Auckland Law School, University of Auckland

11/10/2026

Generative AI tests limits of copyright.

How copyright law responds to generative AI could have major consequences for the technology’s future, says visiting Stanford Professor Mark Lemley.

https://bit.ly/3VHdQgh

28/09/2026

Celebrating our September graduands

What a special day celebrating our Auckland Law School graduands as they marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

It was wonderful to see so many proud faces and to share the occasion with the whānau, friends, academics and staff who have supported them along the way.
To all our graduands, congratulations on everything you’ve achieved. We hope you had a chance to enjoy the moment and celebrate just how far you’ve come.
We look forward to seeing where your journey takes you next.

Congratulations, Class of 2026.

27/08/2026

26/08/2026

Funding fuels fresh thinking in law.

University of Auckland law alumni are tackling migrant exploitation, trauma-informed justice and the pressures of legal practice with $70,000 in Borrin Foundation support.

https://sl1nk.com/4111vwc

04/08/2026

What does it really mean for a river to become a legal person?

Yale PhD candidate and visiting fellow Raffaele Sindoni explores the impact of Te Awa Tupua nearly a decade after Te Awa o Whanganui was granted legal personhood. His research examines what this landmark legislation has meant in practice for the river, its people, and the future of Indigenous-led environmental governance.

Read the story https://bit.ly/45aYCBJ

22/07/2026

Public Policy Explained: The Resource Management Act (RMA)

Join us for our first session of our Public Policy Explained workshop series with Dr Greg Severinsen from the Environmental Defence Society (EDS).

The Resource Management Act has shaped how New Zealand manages land, freshwater, biodiversity, and urban development for over 30 years. With significant reforms underway, understanding the RMA has never been more relevant.

Greg will provide an accessible introduction to the purpose of the RMA, how it operates in practice, the key issues surrounding reform, and what these changes could mean for New Zealand’s environmental and planning system. The workshop will conclude with 30 minutes of open Q&A.

🗓 Tuesday, 28 July
🕓 4:00–5:00 PM
📍 University of Auckland City Campus, Sir Owen G Glenn Building room 260-319

Whether you’re studying law, planning, politics, environmental science, or are simply interested in public policy, this is a great opportunity to build your understanding of one of New Zealand’s most significant pieces of legislation.

We look forward to seeing you there! RSVP through the link in our linktree.

Brought to you by PPC and ELSA.

https://l1nq.com/sl9ddfj

20/07/2026

What happens when a person enters a second marriage with significant assets or an existing family home?

Those questions and more are on the table as legal experts from across the country meet at Parliament to discuss how to reform New Zealand’s Property (Relationships) Act, which many say is no longer fit for purpose.

Law School Professor Mark Henaghan, who’s speaking at the Property (Relationships) Act 1976: Fifty Years On National Conference on 3 July, says under the Act, children’s needs are rarely at the centre of decision-making.

“The primary caregiver and children are often worse off post-separation. Primary caregivers, usually mothers, can face severe economic disadvantage as the family home - the main asset - is sold to satisfy both parties’ claims. For children, this disrupts their education, support networks and sense of identity.”

Henaghan also points to New Zealand research indicating that in the first year following the end of a relationship, women experience an average 29 percent decline in income, while men see a 15 percent average rise.

"The Act has not delivered on one of its key purposes which is to recognise the equal contributions of partners to a relationship and a key principle that men and women have equal status and their equality should be maintained and enhanced."

Read more: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/07/01/relationship-property-law-needs-urgent-reform---researchers.html