DASLS Legal Awards 2020
Passion makes a winning entry – sell yourself!
PREPARING your case
- Ensure entry fits with your chosen category
- Make sure you understand and meet the criteria. Address as many measures of success as possible i.e. for CSR it’s not just about charitable work but also environmental sustainability
- If entering the same category(ies) the following year – think about strategy, progress, what’s new – don’t be afraid to present a business case and demonstrate on-going commitment
- Consider involving someone else (freelance / PR persons) – either by writing your submission for you and presenting your organisation or nominee better or simply looking over your entry and spotting things you might have missed
- It’s all about passion and celebrating the legal profession – if you have an exceptional story to tell, go for it
THE Dos and Don’ts
- Do communicate – articulate better against set criteria
- Do spend quality time on your entry …. the Judges will notice!
- Avoid narrow and inward-looking
- Be bold – don’t play down achievements
- Make it easy to read – don’t write an essay or a legal report
- When making a team entry, clearly explain what that team did to support one another and the qualities which makes them team of the year together with positive impact on the organisation
- Strength and impeccable credentials alone are not sufficient, Judges will also look for character, commitment and enthusiasm – lawyers have a heart and soul too!
PROVE IT! Evidence … be a lawyer … persuade the Judge and Jury
- Evidence – this can make the difference between winning and not. Judges need and rely on this to assess against other entries – assess business impact and tell them about results achieved. Data can be compelling too
- When telling your success story, be clear and give specific examples
- Client feedback is powerful – collate and submit testimonials to support your entry
- Your opponents will be putting their case together to win – ensure you explain / evidence why your firm/nominee stands out in your chosen category; the Judges will not be persuaded by nominations which are not supported by evidence or testimonials, preferably both, of the qualities being presented.