Open Polytechnic students have claimed four of the six top places in the
New Zealand Law Society’s (NZLS) 2013 Legal Executive Diploma national examinations.
Top places were achieved by Hannah Brosnahan- Introduction to the Legal System exam, Stephanie Waterhouse – Introduction to Law Office Practice exam, Katie Videbeck – Litigation Law and Practice exam and Megan Stoks – Property Law and Practice exam.
Of particular note, Waterhouse’s top exam mark was an unbeatable 100% and Stoks, who as well as receiving the top national mark in her respective exam, was the top graduating student for 2013.
Stoks, who has been juggling her studies on top of working in a reception-administration role for chartered accountancy practice Lay Dodd Partners of Epsom, Auckland, says her overall achievement was “pleasantly unexpected”.
“I was very surprised considering I haven’t had any practical experience in a law office environment,” she says.
She adds that her success would not have been possible without the support she has received from both her family and her employer.
“My family has been most helpful and my employer enabled me to adjust my working hours in order for me to be able to attend my exams, so I am thankful to them.”
All four winning Open Polytechnic students will receive a $150 prize from the New Zealand Law Society for their efforts. Stoks and Brosnahan will also receive Thomson Reuters prizes for being the highest achieving Open Polytechnic students in their subjects.
In 2013 students from seven different tertiary providers around the country sat one or more of the six examinations that make up the NZLS Executive Diploma.
