Otago Law alumni and staff who have recently been awarded Borrin Foundation fellowships and awards, clockwise from top left: Associate Professor Anna High, Genevieve Hancock, Mitchell McClenaghan and Natalie Coates (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Tūhourangi, Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui).
Congratulations to the four Otago alumni and staff who have been awarded Borrin Foundation Fellowships, and Travel and Learning Awards.
Natalie Coates (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Tūhourangi, Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui) has received a Justice Fellowship, Genevieve Hancock a Women Leaders in Law Fellowship, and Associate Professor Anna High and Mitchell McClenaghan have been awarded Travel and Learning Awards.
The Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation was established in 2018 through a $38 million bequest by the late Judge Ian Borrin. It is a philanthropic organisation that supports legal research, education, and scholarship.
The Foundation’s current strategic areas of focus are the criminal justice system, family law and access to civil justice.
Dean of Te Kaupeka Tātai Ture – Faculty of Law, Associate Professor Bridgette Toy-Cronin, says the Faculty is immensely proud of the alumni and staff who have been recognised by the Borrin Foundation for their outstanding contributions to legal scholarship and leadership.
“These fellowships and awards reflect not only their individual excellence but also the strength of our Otago Law community in advancing law and improving access to justice,” she says.
The Awardees
Natalie Coates (BA Hons, LLB Hons 2009)
Natalie is an Otago alumna and former kaimahi of the Law Faculty, she is now a barrister at Thorndon Chambers and a Pouako at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. Natalie holds first-class honours degrees in Law and Arts (Māori Studies) from Otago, and an LLM from Harvard University, where she studied as a Fulbright Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Scholar.
Natalie has been selected to receive one of two $120,000 Justice Fellowships, which support senior legal professionals to undertake ambitious, self-directed projects beyond their everyday roles. Fellows may use the award for salary replacement, research, travel, or any project-related costs that enable them to test new ideas and pioneer solutions in law.
Natalie will convene wānanga with leading tikanga experts and explore tikanga’s application in areas such as contract, torts, and legal ethics. The outcomes will include a filmed educational resource and a published article to help legal professionals and law schools engage with tikanga authentically and competently.
Genevieve Hancock (LLB 1994)
Genevieve is an Otago alumna and has more than 20 years’ experience in technology law and currently serves as Convenor of the Wellington Women Lawyers’ Association.
She has been selected to receive one of two $25,000 Women Leaders in Fellowship, which supports women with more than 10 years' experience in the legal profession to pursue leadership development, research, or other initiatives that enhance their impact. Fellows may use the funding for study, professional development or to pioneer solutions to legal issues.
Genevieve will examine how Aotearoa’s legal frameworks can adapt to rapid technological change and better protect communities from online harm. Her project investigates regulatory gaps and opportunities for legal innovation that promote digital accountability and safety.
Associate Professor Anna High, Mitchell McClenaghan (BA, LLB 2012)
Anna and Mitchell have received Travel and Learning Awards, which support legal professionals to broaden their thinking, learn from others, and bring new insights back to Aotearoa. The awards can be used for national or international travel (or virtual equivalents), with a focus on projects that align with the Foundation’s priorities in criminal justice, family law, and access to civil justice.
Anna is kaimahi of the Law Faculty at Otago and the Co-Director of the Otago Centre for Law and Society. She receives $10,000 to travel to Chicago and Oxford to further her networks and expertise in the fields of mindfulness as legal pedagogy, and mindfulness as a professional practice skill for lawyers.
“This is an exciting opportunity to learn more about the growing mindfulness in law movement in the US and to further my training at the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation. I’m very grateful for the Borrin Foundation's outstanding support of legal scholarship in Aotearoa,” Anna says.
Mitchell is an Otago alumnus and receives $10,000 to participate in the Visiting Professional Programme at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
In 2024, alumni Nerys Udy (Ngāi Tahu) and Jacobi Kohu-Morris (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi) both received Borrin Foundation Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarships and recently began their LLM studies at the University of Cambridge.
You can read more about Nerys’ studies here
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