This issue covers the first half of the semester. We launched the Mentoring Programme with DLA Piper, ran our Chinese Cultural Competency workshop, joined the Asian Lawyers in Practice panel at Buddle Findlay alongside CLC, KLSA and SALSA, put out the first episode of our podcast, and announced the winners of our first writing competition.
Thanks to IPLS for the space and the equipment behind much of this, to Mingze Sun, Rayhan Langdana and the team at Buddle Findlay for giving their time, and to everyone who organised or turned up. There is more coming before the year is out.
Cultural Competency Workshop
ALSA ran its Chinese Cultural Competency Workshop at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, facilitated by Mingze Sun, barrister at FortyEight Shortland.
Cultural competency is a skill the profession increasingly asks for, but formal training in it remains limited, and most practitioners are left to pick it up on their own. The session was not what the title tends to suggest. Much of it was about restraint. Working through Deng v Zheng [2022] NZSC 76, Mingze took students through the Supreme Court's caution that evidence a cultural practice exists is only a starting point. There must be evidence connecting that practice to the actual parties and their conduct. The more generalised the cultural evidence, the greater the risk of stereotyping. Cultural context does not displace the ordinary legal framework, but properly evidenced, it can help explain conduct a court might otherwise misunderstand.
The second half was practical: how cultural considerations shape client communication and decision-making, why a client's approach to settlement may be driven by considerations beyond the immediate financial outcome, and how understanding those considerations changes the conversation you have with them.
Thank you to Mingze for giving his time, to IPLS for hosting us, and to our Academic Officers, Tri Phan and Amber Sue, for organising the evening.
ALSA Chinese Cultural Competency Workshop · IPLS
See all the photos from the Cultural Competency Workshop. View the photos →
Upcoming workshops
Two more academic workshops are coming this term, both facilitated by Mingze Sun: a Networking Workshop on Thursday 24 September, 5:30 to 7:00pm, on how to actually start and sustain a conversation and demystify the coffee chat, and an AI Workshop on Tuesday 13 October, 5:30 to 7:00pm, on how to use AI well in a legal context.
ALSA Legal Writing Competition Winners
William impressed reviewer Angela Yang with a well-written essay built on a robust structure, showing independent thinking and persuasive arguments that connected back to the topic.
Jerry impressed reviewer Francis Wee with a well-written and well-considered piece that justifies its stance with reference to parliamentary sovereignty.
Thank you to everyone who submitted, and to our reviewers, Angela Yang and Francis Wee, for their time and expertise.
Read the winning pieces →Asian Lawyers in Practice: The Career Journey
On 25 August, ALSA joined Asian Lawyers in Practice: The Career Journey at Buddle Findlay's Auckland office, alongside CLC, KLSA and SALSA. The evening brought together students and legal practitioners for a discussion on the realities of working in law, pathways into practice, and the experiences that shape a career beyond university.
The session was built around the career journeys of a panel of Buddle Findlay lawyers. Panellists spoke about entering the profession, the decisions and opportunities that shaped their careers, and what the transition from law school into practice actually looks like.
A significant part of the evening focused on the experiences of the panellists as Asian individuals within the legal profession. They reflected on cultural identity, the challenges they encountered, and how their backgrounds have informed their experiences in practice.
The panel also addressed the challenges of a career in law, emphasising that professional development is rarely linear. For students, the evening provided valuable exposure to the profession, practical perspectives on career decisions, and an opportunity to engage directly with practitioners.
ALSA extends its thanks to Buddle Findlay, CLC, KLSA, SALSA, the participating panellists and students for contributing to an evening of thoughtful discussion, professional connection and shared experience.
Asian Lawyers in Practice: The Career Journey · Buddle Findlay · 25 August 2026
Coming up: Charting Your Path
New Zealand Asian Lawyers and Russell McVeagh present Charting Your Path, a panel on career pathways, balancing cultural and professional identity, and the challenges and opportunities that come with them. It runs at Russell McVeagh's Auckland offices on Tuesday 22 September (Level 30, Vero Centre, 48 Shortland Street, 5:30 to 8:30pm with the panel from 6:00pm), with networking nibbles and drinks to follow.
The panellists work across private practice, academia and the independent bar. The event is free and open to all law students, graduates and early career professionals.
NZYAL Mix and Mingle
On 13 August, New Zealand Young Asian Lawyers (NZYAL) hosted a Mix and Mingle networking event at Panama Social, bringing together ALSA and the other Asian law student clubs, CLC, KLSA and SALSA, alongside law students, graduates, and practitioners from across Auckland's legal community. The relaxed, social setting made for an ideal environment to connect, with attendees ranging from first-year law students to experienced solicitors and barristers keen to share their career journeys.
