Criminal defence lawyer, admitted.

Mātai Chambers is a criminal defence practice in Auckland. We are hiring a lawyer who is already admitted and ready to be in Court.

Can you sit with someone on their worst day?

Criminal defence means being present when people are terrified, ashamed, angry, or numb. A mother learning her son will not get bail. A professional watching a career disappear. A young person who made one bad decision and is facing years inside. You will be in the room for these moments. Some people find this work draining. Others find it meaningful. Know which you are.

Can you run a case when the odds are poor?

We know what a conviction does to a life. When a client chooses to defend a charge, we prepare as though everything turns on it, because it does. That means disclosure read line by line, cross-examination built from the documents, and submissions a Judge cannot brush aside. It also means losses. Not every case can be won. Every client is entitled to someone who acts as though theirs can be.

Can you defend the indefensible?

Your clients will include professionals protecting their careers and people with long criminal histories. Some will lie to you. Some will have done terrible things. Rights do not depend on moral character. If you need to like your clients to represent them well, this is not your path.

Can you handle the reality?

Overnight arrests mean morning bail applications. Trials mean weekend preparation. The current work includes Crown jury trials for organised crime and drug supply, sexual violation, serious violence, and family harm, in the District Court and the High Court across Auckland, on legal aid and on private instruction. The pressure comes early. Your disclosure review might get a charge withdrawn. Your bail submissions might get someone home tonight. This either motivates or crushes people.

The role

You must be admitted and hold a current practising certificate, or be able to obtain one before you start. We are not hiring a graduate this time. You will be in Court in your first week: first appearances, bail applications, case review hearings, and sentencings. Then pre-trial applications and second chair at jury trial. Then your own judge-alone trials and, in time, your own files.

The foundation work comes with it: disclosure review, chronologies, research, briefs of evidence, and prison visits. Nobody here is carried, and nobody is left to sink.

What we offer

You will work directly with Gowan Duff and Fred Choi on every aspect of criminal defence. Fred joined three years ago and now runs his own trials. That is the trajectory. Progression comes from demonstrated capability, not years served. The work is demanding, and you will not face it alone.

What we are looking for

Strong academics matter. Care for people matters more. This work needs emotional intelligence, resilience, and the ability to connect with clients from every background. You will meet people at the worst moments of their lives, visit them in prison, and read material that stays with you.

We need someone who sees what needs doing and does it, who wants to be in Court, and who says so when they are out of their depth, because in this work that is a strength.

A second language, particularly Korean, Mandarin, or a Pacific language, is valuable in Auckland courts. The role is full time, based in Auckland, and you must have the right to work in New Zealand without restriction.

To apply

Email gowan@mataichambers.com with the subject line "Application: Criminal defence lawyer: [your name]" and attach three PDFs: your CV, including your admission date and practising certificate status; your academic transcript (an unofficial copy is fine); and a covering letter of no more than two pages.

In the letter, tell us why criminal defence. Tell us about a court appearance you have made, or the one you most want to make. Give an example of handling pressure or difficult people. Show us you understand what this work involves.

The role is also advertised on Seek. Applications close when the right person is found.