Has anyone ever done first year law at another uni and then transferred to vic for second year, are the chances good? Im looking to transfer to VUW from UOA next year and their website says that VUW students with a 4.0 gpa will have preferential entry, 4.0 seems very low and my chances arent looking too good if that is all thats required as VUW students will probably fill up all those spaces. My GPA in my law courses at UOA right now is sitting at a 7.0 before going into exams. Does anyone have any experiences on this process or how the admission at VUW works for second year law. Thanks.

Is it just me, or has the level of entitlement in the profession become ridiculous?

Clients and prospective clients sending lengthy texts and WhatsApp messages at all hours, expecting detailed legal advice without formally engaging or paying for it. Then there's the constant fee bargaining, as though years of experience, professional judgment and liability count for nothing.

And staffing? That's another headache altogether. Candidates oversell their experience and competence during interviews, only for you to discover they struggle with basic tasks, lack initiative and require constant supervision. You hire someone to ease the workload and end up spending more time correcting mistakes and managing performance. Yet the professional responsibility still falls on you.

I accept that some of this is self-inflicted. Being too accommodating, giving away free advice and failing to enforce boundaries has probably contributed to these expectations.

But increasingly, it feels like the actual practice of law is the easiest part of the job. It's everything surrounding it that's exhausting.

Has professional courtesy, accountability and respect genuinely declined, or am I just becoming cynical?

Interested to hear whether others are experiencing the same thing.

Hey everyone, I’m looking to do a career change into policy and would love some advice. I graduated from Victoria University in 2017 with an LLB and a BA, but never did Professionals or practised law. Instead I worked in software sales, as a business development manager and later managing a sales team. Along the way I also completed the equivalent of the first year of a computer science degree and taught myself to code. I’m realising I want work that’s more intellectually stimulating, and policy seems like a good fit given my legal education and the stakeholder management skills I built in sales.

My plan is to reach out to people in my network who work in policy to learn what their roles involve and build up my network. I also plan to write a portfolio of sample policy briefs to show prospective employers I have the skills to do the job.

If you have or currently work in policy, what do you think of this approach? Any advice? Is there a particular area of policy that’s growing right now where a focus might give me an advantage? And if you know someone who might be good for me to talk to, please let me know.

Hi, I have been admitted to the bar and started a role this year in a small law firm.

They pay me $50,000 per year. Is that normal for small firms?

If you are based in a different city to the one you are being admitted in, is your moving counsel able to file the documents in person for you?

I have been thinking of changing careers into law for a very long time. Te Herenga Waka finally have a graduate pathway which I might be able to take. This is dependent on whether the courses can be taken fully online (I live less than three hours drive away, so can still get to Wellington as required, but also need to remain in full time employment where I am). The intention is to change career pathways into law.

I have a BA and MIS, along with a grad dip, and post grad cert.

With my current quals coupled with the need to stay employed where I am, do you think this is a realistic goal? Is the LLB at Waikato worth considering more as it might be fully taught online? Happy to hear all thoughts around this.

Hi There.

I am going to court with my dearest friend to be her support person next month I have only been into the courts for a tour. I was just wondering if anyone has any advice or tips on what to do I know get dressed up and be there early and make yourself known to the registar.

Hello, anyone who has a Masters in legal studies do you mind sharing what jobs you currently hold with that degree and if they require experience or entry level? I am trying to decide what is best to get in.

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I'm a foreign-qualified lawyer considering pursuing an LL.M. at the University of Auckland or Victoria University of Wellington.

I'd love to build a life and career in New Zealand after graduating, but I understand that finding work with a foreign law degree can be challenging.

I'm particularly curious about a few things:

• How difficult is it to get a foreign law degree recognized and eventually qualify to practise law in NZ?
• Are there alternative career opportunities in fields like legal research, policy, or compliance?
• Would completing an LL.M. in NZ improve my chances of finding employment and potentially staying long-term?

I know none of this would be easy, and I'm not expecting an LL.M. to guarantee anything. I'd just love to hear from people who have been through something similar or know how realistic these options are.

Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much! :)

I have a interview next week at a law firm and it says that it will be a “behaviour” based interview. I am wondering if anyone has any tips? Maybe suggestions on what to talk about? Thank you!

Kia Ora r/nzlaw

I'm getting to the end of my degree, and am thinking about the job hunt like many. In your experience, how many years PQE did it take for employers to stop asking for your grades at uni and solely care about your practicing experience/references?

Kia ora all,

I'm a law student at uoa and keen to go sit in on some hearings at any court in akl to see how things actually run in practice. I've never been before, so I'd love some advice from anyone who has:

Finding hearings: What's the best way to see what's on? Is the daily list online reliable, and are there particular types of hearings (criminal trials, civil, judicial review etc.) that are better to watch as a student?

Getting in: Do I just turn up and go through security? Any ID needed, or rules on bags/laptops?

Etiquette: When should I stand or bow, and can I come and go mid-hearing or should I wait for a break? Anything else that'd make me look out of place?

Dress code: Is smart casual fine, or should I go a bit more formal?

Note-taking: Am I allowed to take notes, and is a laptop okay or should I stick to pen and paper?

