INDEPENDENT NEWS

New President For New Zealand Law Society

Published: Thu 13 Apr 2000 05:17 PM
MEDIACOM-RELEASE-NZ-LAW-SOCIETY
Hamilton lawyer Christine Grice takes over as president of the 8000-member New Zealand Law Society on Friday 14 April at the Society's Council meeting being held in Wellington.
Ms Grice succeeds Ian Haynes, a partner in Kensington Swan, Auckland. He has served three years as president. She is only the second woman to be elected president in the Society's 130-year history. The first was Judith Potter who was president 1991-94.
Born in Invercargill and raised in Christchurch and Nelson, Christine Grice graduated LLB (Hons) from Canterbury University and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in 1981.
She practised initially in Nelson in the firm that was then Fell & Harley where she developed an interest in court work, before joining Harkness Henry in Hamilton where she is a partner.
There she specialises in commercial litigation, public law, health law, trade practices and consumer law. She is also an arbitrator and mediator through which she is active in alternative dispute resolution.
Ms Grice also serves on the Council of Legal Education and is an honorary lecturer at Waikato University's law school.
She initially became involved in law society activities through her local district law society and then through serving on and convening various New Zealand Law Society committees. She has served on the NZLS Council since 1992 and has been on its Board since 1993.
She was elected a vice president in 1997 and last year stood against two other women vice presidents in the first all-women contest for the presidency. She is eligible to serve three one-year terms as the Society's president.
Ms Grice is married to Hamilton Crown Solicitor Quentin Almao.
Her first public role as president will be launching the Society's new Property Law Section, established to give property lawyers a stronger voice and greater autonomy in representing their interests. The launch takes place at 12.30pm tomorrow in Wellington, immediately following the Council meeting at which Christine Grice takes office.
ENDS...

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