Beatrice Tabangcora
Beatrice Tabangcora joined Auckland Law School's FOLAU (Moana Oceania staff) team in 2023, bringing a wealth of academic and practical experience.
Service is an integral part of our Samoan culture. From a young age, we are taught to serve our families and communities wholeheartedly. No matter where I am, I strive to incorporate my cultural values into my work, research or teaching. I am humbled and grateful for this opportunity to serve our Pacific students, and students undertaking research on Pacific law, at Auckland Law School.
Born in Hawai‘i to Samoan and Filipino parents, Beatrice Tabangcora was raised in Apia. After completing her secondary schooling, she moved to Port Vila, Vanuatu, to study Law at the University of the South Pacific (USP). She then completed a Master of Laws at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, where she was awarded the Quentin Baxter Prize in International Law. While in Wellington she undertook internships at MBIE and the Ministry of the Environment.
Returning to USP as a lecturer, Beatrice not only taught courses in introductory law, tort law, and commercial law but also initiated a First Year Initiative Program that provided essential support to over 150 first-year law students. Her contributions extended beyond the classroom, as she organized public awareness sessions at the USP Community Legal Information Centre and actively participated in various law school committees and activities. Additionally, she worked as a legal consultant, playing a pivotal role in reviewing and proposing reforms to Vanuatu's price control framework.
Beatrice's research primarily focused on legal matters in Samoa. Looking ahead, Beatrice aims to focus her research on the development of torts law in the Pacific, an area that has been somewhat neglected in regional legal scholarship.
At Auckland Law School, Beatrice joins Barbara-Luhia Graham in the role of Susuga Faiako/Professional Teaching Fellow, significantly augmenting the FOLAU team’s capacity to serve Pacific students. In only a few months, she has already made notable contributions in drafting the Pacific Issues Moot problem, and in helping to prepare the course materials and teaching into South Pacific Legal Studies.