Snapshot of the Profession 2016
11 March 2016 · LawTalk 883
Retention
Admission as a barrister and solicitor
New Zealand-based lawyers who were practising at 1 February 2016 had been in practice for an average of 17.7 years. There was a noticeable difference between men and women, with men in practice for an average of 21.9 years and women for an average of 13.2 years.
Admission of those who qualify to become barristers and solicitors of the High Court occurs throughout the year. The number of women admitted has exceeded the number of men since 1993. Around 1650 students graduate with LLB and LLB (Hons) degrees each year and annual admissions currently total just over 900 – meaning that about 55% of people who gain a law degree appear to be admitted to the legal profession.
AV E R A G E Y E A R S S I N C E A D M I S S I O N , N E W Z E A L A N D - B A S E D L AW Y E R S
25.3 years
Barristers
FEMALE VS MALE ADMISSIONS AS BARRISTERS AND S O L I C I TO R S O F T H E H I G H C O U R T O F N Z , 19 8 0 – 2 0 15
14.8 years
In-house lawyers
26.0 years
Law firm partners
22.2 years
Law firm directors 9.8 years
Law firm employees
30.2 years
Sole practioners
17.7 YEARS
YEARS
20–29 YEARS
30–39 YEARS
1%
F 0%
M 2%
7%
M 13%
M 18% F 1%
F 7%
13%
M 20%
19%
F 18%
28%
10–19
40–49 YEARS
50+
YEARS
1980– 1989
1990– 1999
2000– 2009
2010– 2015
4 7%
F 46%
M 59%
58%
F 57%
M 48%
46%
F 45%
42%
M 43%
P R O P O R T I O N O F L AW Y E R S A D M I T T E D I N Y E A R R A N G E C U R R E N T LY P R A C T I S I N G
44%
The annual report of the Council of Legal Education for the year to 31 December 2014 (the latest available) says overall student enrolments in the IPLS courses in 2014 were up over 2013 and 58.7% of the trainees enrolled in 2014 were female. The report also says 63.7% of IPLS students in 2014 were aged 21 to 24 and 16.4% were aged 25 to 29. It notes that 69.8% of 2014 students were European, 11.8% Asian, 9.6% Māori, 4.0% Pacific, and 4.8% other.
0–9
YEARS
F 37%
There are two providers for the professional legal studies (“profs”) course, which is the responsibility of the New Zealand Council of Legal Education. The number of students participating and completing the courses run by the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) and The College of Law New Zealand is unknown, but is likely to be close to the number who are admitted each year. The College of Law New Zealand website (at 19 February 2016) states that it is New Zealand’s largest provider of Professional Legal Studies.
M 23%
Professional legal studies
F 33%
M 24%
0%
M 48%
♀
Y E A R S S I N C E A D M I S S I O N , N E W Z E A L A N D - B A S E D L AW Y E R S
F 40%
50%
F 41%
100%
Detailed information on the retention of lawyers is not available. However, data on the number of lawyers admitted each year (from 1980 when admission data by gender begins) suggests that just under half of the people who are admitted as barristers and solicitors remain in practice. Of the 23,219 lawyers admitted from 1980 to the end of 2015, 49% were practising at 1 February 2016.
32%
2014 2015
363 369 545 588 40% 39% 60% 61% 2014 2015
2010
338 567 37% 63% 2010
2005
343 540 39% 61% 2005
2000
360 485 42% 58% 2000
1995
349 361 50% 50% 1995
1990
266 225 54% 50% 1990
1985
234 170 58% 170 1985
286 102 74% 26% 1980
1980
All lawyers
M 49%
♀♂
1980– 2015
21