Maori lawyers in demand

As a mature student, solo parent and Maori woman, statistically Kiri Skipwith should never have made it to law school, let alone the bar. But nobody told her that.

The New Zealand Law Society is calling for greater participation in the legal sector by Maori, with 2006 census statistics showing Maori made up 15 per cent of the national population but only 5.5 per cent of New Zealand's lawyers.

Skipwith backs the call, saying young Maori should consider a career in law - the study involved is not as difficult as many people think and a legal background opens all sorts of doors.

She went to university for the first time at 35.

"I realised I wanted to do something else and joined the third law intake at Waikato University - a new course with a Maori perspective. It was exciting."

Like most of the handful of women on the course, going to university straight out of school had not been an option and she came to academia with just "a strong work ethic and the support of my whanau".

After four years of study, she graduated and was admitted to the bar, before going on to establish the legal aid office in Rotorua. Skipwith went on to head the Treaty claims legal unit in Wellington, then spent six years in Auckland working for broadcaster Willie Jackson.

Now Skipwith has returned to her Rotorua roots and to the legal profession, working as an administrator at Moana Law.

"I would love to see more of our young Maori people in law. It is a lot of hard work, but it's not as bad as many people think it is. You just need commitment, consistency and the support of your family."

Moana Law partner Louis Te Kani told The Daily Post Maori were often "at the sharp end" of New Zealand's legal system and it was natural that many of these people wanted to be represented by one of their own. But with the relatively small number of Maori lawyers available, the pressure on those who were practising could sometimes be overwhelming.

He said money was one of the main barriers to Maori taking on the full-time study needed to be a lawyer and many opted to spread the cost and take longer to complete their degrees.

"Generally we are at the lower socioeconomic end of the spectrum - money is always an issue."

Te Kani said the cost of university put strain on families already struggling to meet other expenses and place overwhelming expectations on the students.

He recommends a law career to young Maori with a commitment to helping people, although he said they needed to enter the profession with their eyes open.

"You need to make sure you go into law for the right reasons and you need to be dedicated. You will not always be representing the kinds of people you would want to represent and you have to be committed to giving each person the best representation you can."

But the situation is improving - in 2010, eight per cent of law graduates were Maori. Maori Law Society co-president Tama Potaka said Maori participation in law was an opportunity universities should grasp - pointing to the increasing need for lawyers equipped to work with Maori businesses and trusts.

"It is important for Maori and New Zealand for there to be a better understanding of the law amongst Maori - at individual, tribal, and community levels."