Corporate lawyer wins award for voluntary work

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Media Release 15 May 2012

Corporate lawyer wins award for voluntary work in community law

A long term commitment to ensuring legal services are available for people who can’t afford to pay for them has won Wellington lawyer Cameron Madgwick national recognition.

Madgwick has won the 2012 Corporate Lawyers Association (CLANZ) - Wigley & Company Community Contribution Award, presented annually to “an in-house lawyer who has made an outstanding contribution to the community beyond their day job”. CLANZ, which is a section of the New Zealand Law Society, has some 2150 members who work in corporate, governmental and other organisations, rather than in private practice, and this is the second time Madgwick has won the award.

In 2009 his services as a volunteer lawyer at the Wellington Community Law Centre where he has worked for 15 years since his student days at Victoria University were recognised. Since then he has stepped up to take on governance roles at local and national level, most recently helping the 26 Community Law Centres around the country develop a governance structure for a national association formed last year. He has since been elected chair of this body - Community Law Centres o Aotearoa (CLCA).

CLCA chief executive Elizabeth Tennet says it is great to see Madgwick honoured as community law couldn’t survive without the enormous voluntary contribution of lawyers like him.

“Community law gets some funding from government but it is hugely dependent on the financial and practical support of the legal profession,” Ms Tennet said. “As we enter a period of increased contestability for funding, the leadership and skills of someone like Cam are vital to ensuring justice remains available for those without the money for lawyers. Sometimes just a small amount of advice is necessary to prevent a problem escalating.

“Justice is what the law is all about and I am impressed at how many lawyers actually take the time on top of busy schedules to work to support access to the law. Many people wouldn’t be aware of this and the award highlights the broader contribution lawyers make to society,” Ms Tennet said.

In his “day job” Madgwick is the Associate General Counsel for Contact Energy. He was previously the legal adviser for the New Zealand Rugby Union and started his career at Russell McVeagh. He also serves on the Board of the Laura Ferguson Trust, which works with people with disabilities.

Madgwick says that lawyers can help community organisations in a wide variety of ways, but it is in the area of governance that those with legal training may be able to provide key assistance that isn’t otherwise readily available for such groups.

“We all have some pretty valuable skills that we learn over time that most community organisations would benefit from. Plus it’s very rewarding to be part of an organisation making a positive difference in people’s lives.”

Madgwick thanked Wigley & Company for the $7000 that comes with the Award and has chosen to donate it Community Law Centres o Aotearoa to advance specific access to justice initiatives.
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