Throughout the evening, conversations touched on everything from navigating clerkship applications and choosing a practice area, to balancing cultural identity within the legal profession. Several NZYAL committee members were on hand to share their own experiences breaking into the industry, offering practical advice and encouragement to those just starting out.
For many students, the event was a valuable reminder of the strength and warmth of Auckland's Asian legal community, a space where connections form organically over a drink and a shared plate, rather than in a formal legal setting.
Thank you to NZYAL for creating opportunities like this, allowing students to build real connections and a sense of community that can shape the trajectory of a young lawyer's career. ALSA looks forward to continuing to support and collaborate with NZYAL on future events.
Coming up: NZYAL Social Networking Event
New Zealand Young Asian Lawyers, together with MinterEllisonRuddWatts, are hosting a social networking evening for law students and early-career lawyers (0 to 8 years PQE). It is a relaxed chance to meet other legal professionals and build connections, with drinks and nibbles provided.
It runs on Wednesday 30 September from 5:30pm at MinterEllisonRuddWatts, PwC Tower, Level 22, 15 Customs Street West, Auckland CBD. Spaces are limited, so register to come along.
Coming up: Matcha x Pilates
The engagement team is running a Matcha x Pilates morning for ALSA members on Thursday 1 October: pilates to get moving, then matcha to bring everyone together away from the lecture hall. Spaces are strictly limited, so this one will run by invitation. Keep an eye on your inbox for how to take part.
Inaugural Mentoring Programme: Opening Night
ALSA's Inaugural Mentoring Programme officially launched with a successful opening night hosted at DLA Piper on 5 August. The event brought together senior Asian law students and legal practitioners from a range of practice areas, providing an opportunity for mentors and mentees to establish professional connections and lay the foundation for their mentoring relationships throughout the programme.
The evening provided mentees with valuable exposure to the legal profession beyond the university environment and they had the opportunity to engage directly with practitioners, learn about their experiences, and gain insight into the transition from law school to legal practice. It created space for open and meaningful conversations and highlighted the value of mentorship in providing students with guidance and perspectives that complement their goals and experiences.
ALSA extends its sincere thanks to Max Kwan and DLA Piper for generously hosting the launch of the mentoring programme and to all mentors for their time, commitment, and contribution to the programme.
As the relationships continue to develop throughout the remainder of the academic year, the programme provides students with ongoing support, guidance, and professional development. Further opportunities and upcoming events will bring the mentoring pairs together again to keep building these meaningful connections throughout the semester.
ALSA Inaugural Mentoring Programme Opening Night · DLA Piper · 5 August 2026
See all the photos from the Mentoring Opening Night. View the photos →
Coming up: Law Firm Tour
The next stop for the programme is our inaugural Law Firm Tour at DLA Piper on Thursday 8 October, arriving from 4:30pm for a 5:00pm start and finishing by 6:30pm. It gives mentees a closer look at the professional environment of a leading global law firm. Places are reserved for programme mentees, so register below to secure yours.
Precedent: The Launch of the ALSA Podcast
A law degree can lead almost anywhere, but students rarely get to hear what that path actually looks like once they leave university. That's the gap that ALSA's new podcast series, Precedent, is built to close. Hosted by our Founding President, each episode sits down with someone who started in law and asks where it actually took them.
The inaugural episode featured Rayhan Langdana, Senior Associate in Russell McVeagh's litigation team. Rayhan's own path has taken him from India through the UK and Ireland to New Zealand, and later from a Russell McVeagh school leavers' scholarship into the firm's litigation team, time as a junior barrister at Shortland Chambers, and three and a half years at Quinn Emanuel in London, before returning home.
The conversation reflected on the transition from high school to university and learning to self-motivate without external marking, lessons from his first summer clerkship, the contrasts between practising in New Zealand and the UK, and how AI is reshaping firms' expectations of junior lawyers.
ALSA thanks Rayhan for a generous and genuinely candid first conversation, and IPLS for sponsoring the episode. Members can watch the full episode on ALSA Auckland's YouTube channel.
The next episode turns to a different kind of path: a law graduate who's now co-founding an AI startup. Stay tuned to ALSA's channels to keep up to date with the podcast.
