New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa, Canterbury Westland Branch

About the Law Society

The New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa is the professional body for barristers and solicitors in New Zealand. The Law Society regulates all lawyers practising in New Zealand and is the membership organisation for practising lawyers. With 13 branch offices throughout the country, the Law Society is the Kaitiaki (guardian) of the practise of law in Aotearoa New Zealand and the consumers of legal services.

About the role

We are looking to appoint a Lay Member for Lawyers Standards Committee based in the Canterbury Westland region.  

Meetings are generally convened in person or through video-link and applications are welcomed from the Canterbury Westland area. Lawyers Standards Committees consider and determine complaints about lawyers. Each Standards Committee is required to have at least one lay member and appointments are made by the Board of the New Zealand Law Society.

You do not need to have any pre-existing expertise or knowledge of the law but must be of good character and possess the necessary skill, experience, and judgement to make a positive contribution to the consideration of complaints and the Standards Committee’s decisions.

If successful, you will be expected to attend regular monthly meetings. In preparation for the meetings, we will send you information to read and consider. This is a voluntary role, although you will receive a nominal meeting fee of $200 and your travel expenses will be reimbursed for if/when the Standards Committee has an in-person meeting at the National Office.

The New Zealand Law Society is committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion and to recognising the bicultural foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand. We wish to ensure Standards Committees represent the society the legal profession serves and encourage applications from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Please note that if you have been admitted to the Roll of Barristers and Solicitors at the High Court you will not be eligible for this role.

For further information about the role see the position description or contact Valerie McTurk by email at val.mcturk@lawsociety.org.nz
 
If you would like to apply please complete the expression of interest form, application form and submit this together with your current CV to Valerie McTurk at val.mcturk@lawsociety.org.nz stating “Lay Member Application” in the subject line.

Applications must be received by 5pm, Wednesday 5 April 2023.