Otago law students not ready to forgive Russell McVeagh
Tuesday, 21 May 2019
Law students at Otago University are not ready to forgive Russell McVeagh for the sex assault scandal that rocked the legal world in 2018.
The Society of Otago University Law Students (SOULS) asked students whether they'd be happy to take the law firm's sponsorship money to help with events, effectively reinstating a relationship that was severed by SOULS after the allegations of assault and harassment last year.
In an email to the student body, SOULS President Teddy Rose said they had cut ties with the firm after the allegations surfaced last year because they could not guarantee it was a safe place to work and did not feel comfortable promoting it. The allegations were made by young law clerks, against senior partners at the prestigious firm.
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Earlier this month, SOULS invited law students to complete feedback forms on whether the sponsorship relationship should be reinstated. Rose said an anonymous survey of Otago Students who had been summer clerks with Russell McVeagh in 2018/19, was 'overwhelmingly positive toward re-establishing a sponsorship relationship'.
Attached to the email, was a statement from Russell McVeagh detailing what the company had done to transform its culture. The SOULS executive said they were 'pleased' with the progress so far.
However, the suggestion to renew ties was rebuffed by students, with the SOULS executive explaining in an email seen by Stuff today, that 'many students do not support any such arrangement at this stage.'
'Therefore, SOULS believes that re-establishing a sponsorship arrangement with Russell McVeagh in 2019 would not be representative of the student voice,' the email said.
Russell McVeagh chief executive Jo Avenell told Stuff the result was disappointing.
'We value our relationship with all the Law Student Associations and naturally this news is disappointing but we respect their decision,' Avenell said.
'We are focused on our own cultural transformation programme and are encouraged by the acknowledgment of the changes we have made so far, as well as the support of the transformation plans that are underway.
'This positive feedback was prominent in the Otago Summer Clerk reports from the students who worked with us most recently.'
The former lawyer who helped uncover appalling stories of rape, assault and harassment in the legal profession, Olivia Wensley, congratulated students on their stand.
'It's fantastic that the students have the morals and ethics to say 'no' to a firm where its interns were sexually assaulted - particularly when some of the largest corporations in New Zealand (and the Government) continue to support this firm.
Wensley said the recent formation of the Aotearoa Legal Workers Union, along with SOULS' decision, showed the 'little people' like student and junior lawyers can make an impact.
'It gives me great hope for the future of the profession,' she said.
Wensley was critical of the progress Russell McVeagh had made implementing the recommendations of Dame Margaret Bazley, who conducted an independent review of the firm's culture after the scandal broke.
'The progress (the firm) has made is pitiful,' she said.
With the vast resources Russell McVeagh has access to - it is inexcusable that it hasn't met the recommendations a year later.'
The Otago University Law Faculty also suspended all access to campus by Russell McVeagh, including posters, workshops, and student recruitment, while the firm went through their internal review.
Otago University Law Dean Jessica Palmer said law schools across the country would act in unison in regard to whether Russell McVeagh will be permitted to recruit on university campuses, and a decision would likely be made later this year.