NOMINATE YOUR ASIAN LEGAL COLLEAGUES FOR
NEW ZEALAND ASIAN LAWYERS AWARDS 2024
A message from Mai Chen, Chair of New Zealand Asian Lawyers:
I look forward to the day when these Top Asian Law Awards are no longer needed because Asian lawyers will be represented in the top ranks of this profession and on the judiciary, proportionate to their numbers in the profession.
The New Zealand Asian Lawyers Awards is about celebrating top Asian lawyers in New Zealand so we can have role models to aspire to be like that look like us and have truly succeeded in getting to the very top. To be encouraged, so you don’t lose hope and drop out of the profession
Asian lawyers make up 12% of 16,736 individuals who hold practising certificates in New Zealand, and 22.7% of lawyers with 0-7 years post-qualification experience. But a disproportionately high number are represented in the bottom half of the profession and not represented at all in the Senior Courts or in the ranks of Kings Counsel. One High Court judge in the history of this country with Asian heritage and only two KCs.
I think your ethnic and cultural heritage or first language affects your viewpoint and your understanding of issues unique to culturally and linguistically diverse parties. That matters to what you think happened and why and to the need for the common law to respond to social change if it is to maintain relevance in doing justice for all New Zealanders. ( See M Chen, “Constitutional Legitimacy and diversity: The value of pluralism and filling the gaps in the common law,” forthcoming chapter in The Futures of Democracy, Law and Government: Contributions from a conference in honour of Sir Geoffrey Palmer, to be published by Te Herenga Waka University Press, 2024). The 2023 Census found that 17.3% of the population identified as Asian and that number will only increase over time.
Two sorts of Asian lawyers have come to see me, especially since I moved to practise in Auckland, over 12 year ago. Younger Asian lawyers sharing their experiences of being discriminated against who ask if it will get better as they get more senior in the profession. And older Asian lawyers who can’t break through the middle ranks of the profession or those who have given up waiting and have stopped practising and gone into governance or business.
I have asked the Attorney General Judith Collins KC to speak and confer the Asian Law Awards, not only because she is the first law officer of the land but also because her career is one of continuous achievement through perseverance. If she can do it, we can do it.
When will this change? We have to be the change we want to see. So hang in and be encouraged and let’s see if we finally start to see Asian lawyers break through the bamboo curtain and get to the top of this profession.
Start by nominating those qualified amongst your peers. And come and support these Awards. Be proud of who you are and the unique contribution you can make. And if you are a lawyer who is not Asian, then support your colleagues who are by nominating and attending the Awards event.
Mai Chen
Chair, New Zealand Asian Lawyers
In 2024, there are two award categories:
NZ Asian Lawyer of the Year Award
The 2024 NZ Asian Lawyer of the Year (includes private practice, in-house lawyers, academic lawyers and public servants) may be awarded to a lawyer of Asian descent, practising in New Zealand who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession/organisation they work for. Such contributions include a significant contribution to assist lawyers of Asian descent in New Zealand in a practical / tangible way, significant contribution to issues concerning access to justice and the promotion of justice for Asian or culturally and linguistically diverse parties in the courts. These could include:
- Providing legal services to Asian New Zealanders in a way that is in line with New Zealand Asian Lawyers’ Inc. objectives;
- Promoting the rule of law
- Providing a valuable contribution to initiatives that have benefitted the Asian community in New Zealand with legal services or issues.
Young NZ Asian Lawyer of the Year Award (sponsored by Heritage Law, Auckland)
The Young NZ Asian Lawyer of the Year (includes private practice, in-house lawyers, academic lawyers and public servants) may be awarded to a lawyer of Asian descent, practising in New Zealand who is under the age of 30 and employed in practice for less than 5 years as at [date] 2024 who has made an outstanding valuable contribution to the organisation they work for and who have made a significant contribution to assist lawyers of Asian descent in New Zealand in a practical / tangible way. These could include:
- Excellence in the provision of legal services to the Asian community in New Zealand;
- Demonstrated leadership potential to be able to be a leader for Asian lawyers in New Zealand
- Provided a valuable contribution to the legal profession in New Zealand which has benefited their firm / organisation and the wider community.
Award category limits
- Restrictions: nominees hold a current NZLS Practising Certificate which has not lapsed and have no disciplinary charges determined or pending against them;
- A person can be nominated in any one of the individual award categories. Self-nominations will be accepted.
- The judging panel may determine if a nomination received for a person / category falls these criteria. In such event. the judges may disregard, re-categorise or amend the nomination in their sole discretion.
- NZAL Board Members (including the President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary) cannot be nominated in any individual award categories
Nominations are open to all NZ Asian Lawyers – members & non-members!
Deadline for nominations Friday 30 August 2024
Shortlist announced: Friday 13 September 2024
Finalists announced Friday 27 September 2024
Awards Ceremony Friday 1 November 2024
You can download the nomination form here. Please send the signed form to nzasian.lawyers@gmail.com.
