She also explains why access to justice is a particularly important issue in employment law
Last week, Katrina Pfeifer shared the story of how she got into law through her involvement with Model United Nations and how her first solo appearance before the Employment Relations Authority went. In the second half of this May interview, the Wynn Williams special counsel tells NZ Lawyer why mental health awareness and support must remain a priority for the profession, and why she faces the adoption of tech like AI with cautious optimism.
What should the profession focus more on?
Mental health awareness and support. Research indicates that New Zealand lawyers and law students experience greater depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological distress in comparison to other professions. Over the course of my career, I have seen improvements in attitudes and approach towards the mental health of practitioners, with more people in senior positions beginning to open up about their mental health struggles. However, there is still work to be done as a profession to ensure that not only is support available, but practitioners feel safe enough to ask for help when they need it.
What challenges are particularly pressing in the country’s legal industry?
One issue that affects the entire profession but is also something of particular concern in the employment space, is access to justice. Legal advice can quickly become cost prohibitive for employees, and resourcing issues also mean that there can be significant delays in accessing services such as mediation, which can significantly impact on the resolution of matters. This is a complex and multifaceted issue that goes to the core of our profession.
What are your thoughts on new technology and its impact on the legal profession?
I guess you could say I’m cautiously optimistic! I’m still learning, but I can see that while the opportunities and possibilities that come with technology such as AI are significant, they need to be managed with a mind to both our professional ethics and sustainability. If technology is able to assist with, or even undertake, some of the more process driven tasks, then ideally it will allow practitioners to be more efficient and focus on more complex analysis and strategy. However, this needs to be done responsibly and in a way that does not compromise on the quality of our advice.
If you could relive one day in your life, which day would it be and why?
This is a really hard one! There are a lot of days I would want to relive for a variety of reasons, but I’m going to go for a nostalgic one. Growing up, I would go camping in the Abel Tasman National Park with a group of family and friends and every so often, you would have a perfect day. A day where the weather was hot, the water wasn’t too cold, and you would just spend your entire day alternating between lying on the beach with a book and swimming, maybe broken up by a walk in the bush or a kayaking adventure.
All that would be topped off by an evening spent sitting around a campfire with hot chocolate and toasting marshmallows. Absolutely idyllic!
