Centenary awards

AWARD CATEGORIES

Best use of IT, sponsored by ITNET

Excellence in risk management, sponsor - PYV Professional Indemnity

Excellence in practice standards sponsor - Barclays

Best marketing campaign, sponsor - Countrywide Legal Indemnities

Best pro bono endeavour, sponsor - Scottish Widows Bank

Lifetime achievement in company/commercial work, sponsor - Legal Opportunities

Lifetime achievement in private client work, sponsor - Title Research

In-house lifetime achievement, sponsor - Hays ZMB

Lifetime achievement in human rights work

Most significant contribution to the law/legal profession in 2002/2003, sponsor - invaro

The Gazette Centenary Awards seek to recognise the contribution of individuals, law firms and in-house legal departments.

Entries are sought from firms, companies, in-house teams and individuals that can illustrate a significant contribution to the profession.

How entries will be judged

All entries will be judged by panels of respected key players in the legal profession, including the president, vice president and deputy-vice president of the Law Society, the Law Society's chief executive, the chief executive of the Bar Council and the secretary-general of the Institute of Legal Executives.

Other judges will include, the director of the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors, the chairman of the Law Society's law management section, the director of the Professional Marketing Forum, and the director of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group, as well as the director of the Law Society's representation and law reform directorate, its commercial services directorate, and the Editor of the Gazette.

Shortlists will be developed and will be publicised in the Gazette in the run-up to the awards, which will take place on the evening of 12 November at a ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, Hyde Park, London.

All judges will review entries objectively and against the judging criteria.

It should be noted that the judges' decision is final and that no correspondence will be entered into.

How to enter

Once you have decided which award category or categories you wish to enter, you should contact Claire Baumforth for more details, tel: 020 7316 5608; e-mail: gazetteawards@lawsociety.org.uk for a nomination pack.

Closing date

The closing date for the awards is 1 September 2003.

All entries must be received in full by 5pm on this date.

Late entries will not be considered.

Confidentiality

All details of the shortlisted finalists and winners will appear in the Gazette.

Therefore, if you would like to keep information confidential, you should mark this clearly against the information which is supplied.

Awards presentation

The Gazette Centenary Awards dinner will take place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, Hyde Park, London, in the Nine Kings suite on 12 November 2003.

For additional information on the awards presentation, or to book a table, contact us, tel: 020 7316 5608; e-mail: gazetteawards@lawsociety.org.uk.

Plugging into IT - clicking on the benefits for clients

Best use of IT, sponsored by ITNET

This award will go to the firm - large or small - or the in-house legal department that in the past year has exhibited the best use of information technology to enhance its processes and systems.

The benefits of the innovative use of technology could be either back office-based, that is, it can have a primarily administrative benefit, or it can be directly client facing.

Candidates should be able to exhibit a significant and measurable benefit to the firm or department and to its clients.

ITNET

ITNET is delighted to support the Gazette in its centenary year and is proud to be associated with the award for Best Use of IT.

Information technology is now an accepted part of the fabric of any law firm.

In comparison to the law, IT is a relatively new arrival; yet it is increasingly acknowledged that it can provide a critical pillar to a practice's success.

While law firms have a reputation for being conservative in their adoption of new technology, some practices have seized the IT challenge and achieved great things.

ITNET recognises the pressures the modern legal market is facing.

We offer solutions to law firms that return the best value from your IT investment and that enable the practice to concentrate on growing the business.

We understand the needs for better client service, improved efficiency and increased profitability.

ITNET's unique combination of technical know-how and experience of business process and change management is transforming the way people work.

We continue to develop a strong reputation for providing carefully customised services that meet the needs of today's changing business environment.

With more than 30 years' experience behind us, we have delivered results in a wide range of fields which include professional and financial services, transport and utilities, retail, leisure, and both central and local government.

ITNET congratulates the Gazette on its centenary.

We're sure the award for Best use of IT will be a closely fought battle and we wish all nominees the best of luck.

Tel: 0800 028 8129; email: parm.jalaf@itnetplc.comwww.professional.itnetplc.com