The 2017 number exceeded New Zealand Council of Legal Education's estimates
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The New Zealand Council of Legal Education has received a record number of applications from overseas law graduates to practice law in New Zealand.
The council’s report for 2017, which was recently tabled in Parliament, reveals that it received 149 applications from overseas applicants, much higher than the 100 applications the organisation expected.
The number beats the previous high of 135 in 2008. In 2016, 126 applications were made, which beat the 95 applications made for each of the two previous years.
For 2017, the council reported that 63% of women that took the Institute of Professional Legal Studies course completed the program. This is the same as the 2016 rate.
The proportion of New Zealand-European students completing the course increased 6%, followed by Pacific people with 4%, Asians with 2%, and Māori with 1%.
Costs for the council to assess applications is $1,375 for overseas law graduates and $1,640 for overseas practising lawyers, exclusive of GST.
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