Precedent · Episode 1 with Rayhan Langdana
Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel. Watch on YouTube →
In the media: Juno Legal
Juno Legal featured Founding President Jayden Lin in their newsletter piece, Fresh eyes: building pathways into the profession. It goes back to why ALSA was set up: to connect Asian law students with the profession and make the range of legal career paths more visible from the start. From there the conversation turns to how visible in-house legal careers really are to students, and how the next generation is thinking about AI. It is a thoughtful read on where our future lawyers might come from, and how in-house teams can open the door a little wider.
Read the full piece in Juno Counsel. Read the interview →
Our 2026 Interns
This year, ALSA brought on its first intern cohort. Across the semester, Lisa Gou, Stella Park, Ashley Hackell, Emily Qian, Aaron Dsilva, Komal Kaur, Isabella Capunitan and Elaine Lim have worked across operations, marketing and administration.
They have put together the run sheets and communications behind our events, designed our materials, helped stand up the systems we run on, and been there on the day. The intern programme is also how we grow our next executive: there is no better preparation for running a portfolio than being inside the organisation while it runs, with support along the way.
Thank you all for the work you have put in this semester. We are glad to have you on the team.
ALSA Auckland's 2026 intern cohort
A promotion from within
That pipeline is already delivering. Isabella (Bella) Capunitan, who joined us this year as an intern, has been promoted to Marketing Director. She has shown real initiative this semester, taking the lead on projects like the ALSA Podcast and bringing ideas that keep the organisation moving forward. Congratulations, Bella, and thank you for everything so far.
First Person
Every issue, we take a moment to recognise the people going beyond what's expected of them. That means two spotlights: a current student showing real leadership and contribution to the community outside the classroom, and a graduate lawyer whose early career work deserves a wider audience. For our inaugural spotlight, that's Matthew Lee on the student side and Max Kwan on the graduate side.
I had an unusual start to my law degree. I switched one of my conjoint degrees in my third year to study law, so I was a bit older than everyone else when I started.
Recently, I got the opportunity to represent the University of Auckland at the New Zealand Law Students' Association and compete in the Witness Examinations competition. Earlier in the year, I won the regional competition and was a semi-finalist at the Australian Law Students' Association. I'm really excited to share that I became the New Zealand national champion for Witness Examinations. The conference was held in Wellington over the course of four intense days: five preliminary rounds over two days and the Grand Finals at the historic Old High Court. My competitors really were the best of the best. I competed against some of them in Australia so I knew that I had my work cut out for me at NZLSA. With only ninety minutes to prepare, including thirty minutes to brief my witness, the Witness Examinations competition is a real test of quick thinking, multitasking, and knowledge of the law. Ultimately, I was able to walk away with the win.
Something interesting I noted at the conference was that I was the only person of colour (and specifically only person of Asian descent) in the Witness Examinations competition. I left the conference thinking that there is still a lot of work to do to make the legal field more culturally diverse.
My advice for new students in law, especially those who might feel a little out of place, is to go to events, join clubs, and do competitions! It's the best way to make friends at law school, and you should never underestimate the power of your connections at law school. Not only do they make great study buddies, but these are the people you will be spending your career with. Get to know them and you'll find that there is so much to learn from each other.
I'm Max Kwan, a recently promoted Associate in DLA Piper's New Zealand Tax Team and an alumnus of the University of Auckland. Long before becoming a lawyer (or even starting law school) I spent much of my childhood and teenage years working at my parents' fruit and vegetable shop (for free). Like many children of immigrants, and as the oldest sibling, I was often tasked with interpreting government documents, translating correspondence and helping my parents navigate unfamiliar systems.
Looking back, those experiences shaped a lot of how I work today. The shop taught me how to communicate with people from all walks of life, build relationships, and develop a strong work ethic. Helping my parents with paperwork taught me how to break down complex information, identify the key issues, and work under (immense) pressure.
Today, I advise clients ranging from multinational companies to high-growth New Zealand businesses on tax and transactional matters. While the subject matter is very different, commercial law is ultimately a people business. As with selling fruit and vegetables, providing legal services requires you to be able to build relationships, effectively communicate, and have a genuine desire to solve problems. My recent promotion to Associate has been a rewarding milestone and I credit much of it so far to skills which can't be taught in a lecture theatre. My advice to students is to make the most of the opportunities that exist during law school both inside and outside the classroom, as you may never know which of the experiences or skills you develop will end up having the largest impact on your career.
Nominations are open to all members, so if there's someone you think deserves a feature in the next issue, let us know.
Moments from the term
A few shots from across the term. Swipe through, then see the rest in the full gallery.
That's Issue Two. There is more to come.
Every issue, we bring you the work being done across ALSA's programmes, the people doing it, and the profession watching. Share this with anyone who should be part of what we are building.
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