Welcome to V.Alum 2025 from the Dean of Law
Professor Geoff McLay, Dean of Te Kauhanganui Tātai Ture—Faculty of Law, welcomes readers to this edition of V.Alum and reflects on the first half of 2025.
Te Kauhanganui Tātai Ture: Finding purpose through a shared community
It’s an honour to introduce the latest edition of V.Alum as Dean of Te Kauhanganui Tātai Ture—the Faculty of Law at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. We like to say this is the best place to study law, and that’s true not just thanks to its unique location in the heart of Wellington’s lawmaking district, but also because of the people who are here. We boast world-leading scholars who nurture our students to become their best selves, who challenge them to think critically and holistically so that these future lawyers will make the world a better place.
We take great pride in our teaching excellence and the way our graduates leave law school equipped to think like lawyers.
Professor Geoff McLay
In this edition of V.Alum you’ll read about honorary lecturer Mark Cunliffe’s approach to teaching Mergers & Acquisitions Law, and the way he’s setting up his students to hit the ground running when they enter the workforce.
Our students continue to strive for excellence in all they do, too—we’re incredibly proud to report that Isla Clarkson and Jimmy Fiso recently placed second equal at the 2025 Brown Mosten International Client Consultation competition in Glasgow. Other law students have been receiving recognition for their research, and our academic staff are also maintaining an impressive and impactful publishing and research output.
We have enjoyed welcoming a number of new faces to the Faculty this year. There has also been a lot to celebrate within our community, including David McLauchlan’s book launch and Ivor Richardson lecture, the recent Lecretia Seales Memorial Lecture in Law Reform by Māmari Stephens, and the much-anticipated inaugural lecture of Fiona McDonald.
Likewise, our graduates the world over are continuing to have a huge impact on the way we operate as a law school. From the generous donations of past students to the real-world experience that’s shared by the talented practitioners who return to teach here as honorary lecturers, we get so much out of our alumni community, and we are very grateful for your support.
Law students who have benefited from the generosity of our alumni have taken a moment to say thank you for supporting their scholarships, prizes, and travel to international competitions. These contributions are hugely appreciated and make a real difference in the lives of our students. Watch the video below to learn more about how this generosity has enriched their studies.
Two qualities that are key to becoming a good lawyer, and which we aim to instil in our students, are resilience and empathy. This edition of V.Alum features two graduates—Natasha Sax and Daniel Kalderimis—who live and breathe those attributes. Natasha works in international humanitarian law in the Middle East, and Daniel has published an incredible book outlining how philosophy has helped him find meaning in his life again after experiencing depression. It’s so exciting to see how their respective efforts are making a positive difference in significant ways.
If all of this isn’t incentive enough to pore over V.Alum, we’re also giving away to one lucky reader a bundle of the highest calibre books, including recent publications by Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Sir Ken Keith, and David McLauchlan, Zest by Daniel Kalderimis, and the latest edition of the VUWLR (student edition) out this month!
As we head into the second half of the year, you can be assured that the fantastic work happening here will continue, alongside our ongoing relationship with the legal community, to create a vibrant Law School at Te Herenga Waka. All of its different facets make Te Kauhanganui Tātai Ture the centre of a physical and intellectual community in Wellington, and its impact is seen and felt around the world.
We hope you enjoy this mid-year update. Happy reading!