Open Polytechnic students top in nationwide legal executive examinations

Posted on 10 August 2020

Open Polytechnic student Denise Roux was recently named the top graduate in the New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive Diploma.

 

Open Polytechnic student Denise Roux was recently named the top graduate in the New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive Diploma.

It’s been a remarkable year of achievement for Open Polytechnic legal executive students.  Aside from Mrs Roux achieving the top overall results, Sophia Burton, Joanne Columbus, Emma Simmons, Tracy Kelly, Eleanor Howell, Courtney McHugh also gained the highest marks in all six of the courses that make up the New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive Diploma.

All of the students studied by distance learning with Open Polytechnic, New Zealand’s largest provider of distance learning at tertiary level.

For her efforts Denise received prizes from the New Zealand Law Society as well as from Thomson Reuters New Zealand.  Denise says she fitted in her legal executive studies around her full-time work at Auckland law firm Langdon & Co.

“When I found out about my achievement, I was shocked and then gratified that all the hard work and long hours of studying over the last four years had been worth it. I still can’t quite believe it”, says Denise.

The support she received from Open Polytechnic helped Denise throughout her study journey. “It was a pleasure studying through Open Polytechnic.  The tutors were all very supportive and available when required, promptly assisting me with my queries.  The phone calls from the support staff asking how the studies were going were also very welcoming.  I also really appreciated the prompt feedback on assignments which is so important when you are waiting for results.  All in all, it has been a very good learning experience,” says Denise.

Denise says the support from her workplace, Takapuna’s Langdon & Co, was also appreciated.  “My employer has always been very supportive throughout my studies and all my colleagues are very proud of my achievement.  My principal, Peter Langdon, encouraged me to enrol and  was generous enough to cover the costs of the diploma.”

The New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive Diploma was offered at four polytechnics around the country in 2015.  Principal Lecturer in Law at Open Polytechnic, Cedric Hunt says it’s been a stellar year of achievement for Open Polytechnic students.  “Our students have always featured as top achievers in the annual exam results, but this is the first time we’ve won all of the available awards.  We congratulate all of the students who have achieved these outstanding results.”

For more information on the New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive Diploma offered by Open Polytechnic, head to http://bit.ly/1RjZXN1