"We don't do law degrees for ourselves but to help our people and my plan is to come and work in Northland after three years when I'll be able to practise as a barrister."
She currently practises family law in Orewa.
Ms Nielsen has four children and three grandchildren and said she wanted her children to follow her in law.
The former Okaihau College student said she had witnessed scourges such as drugs, alcohol and violence while growing up and through her legal education she wanted to help Maori secure meaningful lives.
Ms Newton, 24, is keen to see her hapu and iwi secure their rights under the criminal justice system.
"I work as a criminal defence junior lawyer in Manukau and I think there's a need for more Maori lawyers to deal with Maori because the criminal justice system is hard to navigate," she said.
Although she currently practices criminal law, she has always been interested in post settlement and environment governance and issues concerning Maori rights.
Justice Christian Whata, who presided over the admission ceremony, said it was good to see Maori women coming through law schools and urged them to carry out their duties with integrity and honesty.
"You now occupy a privileged and a special place in our society," he said. "You have to genuinely care about your clients. If you do that, they will genuinely reward your loyalty."