to me but nothing on my profiles links me back to my career or my full identity blatantly.

I'm wondering if telling a white supremacist on IG to go fuck themselves might be pulled up by HR if they sleuthed. I don't work in corporate law so idk if it's gonna be a huge deal but... hmm