NZLSA X COLLEGE OF LAW EDUCATION & WELLBEING SURVEY 2026
I am incredibly proud to present the initial results for the 2026 National Education and Wellbeing Survey, the fourth consecutive survey conducted by the New Zealand Law Students’ Association (NZLSA) in collaboration with the College of Law New Zealand.
The core purpose of the survey is to build a comprehensive understanding of the issues facing law students so that we can find meaningful solutions. To build that understanding, our two key priorities have been representation and reliability. With these twin goals in mind, we made three changes to the survey this year:
Firstly, in consultation with the Law Deans, we made changes to the questions themselves. As the survey enters its fourth year, we wanted to ensure our questions better reflected current methodological practice, were more solutions- oriented, and could be re-used year on year. These changes allow the NZLSA and other bodies to track trends in student wellbeing and education over time, and reliably use data to create change.
Secondly, we placed a real emphasis on student participation, across all 6 law schools. I’m pleased to share that 1,401 students completed the survey this year - the greatest number of participants since the survey began in 2023. We hope this reflects a lasting increase in student voice.
Finally, we introduced the Recent Graduate survey. This survey captures students’ transition to the workforce, and provides an opportunity for recent graduates to reflect on their university experience. While this extension is still in its infancy, the survey allowed us to gain valuable insight into the challenges facing law students - in a way that elevates the insights from our current student body.
None of this could have happened without the hard work of our survey team. Huge thanks of course to our Education Vice President, Jasmine McTavish, for her dedication throughout the process. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the six Law Deans for their support to improve the survey. In particular, I want to thank Bridgette Toy-Cronin for her extensive feedback. And finally, thank you to each and every one of our 1,401 student participants. We are incredibly grateful for the time all of you gave up to reflect on and improve the experience of law
students across the motu. Finally, thank you to the College of Law New Zealand for their continued sponsorship of the survey.
Jamie Yee
NZLSA President 2026