Edward Willis

I choose to study for a PhD Law degree at the University of Auckland due to the excellent supervisors they have, I was also awarded a scholarship. I found the PhD programme so valuable as the law school has world-class academics and teaching.

My doctoral research titled "Unwritten constitutionalism: a study of the principles and structures that inform New Zealand's distinctively unwritten constitution" theorised the country's constitution and brought coherence to an area of law that affects everyone. I am interested in constitutional government and the things that New Zealand does well in this space (and sometimes the things it doesn’t do so well). Unwritten constitutionalism is having a real moment in academic and political life, so I was fortunate to get ahead of the trend.

I worked full time on my PhD, which was a challenge in itself, but it was essential for completing the project. My PhD gave me the opportunity to pursue an academic career. It also signals my expertise to legal professionals, and it has provided me with opportunities to take on interesting and exciting work that I would not otherwise have been able to do. Currently I am an Associate Professor in the Law Faculty at the University of Otago. It has also given me opportunities to advise governments and courts on issues of constitutional law.

My PhD experience was challenging in many ways, and my advice to anyone considering doctoral research is to pick a topic they love, because that will sustain you in the difficult times.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a student. It was intellectually stimulating and a lot of fun because I got to study in-depth a topic which I am very passionate about. The staff at the Law School were always helpful, once I had a project in mind, a lot of staff were very willing to help get it over the line.