Award Categories 2026

These Awards are designed to showcase and celebrate legal talent across the region. The following award categories reflect the breadth of specialisms and roles across the profession, and enable talent to be recognised across the career span from Trainee of the Year, Rising Star to Outstanding Achievement.

For 2026, the Northern Law Awards have been refreshed to focus exclusively on individual categories, allowing us to recognise personal excellence, leadership and professional impact across the region’s legal sector. The updated structure supports a fair and consistent judging process, while highlighting the distinct contributions individuals make within their organisations and the wider legal community. This year also sees the introduction of new categories for barristers and those practising at the Bar, ensuring the awards reflect the full breadth of legal talent across the North.

 

Deadline for nominations –  Thursday 2nd April 2026

Individual Awards

Apprentice of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any legal apprentice solicitor based in the North of England. You may only submit one entry per firm or organisation.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning and development
  • Strong performance in the academic element of the apprenticeship
  • Outstanding client service skills
  • Evidence of initiative within their organisation
  • Positive contribution to the organisational culture

Trainee/Pupil of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any trainee solicitor or pupil barrister based in the North of England. You may only submit one entry per firm, chambers or organisation.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning and development
  • High performance across required legal skills
  • Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
  • Outstanding client service skills
  • Positive contribution to the organisational culture

 

 

Rising Star of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any lawyer (Solicitor/ Barrister/ Chartered Legal Executive, including in-house lawyers) who is less than 5 years PQE, or under 5 years tenancy.

Entries must demonstrate evidence of the following:

  • Excellent legal skills and technical proficiency
  • Evidence of initiative, innovation or impact within their organisation
  • Outstanding professional development
  • Excellent client-centred service and communication skills
  • Strong leadership and a collaborative ethos

 

 

 

 

Solicitor of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any solicitor working in the North of England.

Entries must demonstrate evidence of the following:

  • Outstanding client relationship management
  • Exceptional legal knowledge and commercial awareness
  • Exemplary professional standing
  • Proven track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients across a sustained period
  • Innovative legal practice
  • Regional impact

Barrister of the Year

Eligibility:  This award is open to any barrister working in the North of England.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Outstanding advocacy skills
  • Exceptional legal knowledge and case strategy
  • Exemplary professional standing
  • Proven track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients across a sustained period
  • Innovative legal practice
  • Regional impact

Law Student of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any law student studying in the North of England.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Excellent legal knowledge
  • Leadership and contribution to student community
  • Commercial awareness and a commitment to professional values
  • Positive attitude towards learning and development
  • Supporting reference from: a peer, tutor or legal professional

Law Teacher of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any law teacher working in an educational institution in the North of England. There is no restriction on the number of teachers that may be nominated by an institution.This award is open to any law teacher working in an educational institution in the North of England. There is no restriction on the number of teachers that may be nominated by an institution.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Excellent teaching practices
  • Highly effective communication skills
  • Outstanding student engagement skills
  • Significant impact on student development and success
  • Positive student satisfaction

Professional Support of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to anyone working for a legal services provider (law firm, barrister’s chambers or in-house team) in the North of England in the following specialisms: law firm management, marketing, HR, business development, IT, finance, clerking or compliance. Only one entry per firm/ Chambers/ Organisation.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Outstanding skills in area of specialism
  • Contribution to the success of the organisation
  • Innovation and efficiency
  • A collaborative ethos
  • Exemplary standing within their organisation

Legal Services Professional of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to legal executives, licenced conveyancers and probate practitioners working in the North of England.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Outstanding client care
  • Excellent technical legal knowledge
  • High levels of professional standing within the organisation and practice area
  • Proven track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients across a sustained period
  • Plays an integral role within their organisation

Commercial Lawyer of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any commercial practitioner working in the North of England. – includes In-House, charity, sports, education, IP and IT

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Outstanding client care
  • Excellent technical legal knowledge and innovative legal practice
  • High levels of professional standing within the organisation and practice area
  • Proven track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients across a sustained period
  • Impact on area of practice and positive contribution to the region

Corporate Lawyer of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any corporate practitioner working in the North of England.

Entries must evidence the following:

    • Outstanding client care
    • Excellent technical legal knowledge and innovative legal practice
    • High levels of professional standing within the organisation and practice area
    • Proven track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients across a sustained period
    • Impact on area of practice and positive contribution to the region

Criminal Lawyer of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any criminal practitioner working in the North of England.

