A Perthshire student has been named as a finalist for the prestigious national Future Legal Mind award run annually by National Accident Helpline.
Simone Farrer could be in line for a £5,000 prize and a work placement at law firm Simpson Millar, having wowed the award’s judges with an essay on the future of legal services for firms and consumers.
Simone, from Perthshire, is in her fourth year of studying Law at the University of Glasgow. She also spent a brief period learning Competition Law in the Netherlands. She will be studying Media Law at the University of Westminster in the summer.
Simone chose to study law because she enjoys helping people. She anticipates that a legal career will offer her a diverse range of opportunities, intellectually stimulating work and challenging experiences.
Outside the lecture theatre and work, Simone has taken part in voluntary work, student representation and mooting. She also runs a photography blog, enjoys playing the guitar and mandolin, and cycling. She recently tried paragliding and aims to continue in the summer months!
Simone is one of 10 finalists for Future Legal Mind 2016, which will be presented at a glamorous ceremony at the historic Lincoln’s Inn in central London on Wednesday 9 March.
Whatever happens on the day, Simone will not go away empty handed. Alongside the overall prize of £5,000, there’s a prize of £2,000 for the next-placed candidate, while all eight remaining finalists will receive a cheque for £250.
Candidates were asked to answer the question:
“Is the commoditisation of legal services inevitable and is a commercial approach more likely to compromise or enhance the quality of advice and service to consumers?”
Simone Farrer, Future Legal Mind 2016 finalist, said:
“I am absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for the award. This is a real positive boost for me and I’m thrilled my writing is being included within such a high calibre of entries. This recognition serves as great encouragement for me to continue writing.”
Simon Trott, Managing Director of National Accident Helpline and chair of judges for Future Legal Mind, said:
“In a rapidly changing legal landscape it’s vital that our future lawyers are able to strike the right balance between the commercial demands of the profession and the need to protect access to justice and high quality legal services.
“We have been very struck by the strength of some of the entries for the award, which provided real food for thought for some seasoned industry veterans.”
If you (or a law student you know) fancy your chances at winning next year’s award, set to be launched later this year, registration for entrants is open now at: national-accident-helpline.co.uk/future-legal-mind
