A former pupil of Karamu High School in Hastings will be sworn in as a High Court judge next Friday.
The new Justice Rachel Dunningham will be based in Christchurch, where after a teaching career of more than 10 years she studied law at the University of Canterbury, before joining Buddle Findlay as solicitor in 1996. Remaining in the city, she became a partner in 2005.
Her schooling started in Te Kuiti, but after a year the family moved to Hawke's Bay, where she finished her primary education at Te Mata School.
She then attended Karamu High School for her secondary school years, from 1972 to 1976, and was head girl in her last year, as well as receiving the General Excellence Award and honours awards in debating and drama, and playing a lead role in that year's school production, George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara.
At Massey University she gained a BA (Hons) 1st Class in English, and went teaching from 1982 to 1994, becoming Head of Junior English at Awatapu College in Palmerston North.