In case you have missed the multiple posts on LinkedIn and inbox deliveries, nominations are open for Australia’s most prestigious in-house lawyer awards program; the Australian Corporate Lawyer Awards. This year we have taken inclusivity to the next level; having increased the number of awards from six to twelve to ensure a broader range of in-house legal work is recognised.
For inspiration when considering your nomination, we spoke with three of the 2019 award winners who are still, understandably, beaming with pride. Each year when we speak with award recipients the same inspiring message is shared; that of the amazing feeling that flows through a team after finding out either an individual or the team has been nominated, becomes a finalist and if lucky, the award recipient.
Justin Moses, In-House Lawyer at AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience) won the 2019 Mentor of the Year and says, “I was delighted to hear that I was a finalist. I was immensely grateful to my mentee for having gone to the trouble of nominating me.” Justin shares that he knew and respected his co-finalists and felt “It was a huge honour to sit beside them; but to win was a very gratifying endorsement of the hard work that my mentee and I had done together.”
Upon returning home Justin’s organisation gave him the platform to talk to colleagues about the award and his achievements and how he saw the organisation benefiting from his experience. “They were excited for me, and proud of what I had achieved as their workmate”.
Tracey Moore, General Counsel/Board Secretary at Queensland Urban Utilities, won 2019 Government Lawyer of the Year. She shares that the recognition from her team; industry peers and workplace has been amazing, “ I am also thrilled that the profile of our legal team has grown within our organisation – a real testament to the hard work and creativity of the whole legal team.”
The nomination process provided Tracey with an opportunity to both quietly reflect upon her career and also to connect with colleagues she had not seen for an extended period of time. When she was asked what advice she would give to others entering this year’s award nominations Tracey shares “Just be relaxed and go with it. It is a great experience and an opportunity to make new friends and connect with old friends.”
Shanti Das, 2019 Mentee of the Year winner remembers the night she nicknamed ‘”The Lawgie’s”, and celebrated her win by carrying her award around for the night (albeit because she hadn’t been home yet). “It truly was a lovely awards night and it was so nice to be recognised”. Shanti became “intranet famous” with her award win showcased across her company’s communications platform.
This awards program is designed to highlight the importance of and reward the dedication of in-house lawyers in their role as ethical guardians, legal advisors and innovation partners in businesses across Australia. The 2020 award categories include:
- In-house Lawyer of the Year
- General Counsel of the Year
- New-to-In-house Lawyer of the Year
- Government Lawyer of the Year
- Not-for-Profit Lawyer of the Year
- Small Legal Team of the Year
- Large Legal Team of the Year
- Mentor of the Year
- Mentee of the Year
- Legal Innovator of the Year
- Environmental, Social and Governance Excellence
- Dealmaker of the Year
We have extended the closing date for nominations, now open until Monday 31st August 10am. Winners will be announced at the 2020 Virtual Australian Corporate Lawyer Awards Ceremony on Wednesday 18 November. In states where in-person events are permitted, awards will be presented to winners in person at their divisional state, ACC Australia In-House Legal National (Virtual) Conference closing function. Should no function occur in a winner’s state, the award will be given at the next in-person state event.
So … if you are thinking about nominating, in the words of Shanti Das, “Just do it. Don’t overthink things”!