Growing a career in a long-term industry

After more than a decade in the legal sector, Jennifer Coxon decided it was time to get the New Zealand Diploma in Legal Executive Studies to enable her to move up the career ladder. 

Her experience landed her a position at Cooney Law in Cambridge, Waikato, and with a supportive boss, Jennifer was able to complete her study while working full-time to become a qualified Legal Executive.

Re-entering tertiary education

Jennifer was 17 and had just left high school when she landed a position as a law firm receptionist. She says, “I was offered an opportunity to study while working, and I thought ‘why not?’, so I started studying for my legal executive diploma.”

Balancing study and full-time work at 17 was difficult, so Jennifer paused her study and gained a job at a law firm in Hamilton. Jennifer explains, “I started studying again a few years later in 2007/2008 through the New Zealand Law Society. The Global Financial Crisis hit mid-way through my study and I was made redundant, so I thought it was a sign that I wasn’t destined to study.”

It was three years ago when Jennifer had almost given up on her dream of becoming a qualified legal executive, that she saw a position for a legal executive advertised at Cambridge-based law firm Cooney Law. While Jennifer had much of the experience of a legal executive, she had no qualification to reinforce it which would allow her to obtain registration with the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives.

“I emailed Cooney Law saying ‘I see you’re seeking a legal executive, I’m not registered or qualified, but I have experience and I’ve started my diploma,” Jennifer said. Cooney Law’s founding partner Jocelyn Cooney ultimately hired Jennifer, and Jocelyn’s support enabled her to complete her qualification while working in the field.

Jennifer picked up her study through the Open Polytechnic after cross-crediting the credits from her New Zealand Law Society (NZLS) Legal Executive Diploma (which was discontinued in 2018) into the New Zealand Diploma of Legal Executive Studies.

Balancing work and study

The flexible nature of Open Polytechnic’s programmes and trimesters is what first attracted Jennifer to the education provider. The New Zealand Diploma of Legal Executive Studies is delivered fully online by Open Polytechnic, enabling students to fit study around their other commitments.

“I chose distance study because I could make it work around my home and work life. That flexibility was key to being able to complete my qualification. Having the New Zealand Law Society’s endorsement of the programme delivered by Open Polytechnic was a big plus too,” she says.

Jennifer liked the accountability that came with flexible study, explaining, “If you didn’t do the work, it didn’t get done, so you learn to make study work around yourself. I don’t think you need to be a disciplined or structured person to do distance study – the flexibility and support Open Polytechnic offers makes it so much easier to create and achieve a study plan. Once you get into a rhythm it’s fine.”

Supportive environment

Raising a family and working in a high-paced job presented some challenges. Jennifer says, “It was hard juggling family time with working and study, but my family, colleagues and Open Polytechnic staff have all been supportive of my goals.”

Jennifer’s employer, Cooney Law, fully supported her returning to complete her qualification. She says, “I have had some amazing mentors at work – Jocelyn, who encouraged me to study while working for her full-time, and in Cathy, one of the other legal executives who showed me the ropes. I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Jennifer says Open Polytechnic staff were also consistently supportive during her study, “The tutors and staff were always there when I had a question. A few times I thought they must have hundreds of students contacting them, yet they never treated you like a number. They knew who you were and cared about your success.”

Putting it into practice

The New Zealand Diploma in Legal Executive Studies cemented the experience Jennifer had gained over a decade in the field. She says she learnt a lot working in law firms, but the study cemented what she knew and her prior experience reaffirmed the study.

Jennifer says, “I learnt a lot about wills and powers of attorney during study – things I hadn’t touched on yet in my work. Our firm does a lot of work in relationship property and family trusts, so studying that was great for helping understand the tasks we’d undertake at work, such as the process of asset planning.”

Looking to the future

With her diploma now under her belt, Jennifer is looking at further education and career development, with the dream of becoming a Lawyer.

“I’d like to continue studying and further my prospects so I can be more beneficial to Cooney Law. If I can support my boss and give back as much as they’ve given me, I’ll be one happy person.”

It’s been a journey for Jennifer who admits, “I thought I was destined for failure as a teenager and I didn’t think I’d make much of myself. I smashed out the rest of my qualification in two years while working full-time. I’ve had a hard run, but I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished and it’s made me into the person I am today.”

For others looking to get into the legal sector, Jennifer highly-recommends studying with the Open Polytechnic for people who want flexible study options.

“I wish more people would study because the benefits are fabulous. Plus, I’m now in a long-term industry and the opportunities will continue to grow as I move through my career,” she says.