A Llanelli-born student is a finalist in Future Legal Mind, an award by National Accident Helpline to find the brightest young talent in the country.
Rebecca Harrigan, a law student at London Metropolitan University, has a chance to win a £5,000 prize as well as a coveted work experience placement at a top law firm .
The 30-year-old, originally from Llanelli, is no stranger to the legal profession, having worked for a charity with trafficking victims as a support worker. Now, she works in an immigration department whilst studying in the evenings.
Rebecca has been shortlisted by a panel of industry experts alongside seven other students. She said: “To be honest, I’m genuinely surprised as the essay topic was out of my comfort zone and a real challenge to write. Now that I realise I have a fighting chance, I just want to win.
I’m establishing my legal career and if I won, it would really boost my confidence and open doors for me in respect of future career options. The financial reward is also a great incentive – LPC fees are expensive!”
To be in with a chance of taking the top spot for the prize, Rebecca was tasked with writing an essay on the following topic:
‘The personal injury legal sector is frequently attacked by government, insurers and media as ambulance-chasing lawyers seeking to promote a compensation culture. What can organisations in the personal injury legal sector do differently in order to dispel the misconceptions and bringing integrity back to claiming compensation?’
National Accident Helpline’s Managing Director, Simon Trotts, who chaired the panel of judges said:
“The Future Legal Mind award is designed to find the best up-and-coming legal talent in the country, and our shortlist this year certainly proves that. All entrants, including Rebecca, have set the bar really high in terms of the standard of submissions that we received
With that in mind, all of the shortlisted students should feel immensely proud of this achievement, and I wish them the best moving forward in the competition.”
The winner will be announced on April 23rd here.
