Nathan Pinder: from rugby referee to Supreme Court clerk

From laying down the law on the rugby field to grappling with it in the country’s highest court, Nathan Pinder, who tackled two demanding undergraduate degrees, law and engineering, with honours, is enjoying post-university life in Wellington.

The autumn graduate, who’s now working as a judge’s clerk in the Supreme Court, says being a young referee helped him both personally and professionally.

"I started refereeing when I was ten years old, and was a pretty lippy player back then. I didn't like referees much. I thought they always had it wrong! So my dad told me to 'Stop being so arrogant about it and go pick up a whistle.'”

He did, and found it equally humbling and exciting. “Trying to explain your interpretation of rugby laws to full-grown adults when you’re a teenager teaches you a lot about communication!”

Refereeing was a precursor to studying law in many ways, says Nathan, born in Canada and whose parents and sister live in Ontario.

"You're always applying legal principles. Questions of materiality, for example, or the context of a decision, are always present in rugby games, and that helped my legal analysis.”

After two years of high school at St Peter’s College in Auckland, Nathan finished his secondary studies in Canada at Regiopolis – Notre Dame. He then started studying engineering at Ontario’s McMaster University, but missed the big ethical questions that had drawn him to philosophy and English in high school, so he returned to New Zealand to study law, alongside engineering.

After starting in biomedical engineering, he switched to engineering science for its strong data focus. “I felt it would give me good tools for how to view the world, especially since technology seems to be developing so rapidly. The technical perspective from engineering helped in law too.”

Juggling both degrees wasn’t easy.

“Honestly, it was difficult. When I started, looking down the barrel of a seven-year degree was pretty daunting. But I had amazing support. Friends, family and staff in both faculties really pulled me along. I can’t put into words how grateful I am for those people.”

Thanks to careful planning and hard work, Nathan completed the conjoint degree in five years. He was awarded The Law Association Prize for the best undergraduate record in law and named a senior scholar in engineering. “I’m obviously stoked, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the people around me,” he says.

"My parents never doubted anything, they helped so much with late-night tutoring sessions and pep talks, especially in the early years. They were always involved, even from the other side of the world."

Nathan's love for the law grew steadily during his time at Auckland Law School thanks to inspiring lecturers and mentors. He credits Professors Janet McLean KC, Mark Henaghan, and Dr Arie Rosen with shaping his legal journey early on.

"They were phenomenal. Professor McLean and Dr Rosen helped me learn in my first research assistant roles, and Professor Henaghan lit the spark for so many of us in first-year law. They helped me see how the law connects with real-world issues.

"I found all my lecturers at Auckland Law School to be incredibly committed to making sure students learn how to apply legal principles in the real world. I was often reminded that law is a service industry and felt motivated to use my education to serve others.”

In his role clerking for the Chief Justice at the Supreme Court, Nathan is helping to consider some of New Zealand’s most important legal issues.

And the whistle’s still in hand. Refereeing, he says, keeps him grounded. “It’s a reminder that law is ultimately about people.”

Looking ahead, he’s keeping his options open. For now, Nathan is enjoying the moment.

"My parents flew down from Canada for graduation. So that’s really special."