Refereeing rugby from his teens at Auckland Grammar and dealing with stroppy sideline rowdies helped Tauranga Crown Counsel and dusty saxophonist Richard Jenson develop a thick skin and an eye for decision making under pressure.
Recently made an associate at Hollister-Jones Lellman, in Tauranga, Richard says refereeing – which he did up to premier level - is good for physical fitness, managing skills in conflict resolution and "dealing with people who may not be agreeing with everything you do…"
- Name
- Richard William (Richard) Jenson
- Born
- Auckland.
- Age
- 31.
- Entry to law
- Graduated BA, LLB(Hons) from Auckland University in 2008. Admitted 2008.
- Workplace
- Associate at Hollister-Jones Lellman, Tauranga.
- Speciality area
- Crown Counsel, proceeds of crime, civil and commercial litigation.
"There wasn't enough rugby playing positions at Auckland Grammar so they pushed me into refereeing in the 6th form… It wasn't on my radar at the time but I enjoyed it…"
"I enjoy the public speaking and oratory that go with it..."
Richard worked his way up to premier and National Provincial Championship B level, reffed a sevens tournament in the Cook Island and continued in the Bay of Plenty premier competition when he moved to Tauranga.
"It's a great opportunity to be involved if you are not playing… I've been an auxiliary official at Super Rugby games and as a player I would never have got within cooee of that…
"It's a positive kind of sporting involvement… You are doing a good job if no-one notices you…
"I put it on the back burner in the last couple of years after Rosie and I had our first child – Annabelle – in 2014, and I would like to step back into when I have some little ones to chase around the field…
"I'm not sure yet if Annabelle will play in kids' rugby…"
Since moving out of refereeing Richard has focused on running – mainly 15 to 20kms trail running events, cricket and enjoying the beach.
"When I graduated I worked at Bell Gully for three and a half years before the opportunity came up to come to Tauranga…
"It worked out I had some time before starting the new job, so Rosie and I did a nine-week trip including San Francisco, New York, central and western Europe and the UK…
"We made the decision that working overseas was not for us at the time but we wanted something different…
"Rosie's parents live in Tauranga but neither of us had lived here so we were starting afresh on something new together and have never looked back…"
Richard's wife is an occupational therapist working part time at the Tauranga Hospital burns unit.
"I read all sorts of things and being involved in our local church community I read a lot of authors around faith and how it interacts with the modern world and the different challenges we face in life…
"I enjoy Christian evangelical pastors Rob Bell and Brian McLaren… In areas of faith it is good to keep your reading fairly varied so you can get some different viewpoints and perspectives…
"Ben Elton is good when on holiday and it's hard to put down epic historical novelist Edward Rutherfurd – best known for his ten-thousand year storyline of Sarum… Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch is another favourite…
"I'm a kindle person now… I got one five years ago after my wife got sick of me taking a suitcase of books everywhere… So I have pretty much abandoned reading real books…
"The family have a holiday place at Waihi Beach and we like Hawke's Bay, Taupo and the Coromandel…"
A saxophonist in the Auckland Grammar school band Richard recalls one of the perks was band trips overseas to Sydney and Hong Kong.
"I enjoy listening to jazz, Pink Floyd and Handel's Messiah but I've never been a big music listener… John Coltrane is my favourite sax man… I don't play at the moment and my sax is gathering dust but I might get back into it…
"I drive a 2008 Toyota Corolla station wagon… With an 18-month-old daughter it's nothing glamorous but all functionality…
"I've gone blank when it comes to dinner guests… Steven Hansen would be interesting…
"I heard him speak about leadership, team dynamics and rugby and I'd like to pick his brain… Maybe also Jesus and the Apostle Paul would have a few things to share with Steve…
"If I wasn't a lawyer I might turn to teaching… There are a lot of teachers in our family… My mum was a teacher and her father was a former principal of Avondale College…
"And journalism interests me… I find the media fascinating…"
Richard came to law influenced by his uncle - Bell Gully chairman Keith Familton.
"He was the only lawyer in the immediate family and acted as a positive influence… I enjoyed public speaking and debating and people said the natural thing would be to become a lawyer…
"Now in a Crown prosecution role I enjoy the public speaking and oratory that goes with it…
"I wanted to have a role in court and do trials… I have always found criminal cases as they are covered in the media and hearing prosecutors talk about them to be fascinating…
"I got good grounding, excellent training and mentoring in litigation at Bell Gully and it is good to be able to transfer some of those skills over into doing Crown work…
"I think being a judge is an ultimate career goal… I am still relatively young and only recently made a senior prosecutor, so I want to hone and sharpen my craft…
"If the opportunity arose to go to the Bench I would give it serious thought…
"But for me there is nothing quite like being up on your feet and doing it…"
Jock Anderson has been writing and commenting on New Zealand lawyers and New Zealand's courts for most of his career in journalism. Contact Jock at jockanderson123@gmail.com.