Finding her voice—Toilolo Leilani Taula’s journey from Te Herenga Waka to Yale
Whether Toilolo Leilani Taula is walking into a courtroom or standing on stage with her guitar, she embodies the belief that words—and stories—have power.
“I grew up around storytelling,” she says. “My dad was an orator, and law, particularly litigation, is all about storytelling. When you’re a litigator, you’re supposed to stand up and present facts in a way that tells a story with a particular lens.”
It’s a skill that has taken Leilani from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington to Yale Law School, where she is studying for a Master of Laws as a recipient of the Te Pae Tawhiti Postgraduate Scholarship from the Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation.
Born in Nelson and raised in both Tauranga and Sāmoa, Leilani says she decided to study law when she was seven years old after watching the movie I Am Sam. “There was this woman who was a lawyer and initially kind of sucked as a human being,” she says. “But she took on a case pro bono for an intellectually disabled man trying to keep custody of his daughter, and she became a much better person for it.
I remember thinking, this is quite an interesting set of skills—you can help people with words.
Toilolo Leilani Taula
That spark stayed with her through school. “I was very aware that you needed to be good at English and history and the writing subjects, so I just kind of followed that plan out. I made that initial call and never really deviated from it.”
When it came time to choose a university, Wellington felt like the right fit. “Wellington had this culture that resonated with me more than Auckland or Christchurch—it felt like the sweet spot. Far enough from family to be independent, but close enough that I could get home if I needed to.”
Leilani is also a musician and has made music since she was a child. She and her brother Elijah made it to X Factor NZ in 2015. She used those skills to support herself during her studies by busking on the streets of Wellington. “If I wanted any extra cash for sushi or a nice cup of coffee, I’d carry my guitar down the hill and have a little busk,” she says.
At university, Leilani threw herself into student life, becoming president of the Pasifika Law Students’ Society (PLSS), the Pacific engagement adviser for the law faculty, and a tutor for Contract Law. “Any time there was something that came up that required a Pasifika person to be involved, I’d often stick my hand up,” she says. “And frequently they’d be like, ‘yeah, we haven’t heard from anyone else,’ so I’d do it.”
Her leadership came from necessity and conviction. “It is really hard to be a Pasifika law student when there are so few. Law school is a competition—it’s a zero-sum game, and the playing field isn’t level. But having something like PLSS is fundamental. It provides that wrap-around support and says, ‘we actually understand what you’re going through‘ in a really meaningful way.’”
In 2021, Leilani was bestowed the matai title Toilolo by her village of Taga in Savai‘i, Sāmoa, a moment she describes as humbling and deeply grounding. “It’s a high chief title, and I’m very, very grateful to have received it from my family.”
Before heading overseas, Leilani worked at the Te Kura Pacific Justice Sector Programme, which supports justice systems across 15 Pacific nations. It was during this time that she was awarded the prestigious Borrin Foundation scholarship to study a Master of Laws at Yale. Shortly afterwards, tragedy struck her aiga (family): her father passed away.
“The Borrin Foundation and Yale were both incredible,” she says. “When my dad passed away, I thought, okay, 'I guess I’m not going to Yale.' But they all said, ‘Don’t be silly—of course you can go. Just go next year.’ That was such an incredible gift.”
Leilani began the 10-month programme at Yale Law School in August. She is researching customary and common law in Sāmoa and the United States, examining the relationship between those legal systems and how it differs between jurisdictions.
“There’s a real tension between Pacific ways of being and the formal adversarial system,” she explains. “In Pacific cultures, we tend to try and get to an agreement through consensus, which takes time. In law, decisions have to be made. You just have to make a call.”
Still, she finds harmony between the two.
We’re an oral culture, very much about storytelling. That aligns so well with the courtroom. You’re presenting facts, but you’re also telling a story.
Toilolo Leilani Taula
After the scholarship, she plans to return home. “I’m a bit of a homebody,” she admits. “I really want to get back to New Zealand, see family, and hopefully lecture for a little bit.”
Reflecting on her journey, Leilani says that her motivation remains the same as it was when she first dreamed of becoming a lawyer. “I realised you can help people with words and tools,” she says. “That looked quite cool then—and it still does now.”