About Us

The Legal Research Foundation (LRF) is a non-profit organisation affiliated with the University of Auckland. Established in 1965, we promote the highest calibre of legal education and research, encourage informed dialogue on law reform and aim to foster relationships between the legal profession, the judiciary, academics and students.

We organise essential seminars and conferences for the legal community, publish the highly-regarded New Zealand Law Review, host world-renowned academics, and sponsor the Legal Research Foundation Annual Writing Awards.

Published quarterly, The New Zealand Law Review features articles by leading legal scholars from the academic and professional community in Aotearoa. We also occasionally hold masterclasses with these reviewers.

Over the years, with our seminars, publications and appearances before Parliamentary Select Committees, we have pioneered a number of significant reforms of the law, such as The Miscarriages of Justice Commission which was first canvassed in a LRF paper published in 2009.

See Our Team and Executive Council.

Honorary Fellows of the Foundation:

  • Professor Jack Northey
  • Justice Michael Kirby
  • Emeritus Professor Dick Webb
  • Sir Ian Barker
  • Associate Professor Bernard Brown
  • Lord Cooke
  • Sir Bruce Robertson
  • Dame Sian Elias
  • Sir Kenneth Keith
  • Professor John Burrows
  • Hon Rodney Hansen KC
  • Bruce Gray KC
  • Andrew Brown KC
  • Hon Raynor Asher KC
  • Roger Partridge
  • Hon Paul Heath KC
  • Simon Mount KC

Honorary Life Members of the Foundation:

  • Professor Peter Skelton
  • Dr Kenneth Palmer
  • David AR Williams KC
  • Patrick Finnigan
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