Excelling at Law
Proud Ngāti Toa iwi member and pā boy Jury Teniteni-Smeaton recently graduated from Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Laws. He is currently on a graduate programme run by Crown Law. This involves rotating around three different Government Departments over a two-year period while assisting with the Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira MACA claim on the side.
Jury is the proud son of Jennie Smeaton and Jessie Teniteni, he is the mokopuna of Sharon and Graeme Smeaton. He has one sibling, a sister Josie Teniteni-Smeaton. Jury remembers being told at an early age that he should study law, although he reckons his mother would probably deny that.
Jury comes from a community where your aunties and uncles are just as much invested in your future as you are. It would be hard to walk the pā without him being stopped along the way by an aunty asking him how he’s doing or a cousin he hasn’t seen in a while.
He says that growing up around the Rūnanga offices during our Treaty Settlement period drew him to his profession. Seeing leaders like Tā Matiu Rei, who were able to effectively navigate law and crown law processes to help our people was something that he admired and sparked his interest in his profession.
The key skills Jury believes you acquire when you study law is being able to understand the process and create new and innovative solutions.
He started his studies in 2019, the people he has met along the way, new experiences while attending Law School introduced him to a whole new world, which he believes has been the best part of his study journey so far. He was an active member of Ngā Rangahautira (Māori Law Student Association) and the Pasifika Law Student Association. Through his involvement in these rōpu he has made lifelong friends and has been an opportunity for him to think about the world in a different way and has helped him to understand the injustices that are present in our nation and how we can solve them.
Outside of law, Jury is an active NZ Warriors supporter – Up the Wahs. He also has a natural talent as a sport commentator. Rumour has it he will again be the commentator for this year’s AGM, Marae Rugby League challenge between Takapūwāhia and Hongoeka, having done a sterling job last year.
Like most of his cousin’s golf is his sport of choice. Otherwise, he enjoys relaxing with friends and whānau. Jury’s favourite kai is a good steak. His favourite movie is anything with Denzel Washington. The King of Country Music, George Strait is a definite name you will find on his playlist. His favourite places to visit are Brisbane and Paris.
Jury’s advice for rangatahi who are thinking about studying law is to give it a go. Jury says during your first year of studying, usually only a third of your papers are law. Taking other papers that you are also interested in will help you decide whether law is for you. Along the way you will make lifelong friends, who will be there to support you throughout your journey.