Hi Kate
My Husband is doing the 6 core subjects required to re qualify here, he has done 2 and hopes to complete the other 4 this year - he says its just like doing your law degree again without support ! Its costly and time consuming.
He did his llb and LPC in the UK , there isn't an LPC here and it seems to be replaced by a 3 months professional skills course fortunately the amount of time he has been qualified got him out of that little joy.
Law graduates don't do a training contracts in NZ but degrees tend to be 4 rather than 3 years.
I wish I could be more positive about it all but I can't there is no reciprocal agreement between the 2 countries so kiwi lawyers work in London with very little effort and British lawyers do their law degree again in NZ.
As for finding work here its virtually impossible until you have requalified although some of the large firms will take commercial trained, its best to get any job in a related feild to get that all important NZ work experience make the contacts and hopefully something will come up when you have requalified. We are in Auckland and everyone knows everyone. Richard did litigation for Eversheds in the Uk and is now doing litigation for an insurance firm, he actually enjoys his job and best of all no chargeable hours!
So to sum up its hard slog and we knew before we came what would be involved but he loves it here and despite the endless study he wouldn't go back
If you have any specific questions PM me and I will get him to reply, not sure if my waffle has helped.
Michelle