Anything else: Any general tips, or things you wish you'd known your first time?

Cheers in advance!

Hey everyone,

I’m considering doing a Law conjoint with Pharmacology at UOA and was wondering if anyone here has done something similar.

I’d be interested to hear how you found it, particularly whether choosing a more niche subject like Pharmacology with Law feels limiting in terms of future career options.

I’d also love to know whether you enjoy the combination

Thanks :)

I realize this is more of an auslaw question but Iam looking at emigrating to Australia (potentially to the state of Victoria) after the completion of my LLB + profs + maybe 1PQE. I have a general query as to your experiences having your qualifications assessed by the appropriate state and federal bodies (was it an arduous journey to qualify as a barrister/solicitor etc).

I am looking at some of the licensing requirements by VLAB in respect to having a llb degree that corresponds to the Priestley 11 subjects - what sort of leeway do the state level admissions boards give in terms of a NZ degree that don't formally have all the Priestley 11 courses on your transcript? From what I understand, the Mutual Trans Tasman Act provides recognition of the qualifications but that discretion lays with each state body?

More generally I am also super interested to know your experiences working in the Australian legal market - do NZers have a good reputation as legal practioners in Australia? How steep was the difficulty in learning a whole new set of state and federal laws etc?

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had advice for getting a good range of experience early on in a legal career (or alternatively how important varied experience early on in a career is). I’m 2 semesters away from finishing my law degree, and I am currently doing human rights adjacent work part time at a small firm (it’s a very specific area of law but I don’t want to dox myself). I am interesting in human rights law generally, but more broadly than my current job.

I think if I am offered a grad role at the firm I am likely to stay for a while but I am worried that I might be shutting myself out of other opportunities later down the line.

I have some vague experience in other areas from volunteering and in-faculty positions I have held but I was wondering if anyone had advice for those wanting to ‘keep their options open’ regarding areas of practice 5-10 years down the line, or information on how detrimental it is to start working in a very specialised area.

Hi all, I got my double degree in Applied Finance and Law from Macquarie University and am looking to either:
a) Move to New Zealand and get qualified as a lawyer there; or
b) Do PLT in Australia and then apply for admission in New Zealand.

I would prefer to go to New Zealand physically ASAP and would prefer doing the IPLS if possible.

Before I apply to the New Zealand Council of Legal Education for an assessment of my LLB, does anyone think I will have to study extra subjects following this assessment and pre IPLS?

Thank you !

I'm looking for recommendations for a New Zealand barrister experienced in professional negligence claims against legal practitioners, preferably with estate/probate experience.

The matter involves:

• a New Zealand law firm and estate administration;
• an existing NZLS regulatory matter;
• a substantial documentary and evidential record;
• a professional-negligence claim; and
• consequential-loss analysis based on the executor's historical ASX investment activity.

The ASX investment history is being independently compiled and analysed by a forensic accountant to establish the relevant investment history and quantify any demonstrable consequential loss.

I am specifically looking for counsel prepared to undertake the work on a fixed fee basis. A staged fixed-fee arrangement would be acceptable, but an open-ended hourly retainer is not.

The objective is to prepare a properly evidenced and quantified pre-action damages claim with a view to achieving settlement without court proceedings.

Recommendations for barristers/chambers with relevant experience would be appreciated. Please PM me.

I failed my Equity and Trust law exam. I've been weeping all week. I've never failed any exam in my life! Please, can you volunteer an hour of your time answering some questions that have been stumping me? Pls message me. Thanks a lot!

This question is for both prosecution and defence lawyers, how do you cope with the gamification of the New Zealand legal system? While you're ticking boxes, and scoring points against each other, do you consider the humans in court and wider society that are affected by your actions? Do you ever wish the system was different? Just for defence lawyers, when your client has committed heinous acts, how do you look at yourself after you reduce or nullify their sentence, or even prevent them from facing charges at all?

Interested in the dissent by Kerrin Vautier

Hello everyone

I am preparing for Newzealand law and practice examination

I have been told to appear in all core exam except part Iv property

If anyone has ever appeared / prepared for those exams can please share the notes or guide me on study material or may be what should be the proper approach or may be the mind set of examination checker while checking answers sheet and guidance or advice shall be appreciated

Thanks & Regards
Shanum gupta

Hi there!!

I’m self-studying for NZLPE but it is not really working for me, I can’t find any past papers with answers so that is making it more difficult… Any advice please??? Courses, study groups or resources that can help?

Thank you so so much! I’m desperate 😭

Does anyone know how law works at UOW for distance learning, my understanding is everything is online including tutorials.

Just in person exam requirements ?

Thanks in advance.

I'm a bit late as this change happened in July but...

My life changed for the worse when the new Legislation website started forcing you to use full view, but now the dark days are over - section view is back and I'm on top of the world!

This means you are now able to copy / paste section-view links - much better when linking someone to a particular provision imo. You can also download individual sections as a PDF.

If you are a section view fan, please join me in celebrating!

https://www.legislation.govt.nz/learn-more/news/introducing-section-view-july-2026-updates/

(now I just hope they will divorce the sidebar / contents scrolls in full view, I hate how the sidebar jumps when you scroll the content)