Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation Announces Women Leaders in Law Fellows and Travel and Learning Award Recipients

Borrin Foundation Women Leaders in Law Fellowship

The Borrin Foundation Women Leaders in Law Fellowship supports women with over ten years’ experience in the legal profession to pursue leadership development, research, or other initiatives that enhance their impact. Fellows may use the funding for study, professional development or to pioneer solutions to legal issues. This year, the Borrin Foundation has chosen to support two outstanding recipients:

• Deborah Manning has been selected to receive a $50,000 Women Leaders in Law Fellowship to develop and test a transdisciplinary framework for professional judgment and practice for New Zealand lawyers. Drawing on expertise from law, psychology, philosophy, professional supervision, and AI ethics, her project aims to strengthen professional judgment, ethical decision making, and sustainable legal practice. Building on more than 25 years of legal practice, teaching, and supervision, Deborah, a barrister at Landmark Chambers and Senior Lecturer at AUT Law School, intends to develop practical concepts and approaches that support lawyers to navigate complexity while promoting both good practice and wellbeing.

• Susan Rowe has been selected to receive a $23,916 Women Leaders in Law Fellowship to undertake a PhD in Psychology at the University of Canterbury, researching evidence-based approaches to preventing mental health risks in legal workplaces. Her work aims to develop New Zealand’s first psychosocial risk management tool for legal employers by identifying the organisational and cultural barriers that prevent proactive approaches to wellbeing. Following completion of her research, Susan intends to translate her findings into practical guidance and training for legal organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Travel and Learning Awards

Borrin Foundation Travel and Learning Awards support legal professionals to broaden their thinking, learn from others, and bring new insights back to Aotearoa. The awards can be used for domestic or international travel, with a particular focus on projects that align with the Foundation’s strategic priorities.

Seven Travel and Learning Awards have been granted in this year’s first round:

• Dr Isa Alade has been selected to receive $6,150 to travel to Papua New Guinea to attend the 2026 Alliance for Financial Inclusion Global Policy Forum. The knowledge gained will inform his research into financial inclusion, open banking, and consumer data rights in Aotearoa New Zealand. Isa is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Canterbury.

• Rilke Comer has been selected to receive $10,000 to undertake an unpaid internship at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva. The experience will support her ambition to become an international humanitarian lawyer and build on her work in climate litigation and international environmental law.

• Nicole Johnston has been selected to receive $10,000 to travel to Canada to learn from leading experts at a trauma-informed justice conference. She will explore culturally responsive and Indigenous approaches to trauma-informed practice, with the aim of strengthening future justice initiatives in Aotearoa New Zealand.

• Professor Annick Masselot has been selected to receive $10,000 to travel to Australia to examine legal responses to violence against women during and after disasters. A Professor of Law at the University of Canterbury, Annick’s research will identify opportunities to strengthen New Zealand’s legal and policy frameworks to better protect women during times of crisis.

• Dhilum Nightingale has been selected to receive $10,000 to engage with government agencies, community law centres, migrant advocacy organisations and frontline practitioners across Aotearoa as part of her work following her report on migrant exploitation. She will also undertake comparative learning with migrant worker protection organisations in Australia to examine approaches to employer accountability.

• Dr Kayla Stewart has been selected to receive $10,000 to travel to Australia and the United Kingdom to visit university student legal clinics and attend the 2026 International Access to Justice Forum. The award will support her work with the National Civil Justice Observatory and strengthen access to civil justice research and collaboration in Aotearoa New Zealand.

• Melissa Tahere has been selected to receive $7,500 to travel to Stanford University to participate in the Hoover Institution Indigenous Student Seminar, exploring Indigenous approaches to economic development, governance and legal systems. Melissa is a solicitor at Whāia Legal, specialising in trust, corporate and commercial law and advising on Māori legal issues.

Applications for the Borrin Foundation fellowshis are invited annually in March. Applications for the Travel and Learning Awards are invited twice a year in March and August.

Current Individual Funding Opportunities

The current round of applications for Borrin Foundation postgraduate scholarships and Travel and Learning Awards is now open and will close at 12pm on 1 September 2026.

This round includes:
• Borrin Foundation Te Pae Tawhiti Postgraduate Scholarship
• Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship
• Travel and Learning Awards

Information on eligibility criteria and how to apply can be found here: https://www.borrinfoundation.nz/fellowshipsawards/

ENDS

MORE INFORMATION

The Michael and Suzanne Borrin Foundation was established in 2018 through a $38 million bequest by the late Judge Ian Borrin. It is a philanthropic organisation which supports legal research, education, and scholarship. The Foundation’s current strategic areas of focus are the criminal justice system, family law and access to civil justice.

Media Contact

Oli Malthus

T: 02108044110

E: oli@borrinfoundation.nz