Next 100 Years launches 2020 Inspirational Women Awards

Next 100 Years, the organisation promoting the role of women in the law, has launched its Inspirational Women in Law Awards for 2020.

Now in their fifth year, the awards were instituted to identify the trailblazers of the profession in the lead-up to the centenary of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919, which paved the way for women to practise law.

Nominations are open until midnight on 14 September 2020 for the following categories:

• Inspirational Woman of the Year, Under 35 Lawyer of the Year
• Inspirational Woman of the Year, In-house Lawyer of the Year
• Inspirational Woman of the Year, Solicitor of the Year
• Inspirational Woman of the Year, Barrister of the Year
• Inspirational Women Awards Champion of the Year (any gender, any field, making a contribution to equality).

Those eligible are women (and men for the final category) who:

• are in the case of the first category, 35 or under on 14 September 2020;
• unless specifically stated in the Award title, are a legal professional, including but not limited to, a practising lawyer working either in private practice or in-house, a member of or the judiciary, CMA magistrates, members of CILEx or the Institute of Paralegals or legal academics (we take a wide and inclusive definition of legal professional); and
• work in the United Kingdom.

Entries should include not more than 500 words on each of:

1. the nominee’s contribution to achieving equality for women within the profession (to be written by either the nominator or the nominee); and
2. the nominee’s own response to the question “What have you done/are you doing to create an equal profession for future generations?” (this can be received up until 28 September 2020).

Click here to access the nomination form. People can nominate themselves or someone else.

This year there will be a virtual awards ceremony.