The Law Society’s new Central North Island Vice-President, John Unsworth, was President of the Whanganui branch until he stepped down on 30 March 2012.

When succeeded by Kathryn Crooks, he had served in that role for four years. His leadership of Law Society affairs goes back to the days of the Wanganui District Law Society. In fact he was the final President of the old district society and was on the society’s Council for a number of years before that.

Mr Unsworth was elected Central North Island Vice-President in April 2012.

John Unsworth grew up in Blenheim and attended Canterbury University before taking up his first job in Wanganui in 1984, with a firm then known as Horsley Brown and Co.

That firm was to become Horsley Christie, following a merger with another law firm in 1986. Mr Unsworth is still with that same firm he started with, becoming a partner 21 years ago in 1991.

It is not the only firm he has worked for, however. He left Wanganui in 1988 and worked for two years in London, before returning to Horsley Christie.

Mr Unsworth has a general litigation practice, which excludes criminal work. He is involved in civil, employment and family law. He appears in the Māori Land Court, and he has represented the Whanganui District Health Board in a number of coronial inquests.

He is district chair of the New Zealand Automobile Association and on the board of Sport Wanganui. He is also the convenor of the Whanganui Lawyers Standards Committee.

Married with three children aged 11-16, he continues playing football, now masters, having earlier played through the age groups and later reached the super club championships, featuring New Zealand’s top eight clubs in the early 1990s. He also enjoys playing golf.