Victorian Legal Awards

Frequently Asked Questions

• How much does it cost to be nominated or nominate?

  Nominating for the Victorian Legal Awards is completely free of charge.

• What are the Award categories?

  Nomination Categories

  Category	Nomination criteria
  Access to Justice	Open to lawyers who provide access to justice or undertake pro bono legal work.
  Accredited Specialist Achievement	Open to lawyers who are LIV accredited specialists.
  Community Lawyer or Organisation of the Year	Open to individual lawyers working in community organisations and to community organisations themselves.
  Deal of the Year	Open to all individual partners, principals or teams with completed or announced deals/transactions in the past 12 months.
  Top 10 Rising Stars	Open to lawyers with up to six years' post qualification experience.
  Government Lawyer of the Year	Open to lawyers who work in a government organisation.
  In-House Counsel of the Year	Open to general counsel, in-house counsel or members of an in-house counsel team.
  Innovation Award	Open to all firms in Victoria, recognising excellence in applying new technology.
  Law Firm of the Year
  Boutique Law Firm	Open to firms with five principals or fewer in Victoria.
  Medium Law Firm	Open to firms with 6–19 principals in Victoria.
  Large Law Firm	Open to firms with 20 principals or more in Victoria.
  Law Student of the Year	Open to all students studying a Bachelor of Laws (graduate entry) or Juris Doctor (JD) which allows that student to be eligible for admission to practise as an Australian lawyer.
  Legal Reporting Award	Open to journalists and/or those in the media that demonstrate outstanding commitment to newspaper journalism, court reporting, radio reporting, television reporting or online reporting.
  Mentor of the Year	Open to all lawyers who have mentored, guided, supported and encouraged the development of other lawyers.
  Regional Lawyer of the Year	Open to all lawyers practising in regional Victoria.
  Suburban Lawyer of the Year	Open to all lawyers practising in suburban Victoria.
  Wellbeing Award	Open to all firms in Victoria, recognising excellence in providing wellbeing support.

   

• What are the terms and conditions for the Victorian Legal Awards?

  The terms and conditions for 2017 have changed. Please view the terms and conditions page for more information.

• Is there a limit on how many entries I can submit?

  No. We encourage you to submit as many entries as you like, in as many categories that are applicable to the nominee. Please note you will need to complete separate entries for each firm/team or individual. However for Certificates of Service, please note that there is a limit of two nominations per person.

• What are the criteria for the awards?

  The following criteria apply to the Victorian Legal Awards in general:

  1. Any practising lawyer in Victoria, irrespective of LIV membership status is permitted to be nominated and shortlisted for an award.
  2. An interstate lawyer may be nominated for an award if s/he has a sufficient nexus with the LIV.
  3. LIV Council members are not eligible.
  4. Nominees must be of good character. Nominees will be asked to disclose whether they have been or are currently subject to any investigation by the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner and/or any other relevant disciplinary proceeding, enquiry or findings. Nominees will also be checked against the Registry of Disciplinary Action (RODA).
• What can I submit by way of additional information to support the nomination?

  While it is not necessary to submit additional information you can forward letters of reference, information on other awards, the nominees CV or other supporting evidence. We encourage keeping this information brief. Please note that this section should not be used to simply answer a criterion.

• Can non-members be nominated?

  Yes. Nominees can be any current lawyer practising in Victoria. An interstate lawyer can be nominated if he or she has a sufficient nexus with the LIV. Membership with the LIV will be taken into account when judging nominations. For more information, visit the Awards Terms & Conditions page.

• Can I nominate myself?

  Self-nominations are accepted. 

• Can I nominate someone for an individual award if I am not from a law firm?

  Absolutely. Nominations can be received from any individuals in the broader community, LIV members or firm/organisation members.

• What is the deadline for nominations?

  Nominations will close at 5pm, Friday 23 November.  

  Certificates of Service and Paul Baker Award nominations must be received by Monday 10 December.

• When does the judging take place?

  Judging is completed by the end of January each year.

• What happens if I am shortlisted as a finalist?

  The nominator and nominee will both be notified in March 2019. The nominee will be asked to submit a short bio (via survey) and a professional headshot to livawards@liv.asn.au by 5pm Friday April 5.  Make sure you put Friday, 17 May 2019 at Atlantic, Docklands in your diary for the Awards Presentation and Gala Dinner.

• Will I get any feedback on my nomination?

  No, regrettably we cannot give individual feedback on nominations.

• When will the shortlist be announced?

  Shortlisted finalists are published in the April LIJ.

• When will the winners be announced?

  Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony and gala dinner on 17 May 2019 at the Atlantic, Docklands. All are invited to attend; tickets will be on sale from approx March 2019.

• Who can attend the Awards presentation ceremony and dinner?

  Tickets for this prestigious Awards presentation ceremony are available to everyone – you do not need to have nominated or be a nominee to attend. Tickets will go on sale approximately March 2019.