The New Zealand Law Society says an independent inquiry into alleged sexual assaults and harassment at law firm Russell McVeagh highlights the urgent need for cultural reform across the legal profession.
Law Society President Kathryn Beck said the report about "appalling events and a dysfunctional culture" was not isolated to Russell McVeagh.
"There is nothing to suggest that the issues that have been documented in this report have not occurred elsewhere – the structures, cultures and work practices are common across the profession. These structures and cultures have historically served to keep issues like these out of the public eye and from being properly dealt with."
Beck said she was committed to making the Law Society more accessible than it has been in the past.
The Law Society has received a number of complaints around harassment and bullying over recent months.
Jan Logie, Under-Secretary for Domestic and Sexual Violence Issues, said Bazley's review showed the problems at Russell McVeagh were wide-ranging.
"It is particularly crucial that New Zealanders can put their trust in the integrity of the legal profession if we are to fully address, and prevent, sexual violence and harassment," she said.
"These problems are not limited to Russell McVeagh, nor to the legal profession. This underscores the magnitude of sexual harassment in New Zealand workplaces, and I am hearing that many employers either don't know how to respond or put their own business interests ahead of the welfare of people. This is something we need to address as a government and a country."