Congratulations to Hannah Yang, who has been awarded a Grant from the Yvonne A M Charitable Trust. Hannah has also been accepted to Harvard University to complete a Master of Laws (LLM) and is a recipient of the Frank Knox Fellowship.

Hannah grew up in the suburb of Mt Roskill, Auckland, raised by her mother. In her high school graduating class of around 400 students, only five chose to pursue law. Despite these challenges, Hannah thrived and started her legal career as a clerk at the Supreme Court of New Zealand.. This experience fuelled her passion for public, human rights, constitutional, and Treaty of Waitangi law. As a Junior Barrister, she has notably acted for the Human Rights Commission in climate change litigation and represented Māori customary owners in a historic Treaty-related claim against the Crown.

Hannah’s academic journey is equally impressive. She holds an LLB (Hons) and a BA in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of Auckland. Her accolades include the University of Auckland Scholarship, multiple first-in-course awards, the Johnston Foundation Prize in Company Law, the Wilson Harle Prize in Commercial Law, and the Senior Scholar Award in Law, among others.

Hannah’s intends to leverage her LLM to delve deeper into the evolving landscape of New Zealand’s public law, particularly in relation to the NZ Bill of Rights Act and the Treaty of Waitangi. Her goal is to contribute significantly to the country’s legal framework and address emerging constitutional issues. In the long term, Hannah aspires to become a senior public law advocate and potentially serve as a judge. She aims to inspire greater diversity in the legal profession and serve as a role model for future lawyers, addressing the current lack of representation of Asian descent in senior legal positions in New Zealand.

With her outstanding track record and steadfast dedication to justice and diversity, Hannah Yang stands as an inspiring example of excellence and commitment in the legal profession.