In-house lawyer Sarah Taylor is to carry out research on flexible work practices and their application to in-house legal practice in New Zealand.

Her primary research focus is on the practice of in-house legal teams. It will explore innovative, fresh approaches to the provision of supplementary support to in-house professionals, on a flexible, as-needed basis and discuss alternative ways for in-house teams to obtain ad-hoc legal support.

Ms Taylor was awarded the 2016 ILANZ scholarship earlier this year. She will commence her research from October, providing a report of her findings to ILANZ in December.

She works in the legal team at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based in Wellington, but recently moved with her family to Mapua in the South Island.  Ms Taylor continues to work part-time for the EPA, completing most of her work from her Mapua home and spending just 20 hours a fortnight working at the EPA's offices. 

"My flexible working arrangement enables me to spend more time with my family and more time outdoors.  I am productive and energised and feel that I have finally achieved that elusive work/non-work life balance," she says.