2021 Scottish Legal Awards to focus on COVID response

The 2021 Scottish Legal Awards have launched with a pledge to recognise achievements in Scottish law during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In their 18th annual competition, the independent awards will highlight the work of individuals, teams and firms working in Scottish law throughout the last 12 months, across 18 categories. These include a new Business Resilience Award, which seeks to identify innovative and creative measures adopted by legal firms to respond to the health crisis. 

This year's awards ceremony will be staged as a hybrid event, with a digital broadcast planned alongside a live event which is scheduled to take place on Thursday 23 September in Glasgow.

Applications should be submitted before 12 noon on Wednesday 19 May. The judging panel will debate in June and the finalists will be announced in early July. 

The 2021 awards will continue to raise funds for two appointed charities: Lawscot Foundation, which supports disadvantaged young people in studying law in Scotland, and It’s Good 2 Give, which supports families who have children with cancer. Donations will be raised, and shared equally, via a new registration fee, payable online when entering the competition, of £140 + VAT per company or firm.

A judging panel of 12 experienced legal professionals will be chaired by Shonaig Macpherson CBE. She commented: "These awards are more important than ever this year, as we seek to highlight the extraordinary effort of individuals and teams in Scottish law to work throughout the global health crisis of the last year. The Scottish Legal Awards can offer firms a fantastic opportunity to reward resilient, hardworking teams while also shining a light on achievements. I look forward to reviewing and debating the work of firms and lawyers across the country with the judging panel."

Go to www.scottishlegalawards.co.uk for further information on entering.