Lawyer career

Rōia

Lawyers advise and represent clients in legal matters. They also do research, prepare legal documents and defend clients in criminal or civil court proceedings.

Lawyers advise and represent clients in legal matters. They also do research, prepare legal documents and defend clients in criminal or civil court proceedings.

What would you do as a Lawyer?

Lawyers

  • usually work regular business hours but may work extra hours
  • usually work in offices and courts
  • may do emotionally demanding work
  • need to be organised, communicate well and identify and solve problems

Tasks

  • give legal advice to clients
  • prepare for court cases
  • represent clients in court
  • draft legal documents
  • review contracts and agreements
  • research legal cases
  • resolve disputes through discussion
  • negotiate settlement terms and amounts for clients
  • manage client relationships

How can you become a Lawyer?

You need more than one qualification to become a lawyer.

You need

  • a Bachelor of Laws
  • to pass the Professional Legal Studies course
  • a certificate of completion from the New Zealand Council of Legal Education
  • a certificate of character from the New Zealand Law Society
  • to be admitted to the Roll of Barristers and Solicitors of the High Court of New Zealand
  • a practising certificate from the New Zealand Law Society

If you're in school

You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job.

Where a law degree can take you

Not every law graduate becomes a courtroom lawyer. A Bachelor of Laws opens doors well beyond traditional legal practice, into government policy, corporate business, iwi and Treaty settlement work, human rights advocacy, and dispute resolution. The analytical and argumentation skills you build are valued across almost every industry.

Common areas lawyers work in:

  • Corporate and commercial law
  • Criminal law
  • Family law
  • Property and conveyancing
  • Government and public policy
  • Iwi, Māori land, and Treaty of Waitangi law
  • Human rights and international law
  • In-house counsel for businesses and organisations
  • Arbitration and mediation

Waikato is the only law school in New Zealand offering an LLB double major, so you can pair Law with a second specialisation like Business, Psychology, or Science and graduate with genuinely deeper expertise in both.

Qualifications

Our Bachelor of Laws is the professional qualification for legal practice. You're admitted to the degree directly, so you study alongside your classmates rather than competing for a place. We're also the only law school in New Zealand to offer an LLB double major.

Te Piringa Faculty of Law is built on three principles: professionalism, biculturalism and the study of law in context. Like all our undergraduate degrees, the Bachelor of Laws includes work-integrated learning.

After your degree, our Master of Laws lets you specialise further, and you can study it in Hamilton, Tauranga or online.

DipLaw

Diploma in Law

1 year Hamilton, Tauranga
Diploma
LLB

Bachelor of Laws

4 years Hamilton, Tauranga
Bachelors Degree
LLM

Master of Laws

1 year Hamilton, Tauranga, Online
Masters Degree
MLS

Master of Legal Studies

1.5 years Hamilton, Tauranga, Online
Masters Degree

What our students are saying

Lawyer FAQs

Law scholarships

Waikato offers scholarships to support Law students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

General entry, undergraduate, and postgraduate scholarships are also available, along with funding for international students.

Find a scholarship.

QS rankings

QS World University Rankings 2027

Waikato is ranked equal 293rd globally, placing us in the top 1.5% of universities worldwide, and 2nd in New Zealand by citations per faculty.

QS Ranking - Law

Waikato is ranked among the top 300 universities worldwide for Law in the QS World University Rankings.

Contact us

Student Centre

0800 WAIKATO
07 838 4176
Enquire now

International Enquiries

Monday – Friday NZT 1pm – 2am
+64 7788 0688
Enquire now

Faculty of Law

Te Piringa Faculty of Law, The University of Waikato, Gate 7, Hillcrest Road, Hamilton, New Zealand
07 838 4167
Faculty of Law