Auckland Council
Legal Graduate (Feb 2025)
Auckland
Opportunity expired
Opportunity details
- Graduate Job or Program
- NZD 62,000 - 66,000 / Year
- Remuneration includes a 12 month review.
- 2 vacancies
- Apply by 19 May 2024
- Start date 9 Feb 2025
He angitūtanga: The opportunity
The Auckland Council Legal Services Department -Ngā Ratonga Ture touches on most areas of New Zealand law, so whatever you’re interested in, you could have a chance to be involved in it. We have created a fun and supportive environment where you will be able to work alongside talented, committed lawyers to provide legal advice on a wide range of issues affecting Aucklanders.
You will assist 50+ lawyers in the various Legal teams across a range of matters, such as:
- Managing and providing strategic advice on significant and complex litigation or alternative dispute resolution, including Auckland Council’s prosecutions, RMA matters, debt recovery, civil litigation, leaky buildings and judicial review. You will have the opportunity to observe in court or attend mediation on some of the matters you have been working on.
- Advising and working on commercial and property law issues for Auckland Council and CCO projects, including advising on contracts, acquisitions and disposals, leasing and procurement. You will have the opportunity to review and draft contracts and other legal documents.
- Advising on environmental, resource management and development matters. We are involved with appeals of Auckland Council decisions, enforcement and compliance issues, and we also support Auckland Council’s development projects. You will have the opportunity to work closely with our colleagues who are experts in a range of environmental and resource management fields.
- Advising on and supporting Auckland Council decision-making processes on a wide range of interesting and challenging issues, including bylaws, financial planning, Auckland Council and local government legislation, and law change. You will have the opportunity to attend the governing body and local board meetings to see elected members make decisions on some of the matters you have been working on.
As part of our rotational 2-year graduate programme, you will rotate across our Legal teams and gain experience in areas such as Public, Commercial and Property Law along with litigation In your second year, you have the opportunity to select the area where you’d like to further your development and specialist knowledge and skills.
Each rotation will provide a healthy mix of on-the-job learning, mentoring from experienced professionals and meaningful work.
At the end of the programme, you’ll also be supported in securing a permanent role within Auckland Council entities.
He kōrero mōu: About you
We are looking for someone who has a genuine commitment to social issues. Excellent communication, problem solving and resilience is a must.
We welcome applications from graduates in the following disciplines:
- Law
To be eligible to apply, you must have the following:
- Be eligible to work in New Zealand, or be eligible to apply for a Post-Study Work Visa
- A relevant Bachelor’s or Master’s degree obtained in January 2023 – January 2025
Hiring criteria
- No experience required
- New Zealand Citizen +more
- Law, Legal Studies & Justice +more
- Bachelor or higher
Reviews
So far not much work. Just online training. Looking at examples of geotech review reports, reading Auckland Design Manual - Earthworks & Geotechnical Requirements
My role has gotten very broad since new projects have started and colleagues have left. Sometimes it feels too much but I enjoy being busy. I work largely in excel and am now considered a subject matter expert on spreadsheets, data structures and budget changes.
Role is to look through resource consent applications and provide specialist advice. Mostly office based but there are some site visits.
About the employer
Auckland Council
4.4
1,000 - 50,000 employees
Government & Public Service
Right now, we are working on large-scale projects right across our thriving region that are creating the future of our city.
Pros and cons of working at Auckland Council
Pros
The opportunity to try different areas of work and ultimately focusing on learning the job rather than only on performance.
I appreciate the constant reassurance that our health and wellbeing is crucial in this job. There are a lot of processes involved in making sure we are working in a safe environment, and that there is a priority in making sure we're well. I appreciate how flexible the job is to our lives, and the mass number of employee benefits we get. Though this shouldn't be the case, it feels as though I'm working for a company that sees me as a person with my own personal life. I don't feel awkward or guilty for needing to see doctors, taking time off when I needed etc. The fact that we're instantly given sick leave at the start of our contract is really great. Overall, I feel as though the priority in making sure our health and wellbeing is support is one of the best things about working for Auckland Council.
Workplace flexibility is the best thing about working at Auckland Council. It allows me to complete better work as I'm able to keep well rested with more time in my days due to less travel time to and from work. It also provides an environment where I can focus my thoughts better when I am working from home compared to being in the office. However, on the flip side, it is also nice to have a hybrid working situation where I spend half of my week in the office to attend important meetings and strengthen relationships with my colleagues.
It looks after its people. There is a great balance between work life and personal life. Workload is manageable. There is support available whenever needed. Great pool of experienced and knowledgeable people in the team. This makes it a great place to work in.
In graduate programme, I enhanced my experience in rotating in different teams, all the co- works there are so kind to share experience and teach me the technical skills.
Cons
Working for a local government organization like Auckland Council comes with significant pressure, primarily due to the high expectations and scrutiny from the public. The decisions we make directly impact the community, and this responsibility can be quite demanding. There's a constant need to balance the diverse needs and concerns of residents, which can be challenging. However, it's also an incredibly rewarding environment for professional development. The work is meaningful and varied, providing ample opportunities to gain new skills and experience. It's a great place to grow professionally while making a positive difference in the community.
I'm yet to experience anything bad about working at Auckland Council. If I were to give one output, I would have to say the lack in funding results in technological issues and lengthened work processes.
My experience as a graduate was always pretty good. Maybe too many restructures which gives general staff an unsecure feeling for their jobs.
I don't think there is many negatives to working here so far. If I had to say what the worst thing was it would be how things can move slowly at points.
People not coming into the office as frequently - makes collaboration more difficult