The competition known as the Kevin De Silva Memorial Legal Article contest has been running since 2013 in honour of a young lawyer named Kevin De Silva. This year, participants can choose from three prompts: discussing the data breach at the Legal Aid Agency, Lord Leveson's proposals for non-jury trials and AI's use in a court setting. The article should not exceed 800 words and provides an excellent opportunity to share opinions on one of these topics. The winning entry will be featured in the Society bulletin.
For this year’s competition we are asking you to write an article/blog for publication in the Nottinghamshire Law Society’s Bulletin.
You can choose from one of the following legal topic areas:
· Can we solve the prison overcrowding crisis without compromising justice? Consider whether the Government's recent sentencing and prison reforms strike the right balance between punishment, rehabilitation, public protection and the rights of victims.
· Is access to justicve becoming a postcode lottery? 'Consider the impact of 'legal aid deserts' and what should be done to ensure that people can obtain legal advice and representation regardless of where they live.
· Should England and Wales introduce a IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts) scheme to fund access to justice initiatives?
Each entry shall be limited to no more than 800 words.
PRIZE
The Kevin De Silva Shield and a cash prize of £300
Two Runners Up prizes of £75.00 may also be awarded, in the discretion of the Judging Panel.
The winning article will be published in the Nottinghamshire Law Society’s Bulletin.
The winner will be announced at our Newly Qualified Solicitors & Newly Called (Tenant) Barristers Dinner at Holiday Inn, Castle Bridge Road, Nottingham, on Wednesday 11th November 2026.
The trophy will be formally presented at the Nottinghamshire Law Society AGM, which will be held on Tuesday 11th May 2027.
The judging panel will be comprised of senior legal professionals from the Nottinghamshire legal community.
This competition is open to trainee solicitors, solicitor apprenticeships, pupil barristers, students (including LPC, SQE and Bar Training Course) and those still engaged in professional training in the workplace (including trainee solicitors and those doing SRA SQE Solicitors and paralegal apprentices, pupil barristers, paralegals (with up to 2 years' experience) that work and/or study in Nottinghamshire.
Download all the competition information here:
Kevin De Silva Memorial Legal Article Competition 2026 Rules, Marking Criteria, Hints & Tips
Kevin De Silva Memorial Legal Article Competition 2026 Entry Form
Closing date for entries, is Wednesday 4th November, 5pm. All entries to emailed to Head of Operations, Michelle Foster: michelle.foster@nottslawsoc.org
Good luck!
Helen Fanning
Education & Training Committee Chair