Injury law expert, National Accident Helpline, has announced the winners of its Future Legal Mind competition, with Scottish student Syed Adil taking one of the prizes.
Syed will be awarded £1,500 which will go towards his studies, as well as mentoring with experienced lawyers. He will also be given the opportunity to complete a work experience placement at National Accident Helpline’s law firm, National Accident Law.
Syed is currently studying a dual degree in Scots and English Law, with European Legal Studies, at the University of Aberdeen. He hopes to further pursue a master’s degree and be called to the Scottish and English Bar, developing a career as a cross-border Barrister, and utilising his dual-qualifying degree to its full extent.
This year, the competition – which is one of the leading law essay competitions in the UK – was split into two categories: undergraduate and postgraduate. Syed was awarded the undergraduate prize and Matthew Johnson, studying at Oxford Brookes GDL, was awarded the postgraduate prize.
The competition was judged by National Accident Helpline, with the panel made up of John Kushnick, Legal Operations Director, Jonathan White, Legal and Compliance Director, and Helen Fairhurst, Marketing Director.
John Kushnick said: “Syed presented in a calm and caring way, having prepared a thorough and excellently referenced essay.
“What made him stand out was his passion for law, as amply evidenced by his extensive extra-curricular activities. A very impressive candidate indeed.”
Jonathan White commented: “Syed’s entry stood out for me because of the current relevance of the topic in view of recent, well-publicised events.
“He articulately set out his concerns about the government exceeding its authority following Brexit and the essay was brilliantly researched and extensively referenced.”
Runners up of the competition have also been announced as:
- Undergraduate – Tamar Knight, Cardiff University
- Postgraduate – Kieran Power, University of Law Bloomsbury
- Postgraduate – Sebastian Dack-Owens, BPP Law School
As part of the competition, students were invited to submit their thoughts on two topics. These were ‘Now that the UK has officially left the EU, what legal changes would you recommend making over the next 10 years?’ and ‘Is the UK court system fit for purpose and what role should other, alternative forms of dispute resolution play?’.
Shortlisted students were then required to send a short recording of why they deserve to be named the winner.
Jonathan White, Legal and Compliance Director at National Accident Helpline, added: “We believe it’s crucial for the legal sector to evolve in a way that inspires the next generation to build their careers in law – that’s why we continue to run Future Legal Mind.
“We look forward to continuing to support and champion Syed and Matthew in their careers over the years ahead, as well as seeing what the competition will bring in 2023.”
The finalists for this year’s competition were:
Undergraduates:
- Farid Ahmed, studying BA Hons Law and Politics at the University of Stirling
- Simon Cooper, a second-year student at Bournemouth University
- Syed Adil, studying a dual degree in Scottish and English Law with European Legal Studies at the University of Aberdeen
- Sarah Daniel, a first-year student at the University of London
- Tamar Knight, studying an undergraduate LLB Law degree course at Cardiff University
Postgraduates:
- Federica Boscolo Gnola, studying a Graduate Diploma in Law Postgraduate Course at the University of Law
- Jason Nicholson, a postgraduate Legal Practise Course at the University of Law
- Kieran Power, completing a Graduate Diploma in Law at the University of Law’s London Bloomsbury campus
- Matthew Johnson, a Graduate Diploma in Law postgraduate student at Oxford Brookes
- Sebastian Dack-Owens, a Bar Training Course student at BBP Law School
For more information about Future Legal Mind or National Accident Helpline, please visit: https://www.national-accident-helpline.co.uk/news/future-legal-mind
