The offspring of a lawyer mum and political journalist dad, Bishop set off to Victoria University to study law, history and politics - “where politics, power, and legality collide”, he said.
He went so far as to complete a first-class honours degree in law, including studying whether Gang Patch bans and Holocaust denial laws were compatible with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.
Admitted to the bar in 2009, aside from summer clerkships with Russell McVeagh and Crown Law, he said he practises law daily. “Parliament is public law in action.”
Next up is the deputy of the house Simeon Brown. Although the Auckland University law and commerce graduate chose to work at the Bank of New Zealand rather than go into practice, his legal training was instrumental when dealing with complex financial transactions.
Law also gave the Energy, Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister a good understanding of New Zealand’s constitutional and legal framework when he pursued politics in 2017.
When I first interviewed Judith Collins in 2015, I’ll never forget the metaphor she used to describe how to achieve professional success. When faced with roadblocks, why try to climb over fences, cones, or concrete walls when you simply tire yourself out, she said at the time.
Instead, Collins told me the key was to continue learning, gain more credentials, and pivot netball-style around any road cones in the way, she quipped.
It’s no surprise, therefore, the new Defence, Digitising Government, GCSB, NZIS, Science, Innovation and Technology, and Space Minister holds not one but two Master’s degrees in law (Hons) and taxation studies.
With a 40-year legal career under her belt, including 20 years in private practice, Collins has always had an immense passion for justice and an appreciation for the legal profession’s challenging work, she said.
Being elected as president - the youngest and first mother at the time - of the Auckland District Law Society was a highlight, as was working every day to help people navigate the law.
“The practice of law, whether in private practice or as an MP, is all about service,” Collins said.
“Politics is something I have always followed, and it is an immense and rare privilege to advocate for the issues of New Zealanders at the highest level.”
Now Attorney-General, Collins said she was committed to the rule of law. She was “extremely proud” to hold a role that was an apex for any lawyer, she said.
For new Defence and Immigration Minister Chris Penk, practising law and politics - in that order - was a natural sequence.
“I think that practising law is a helpful background for a legislator, given that you understand the mechanics of the legal system and also have those advocacy skills that help as a local MP,” Penk said.
The Auckland University alumna chose to study an honours degree in law as a pathway towards advocacy, he said.
Keenly interested in public law, international law, and the law of armed conflict, Penk practised at Fortune Manning Lawyer and Hornabrook Macdonald Lawyers before founding Ong & Penk Lawyers in 2015.
On top of running his firm and becoming an expert overnight in all kinds of law other than criminal or family matters, Penk unexpectedly enjoyed drafting contracts, “as dry as it sounds”.
Act MP and new Courts Minister Nicole McKee landed her first job as a junior legal secretary at East Brewster in Rotorua, before working with coroner Roger Brewster. In Wellington, McKee worked as a secretary, office manager, and legal executive at Coubrough & Matthews.
“Law is incredibly interesting because it delves into every area of our lives. I always enjoy learning about different areas, changing legislative areas and especially how it affects everyday life,” McKee said.
Finally, although Finance, Public Service, Social Investment, and Climate Change Minister Nicola Willis is not a lawyer per se, she grew up in a legal household.
“I can’t claim any legal training, and I’m not inclined to take any credit for my dad’s qualifications and experience, " Willis said, describing her dad, formerly a partner at Bell Gully.
A keen-bean debater at Victoria University, Willis attended national and international championships worldwide, where she “geekily” met her husband, she said.
While the English literature and journalism graduate considered law, she set out on a different path to further her appreciation of the world, studying history and humanities while honing her analytical and communication skills.
“Good on all the lawyers out there. Their skills are important. I admire them and always appreciate having a legally trained person on the team.”
