New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa, Christchurch

About the Law Society

The New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa is the professional body for barristers and solicitors in New Zealand. The Law Society regulates all lawyers practising in New Zealand and is the membership organisation for practising lawyers. With 13 branch offices throughout the country, the Law Society is the Kaitiaki (guardian) of the practise of law in Aotearoa New Zealand and the consumers of legal services.

About the role

Do you want to work with a fun, high-performing and dedicated team? We are seeking an exceptional candidate to join our Professional Standards department. The Lawyers Complaints Service (LCS) handles complaints about lawyers. Working in the Christchurch team of the LCS, the Professional Standards Officer (PSO) performs a key role in the coordination, processing, and investigation of complaints. You will be working with Lawyers Standards Committees acting as secretariat/investigator/legal researcher. You will prepare reports and draft decisions.  

This is a permanent part-time position working 20-30 hours (depends on preference) per week where the work is challenging, varied, and fast-paced. It requires judgment, integrity and resilience. You won’t do this alone, you will be part of a supportive team of professionals.

The ideal applicant will have the following skills and experience:

• The position is suitable for a legal practitioner with a minimum of 3 years’ legal experience or equivalent investigations and complaints handling experience. It would also suit a law graduate who wants to use their degree in a legal role but not necessarily work as a lawyer. A practising certificate is not required for this role.
• Sound written and oral communication skills are essential. Written skills must include the ability to produce concise, well-structured, and well-reasoned reports and decisions. Oral skills must include the ability to communicate clearly with committee members (both collectively and individually) members of the profession and members of the public. Complainants and lawyers are under pressure during the complaints process. Strong empathy skills are a must.
• Standards committees aim to work to strict timetables, and an ability to meet deadlines and to plan and structure your workload is required.
• Be flexible in the work you are prepared to undertake and help colleagues as required.
• Good judgement and a high level of discretion.
• Sensitivity to the demands of legal practice is required when dealing with busy committee members.

What we can offer

Become part of an exceptional team in a dynamic organisation, where the work is challenging and rewarding. Your development and growth will be nurtured, and your work recognised and valued.

It is important that the Law Society can attract, support, and retain quality staff and one of the ways we can achieve this is by offering employees the flexibility to manage their work/life balance. We embrace flexible working to support our staff to deliver their best and achieve a good work life balance.

Other benefits of working at the Law Society include:

• Three days Special Leave on top of the annual leave entitlement to use during the annual close-down period between Christmas and the new year.
• Flexibility to work from both office and home, with full working from home (WFH) kit provided to each employee, including an allowance towards the purchase of a WFH desk and chair.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) available to all employees.
• Actively fostering the development and career pathways of our employees, alongside a transparent performance review and remuneration appraisal system.
• Competitive remuneration.
• Developing a cohesive workplace culture across our organisation, including monthly morning teas and celebrating annual events.

The Law Society is committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion and is keen to ensure that appointments reflect New Zealand’s multicultural society. Applications from a diverse range of backgrounds are encouraged.

For a confidential discussion or additional information about the role please contact the People and Culture team recruitment@lawsociety.org.nz.

View a copy of the position description.

If you would like to apply, please complete the application form and submit this together with your cover letter and CV to recruitment@lawsociety.org.nz. 

Please do not apply using the Seek portal as we will only consider applications that have been made to the above email address.

Applications close 5pm, Friday 9 September.  

Applicants for this position should have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa.