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

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.

The event will include a champagne reception, a gala dinner, presentation of the award winners, and a live performance from Jamie Cullum - voted Best Newcomer in the BBC Jazz Awards.

The evening will be hosted by John Humphrys, presenter of the 'Today' programme on Radio 4, and the Gazette team, with tickets available by the table or individually.

Ticket prices

The ticket price includes the champagne reception, gala dinner, and half a bottle of wine per person.

Additional wine or other alcoholic beverages may be ordered direct from the Royal Lancaster Hotel.

Full tables are 1,500 (plus VAT), individual tickets are 180 (plus VAT)

How to book

If you have any queries about the evening please contact Claire Baumforth, tel: 020 7316 5608 or e-mail: gazetteawards@lawsociety.org.uk.

Following on from last week's issue, the Gazette this week profiles the other shortlisted candidates for the Gazette Centenary Awards.

Excellence in practice standards - sponsored by Barclays

This will award the best example of how a firm or in-house legal department operates internally and externally.

The criteria for candidates includes being able to exhibit excellence and innovation in a range of areas, including: induction processes for qualified and non-qualified staff, education and development policies, and training programmes, the implementation of continuing professional development for qualified staff, career path structures for all staff, customer care and customer retention initiatives, and office ergonomics.

Judged by:

Chairman of the Law Society's Law Management Section - Nick Jarrett-Kerr

2003/2004 Law Society President - Peter Williamson

Director of the Law Society Standards Directorate - Alison Crawley

The shortlisted candidates for this award are:

DLA - People Focused Strategy

Fisher Meredith - Value of Progressive Human Resource Strategy

Lovells -Transact

Lifetime achievement - company/commercial - sponsored by Legal Opportunities

The criteria here would be an ability to exhibit career-long important impact on this area of work - whether that be in commercial dispute resolution, non-contentious deal making, or towards the growth and furtherance of the practice of English commercial law and legal business either domestically or around the world.

Judged by:

Deputy vice-chairman of the Law Society's Commerce and Industry Group - Anthony Armitage

2003/2004 Law Society President - Peter Williamson

The shortlisted candidates for this award are:

Dr John McMullen - Pinsents

David Pullen - Richards Butler

Maurice Watkins - James Chapman & Co

Lifetime achievement - human rights - sponsored by O2

This award will be made to an individual lawyer who has made the biggest impact on the human rights during a career in the law.

That impact could have been made either through specific, landmark court cases, which have individually or collectively advanced human rights case law or through wider public awareness campaigns.

The criteria would include an ability to show a career-long commitment to the advancement of human rights generally - and to the development of human rights legislation/common law in England and Wales.

Judged by:

Director of Justice - Roger Smith

Law Society Director of Representation and Reform - Evlynne Gilvarry

The shortlisted candidates for this award are:

Geoffrey Lionel Bindman - Bindman & Partners

Geoffrey Robertson QC - Doughty Street Chambers

David Ruebain - Levenes

Most significant contribution to the law/legal profession 2002/3 - sponsored by Invaro

This will go to the an individual from any of the three branches of the legal profession - solicitor, barrister or legal executive - or a member of the judiciary or a government minister who has made a hugely significant and positive impact on either the law itself or on legal practice.

This could be in relation to a high-profile groundbreaking case, to a campaign for a change in the law, or to a development in the way lawyers practise.

Judged by:

Chief executive of the Law Society - Janet Paraskeva

Chief executive of the Bar Council - Niall Morrison

Secretary General of the Institute of Legal Executives - Diane Burleigh

Editor of the Gazette - Jonathan Ames

The shortlisted candidates for this award are:

John Batt / Stephen Clark / Mike Mackey - retired, Ashurst Morris Crisp, Burton Copeland

John Horan - Cloisters

Michael Napier - Irwin Mitchell

Amjad Malik - Amjad Malik Solicitors

Andrew Twambley/Martin J Cox - Amelans Solicitors

AWARD CATEGORIES

Best use of IT, sponsor - 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, sponsor - O2

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

Read the Gazette for continuing Centenary Awards coverage