Working at ChanceryGreen

 

ChanceryGreen offers a dynamic, fresh, and supportive team environment for you to commence your legal career. We are one of the largest specialist environment teams in New Zealand. We compete on an equal basis with the top full-service firms in the resource management, projects, and climate change practice areas. We are respected and admired for our skill, our approach, and our results.

WORK

ChanceryGreen opened its doors in August 2007 and has established itself as a top-tier boutique, focusing on large infrastructure and energy projects, and climate change issues. We offer our clients comprehensive environmental law and strategy, and climate change advice.

We have a unique client base that will provide you with opportunities to work on a range of files advising large energy corporations, property developers, and agricultural, horticultural, industrial, and hospitality entities. To promote early skills development for our junior lawyers, we also advise a number of individuals on resource consenting issues.

We are the provider of choice for significant project work, over the large firms. The fact that we act for, and are trusted by, four of the five major national electricity generators on their key environmental projects is testament to our ability and standing. The projects we are involved in are complex, of high value and significant strategic importance.

You can check out some key projects we have been involved with here.

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

We have a complete learning programme that will help you develop key investigative and analytical skills. As a boutique firm our junior staff benefit from direct involvement with partners and senior members of the team. Juniors are involved with meeting clients right from the start. The wider team regularly brainstorms topical issues as well as undertaking a more formal training programme. Karen, Jason, and Mark (the three Partners) are all experts in environment law, contributing complementary attributes to the ChanceryGreen practice. A founding principle of ChanceryGreen is the open sharing and cross-fertilization of ideas; information sharing on projects between partners and staff is encouraged, resulting in tangible benefits to our clients and a vital learning experience for new recruits!

In addition, ChanceryGreen recognises the benefits of external development and opportunities for further professional development overseas. For example, Senior Associate Lisa Daniell recently completed her Masters degree in Environmental Law in the United States. This was substantially funded by a scholarship from ChanceryGreen.

APPLYING FOR A ROLE AT CHANCERYGREEN

Apply for a career at ChanceryGreenFrom year to year ChanceryGreen promotes opportunities fro junior team members through the NZ Uni CareerHub, ranging from roles as summer clerks, interns and law clerks - so keep an eye out for our advertisement.

In addition, ChanceryGreen is happy to receive applications from university students in their final two years of a law degree outside of the advertised CareerHub recruitment schedule.

All potential recruits are required to:

  • complete the form
  • provide a copy of their CV
  • provide a copy of their academic transcript
  • provide a recent photograph
  • demonstrate a desire to work in environmental law

SUMMER CLERKSHIPS

As a summer clerk you will get a taste of life at ChanceryGreen. You will be exposed to a wide variety of work and get a hands-on experience as part of the team, mentored by a solicitor. From your first day you will experience legal life first hand, and we promise not to make you get us coffee!

LAW GRADUATES

You will experience a supportive and fun team environment within which to develop and learn. We have a comprehensive induction and mentoring programme that will settle you into life as a lawyer, and you will undertake the College of Law Professionals Programme with support from the whole team.

WE WANT YOU IF...

We want you if you:

  • are interested in environmental law, climate change and resource management
  • are well rounded
  • can show initiative
  • think outside the square
  • are intelligent
  • like to have fun
  • enjoy working in a team environment
  • want a challenge

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many staff do you recruit each year?

ChanceryGreen is always interested in meeting candidates who are keen to join our team. Most years ChanceryGreen employs a small number of recruits. We prefer to employ juniors who grow within the team over the years. We have an extremely high staff retention rate through a range of staff-focused policies.

What support do I get as a new recruit?

Each new recruit is paired with a mentor, or "buddy". This is usually someone close to your own level who understands the transition from uni to working-life. Your buddy is your go-to person, someone who you can ask all those "silly" questions you need answered. In addition, ChanceryGreen prides itself on having a very open environment, all staff are approachable, and happy to answer any questions and assist along the way with any work you are undertaking.

What social activities can I get involved in?

At ChanceryGreen we like to have fun! Part of our ethic is generating a work/life balance. Every Friday night the team (and their partners and friends) crowd around the breakfast bar for Friday night drinks. In addition, our active social club organises picnic lunches, dinners, and outings. We also participate in inter-firm sporting, social, and learning and development events with other boutique firms throughout Auckland CBD.

What kind of work will I do as a new recruit?

You will be involved in all aspects of environmental law from assisting in resource consent applications, researching submission points for council and Environment Court hearings and parliamentary select committees, as well as preparation for mediations and hearings, reviewing expert reports, brainstorming strategic approaches to environmental issues specific to a certain client's business, researching and drafting memoranda on complex environment law topics, reviewing and drafting carbon trading contracts, researching legal implications of new technologies, and even drafting articles for publication (both inhouse and for national and international publications).

How does "Profs" work?

You will participate in the College of Law Professionals Programme. ChanceryGreen values this programme, and as such you will be assigned a "Profs" day in which you can study. You also have the support of the junior staff who have recently completed the programme so you can ask them any questions you have along the way.