Ten judges including Law Society vice-president Stephanie Boyce will compile a shortlist of nominees, who will then be asked to write a short essay on what they have done to create an equal profession for future generations.
Previous winners include Baroness Helena Kennedy QC (Lifetime Achievement Award), Alison Eddy, Managing Partner of Irwin Mitchell’s London office (Champion Award) and Rehana Popal of 10 King's Bench Walk (Barrister of the Year).
The categories are: Solicitor of the Year; Under-35 Lawyer of the Year; In-House Lawyer of the Year; Champion of the Year; Barrister of the Year; and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dana Denis Smith, founder of the Next 100 Years, said: ‘As in previous years, we want the award winners to reflect the diversity of the role models who are pushing for change.
‘This isn’t just about high-profile women, it’s about celebrating those making a difference at all levels of the legal profession at a time when our circumstances threaten to reverse the hard-won progress on equality we have seen in recent years.’
Nominations can be made via the Next 100 Years website at bit.ly/2Dg3N9U before midnight on 14 September. Shortlisted nominees will have until 28 September to send in their essays with winners announced at a virtual event to be held on 5 November 2020.
