Legal Officer
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About the role Career progression and training Salary and benefits Entry requirementsNot many legal specialists get trained to lead teams of people in all kinds of situations, handle weapons and develop problem-solving, adventure and outdoor skills. As a Legal Advisor, your career can vary greatly depending on what appointment you hold, but you could find yourself working in areas such as Military law, military and civilian employment law or human rights and privacy law.
- ServiceAir Force
- SpecialisationSpecialist
- LocationVaried
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Starting Trade Training$86,092
About the role
Legal Advisors (LEGADs) in the New Zealand Defence Force work in what could be best described as a ‘Specialised General Practice. As a Military Legal Advisor, your career can vary greatly depending on what appointment you hold, but the principal areas in which you can practice are:
- Military law
- Administrative law
- Military and civilian employment law
- The law of armed conflict and other international and domestic law applicable to the operations of the Armed Forces
- Human rights and privacy law
- Contract law
- Resource management law
From time to time you will be required to appear for the Crown in the Court Martial of New Zealand or other courts and tribunals, such as the Summary Appeal Court of New Zealand or a coroner’s inquest. There are periodic opportunities for exchanges with military lawyers in Australia, Canada and the UK, as well as occasional overseas training opportunities in areas such as the law of armed conflict.
The majority of your career as a Legal Advisor will be spent in a tri-service environment. This means that Legal Officers often spend their careers at various defence establishments and your work colleagues can be Army, Navy, Air Force and Civilian.
As the legal officer, Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT) White was actively involved in recent drug busts in the Indian Ocean during which narcotics with a combined local wholesale value of over US$7 million were seized.
Career progression and training
Career Progression
Basic Training
Job Training
Ongoing Training
Following successful completion of the Initial Officer Induction Course (IOTC), you will typically be promoted to Flying Officer and posted to one of the Defence Force’s legal offices for on the job training as a military lawyer. These offices are currently located in Auckland, Waiouru, Palmerston North, Wellington and Burnham. You can expect to be posted to other junior appointments in other Defence Force establishments in the early stages of your career. You will be promoted to Flight Lieutenant upon completion of all relevant courses and necessary time in rank. There may be opportunities for operational deployments around the world, and exchanges with other Military Forces including in the UK, Canada and Australia.
RNZAF Officer Commissioning Course (ROC)
(26 weeks) Location: RNZAF Base Woodbourne
All individuals selected to become Commissioned Officers in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) are required to complete this course. It is designed to prepare students with the knowledge and experience necessary for commissioned service and the beginning of a career in leadership. This course will cover various subjects including:
- RNZAF Customs and Protocol
- Drill and Parades
- Military Law
- Military Field Skills and Weapons Training
- Defence and Strategic Studies
- Personnel Administration
- Communication Skills
- Command, Leadership and Management
- First Aid
As a junior LEGAD specialist training is provided as appropriate on an ongoing basis, most of which is conducted in-house. Throughout your career you will have the opportunity to attend specific military law courses and exercises within New Zealand and overseas. You will be encouraged to pursue relevant postgraduate study opportunities.
You can be given the opportunity to develop your advocacy skills by appearing as junior counsel in the Court Martial and the Summary Appeal Court, and may have the opportunity to participate in specialist litigation training.
All LEGAD's are encouraged to undertake additional NZDF courses to enhance their general Service and military skills and therefore their deployability.
Salary and benefits
Specific remuneration arrangements can, in certain cases, be tailored in respect of practitioners with experience in relevant legal specialties. As you become more experienced in the military and move up through the ranks, gaining additional skills and qualifications, your salary will rise accordingly.
$86,092
Starting Trade Training
$169,941
Future Potential Earnings
Figures updated on July 1st 2023
Benefits and allowances
Earn a competitive salary while training or learning your trade, along with additional allowances for time spent in the field, at sea, overseas, or deployed on operations.
In addition to salary and allowances, other benefits of joining the New Zealand Defence Force include:
Access to your Service marae or tūrangawaewae
Sponsored tertiary study programmes at all levels
Free access to gyms and swimming pools on camp and bases
Opportunities to travel
Free and subsidised medical and dental care
Subsidised food and accommodation on camps and bases
Free and subsidised insurance cover
Help to buy a home and save for retirement
Entry requirements
Basics
Education
Fitness and Medical
Citizenship
Period of Service
- Must have completed a Bachelor of Laws (LLB). See education tab for further details;
- Meet the citizenship and security requirements to gain SV security clearance for the trade;
- Be free of any criminal convictions for the previous two years or any that preclude you from holding a legal practising certificate;
- Be of good character – assessed by a study of testimonials and a police record check;
Minimum: You must have completed a Bachelor of Laws (LLB). Applicants in their final year of study are encouraged to apply.
Desirable: Completion of Professional Legal Studies and having been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, as well as some form of post-admission experience, will make you a competitive applicant.
Scholarship Entry
The Air Force offer undergraduate scholarships for candidates who demonstrate the qualities required to become a Legal Officer.
The scholarships are:
- Graduate Incentive Scheme: Study at the university of your choice, and on completion of your degree, you will be paid an increasing incentive over the next four years with the monetary value based on the number of full time study years successfully completed.
- You must be medically fit for service.
- Colour perception restrictions may apply.
There are strict citizenship and security requirements to gain the required SV security clearance for this trade.
There may be a return of service period for this trade.
Please contact our 0800 number or talk to your Candidate Experience Facilitator for more information.
