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Barrister

Rōia Kōti

Barristers give legal advice and appear on behalf of clients in civil, family and criminal cases in courts and tribunals.

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Secondary education

You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Useful subjects include English, history and classical studies, social studies and te reo Māori.

Study fields

Study levels

  • Bachelor's degree

Useful experience

Useful experience for barristers includes:

  • general legal work
  • solicitor work
  • public speaking.

What you will do

Barristers may do some or all of the following:

  • give legal advice to solicitors and solicitors' clients
  • give legal opinions 
  • prepare and conduct civil, criminal and family cases in court
  • prepare and present cases to tribunals and committees.

Skills and knowledge

Barristers need to have:

  • knowledge of New Zealand laws and the legal system
  • knowledge of courthouse procedure
  • ability to present evidence in court
  • legal research skills.
Pay

Barristers usually earn

$82K-$216K

per year

Barristers can earn

$59K-$367K

per year

Job opportunities
Average
Chances of getting a job as a barrister are average due to decreasing job numbers and high competition for positions.
Length of training
3-4
years of training usually required

Industry

Law

Barristers give legal advice and appear on behalf of clients in civil, family and criminal cases in courts and tribunals.

Similar jobs in this industry

Entry requirements

You need more than one qualification to become a barrister.

You need:

  • a Bachelor of Laws
  • to pass the Professional Legal Studies course
  • a certificate of completion from the New Zealand Council of Legal Education
  • a certificate of character from the New Zealand Law Society
  • to be admitted to the Roll of Barristers and Solicitors of the High Court of New Zealand
  • a practising certificate from the New Zealand Law Society.

Chances of getting a job

Strong competition for barrister jobs

Competition for barrister positions is high due to a decreasing number of jobs.

Your chances of securing work are best if you:

  • have at least five years of experience as a solicitor
  • look for work in the main cities of Auckland and Wellington.

According to the Census, 1,116 barristers worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Retirement may increase opportunities

The barrister workforce is ageing, with more than half of barristers over 45 years old. More vacancies may arise as they retire.

Small range of employers

Most barristers start out as junior barristers working for a senior barrister at a law firm. Once they gain experience they usually become self-employed.

Find out more about training

New Zealand Law Society
(04) 472 7837 - inquiries@lawsociety.org.nz - www.lawsociety.org.nz

Progression and specialisations

Barristers usually progress to set up their own practice.

Barristers may specialise in an area of law such as:

  • family law
  • criminal law
  • environmental law
  • commercial law
  • human rights.

Working conditions

Barristers:

  • usually work regular business hours, but may need to work evenings and weekends doing research
  • work in offices and courts
  • may travel to attend court, talk to witnesses or view scenes relevant to a case.

Useful personal qualities

Barristers need to be:

  • analytical
  • persuasive
  • able to think on their feet
  • good at working under pressure
  • confident
  • ethical, responsible and able to keep information private
  • good at public speaking.

Industry

Law

Barristers give legal advice and appear on behalf of clients in civil, family and criminal cases in courts and tribunals.

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