What we do

Established in 2001, the PLA works on promoting fellowship, mutual support and continuing legal education for Pacific lawyers, identifying and responding to the legal needs of Pacific communities, and promoting issues of relevance to Pacific lawyers and Pacific peoplehere in Aōtearoa, New Zealand.

Our Membership

Our members include law students and graduates, lawyers and members of the Judiciary, who are of Pacific descent and/or who have Pacific affiliation. Our membership includes members from Auckland,Waikato, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and even other parts of the South Pacific. As such, membership is open to anyone, including those of non–Pacific descent. The Association aims to promote and respond to matters of relevance to Pacific lawyers and to Pacific peoples more generally. Our work includes but is not limited to: the promotion of education and ongoing training for Pacific lawyers and law students, the promotion of an awareness of the roles of Pacific lawyers, and the promotion of research on issues relevant to pacific lawyers and Pacific peoples generally. We achieve this through the running of free legal clinics, school visits, the running of a bi–annual law conference and writing submissions to Parliamentary select committees on newly introduced bills that hold particular significance for Pacific peoples.

Why should you join and/or support the PLA?

As a PLA member you will have access to a national network of lawyers, academics, business people, members of government departments and NGOs alike, all willing to help and advance the aspirations of this association and the Pacific community it looks to serve. Your support of PLA will mean that we can offer those in our Pacific Island communities both inside and outside of the law, the assistance they need.

If the PLA sounds like an association you would like to be a part of and support, please email us info@pacificlawyers.org