Steven Price is a barrister and adjunct lecturer at Victoria University’s Faculty of Law. Having extensive experience both as a lawyer and journalist, he specialises in media law and has hosted TVNZ's Court Report, worked as a lawyer for Fair Go and more recently he assisted writer Nicky Hager around the onslaught of defamation claims.

Why did you choose law as a career?

I decided I would enjoy persuading juries with the brilliance of my oratory to award vast sums in damages to innocent and good-looking victims of evil wrong-doers, like they did on LA Law.

Do you still feel that way?

Not so much.

What is the one thing that has given you most satisfaction in your career?

Vetting and defending the works of Nicky Hager against a variety of legal (and potential legal) challenges.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as a lawyer?

Persuading the Supreme Court to accept that the free speech guarantee in the Bill of Rights meant that a flag-burner at an Anzac Day dawn ceremony was not guilty of offensive behaviour.

What advice would you give to someone considering studying law?

Learn to use the apostrophe. The legal world is full of pedants like me.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing New Zealand lawyers?

I find it hard to think past climate change as the biggest challenge facing everyone.

What do you enjoy doing outside lawyering?

Reading, listening to podcasts, deriving absurd vicarious satisfaction from All Blacks’ successes, and of course bibbling with my partner and young son Norte.

What music do you listen to?

Lots. Lately, the Blue Nile, Bon Iver, Indigo Girls.

What are you reading at the moment?

Several things on the go: Heat: How we can stop the planet burning (George Monbiot); Media Freedom under the Human Rights Act (Fenwick and Phillipson); Baby Love (Robin Barker): Pride and Prejudice (Austen).

The best movie and TV shows I’ve seen are…

Deadwood, The West Wing, The Wire. You must watch them all immediately.