New Zealand Law Society information shows that Whangaparaoa, Queenstown and Whakatane have the largest proportion of new lawyers in New Zealand.
The information, compiled from practising certificates on issue at 1 February 2019, shows that nearly 58% of the 19 lawyers practising in Whangaparaoa had been admitted within the last 10 years. Nearly half the lawyers in Queenstown (48.9%) and Whakatane (46.5%) had been practising for 10 years or less.
The levels of lawyer experience show wide variation around the country. At the other end, 46.2% of lawyers in Hawera had been practising for 31 years or more, followed closely by Taupo and Warkworth (each 43.8% of lawyers).
Over the whole country, 35.6% of the 13,530 practising lawyers had been practising for 10 years or less, while 19.5% had been practising for 31 years or more. The average time in practice for all lawyers was 17 years and 4 months.
While some centres had a much higher proportion of new or more experienced lawyers, some - such as Feilding and Greymouth - had equal numbers.
Information for centres which had 10 lawyers or more is as follows:
New Zealand lawyers in practice at 1 February 2019
| Centre | 0 to 10 years | 31 years + | Average time since admission |
Lawyers |
| Whangaparaoa | 57.9% | 15.8% | 12 yrs 2 mths | 19 |
| Queenstown | 48.9% | 17.0% | 15 yrs 1 mths | 94 |
| Whakatane | 46.5% | 20.9% | 16 yrs 5 mths | 43 |
| Morrinsville | 42.9% | 21.4% | 17 yrs 0 mths | 14 |
| Ashburton | 41.5% | 17.1% | 15 yrs 7 mths | 41 |
| Orewa | 38.9% | 22.2% | 17 yrs 4 mths | 18 |
| Feilding | 38.5% | 38.5% | 22 yrs 11 mths | 13 |
| Te Awamutu | 37.9% | 24.1% | 19 yrs 6 mths | 29 |
| Auckland | 37.7% | 18.3% | 16 yrs 1 mths | 5845 |
| Christchurch | 37.6% | 19.9% | 18 yrs 7 mths | 1278 |
| New Plymouth | 37.0% | 19.7% | 17 yrs 1 mths | 127 |
| Palmerston North | 36.9% | 27.0% | 19 yrs 9 mths | 122 |
| Hamilton | 36.7% | 12.8% | 15 yrs 3 mths | 531 |
| Wellington | 36.7% | 15.8% | 16 yrs 9 mths | 2488 |
| Whanganui | 36.1% | 32.8% | 20 yrs 9 mths | 61 |
| Invercargill | 36.1% | 27.0% | 19 yrs 7 mths | 122 |
| Rotorua | 34.8% | 15.9% | 17 yrs 7 mths | 138 |
| Wanaka | 34.6% | 30.8% | 20 yrs 2 mths | 26 |
| Tauranga | 33.1% | 21.4% | 18 yrs 4 mths | 323 |
| Timaru | 32.8% | 24.6% | 19 yrs 5 mths | 61 |
| Oamaru | 31.6% | 36.8% | 21 yrs 10 mths | 19 |
| Greymouth | 30.8% | 30.8% | 22 yrs 0 mths | 13 |
| Gisborne | 30.6% | 24.2% | 19 yrs 11 mths | 62 |
| Dunedin | 30.4% | 26.4% | 20 yrs 6 mths | 299 |
| Lower Hutt | 29.0% | 22.6% | 18 yrs 9 mths | 217 |
| Whangarei | 28.7% | 18.9% | 19 yrs 0 mths | 143 |
| Porirua | 28.3% | 24.5% | 19 yrs 7 mths | 53 |
| Rangiora | 28.2% | 25.6% | 20 yrs 10 mths | 39 |
| Cambridge | 28.0% | 24.0% | 19 yrs 3 mths | 25 |
| Te Puke | 27.3% | 9.1% | 16 yrs 9 mths | 11 |
| Hastings | 27.2% | 20.7% | 19 yrs 9 mths | 92 |
| Paraparaumu | 27.0% | 24.3% | 21 yrs 6 mths | 37 |
| Blenheim | 26.2% | 23.0% | 20 yrs 11 mth | 61 |
| Upper Hutt | 26.1% | 39.1% | 23 yrs 8 mths | 23 |
| Thames | 25.0% | 37.5% | 22 yrs 10 mths | 16 |
| Nelson | 24.9% | 24.9% | 21 yrs 0 mths | 173 |
| Masterton | 24.3% | 29.7% | 20 yrs 3 mths | 37 |
| Kaikohe | 22.2% | 16.7% | 18 yrs 7 mths | 18 |
| Napier | 22.0% | 29.7% | 22 yrs 7 mths | 118 |
| Kaitaia | 21.4% | 14.3% | 19 yrs 0 mths | 14 |
| Matamata | 21.1% | 36.8% | 24 yrs 1 mths | 19 |
| Havelock North | 18.2% | 36.4% | 24 yrs 1 mths | 11 |
| Mt Maunganui | 17.2% | 44.8% | 25 yrs 0 mths | 29 |
| Levin | 16.7% | 44.4% | 25 yrs 10 mths | 18 |
| Hawera | 15.4% | 46.2% | 27 yrs 9 mths | 13 |
| Waikanae | 15.0% | 35.0% | 24 yrs 2 mths | 20 |
| Taupo | 14.6% | 43.8% | 25 yrs 1 mths | 48 |
| Kerikeri | 14.3% | 42.9% | 25 yrs 0 mths | 28 |
| Warkworth | 12.5% | 43.8% | 28 yrs 9 mths | 16 |
| Gore | 8.3% | 33.3% | 22 yrs 8 mths | 12 |
| All New Zealand | 35.6% | 19.5% | 17 yrs 4 mths | 13,530 |