Bruce Slane practised as a barrister and solicitor in Auckland in the firm of Cairns Slane. He is a former President of the Auckland District Law Society (1978-79) and of the New Zealand Law Society (1982-85). He was first and only Chairman of the New Zealand Broadcasting Tribunal (1977-90).

First appointed in 1992, he is the first Privacy Commissioner holding office under the Privacy Act 1993. At the time of his appointment he was deputy chairman of Countrywide Bank.

Bruce has been a New Zealand Human Rights Commissioner since 1992.

A former Councillor and Vice-President of LAWASIA, Bruce has since 1982 been the New Zealand Councillor on the International Bar Association. He has been elected to the Management Committee of the IBA as one of three bar association/law society representatives. He is the first New Zealander to be elected to that Committee. He is also a member of the IBA's Human Rights Institute, and chairman of its interventions and observations committee.