New Zealand Law Society - Diversity, equity 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 describes the steps the Law Society is taking to develop a plan to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession. It includes practical resources relating to gender, te reo and accessibility, as well as information about the Gender Equality Charter and how to become a signatory to the Charter.
We are developing a plan with the profession for enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession.
Our annual Snapshot of the Profession shows that the legal profession in Aotearoa New Zealand is becoming increasingly diverse. As a kaitiaki, the Law Society has a responsibility to support the profession to thrive – enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion is part of this. We want to make sure the profession is equipped to evolve in equitable and inclusive ways for all lawyers, and to better reflect the community it serves.
We expect to launch the plan before the end of 2026. Inputs to the plan include:
We are also undertaking desktop research on leading practices from other jurisdictions and professions to help inform the plan.
For more information about this work, please email us.
The work to promote gender equality requires commitment and action from the profession across all sectors and at all levels.
The Law Society leads the Gender Equality Charter on behalf of the profession. This is a set of commitments aimed at improving the retention and advancement of women lawyers. Charter signatories agree to follow the commitments and report to the Law Society every two years (by way of a survey) on their progress against the commitments.
While the Charter focuses on women in the legal profession, some commitments are relevant to other aspects of diversity.
Te reo Māori is an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand and can be spoken in court. The use of te reo is increasing within workplaces and across the motu. Our te reo resources include a poster, quick reference cards and flash cards that can be printed and taken into court. We also have audio to help with pronunciation.
About one in six New Zealanders are disabled. Ensuring people with disabilities can access legal services or work in the legal profession is a key part of any diversity and inclusion and access to justice. We provide links to resources that help legal workplaces support disabled clients and employees.