New Zealand Insitute of Legal Executives

Categories of Membership

Since 1 January 2001 the New Zealand Law Society legal executive qualification has been a prerequisite for all legal executives applying for membership as an Affiliate, Associate or Fellow of the Institute.

The Institute will admit members in the following categories:

Voting Members

  1. Affiliate: being a person who has the NZLS Legal Executive qualification and is in qualifying employment at the date of application for Affiliate membership;
  2. Associate: being an Affiliate member who has the NZLS Legal Executive qualification, is in qualifying employment and has been an Affiliate member for a minimum of three of the five years immediately preceding the date of application for Associate membership;
  3. Fellow: being an Associate member who has the NZLS Legal Executive qualification, is in qualifying employment and has been an Associate member for five of the eight years immediately preceding the date of application to become a Fellow of the Institute.

Voting members are entitled to use the term “Registered Legal Executive” and will be issued a registration certificate annually upon:

  1. payment of their annual membership subscription; and
  2. the return of a qualifying employment certificate signed by their supervising solicitor and in such form as the Council from time to time determines.

Non-Voting Members:

  1. Honorary Life Members: being a retiring, resigning or past member who, at the discretion of the Council and on the recommendation of any member of the Council, Branch or regional representative, is granted honorary life membership;
  2. Support Members: being any person who:
    1. is studying for the NZLS legal lxecutive qualification; or
    2. is a former member of the Institute who wishes to remain in contact with the Institute; or
    3. is a person who qualifies for voting membership but chooses not to apply for such membership; or
    4. does not meet the criteria contained in this subclause 8.3.2 but who is approved by the Council, in its discretion, as a Support member.

Definitions:

Legal Executive means a person who may or may not:

  1. be a member;
  2. be in qualifying employment;
  3. have completed the New Zealand Law Society legal executive qualification; and is not a Registered Legal Executive;

Member means a financial member of the Institute in accordance with clause 8 of the Rules;

NZLS Legal Executive qualification means the certificate attained upon completion of the New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive Course;

Qualifying Employment means employment by or contracting to:

    1. a lawyer; or
    2. a law firm incorporated under the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006; or
    3. the legal department of any company, firm, government department, local or territorial authority, provided that the legal executive is under the direct supervision of the lawyer employed or retained by the company, firm, government department, local or territorial authority;
  2. and who spends, on average, not less than 15 hours per week in the provision of legal services to clients that enables her or his employer to charge fees for such advice provided that this does not include a person employed for more than 30% of their working week as a secretary, typist, clerk of any description, trust accountant, office accountant, office manager or practice manager;

Registered Legal Executive means a voting member who:

    1. holds the New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive qualification or has before 31 December 2000 been exempted by the Council from holding it; or
    2. holds such other qualification as may be approved by the Council from time to time; and
    1. is in qualifying employment for 30 hours or more per week; or
    2. at the discretion of the Council, is in part-time qualifying employment being not less than 15 hours per week;

Direct supervision, as determined by Special General Meeting of NZILE on 18 March 2000, is deemed to mean "under the guidance of".