The annual Snapshot of the Profession in Aotearoa New Zealand provides valuable insights and trends into the legal profession. It draws on information held by the New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa as regulator of the practice of law and is based on practising certificate holders in New Zealand.
The 2025 snapshot shows the profession has continued to grow. As at 30 June 2025, there were 17,504 lawyers (lawyers who hold a current practising certificate), an increase of 2.9 per cent since the previous year.
Women constitute 56.8% of the legal profession, while men make up 42.9%. In the 0-7 years since admission (PQE) cohort, the proportion of women increases to 64.5%.
The Law Society holds ethnicity information for 96% of lawyers. New Zealand European remains the most represented ethnicity at 75.0%, followed by Māori at 7.8%.
For further demographic data and information about lawyers’ practice, read the full report.