Entries must evidence the following:

    • Outstanding client care
    • Excellent technical legal knowledge and innovative legal practice
    • High levels of professional standing within the organisation and practice area
    • Proven track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients across a sustained period
    • Impact on area of practice and positive contribution to the region

Employment Lawyer of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any employment practitioner working in the North of England.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Outstanding client care
  • Excellent technical legal knowledge and innovative legal practice
  • High levels of professional standing within the organisation and practice area
  • Proven track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients across a sustained period
  • Impact on area of practice and positive contribution to the region

Family Lawyer of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any family practitioner working in the North of England.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Outstanding client care
  • Excellent technical legal knowledge and innovative legal practice
  • High levels of professional standing within the organisation and practice area
  • Proven track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients across a sustained period
  • Impact on area of practice and positive contribution to the region

Litigation Lawyer of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any litigation practitioner working in the North of England.

Entries must evidence the following:

    • Outstanding client care
    • Excellent technical legal knowledge and innovative legal practice
    • High levels of professional standing within the organisation and practice area
    • Proven track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients across a sustained period
    • Impact on area of practice and positive contribution to the region

Property Lawyer of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any property practitioner working in the North of England.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Outstanding client care
  • Excellent technical legal knowledge and innovative legal practice
  • High levels of professional standing within the organisation and practice area
  • Proven track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients across a sustained period
  • Impact on area of practice and positive contribution to the region

Regulatory Lawyer of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any regulatory practitioner working in the North of England.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Outstanding client care
  • Excellent technical legal knowledge and innovative legal practice
  • High levels of professional standing within the organisation and practice area
  • Proven track record of achieving excellent outcomes for clients across a sustained period
  • Impact on area of practice and positive contribution to the region

Outstanding Achievement Award

This award is open to individuals working in the legal sector in the North of England who have shown significant achievement over many years and made an outstanding contribution to the legal profession or organisation of which they are part.

For this category the judging panel will be looking for demonstrations of superior working in the following areas:

  • Significant achievement over many years
  • Strategic development
  • Leadership
  • Innovation and enterprise
  • Drive and determination
  • Excellence in the delivery of legal service

Individual and/or Organisation Recognition Awards

Technology Initiative Award

Eligibility: This award is open to any individual or organisation operating within the legal industry in the North of England who can demonstrate a new technological initiative, such as the use of AI to maximise efficiency in the delivery of legal services.

Entries may include evidence of the following:

  • Innovation and technical implementation
  • Measurable impact and efficiency gains
  • The consideration of ethics and safeguarding

Pro Bono/ Community Initiative Award

Eligibility: This award is open to any individual or organisation operating within the legal profession who can demonstrate delivery of a pro bono legal service, or of a community initiative in the North of England.

Entries must evidence the following:

  • Free delivery of legal services or a regional community initiative
  • Promotion of the public interest
  • Impact of the pro bono activity/community initiative

 

 

 

Firm Awards

Law Firm of the Year (up to 50 employees)

Eligibility: This award is open to any law firm based in the North of England with up to 50 employees within the region.

Entries must demonstrate evidence of the following (all criteria will be measured in the context of the work sectors within which the firm operates):

  • Excellence in delivery of legal services
  • Outstanding business performance in areas such as client service, financial performance, strategy and business development
  • Strong identity and inclusive culture
  • ESG
  • Regional impact and reputation

Law Firm of the Year (150 + employees)

Eligibility: This award is open to any law firm based in the North of England with over 150 employees within the region.

Entries must demonstrate evidence of the following (all criteria will be measured in the context of the work sectors within which the firm operates):

  • Excellence in delivery of legal services
  • Outstanding business performance in areas such as client service, financial performance, strategy and business development
  • Strong identity and inclusive culture
  • ESG
  • Regional impact and reputation

Law Firm of the Year (50 to 150 employees)

Eligibility: This award is open to any law firm based in the North of England with between 50 and 100 employees within the region.

Entries must demonstrate evidence of the following (all criteria will be measured in the context of the work sectors within which the firm operates):

  • Excellence in delivery of legal services
  • Outstanding business performance in areas such as client service, financial performance, strategy and business development
  • Strong identity and inclusive culture
  • ESG
  • Regional impact and reputation

 

 

Chambers of the Year

Eligibility: This award is open to any chambers based in the North of England.

Entries must demonstrate evidence of the following (all criteria will be measured in the context of the work sectors within which the firm operates):

  • Excellence in delivery of legal services
  • Outstanding business performance in areas such as client service, financial performance, strategy and business development
  • Strong identity and inclusive culture
  • Environmental, Social, and Governance policies
  • Regional impact and reputation