What we do
We provide support, education, and professional development opportunities for legal executives, helping our members to enhance their skills and knowledge in the legal profession. LENZ also serves as a platform for networking and collaboration among legal executives across New Zealand.
We seek appropriate recognition of Registered Legal Executives in relevant legislation.
Who we work with
We have long-established, collaborative relationships with organisations that recognise and support the role and value of legal executives as non-lawyer professionals, including the New Zealand Law Society (NZLS), the Property Law Section, NZLS CLE Ltd, The Law Association, Land Information New Zealand, Open Polytechnic, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology and others.
Our story, in brief
Following the creation of a steering committee of 12 legal executives in 1972, The New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives Incorporated (the Institute) was established on 1 May 1975 with 29 founding members, just eight of whom were women.
By the end of 2000, the Institute had 650 members throughout New Zealand (the vast majority of whom were women – a trend that has continued), had employed a part-time executive officer and introduced registration. Registration differentiates qualified professionals employed as legal executives from those who call themselves legal executives but do not hold the legal executive qualification and/or are not employed as legal executives.
Over subsequent years we obtained recognition for Registered Legal Executives through an amendment to the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988 and for Fellows through an amendment to the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957 and the 2013 Amended Identity Verification Code of Practice.
In 2020 the Institute rebranded to ‘Legal Executives New Zealand’, putting the emphasis on who we are (legal executives), rather than what we are (an institute).
Roll forward to 2024 and we have more than 1500 members throughout New Zealand and a staff of four at our office in Howick, Auckland.