Kara Hiron also talks about handling legal issues in two similar but also different organisations
Kara Hiron has been a busy bee over the past year. In addition to serving as senior legal counsel at Manukau Institute of Technology Limited (MIT), she was called upon to take up the same role at Unitec in February 2021. While it was a major challenge, the in-house star has been able to juggle the double roles with aplomb.
She enjoys translating the law into “practical and workable solutions” for clients, and while she has been undaunted by the many responsibilities on her plate, she believes that those practising in the in-house market could still use more support and resources.
In this interview, Hiron talks about being part of a significant reform in New Zealand’s vocational education system, cultivating human connections in an environment that’s embraced remote work and what gives her a sense of achievement.
What made you choose a career in law, and what's your favourite part of the job?
I chose to practice law because I enjoy studying laws, rules and regulations, and I wanted to help businesses. I like to translate the law into practical and workable solutions for my stakeholders that enable the business to do what they do best.
I get a real sense of achievement from things like improving and simplifying processes, helping to settle a dispute or completing a transaction (large or small).
What is going on at the organisation? Are there any new programs and initiatives that you’re particularly interested in?
MIT and Unitec, along with all other polytechnics in New Zealand, will be merged with and become part of Te Pūkenga by 31 December. The merger is part of a wider reform of New Zealand’s vocational education system, and is a huge change for our sector. A lot of work is underway to ensure that during the transition we not only maintain service levels, but we also continue to improve and build upon the way we serve our learners and our communities.
What tech-related initiatives adopted by the organisation, if any, are you most excited about?
We have moved many of our services off “on premise” servers and into the cloud, which makes the information easily accessible from anywhere, at any time. For example, we have adopted SharePoint as a document repository and have moved (and are still in the process of moving) key software products and service into the cloud.
What has been your proudest accomplishment in the last year or so?
I have been at MIT since 2014 but I took over the legal function at Unitec as well in February 2021. This was a huge challenge, partly due to the increased workload, but also because the two organisations, while similar in many respects, are also quite different. There was a definitely a learning curve while I familiarised myself with the new business, but I would like to think that I quickly came up to speed!
What should the profession focus more on?
With the recent work on bullying and harassment in the legal profession and the increased flexibility now offered to most lawyers due to in the pandemic, I think the profession is in a pretty good place. Having said that, I would love to see more support and resources available for in-house lawyers, particularly those who work in sole practice or in a small team.
What are the challenges you expect in your practice, and in the business of law in general, going forward? What challenges are particularly pressing in the country’s legal industry?
I have always relied on my availability and accessibility to ensure that I develop strong connection with my stakeholders. Working remotely (and, personally, working across two campuses) has been a real challenge in this regard. You can organise a Teams meeting or a phone call to receive a legal briefing on a specific issue, but in my experience, you really get to know people and find out how the business works by talking to people face-to-face. With more people working from home and in some cases reluctant to get back into the office, it will be more difficult to develop those connections going forward, and will require some extra effort.
What are you looking forward to the most in the coming year?
After seven months of mostly working from home, I am really looking forward to getting back into the office and returning to some sense of normality!
If you were given an opportunity to spend a day with anyone (living or dead), who would it be and why?
I would love to spend the day with Martha Stewart. Her work ethic is unparalleled, and I really admire her business successes and high standards. Spending the day with Martha, you would eat well, travel in style and maybe even get to hang out with her TV co-host (and good friend) Snoop Dogg as well.
