Working in law in New Zealand has a well-established path for anyone wanting to become a lawyer, solicitor, or barrister.
In countries like the United States, where aspiring lawyers take the bar exam, the system in New Zealand is a combination of academic and practical training. There's no direct equivalent to the bar exam in New Zealand. Still, there is a reasonably standard educational and professional path for barristers and solicitors to follow.
This includes completing a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), a vocational training course, and a period of supervised legal practice. Here, we'll look at the pathway for New Zealand lawyers equivalent to a bar exam, the Professional Legal Studies Course (PLSC), in particular.
Legal Education in New Zealand
As mentioned, aspiring lawyers in New Zealand need to complete the LLB degree to enter the world of legal practice.
This is a law degree that requires four years of full-time study and is offered by most of New Zealand's universities, such as the University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington, and the University of Otago.
The LLB is an educational program that covers core legal subjects like criminal law, civil law, property law, constitutional law, and academic knowledge related to the legal profession.
These courses will give students legal knowledge and allow them to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to work in law.
Law graduates can't immediately enter legal practice in New Zealand. Instead, once they finish the LLB degree, they must move on to the Professional Legal Studies Course (PLSC), which is close to New Zealand's equivalent to the bar exam in the United States.
Professional Legal Studies Course (PLSC): The Bar Exam Equivalent
New Zealand's closest equivalent to the bar exam is the Professional Legal Studies Course (PLSC). However, unlike the bar, this is not a single exam that students sit but a course that lasts several weeks.
Law graduates wanting to work as barristers and solicitors in New Zealand take this course before their period of supervised legal practice.
The PLSC includes practical legal training and skills needed to practice law like:
- Legal research and analysis
- Drafting legal documents
- Client interviews and communication
- Courtroom advocacy
- Professional ethics
After a student completes their LLB degree from a recognised university in New Zealand, they can complete the PLSC. Students will prepare for real-world practice, making them ready for legal work. Several providers of the PLSC in New Zealand, including the College of Law and the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS), offer the course.
Students can complete the PLSC through full-time or part-time study, with options to study in person, remotely, or online.
Admission to the Bar: Becoming a Barrister or Solicitor in New Zealand
Admission to the bar in New Zealand slightly differs from the process for becoming a legal professional in other countries.
The requirements they must meet include:
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB): The graduate must hold an LLB degree, which typically takes four years of full-time study. Universities such as the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington offer LLB programs.
- PLSC Completion: After completing the LLB, the graduate must finish the Professional Legal Studies Course (PLSC) to gain practical legal skills.
- Admission to the Bar: Following the PLSC, graduates can apply to the New Zealand High Court for admission as barristers and solicitors. The New Zealand Law Society, the regulatory body for the legal profession in New Zealand, oversees this process. Unlike the formal bar exams in countries like the USA, New Zealand relies on this vocational training pathway to ensure new lawyers are ready to enter the profession.
In New Zealand, there are two distinct pathways for barristers or solicitors.
Solicitors
Solicitors tend to handle a wide range of legal work, including advising clients on legal matters, drafting contracts, and representing clients in various legal transactions.
Unlike barristers, solicitors are involved in non-litigious work in property, commercial, and family law.
Law graduates must complete the LLB and the PLSC before completing a supervised practice period under the mentorship of an experienced solicitor.
Supervised practice usually lasts three years, providing solicitors with hands-on practical legal experience.
Barristers
Barristers are specialised courtroom advocates who represent their clients in court, providing them with legal advice.
While solicitors focus on working with clients for everyday legal matters, barristers concentrate on litigation.
Barristers need to complete the general PLSC before gaining practical experience in barristers' chambers under the supervision of a senior barrister. Most barristers start as solicitors before transitioning into barristers.
The PLSC Compared to International Bar Exams
As you can see, the path to working as a legal professional in New Zealand is reasonably well-established. There is a clear route to becoming a solicitor or a barrister.
In the United States, for example, law graduates have to pass a standardised bar exam, such as the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), before they can gain admission to the legal profession.
The MBE, for example, tests knowledge of core legal subjects, including constitutional law, criminal law, civil procedure, and torts with multiple-choice questions.
The exam is administered twice a year, usually in July and February. It is a component of the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which includes the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT).
The PLSC in New Zealand isn't an exam testing an aspiring lawyer's legal knowledge. Instead, it's a vocational training course that provides students with practical legal skills. It's equivalent to the bar in that it takes place after graduating with a law degree, but it isn't a written exam like the ones mentioned.
In England, for example, solicitors can take the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), designed to better mirror bar exams from other countries by assessing legal knowledge and practical skills.
Like in New Zealand, the SQE tests aspiring solicitors on their legal knowledge and practical skills.
Legal Specialisations in New Zealand: Career Growth
Once legal professionals in New Zealand can practice law, they can further their legal careers by specialising.
Towards the end of their law degree, students often have opportunities to specialise with elective courses in various areas of the law.
Some of the most popular and sought-after legal specialisations include:
- Criminal law: Lawyers specialising in criminal law represent clients in criminal cases. This involves working on both defence and prosecution. These legal professionals must develop strong courtroom advocacy skills and an excellent understanding of criminal procedure.
- Property law: With New Zealand's growing property market, lawyers specialising in property law are in high demand. They handle real estate transactions, property disputes, and land law matters.
- Commercial law: Lawyers with expertise in commercial law typically help businesses with contracts, transactions, and disputes. Commercial lawyers usually work with corporate clients and international firms.
How Much Legal Professionals Earn in New Zealand
Now that you're aware of how to become a lawyer in New Zealand and the equivalent of the bar exam, you're probably wondering if it's all worth it financially. Lawyers and legal professionals in New Zealand command salaries relative to their location, specialisation, and experience.
Recent data suggests that solicitors in New Zealand can earn between $65,000 and $85,000, particularly if they work in larger cities like Auckland and Wellington.
In high-demand fields like corporate law and commercial litigation, they can earn over $120,000.
Barristers can earn an even higher potential salary than solicitors. Junior barristers start at between $60,000 and $85,000 annually, rising to over $150,000.
Funding and Financial Support for Legal Training in New Zealand
Becoming a lawyer in New Zealand isn't free, and it can be quite costly to complete all these courses. You need to consider the cost of the LLB degree and the PLSC.
The PLSC usually costs between $3,500 and $5,000, depending on the institution you choose to complete it with.
However, law students can use student loans and scholarships to finance their legal education. Some law firms offer financial assistance or sponsorship for vocational training for employees.
Government loans are also available to law students in New Zealand, which can cover the cost of education or vocational training.
For example, the Professional Career and Development Loan (PCDL) allows students to borrow up to $10,000.
Though the journey to becoming a lawyer in New Zealand doesn't include the bar exam like in other countries, the PLSC is essentially the equivalent.
Once you've done a law degree and completed the PLSC, you can start practising law under the supervision of an experienced barrister or solicitor.
Once your supervised practice is completed, you can apply to practice law independently!
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