The award recognises the outstanding achievement of a newly qualified Scottish solicitor or trainee who is working in-house.

Co-conveners of the Law Society of Scotland In-house Lawyers Committee, Sheekha Saha and Vlad Valiente, said: “We are delighted to invite nominations for our 2022 In-house Rising Star Award.

“This past year has been another challenging one for the profession. Many of those just starting out in their careers have been severely impacted by the pandemic but have done an incredible job of rising to the challenges presented by Covid-19 over the past 12 months. The award gives us an opportunity to celebrate the phenomenal talent we have in the in-house legal community and the important contribution of those in the early stages of their careers to their organisations.”

Arlene Gibbs, one of the vice-conveners of the In-House Lawyers Committee, is part of this year’s judging panel. She said: “I’m very much looking forward to seeing this year’s nominations. The standard of nominations is always incredibly high and a decade on from the very first rising star award, I have no doubt that our nominees for the 2022 award will be just as exceptional.

“Many of our trainees and newly qualified colleagues have had to adapt to working remotely without the usual workplace support networks over the past two years and I really encourage my in-house colleagues to take time to recognise the hard work of their organisation’s legal stars and get their nominations in!”

2021 In-house Rising Star Award winner, Angus Niven, commented: “Winning the Rising Star award in 2021 was such a thrill and real validation of my work. Stepping in house from private practice was a steep learning curve so it meant a lot to get this sort of formal recognition for the work I had done.

“I think it’s important to encourage people at every stage of their careers and one of the best ways to do that is by recognising achievements. It’s a real boost for people who are trying to establish themselves in a new field and attempting to upskill themselves and develop their career so I would really encourage senior in-house lawyers to nominate their up-and-coming colleagues.”

The Law Society of Scotland In-house Rising Star Award celebrates and rewards excellence in the in-house legal community, a group that represents about 30 per cent of Scottish solicitors. The winner of the In-house Rising Star Award will be announced at the In-house Annual Conference in June.

Nominees must be Scottish in-house trainees or in-house solicitors with up to five years post qualification experience. The nominations will be judged by members of the In-House Lawyers Committee and key individuals working closely with our in-house lawyer community.

Find out more at Law Society of Scotland In-house Rising Star Award here. The closing date for nominations is 18 May 2022.