Women Leaders in Law Fellowship for Holly Hedley
Borrin Foundation Women Leaders in Law Fellowship
Holly’s plan
Holly intends to write a practical introduction to trauma-informed legal practice for Aotearoa New Zealand. Her hope is that her work will provide an additional and complementary strand to the emerging discussions about how trauma-informed approaches may improve the experience of all those who interact with the legal sector. Holly will take a collaborative approach, building on the knowledge already established in health and social fields, and exploring how lawyers might, and arguably must, apply those ideas within their practice of law. While Holly’s work will apply across the legal sector, she will have a particular focus on the potential for trauma-informed approaches within employment law. Holly hopes to engage with a wide range of practitioners, to hear their views about how trauma-informed approaches may fit within their fields, with the ultimate goal of providing an accessible and practical reference point for practitioners to take forward in their daily practice.
About Holly
Holly has worked as a health and employment law specialist for more than a decade, and she is passionate about providing legal services in a pragmatic and compassionate way. Her expertise sits at the intersection of health and employment law, and includes human rights and privacy issues, as well supporting clients who are involved in adverse and often traumatic events. After working at a large firm for many years, Holly is now building her own practice and consultancy, through which she hopes to combine the practice of law alongside her wider academic and reform interests. Holly was previously a Pegasus Scholar, and she also received the New Zealand Law Foundation’s Ethel Benjamin Scholarship, through which she completed a Masters in Global Health Law at Georgetown Law (USA), graduating with highest distinction. She is the convenor of the New Zealand Law Society’s National Health Law Committee and has written on a range of health and human rights topics.
Grant Amount
$30,000 in 2024 – 2026
“Trauma haunts many corners of legal practice and lawyers must better understand the potential impacts of trauma on the people we serve. I feel privileged to explore this topic further, and look forward to sharing more with the profession.”