Off to court

13 May 2010

Former policeman, rugby player and bar owner Greg Burt is changing career again. He recently found out that he's got a position as a judge's clerk at the Supreme Court and will be heading to Wellington to begin the job when he finishes his Waikato law degree (with honours) at the end of the year.

Burt was going to come to Waikato to study law in 1990 but opted instead to study PE down south. It wasn't until 2008 that he decided he'd give law a shot. He lives in Tauranga and completed year one and two of his degree concurrently, utilising the diploma programme the Faculty of Law offers in the Bay. Lectures are delivered to students through Moodle, the university's online learning portal. For the last two years he's been a regular commuter over the Kaimais. Keen to get the most from his university experience, Burt represented Waikato University in New Zealand and Australia in negotiation competitions last year qualifying this year to do the same in mooting.

"I am interested in all areas of the law as each throws up a different challenge. I particularly enjoy the adversarial aspect of debating issues and trying to put forward a persuasive argument."

When Greg Burt starts work he'll be working for a Supreme Court judge. "Until last year I didn't know jobs like this existed, but it's a fantastic opportunity to work at the Supreme Court." He applied and was put forward by the Faculty of Law Dean as a worthy candidate and then selected to be interviewed by a panel of seven judges. "That was pretty daunting, but the judges were very engaging and were really interested in getting to know me as a person."

The position is for two years and during that time Burt will be involved in researching cases, writing legal opinions on aspects of law and proofing draft judgements for appeals to New Zealand's highest court. He says Supreme Court decisions are often detailed and a lot of research goes into preparing the foundation and reasoning of each decision.

"I have an open mind in relation to the opportunities that will present themselves after completing my clerkship. I envisage working in the areas of civil and criminal litigation but have not confined myself at this early stage to anything specific."

Burt says he's enjoyed his time studying at Waikato as a mature student. "The Waikato Law Faculty embraces mature students and provides a unique blend of traditional (black letter) and constitutional law with a focus on the practical skills required to succeed as a lawyer. I think this rounded education greatly assisted me in acquiring my new position and has certainly helped prepare me for what lies ahead both at the Supreme Court and after that, in practice."

He says being one of the older students has been an interesting experience. "I'm certainly more focused on my studies than when I did my earlier degree, and definitely better organised. And my various life experiences have helped me deal with the pressures of law school. I marvel at how the younger students cope, I'm not sure I would have at their age, and I enjoy being around young and enthusiastic people as their view on life and youthful exuberance rubs off on me."