Members of the community and the legal profession are being encouraged to nominate current or former solicitors for the 2019 Law Society of NSW President’s Medal, an annual award recognising a solicitor who has made a significant personal and profession commitment to the improvement of law and justice in the community.

The Law Society of NSW President’s Medal has been acknowledging and celebrating the organisation’s most outstanding solicitor members since 2009.

In calling for nominations, President of the Law Society of NSW, Elizabeth Espinosa, said the annual award provides the opportunity to a shine a light on a member of the legal profession who has displayed an extraordinary commitment to law and justice in the community.

“More often than not, it’s those members of the community that our profession seeks to serve that are aware of those solicitors that are going above and beyond in their commitment and contribution to the law,” she said.

To be eligible for nomination a person must be a current or former NSW solicitor and a member of The Law Society of New South Wales (but not a current Law Society Councillor).

They must be of high standing in the NSW legal profession and have made a personal and professional contribution which demonstrates achievements in one of more of the following areas:

• improvement in community access to justice
• improvement in NSW or national legal policy or legislation which delivers significant benefits to the NSW community
• significant service or support to NSW solicitors 
• promotion or defence of the rule of law
• improvements in the administration of justice in NSW.

The deadline for nominations is Friday 27 September 2019.

Ms Espinosa will announce the winner of the 2019 President’s Medal at the Law Society’s Annual Member’s Dinner on Thursday 24 October 2019.

The recipient of the 2018 President’s Medal was asbestos law specialist Theodora Ahilas who has dedicated her career to fighting for people who have been exposed to asbestos. Ms Ahilas is the head of Maurice Blackburn's asbestos and dust diseases national practice, and a principal and director in the firm’s Sydney office.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sue Finn | Media and Public Relations Manager
The Law Society of New South Wales
T: +61 2 9926 0288 | M: +61 413 440 699 | E: media@lawsociety.com.au