The Pioneers

The main character in Kiss of Death, Lorna McDougal, is a fictional creation inspired by some of the real pioneers of the time period.

Ethel Benjamin

The first female lawyer in New Zealand was Ethel Benjamin, who was admitted to the bar in 1897. She initially practised in Dunedin before moving to Wellington. Ethel was excluded from the dinners held by the local Bar and offered little of the support traditionally given to younger lawyers. The Law Society in Dunedin disputed her right to use the library and quibbled over her right to wear the traditional wig and gown once she was admitted. When she moved to Wellington she attracted the opprobrium of the Law Society by advertising her practice and eventually left New Zealand in 1908.

Ellen Melville

Ellen Melville was the second New Zealand woman to be admitted to the Bar. She established her own legal practice in Auckland and worked primarily in conveyancing. She used her practice as a means to support her political ambitions and in 1913 became the first woman to be elected onto the Auckland City Council.