Beginning a great career
BY DENISE PIPER
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Whangarei Leader
A local girl has no objection to coming back to Whangarei to launch her legal career.
Katrina Simpson, 22, was admitted to the bar on Friday – one of the final steps to her becoming a fully-fledged lawyer.
The former Whangarei Girls’ High School student studied at Waikato University and was orginally interested in marketing and management.
A desire to have a more practical and specific qualification led her to take law as well, which she loved.
"I enjoy law problems. The things that were given to us in assignments were quite focused on practical problems and fixing them," she says.
"I could see it leading somewhere rather than management which was quite theoretical."
Katrina first started working at Whangarei law firm Henderson Reeves Connell Rishworth about 18 months ago while still studying.
The friendly and supportive atmosphere encouraged her to take a position in the commercial team in June this year.
"A lot of law firms can be quite hard for graduate lawyers, it’s quite an intimidating career to begin," she says.
"Henderson Reeves have been great, really friendly and they give me interesting work rather than just menial jobs."
Katrina also enjoys Whangarei’s lifestyle and says it was quite a "culture shock" living inland at Hamilton.
Katrina credits her mum, who has just finished a bachelor of social work, for encouraging her to study law.
Studying history at Girls’ High was one of the best things she did to prepare for her law degree, she says.
While at school, Katrina played and coached netball.She was also on the Whangarei Youth Council.
She still enjoys playing social netball.
In the commercial team, Katrina does a lot of trust work, commercial property, wills and power of attorney.
She does not plan to be in court a lot – as the aim of the commercial team is to keep clients out of court.
However, Katrina is going through the legal minefield to become a lawyer.
After completing her degree – bachelor of laws with honours – she had to sit a four-month professional legal studies course.
Katrina then had to apply to the New Zealand Law Society for a certificate of character and a certificate from the New Zealand Council of Legal Education.
Now she has been admitted to the High Court’s roll of barristers and solicitors, she still has to apply to the Law Society for a practicing certificate.
Katrina says she plans to stick with commercial law because she has a lot to learn.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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