2020 - A year like no other

No matter what area of the law you work in, the arrival of COVID-19 saw the biggest disruption to the legal profession since the second world war. Hear about the challenges and changes from the front-line across criminal, immigration employment and in-house practice areas.

New Zealand shows constitutional humility

In the face of the lockdown, the government took “the Kiwi way”. Dr Dean Knight explains our constitutional culture and how transparency and accountability in decisions made our response a public law success.

Tikanga in 2020: An interview with Natalie Coates

The Kāhui Legal partner reflects on the significance of tikanga in 2020 following her appearance at the Supreme Court to argue for a posthumous appeal of the Peter Ellis case to be allowed to go ahead.

The challenges facing the new Labour Government in justice

Former Senior Political Adviser turned lawyer Brigitte Morten says the most significant challenge for the government’s new justice team will be getting heard.

Law Reform year in review

During the year, the Law Society made more than 100 submissions to government departments, the Rules Committee, the senior judiciary and Parliamentary select committees, also appearing at many select committee hearings about Bills.

Adoption and Surrogacy

In this very personal story, Auckland based lawyer Annie Rakena recounts working with a couple going through surrogacy and then adoption to have a child. Their emotional rollercoaster of a journey reflects the complexities of dealing with legislation decades out of date.

Grief when it has nowhere to go

We go a lifetime of trying to explain grief and cope with loss. But what effect can our workplaces have in handling our reactions to shocking events that ignite grief?

Tania Te Whenua

Principal of Te Whenua Law, based in Te Waiariki, Tania shares her personal journey into the law and what drives her to advocate for Māori across a wide spectrum of organisations and individuals ranging from unions to the Wahine Toa Chapter of the Mongrel Mob Kingdom.

Māori values are the heart of our culture

Renika Siciliano, Executive Director of Kirikiriroa firm McCaw Lewis, talks about living and breathing kahurangi, manaakitanga, and kotahitanga as guiding principles in their practice.

Taking up Law as a third career

Social worker, IT entrepreneur, lawyer - Peter McKenzie-Bridle talks to us about his incredibly varied career, including his latest venture into sole practice.

Changes to Professional Indemnity Insurance Minimum Standards

The minimum standards for the level of professional indemnity held by law practices are increasing from Tuesday 6 April 2021.

Raising the bar on legal internships

What makes a good legal internship experience and how can employers ensure young people are getting the most from their placements? A recent survey from the Deans of the six law schools sheds some light on what works and what doesn’t.

Observations from recent AML/CFT audits: What have we learned?

The AML/CFT regime aims to mitigate risks that professional services assist with the financing of illegal activities. Independent auditors Neil Russ and Tracy Owen cover where law firms can strengthen their compliance.

Connection and Collaboration: An antidote to social conflict

We require connection and collaboration to successfully overcome conflicts. Paul Sills looks at the human ability to connect and key qualities that are required.

Obsessive and compulsive: How much do we really know about OCD?

Four members of Fixate, a closed Facebook group for New Zealanders with OCD, share their experiences and illustrate the challenges they face coping with ‘disorder’.

Bowing out gracefully from sole practice

Sole-practitioner John Swan talks about the duty of care he felt to his clients when he decided to retire after 46 years practising in Wellington.