Support, encouragement and inspiration behind Law alumni success

“Great professors. Great environment. Nurturing and challenging at the same time.”

Those are the words of Law graduate Claire Charters, reflecting on her time as a student, after recently being awarded a prestigious Borrin Foundation scholarship.

Claire (Ngāti Whakaue, Tūwharetoa, Ngāpuhi, Tainui), along with fellow alumni Jessica (Jess) Kirton-Luxford and Nera Tautau (Malaemalu, Moata’a), have received three of nine Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation 2025 scholarships.

The Dean of Law, Associate Professor Bridgette Toy‑Cronin, says the Faculty of Law is very proud to see three alumni recognised with Borrin Foundation awards, which acknowledge their excellence, leadership and ongoing commitment to justice and legal scholarship.

Selected for a Travel and Learning Award, Claire will travel to Sápmi, in the northern Arctic Circle, to study Sámi governance institutions and assess their relevance to Indigenous constitutional arrangements in Aotearoa New Zealand.

She plans to attend sessions of the Sámi Parliaments in Norway and Finland, meeting with parliamentarians and members of the Sámi Council to better understand how these bodies operate within state systems while supporting Indigenous self-determination.

Claire graduated from Otago with an LLB (Hons) and BA in 1998 and regularly speaks around the globe on international and constitutional law and Indigenous peoples. She was a Royal Society Rutherford Discovery Fellow (2019 – 2025) and is co-director of the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre for Indigenous Peoples and the Law.

“Otago law was brilliant,” says Claire. “I loved it. Great professors. Great environment. Nurturing and challenging at the same time.

“And Professor John Dawson was my inspiration to pursue a career in international law and Indigenous peoples’ rights.”

Jess and Nera have been awarded Te Pae Tawhiti Postgraduate Scholarships.

Jess graduated from Otago in 2023 with an LLB (Hons) and BA (Politics, Philosophy and Economics) and received the Otago District Law Society Prize.  During University, she worked as a summer research assistant at the University of Auckland and was head tutor for the Otago first-year law programme.

“The University of Otago was a great place to come of age because it has such a strong sense of community both inside and outside of the law faculty,” she says.  “I have a number of great friends from my time at Otago.”

She enjoyed the variety of courses she could take and even though she has ended up working in law, says it has been very valuable to have an interdisciplinary background.

“A significant part of my law school experience was also tutoring the first-year law programme (during the COVID-19 pandemic) and working with the lecturers involved with that. I love teaching and enjoy seeing where my ex-students have ended up.”

“The University of Otago was a great place to come of age because it has such a strong sense of community both inside and outside of the law faculty," - Jessica Kirton-Luxford

Jess says she feel lucky to have had a lot of mentorship and support from members of the law faculty, both during and after her studies, including her honours supervisor Professor Nicola Wheen; Professor Shelley Griffiths, Dean during her time; and Associate Professor Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere, who encouraged her to apply for her graduate role.

“Although I enjoyed a number of courses, I loved the jurisprudence course taught by Emma Gattey – it was the moment all the pieces came together and changed how I view the law.”

Following her studies, Jess clerked for Justice Cooper, President of the Court of Appeal, and is currently working as a junior barrister at Thorndon Chambers in Wellington.

Jess will pursue a Master of Laws in the United Kingdom or Canada. Her research will examine novel legal tools and frameworks to address climate change, with a focus on the practical implications of the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion in an Aotearoa New Zealand context.

She says the Borrin Foundation grant will enable her to better contribute to the mitigation of complex politico-legal issues affecting communities in Aotearoa and globally.

Nera graduated from Otago in 2020 with a BA in Politics and a Bachelor of Laws. She served as President of the Otago Pacific Island Law Students’ Association (PILSA) and was a recipient of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Latin America.

“Studying at Otago University opened many doors for me, placing me in a strong position to be awarded the Borrin Foundation Te Pae Tawhiti Postgraduate Scholarship,” says Nera.

“During my five years at Otago, I was well supported by both the Pacific Islands Centre and the Law Faculty, particularly Emeritus Professor John Dawson. This enabled me to succeed and make the most of the opportunities offered to me.

“Through Professor Dawson's encouragement, I submitted a legal research paper on Pacific cultural considerations at sentencing for the Otago District Law Society's Joshua Williams Memorial Essay Prize. I was awarded the prize and this sparked an interest in Pacific legal research, which led me to pursuing my Master’s today.”

Nera will study towards a Master of Human Rights Law at the University of Melbourne. Her study focuses on advancing human rights for Pacific communities in Aotearoa New Zealand, with a particular emphasis on ensuring human rights frameworks reflect Pacific values and lived experiences.

Nera is a Senior Human Rights Advisor at Te Kāhui Tika Tangata New Zealand Human Rights Commission in Wellington, where she works on race relations and the rights of Pacific peoples, contributing to national and international human rights initiatives.

She says receiving the Te Pae Tawhiti Postgraduate Scholarship will enable her to make a meaningful contribution towards making human rights real and relevant for Pacific communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.