Just a few weeks post admission, we caught up with our alumnus, Te Maiora Rurehe, to see what life in practice looks like now.

What does a day in the life look like for you post-admission?

I am currently working at Annette Sykes & Co in Rotorua. A law firm where we deal primarily with Criminal and Waitangi Tribunal Matters.

We often have hearings so daily circumstance can change. But generally, an office day looks like starting work at 8:30-9, checking emails, actioning the minor tasks and then getting stuck into researching and/or submissions writing! As we are a Māori firm, the principal will often have us attending tangihanga or seminars.

Any tips for law grads navigating admission?

Admission can be difficult with the multiplicity of requirements. Thankfully there has been a precedent within the firm so I was able to follow other members of the firm who had previously completed the process. My advice would be to not overstate expectations and be patient in the process.

Do you have any advice for law students?

I was once reminded by the venerable Tohunga Tā Pou Temara that we must patient – ‘me manawanui’. It's like the turtle and hare race; our friends may go off onto big time jobs quite early in their career, however, he (or she) that holdfast to the law will reap the rewards later down the track.

Do you have a College of Law lecturer you would like to shout out?

Jeanette Hobbs was awesome – so too was the Te Reo Māori advisor at the time, Hama McNeill.