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Admission as a Barrister and Solicitor

You must apply to the High Court for admission. However, you also need to liaise with the NZ Law Society and the NZ Council of Legal Education as part of the process.
Completing profs is only part of the requirement for admission (although a very important one!)

To apply for admission you need to file your application for admission in your local High Court at least one month before the scheduled hearing.
(You should confirm the dates for admission with your local High Court upon starting your Profs course).

The forms that need to be completed can be downloaded from the NZ Law Society website:

They are as follows:

• Originating application from your moving counsel. This is form LA1.
• Your affidavit as the person seeking admission. LA2.
  You need to attach to that affidavit the following:
  1. Certificate of completion from the NZ Council of Legal Education.
     You can only get this once you finish profs and you have received confirmation of this from the National Director of the IPLS.
     Once you have this confirmation from the IPLS, go to the NZCLE website and download the application form.
     You then attach your transcript from law school together with the confirmation from IPLS and the application fee.
     There is a 2 week turnaround with the NZCLE, so you need to do this as soon as possible.
     The NZCLE will then assess your qualifications and if they are satisfied with the application and your qualifications they will then send you the completion certificate.
  2. Certificate of character. This is arranged through your local law society for now.
     You will need to contact your local law society for further information.
  3. Receipt for admission fee. This is payable to the NZ Law Society.($165 + GST)

The IPLS will try to assist you with this process where it can. You should check with your instructor if you have any questions at all about admission in your region. They will be able to point you in the right direction. Some centres have a local law society representative that comes onsite to assist you and in other centres you need to contact the registrar of the High Court that deals with admissions.

Holders of non NZ law degrees - read more here:
Information for applicants with a law degree from another jurisdiction