New Zealand Law Society - Wellington Legal Gala Dinner Awards 2025
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We are excited to celebrate the support that lawyers provide to the Wellington city, community and its culture, and are seeking to recognise those lawyers who contribute their skills in countless ways.
To honor their efforts, and recognise the role of the profession in supporting society, we are proud to announce the search for our inaugural recipients of the Wellington Community Impact Lawyer of the Year and Team of the Year awards.
The 2025 Wellington Community Impact Legal Team of the Year may be awarded to any legal team that has made an impact through any of:
Philanthropy: planning and implementing a specific project in a volunteer capacity that has led to a significant philanthropic contribution in the award area, or
Support: Providing significant support to a charity, NGO, or other organization in the award area through contributing volunteer skills, expertise, and resources on an ongoing basis, or
Innovation: Creating or contributing to an innovation that freely benefits the community generally or the legal community specifically in the award area, in a way that enhances the role of law in society.
Note: The Team of the Year must have contain a minimum of two persons who are current NZLS members, and hold a current practising certificate (and may work separately or together) and who take an active and substantial role in the team (the eligible persons).The team can include non-lawyers and the contribution does not have to be the sole contribution and can be a component of a larger project.
Nominations must be submitted by 5pm Friday 25 May 2025 to Wellington@lawsociety.org.nz
Nominees must be resident in the award area which is the membership area specified in Schedule One of the NZLS Wellington Branch Council Rules, available at: https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/branches-sections-and-groups/branches/wellington/
Nominees for the individual award must hold a current NZLS practising certificate and be current members of NZLS. Nominators must hold a current NZLS practicing certificate.
The 2025 award period runs from 1 July 2024 until the nomination closing date. Activities started prior to 1 June 2024 can be included in nominations if they continued into the award period.
Contributions by an individual in support of the individual award may not count towards the team award.
If honararium have been paid, that contribution may be considered, however it must be identified that a payment was made, and what component of the role was non-paid personal commitment to the project.
Pro bono legal work may be a component of the nomination, however it would be beneficial to demonstrate other contributions for example, lobbying, fundraising, assisting with volunteer work, providing significant non-legal support (eg., financial or social support) to individuals or groups or other examples of direct support.
By submitting or accepting a nomination for either or both of the awards you accept all of the following terms:
Eligibility: To be eligible recipients must meet the residence criteria specified.
Non-compliant nominations: A nomination deemed by the judging panel to be ineligible, late, incomplete or does not comply with any of these Terms and Conditions or satisfy the eligibility criteria will be disqualified.
False or exaggerated statement: If (acting reasonably) we determine that any statements in your nomination are false and/or are considered to be exaggerated or unverifiable, your nomination will not be considered.
Judging panel discretion and decisions: We have complete discretion in determining Awards finalists and winners. Our decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into on the decision. However, if Judges determine that further information is to be sought at any time to assist with determining the award, from the nominee or the nominator, they are free to do so as they see fit. If any member of our Awards judging panel is conflicted or has an interest in any nominee, that person will be excused from judging the relevant nominee’s application.
Right to revoke or withdraw: We may publicly revoke an Award or withdraw you from consideration for an Award at any time if we become aware of information that we consider would have materially affected the Awards judging panel’s decisions.
No duty or obligation: The judging, conduct and results of the Awards process does not impose any legal obligation or duty on us or any Award sponsor.
Withdrawal or combination: We may (acting reasonably) choose to not give out an Award.
Contacting nominees: For an individual Awards, if a person is nominated by a third-party, we will advise the nominee that they have been nominated.
Submission and use of nominations: We are not responsible for any loss or damage to entries and we will not return nominations after they have been submitted. You agree that we can use the material you have provided in the nominations for the purposes of judging, conducting and promoting the Awards.
Sharing of nomination information: You agree that we may share any of the initiatives and achievements of winners and finalists as described in your nomination at the awards dinner, or in any promotional material relating to the Awards (including via social media). If there is any specific information in your nomination that is confidential, you must identify it as such.
Awards ceremony: If you wish to attend the Awards ceremony, you will need to purchase tickets to that event.
Announcement of Awards: We intend to announce the awards at the Awards ceremony. In special circumstances, we may advise winners prior to the Awards on a confidential basis, or make a public announcement prior to the Awards ceremony.
Collection of Awards: Awards must be collected at the Awards ceremony. If the Awards ceremony cannot be conducted in person, we will send the Award to each Award winner.
Photography and video recordings: You agree that during the Awards ceremony, we may record video and photos, including of you and your guests and that we own all intellectual property in such recordings and use them to promote the Awards without compensation to you.
Announcement and promotion of Award finalists, winners and nominees: If you are an Award finalist or winner, or a nominee of an Award finalist or winner, you agree that we can publicly state this and use your image and information from the nomination to promote and publicise the Awards.
Publicity: Award winners and finalists may be asked to work with us and the Award sponsors to help publicise the Awards and their achievements, which may include participating in publicity activities following the award presentations. You also agree to make yourself (or suitable representative(s) from your organisation) to take reasonable steps to be available for interviews, filming, photography and promotional activities conducted by us and/or the Award sponsor without compensation to you; however, we appreciate your employment priorities may affect the extent to which you can be available and we will work with you to achieve this activity to your satisfaction. All intellectual property rights that may be created through your participation in such interviews, filming, photography and promotional activities will be the property of the New Zealand Law Society.
No endorsement: Winning an Award does not constitute an endorsement of you by us or any Award sponsor.
Changes: We can change these terms and any aspect of the Awards at our discretion and at any time, including delaying or cancelling any Award.
No liability: We shall not be liable to you for any lost profits, lost revenue or any indirect or consequential losses suffered or incurred by you as a result of your nomination or participation in the Award process, if you win an Award or the performance of any of your obligations in these terms and conditions.