Done the degrees, now what about the Olympics?

Law and horses - two good reasons to come to the Waikato. Tom Lane is graduating from Waikato University next week with a double law and arts degree. He's wanted to be a lawyer for as long as he can remember, and since he started riding horses at eight he's wanted to make the New Zealand eventing team at an Olympic Games.

So he's managed the first ambition and is now working for Chapman Tripp in Auckland in their 21-strong resource management team. He's still working on the second, currently training two horses for upper-level competition. In addition, he's chairman of Eventing Waikato and vice-chair of Eventing Kihikihi Inc.

Tom did his secondary schooling in Auckland's Glendowie and Senior colleges but came to Waikato for tertiary study because he liked the law degree Waikato offered and the university's proximity to equestrian facilities. "My interest is in resources and environmental law, and Waikato has two of the best in [professors] Barry Barton and Al Gillespie. I finished my degree feeling I'd been well-prepared for the workplace. There was a good hands-on practical component to the programme as well as all the theory."

He says university was busy, especially because at times he was working with a team of horses and competing in various equestrian events. "It takes a bit of juggling but it can be done. I was lucky to be awarded a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship, which covered my fees, extra coaching in my sport and leadership training."

Since completing his bachelors degree, Tom has done a masters looking at legal aspects of the Emissions Trading Scheme and its application in New Zealand. He received a NZ Energy Law Association scholarship and attended the Australasian Mining and Petroleum Law Association Conference in 2007 and after that was asked to return and present a paper to the same conference in 2008. He also received the School of Law Graduate Scholarship and Waikato University Masters Scholarship to assist with his study.