Careers and employment
A qualification from Victoria University of Wellington’s Faculty of Law will prepare you for a rich and rewarding career in a diverse range of areas.
Law graduates acquire skills in communication, problem-solving, research, and independent thinking—all of which are prized by employers. See the Law School’s list of graduate attributes for a more details about what personal attributes you’ll gain by studying Law.
To practise law as a solicitor or barrister in New Zealand, graduates with an LLB or LLB(Hons) must take a practical professional legal studies course. You can find out more on the Institute of Professional Legal Studies and the College of Law sites.
Career options for law graduates
When you graduate with a Law degree, your skills can be put to use in a wide range of areas beyond the legal profession itself.
- Academic
- Advocate
- Barrister and solicitor
- Corporate lawyer
- Criminal lawyer
- Diplomat
- Employment consultant
- Entrepreneur
- Family lawyer
- Government (policy analyst or in-house legal counsel)
- Investigative work
- Journalist
- Legal publishing
- Mediator
- Management consultant
- Politician
- Ombudsman
- Trade Unions
Learn more about what you can do with your Law degree.
Search for jobs and register for workshops at the University's CareerHub (registration required).
Work experience
In March of each year, third- and fourth-year law students may apply through Wellington Careers and Employment to be summer clerks or clerks in law firms through the law recruitment programmes.
Information evenings
The Law School and Wellington Careers organise information evenings. These evenings bring in former students now working for commercial firms, as barristers, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Crown Law, and other governments departments, in small firms, or in the corporate world.