New Zealand Law Society - Diversity and inclusion
Working to improve diversity and inclusion is not only the right thing to do, but also critical to the success and sustainability of the legal profession. The Law Society wants to ensure that people feel included no matter their age, background, disability, ethnicity, gender, identity or sexual orientation. This section provides practical resources and advice to support lawyers.
We’re gathering insights from across the profession throughout March and April 2026 to help shape a new diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and action plan.
Our latest Snapshot of the Profession shows that the legal profession in Aotearoa New Zealand is becoming increasingly diverse. To ensure the profession continues to evolve in equitable and inclusive ways, we’re inviting all lawyers to complete a short survey. Your feedback will help us understand how the profession can better reflect the communities it serves and promote equitable and inclusive practices.
Survey responses will sit alongside insights from stakeholder interviews, research on leading practices from other jurisdictions and professions, and advice from an external advisory panel to guide the development of a strategy and action plan for the profession, to be shared later this year.
As a kaitiaki, the Law Society has a responsibility to support a flourishing legal profession – now and for the future. We welcome your views. The survey takes around 10-15 minutes and closes on 3 April 2026.
Te reo Māori is an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand and anyone can speak te reo in court. It’s becoming more common to hear te reo in legal workplaces as well as more generally across the motu (country). Check out our resources to support lawyers, including a poster, quick reference cards and flash cards that can be printed and taken into court. We also have audio to help with pronunciation.
The Law Society encourages all legal workplaces to sign up to its Gender Equality Charter. While the charter focuses on women in the legal profession, some charter commitments are relevant to other aspects of diversity. We have developed some guidelines to help anyone who signs up to meet charter commitments. We also have practical tools and resources for everyone.
Nearly 25% of Aotearoa New Zealand’s population is made up of disabled people. Enabling people with disabilities to access legal services or work in the legal profession should be a key part of any diversity and inclusion framework. We provide practical guidance on how lawyers can be inclusive of disabled people as clients and colleagues.