Applications process opens for Local Government Legal Awards 2015

The starting gun has been fired on applications for the Local Government Legal Awards 2015.

The categories this year are:

  • Governance Lawyer/Team of the Year - sponsored by Sellick Partnership;
  • Litigation Lawyer/Team of the Year - sponsored by Lawyers in Local Government (LLG);
  • People Related Lawyer/Team of the Year - sponsored by LGG;
  • Place Related Lawyer/Team of the Year - sponsored by LLG;
  • Project Lawyer/Team of the Year - sponsored by Blake Morgan;
  • CILEx Lawyer of the Year - sponsored by CILEx and Hoopers;
  • Practice Management/Development of Legal Services Professional/Team of the Year - sponsored by Ashfords;
  • Junior Lawyer of the Year (a lawyer who is a trainee or is less than five years qualified in their professional legal status) - sponsored by LexisNexis;
  • Local Government Legal Professional of the Year - sponsored by Iken;
  • Local Government Legal Team of the Year - sponsored by Thomson Reuters.

For full details on each award and the simplified application process, click here.

The deadline for stage 1 – where candidates should set out in no more than one side of A4 paper how their nomination meets the criteria for the category in question – is 11 September 2015.

The awards will be presented on 20 November 2015 at the Rosewood Hotel in London. Broadcaster Clive Anderson will be the master of ceremonies.

Bev Cullen, President of Lawyers in Local Government, said: “I know how hard local government lawyers work, day in, day out, adding value to their authorities through their expertise, innovation and creativity.

“The LLG Awards are the opportunity for all this talent and hard work to be recognised for the benefit of all local government lawyers across the land and in particular for Awards applicants. So I would strongly encourage all local government lawyers to throw their legal hats into the Awards ring without further delay.”

She highlighted how the application process had been made much simpler and more straightforward than last year. “So what are you waiting for? As someone once said, ‘if you’re not in it, you can’t win it!’," Cullen added.

Commenting on Buckinghamshire County Council winning the Legal Team of the Year in 2014, Mark Caprio, the authority’s Assistant Director (Compliance and Finance), said: “The external recognition was well received and obviously the publicity was something both the team and the local authority were pleased to receive. To be recognised as forward thinking and innovative is fantastic.”

He added that Buckinghamshire uses the recognition when it tenders for work, whether to other local authorities or external organisations.

Alison Stuart was named Individual Local Government Lawyer of the Year in 2014, when she was Principal Housing & Regeneration Solicitor at the shared service run by Thurrock Council and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

She said: “Winning has been absolutely fantastic! My shared authorities were very proud of my win and it raised the profile, not only of me as an individual but also for the service.”

“I would strongly encourage anyone to enter and any council to enter. Recognition is a great feeling and it assists in the furtherance of collaborative working and opens up exciting opportunities at a national level,” said Stuart, who is now Assistant Director & Head of Legal & Democratic Services at Peterborough City Council.

 

Lawyers in Local Government Awards 2014: Winners

  • Adult Social Care & Health: Warwickshire County Council;
  • Children’s Services and Education: Brighton & Hove City Council;
  • Employment: Warwickshire County Council;
  • Information Management: Eastlaw (North Norfolk);
  • Litigation and Licensing: One Source (the shared service between the London boroughs of Newham and Havering);
  • Monitoring Officers and Governance: Cheshire Constabulary;
  • Partnership & Procurement/Commercial: Nplaw;
  • Planning, Highways & Environment: Nplaw;
  • Junior Lawyer of the Year: Chloe Karamian;
  • Individual Local Government Lawyer of the Year: Alison Stuart;
  • Local Government Legal Team of the Year: Buckinghamshire County Council.