The Lawyer Awards is about the celebration of excellence in the profession across private practice, the public sector, commerce and industry, and the Bar. It is unquestionably the biggest night of the year for the legal profession.

Every year we are deluged with hundreds of entries, and I am sure that again this year we at the Lawyer will be spending a greater part of the spring sifting through them. But we don’t just depend on the entries we are sent. The Lawyer editorial team conducts a huge research process, interviewing hundreds of lawyers and their clients to supplement the nominations.

The Lawyer was the first legal magazine to put together a senior advisory judging panel taken from the great and the good in City institutions and the media. The combination of this and The Lawyer’s own research has made Awards the most comprehensive and incisive reflection of the commercial legal market. It’s no wonder that they are the most sought after trophies in the law.

To enter The Lawyer Awards 2008, first read the rules of entry. Short-listed entrants will be announced in The Lawyer in May, and the winners revealed during the Awards Ceremony itself on Tuesday 24th June.

We have also created a new category for the 2008 Awards: Private Client Team of the Year, to reflect the contribution made by tax, trusts and matrimonial lawyers.

As in past years there is no fee to take part; all we ask is that your entry be accompanied by a donation to our chosen charities. This year The Lawyer Awards is supporting two new charities, Kids Company and The Children’s Trust. These charities were picked after a readers’ poll run on the Lawyer.com website in December 2007. Please support them generously. You can find out more about them and how to donate at the end of this brochure.

It only remains for us to thank all of our award sponsors, particularly our co-sponsor for the fifth year running, Travelers. We look forward to receiving your entries.