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NZLS Legal Executive Course
The New Zealand Law Society administers a course of study for people wanting to work as a legal executive. A legal executive (known as a para-legal in some countries) is a person who works as a trained assistant to a lawyer in a legal or quasi-legal environment.
The work covers a wide range of activities including searching public registers, preparing and filing documents, preparing estates, sale and purchase of real estate or a business, and debt recovery. A legal executive may interview clients on behalf of a lawyer but does not appear in court. It is not compulsory for a legal executive to have completed the NZ Law Society's Legal Executive Course to work in this capacity, but it is preferred by most employers or potential employers.
The emphasis of Course is on the practical skills required by a legal executive and is not of the academic nature of a law degree. It is recommended (but not compulsory) that students undertaking the Course be employed in a legal environment. This enables students to gain practical experience as well as access to resources and people who are able to assist with their studies.
A major aspect of the Course is the compulsory drafting component in each of the four advanced papers. The course comprises six subjects:
- Introduction to the Legal System
- Introduction to Law Office Practice
- Property Law and Practice
- Business Law and Practice
- Estates Law and Practice
- Litigation Law and Practice
These papers are usually studied on a part-time basis but some of the teaching institutes offer the course as full-time study, enabling a student to complete all six papers in one year if they wish. Currently eight teaching institutes offer the NZLS Legal Executive Course. They are:
- Northland Polytechnic
- Auckland University of Technology
- Bay of Plenty Polytechnic
- Waikato Institute of Technology
- Eastern Institute of Technology (Hawke's Bay)
- Whitireia Community Polytechnic (Wellington)
- Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
- The Open Polytechnic (by distance learning)
Passes in all six subjects, generally by way of national examinations, are required before a student is awarded a certificate confirming completion of the NZLS Legal Executive Course. (In some cases, students may be eligible for an exemption from either of the two introductory papers.) The New Zealand Law Society conducts the annual examinations in late October each year over a period of three days at main centre venues throughout the country.
Successful completion of the NZLS Legal Executive Course entitles holders to join the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives.
The New Zealand Law Society does not impose prior educational requirements for entry but a high standard of literacy is essential. It is recommended that students should have achieved in NCEA 14 level 2 credits in English (or achieved grade 5 or better in 6th form English) in order to successfully complete the course.
For further information about the New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive Course, including a copy of the current prescription, please contact the National Coordinator, Legal Executive Course at the New Zealand Law Society:
Elizabeth Berry
Tel (04) 472 7837
DDI: (04) 463 2987
Fax (04) 473 7909
PO Box 5041, Lambton Quay, Wellington 6145 (DX SP20202)
E-mail: elizabeth.berry@lawyers.org.nz
last modified 22 March 2007
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