Women in the Law UK is running an essay competition for law students and aspiring lawyers.
The topic is ‘What remaining barriers exist for women, and BAME women, in the legal profession and what steps can be taken to see more senior women leaders in the legal profession, in firms and in courts?’
Women in the Law UK is particularly keen to attract entries from BAME students, and those from socio-economic backgrounds that are not traditionally well represented in the law.
The winner will receive a cash prize, a place at the 2019 Women in the Law UK Annual Dinner in Manchester and the opportunity to be mentored by a senior figure in the legal profession.
A second, highly commended, essay will also be published on the Women in the Law UK website, with the author’s details to be publicised as part of the competition’s PR activity. They will also receive a free place at the Annual Dinner.
Entries are open to UK students seeking to enter the legal profession, including undergraduates (who do not have to be studying law) and LPC students. Essays should be no more than 2,000 words long and must not have appeared or been submitted elsewhere.
The deadline is 14 February, 2019. Send entries to womeninthelawuk@gmail.com, attaching your essay and including your full name and details of your college, university or other educational institution.
Barrister Sally Penni, who founded Women in the Law UK, said: ‘At our events we hear from established voices who have ‘made it’ about their routes to success in the profession and the barriers they have overcome.
‘It is always fascinating, though, to hear from younger members of the audience about the remaining—and emerging—challenges they perceive as they take the first steps in their careers. We launched this competition to provide a platform for their insights and ideas, to help them shape the profession in which I hope they will feel able to remain and thrive for decades.’
