He steps into the role in March 2026
Dentons partner David Campbell has been named president-elect of the New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa.
The appointment was confirmed at a Law Society council meeting today 6 November. He takes up the mantle on 27 March 2026, after current president Frazer Barton concludes his term.
Campbell has been the Law Society board’s vice president since 2022 and an active member of the organisation since 2014. As incoming president, he will concentrate on maintaining the Law Society’s core responsibilities and bolstering its broader contribution to the legal profession and society at large.
“The Law Society is a kaitiaki of an exemplary legal profession — a guardian of standards, ethics, and public trust”, he said. “This is a pivotal governance role for an organisation that not only regulates over 17,000 lawyers but also advocates for the rule of law and access to justice, supports legal aid reform, and contributes to the health of our democracy”.
Campbell highlighted the importance of the Law Society’s role as regulator.
“Key is ensuring the Law Society continues to perform its regulatory function well – that’s our obligation under the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act. At the same time, we need to keep building on the areas where we already do strong work, such as law reform and advocacy. These functions provide enormous value to society, and it’s essential we maintain and strengthen that contribution”, he said.
Campbell also pointed to the reform of the Law Society’s representative division as a major change at the organisation.
“The introduction of a membership subscription has been a particularly positive step — we represent all of the profession, but our more than 10,000 lawyer members are those who truly value what the Law Society offers”, he said. “Everything is moving in the right direction. We’re in a state of steady, incremental improvement — and that’s exactly where we need to be”.
