Women Leaders in Law Fellowship for Deborah Manning
This Fellowship is supporting Deborah to develop and test a transdisciplinary primer and professional supervision pathway for New Zealand lawyers.
Borrin Foundation Women Leaders in Law Fellowship
Deborah’s plan
Deborah will use the Borrin Foundation Women Leaders Fellowship to develop a transdisciplinary framework for professional judgment and practice in law. The Fellowship will draw together insights from a range of disciplines and fields of practice, including law, psychology, philosophy, applied ethics, professional supervision, and AI ethics and governance, to explore how legal professionals can observe more carefully, think more clearly, and navigate situations of complexity, uncertainty, conflict, and competing obligations. Building on more than 25 years of legal practice, teaching, and supervision, the project seeks to develop practical concepts, language, and approaches that strengthen professional judgment while supporting both good practice and wellbeing. The Fellowship will provide dedicated time to integrate research and practice, contributing to professional judgment, ethical decision-making, and sustainable legal practice in New Zealand.
About Deborah
Deborah Manning is a barrister at Landmark Chambers and Senior Lecturer at AUT Law School. She holds a BA and LLB(Hons) from the University of Auckland and has specialised in refugee, immigration and public law since her admission to the Bar in 1999. Early in her career, while working on the Ahmed Zaoui case, Deborah discovered the value of professional supervision, an experience that profoundly shaped her approach to professional judgment, ethical decision-making, and professional resilience. She later completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Supervision (PGCertProf) and founded The Good Practice Company, a consultancy focused on professional supervision, professional judgment, and strengthening practice in complex environments. Deborah teaches immigration, refugee law, dispute resolution, and professional practice at AUT. She chairs the Immigration Reference Group, has served for many years on the TLANZ Immigration and Refugee Committee, is an Associate Member of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ), and is certified in AI Ethics through the University of Oxford Saïd Business School.
Grant Amount
$50,000 in 2027
“Early in my career I learned how much the law can gain from other disciplines. This Fellowship provides a rare opportunity to translate those insights into legal practice, strengthening professional judgment, supporting sustainable practice, and improving outcomes for clients.”