New Zealand Law Students' Association

About

The NZLSA is the parent body of the six on-campus Law Student Societies in New Zealand.

Story

The NZLSA is the parent body of the six on-campus Law Student Societies in New Zealand and is charged with the responsibility of coordinating the activities of these six societies. Upon enrolling as a law student, a student automatically becomes a member of the NZLSA. In this way, the NZLSA is the national body representing the interests of all law students throughout New Zealand.

Firstly, the NZLSA provides the six Law Student Societies with guidance on the successful administration of an LSS. This is particularly important as many of the officers of an LSS’s executive change from year-to-year.

Secondly, the NZLSA provides a united voice on matters that affect all law students. To this end, the NZLSA nominates two representatives to sit on the Council of Legal Education. In addition to sitting on the Council, the NZLSA also promotes the interests of law students by making submissions to various bodies involved in making policies that affect law students.

Thirdly, the NZLSA provides a number of other useful services for law students. For example, the NZLSA negotiates on behalf of the five on-campus societies with the law firms that sponsor the four legal competitions held on each campus. In addition, and in keeping with the competitions theme, the NZLSA holds an annual conference which provides the five LSS competition champions with the opportunity to compete for the national titles in mooting, witness examination, client interviewing and negotiation.

The annual conference also provides a valuable opportunity for the members of the NZLSA Council to meet and discuss the year’s activities. The Council only has the opportunity to meet in this way three times a year and so these occasions provide important opportunities for the exchange of information between on-campus societies and the national executive. In addition, it is at these meetings that the NZLSA formulates its project proposals and thus the NZLSA welcomes all law students to attend Council meetings and contribute their ideas.

Another NZLSA service for law students is the publication of its own magazine, LEX. LEX was established in 1999 and is produced three times a year. It is designed to give law students an opportunity to contribute to a widely read magazine and, in so doing; LEX illustrates life at law school throughout the country. LEX boasts writers from New Zealand and overseas, and features articles on a wide range of legally related subjects. The NZLSA often approaches former law students now engaged in legal practice or in other interesting legally related fields of work, to write articles for LEX