Young and Brewer will begin studying law this year, while Kingi commences in 2027
WRMK Lawyers has announced the awardees of its 2025 Law Scholarships: Monica Young, Annaliese Brewer and Te Kauri Kingi.
Young and Brewer are prefects at Whangarei Girls High School and Kerikeri High School, while Kingi is head girl at Kerikeri High School. All three girls will receive a $10,000 cash contribution and work with a WRMK Lawyers mentor; they will also be granted guaranteed paid work experience on finishing their second year.
Young and Brewer will begin studying law this year. Kingi will finish her full immersion te reo Māori study before commencing her legal studies in 2027.
“Monica, Annaliese and Te Kauri stood out for their commitment to their studies, strong motivation, and involvement in their communities. The purpose of our scholarship is to help remove barriers to study for students with real potential, and we are pleased to support them as they continue their legal studies”, said WRMK Lawyers managing director Rebecca Merry.
Young said she had hoped to pursue law since her youth, while Brewer cited law and politics as her “longstanding passions”.
“Whatever field of law I end up working in, my focus will be on providing people with fair outcomes and maintaining justice”, Brewer said.
She confirmed that she would attend the Victoria University of Wellington to pursue a bachelor of laws and a bachelor of politics with a major in international relations and political science.
Kingi said she intended to study law at the University of Waikato.
“In 2026, I plan to dedicate myself to Te Tohu Paetahi to deepen my understanding of te reo Māori, a commitment that is central to who I am and to the kind of lawyer I aspire to be. Language carries culture, values, and worldview, and grounding myself in te reo and tikanga Māori will shape how I engage with the legal system when I begin my law studies in 2027”, she said. “I am committed to using the law to advocate for Māori legal issues, including Treaty of Waitangi claims and indigenous rights, and to contributing to a future where tikanga Māori is meaningfully recognised and embedded within the legal framework of Aotearoa”.
In total, WRMK Lawyers has supported 10 scholars. The scholarship programme has been running for five years and is part of the firm’s community strategy.
