Of this milestone total, over 88 percent are barristers and solicitors
The New Zealand Law Society (Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa) has shared provisional figures recording a total of 18,018 lawyers as of 30 June 2026, amounting to the most lawyers active in Aotearoa New Zealand.
“Reaching more than 18,000 practising lawyers is a significant milestone for the profession,” said Katie Rusbatch, the law society’s chief executive, in a news release.
The law society broke down the provisional data as follows:
According to Rusbatch, these figures show the strength of the legal profession and its ongoing expansion to help meet the consumer demand for legal services.
“Lawyers play a vital role in supporting access to justice, upholding the rule of law and serving communities across Aotearoa,” Rusbatch said.
Rusbatch stressed the importance of backing lawyers at every stage of their legal career.
“As the profession continues to evolve, the Law Society remains focused on supporting lawyers and helping to maintain public confidence in the legal profession and the services it provides,” Rusbatch said.
In its news release, the law society clarified that its Snapshot of the Profession for 2026 will later confirm these recently released provisional figures.
Last December, the law society shared its Snapshot of the Profession for 2025, which recorded a total of 17,504 lawyers holding a current practising certificate as of 30 June 2025, representing a 2.9 percent increase compared with the previous year.
The snapshot revealed that, among the legal profession’s active members as of 30 June 2025:
The law society noted that it held ethnicity information for 96 percent of legal professionals.
