Leeds Met student wins FLSA essay competition

A part-time law student at Leeds Metropolitan University has won a summer internship at the Financial Services Authority (FSA) as first prize in an essay-writing competition organised by the Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA).

Darryl Smith, who is in the third year of a four-year part time degree and also works as a legal assistant with Leeds firm Zermansky & Partners, won the eight-week placement for his essay on the fairness of bank charges.

The competition also saw King's College, Cambridge student Joseph Woodworth walk away with a second prize of 1,000 while Robert Read of Londons King's College and Clifford Chance trainee Fraser Campbell each received 500 as joint third place winners.

FSLA executive committee member Anna Boase said: The FSLA was delighted with the excellent standard and range of entries to its inaugural essay competition. Bank Charges: Are they fair? was certainly a topic which stimulated considerable interest among student entrants. The judges were very impressed with the winning essays and enjoyed reading all the entries.

The competition was judged by High Court judge and former prime minister Tony Blairs brother Mr Justice William Blair, FSA general counsel Andrew Whittaker and Professor Eva Lomnicka of Kings College London.

The prizes were awarded at an FSLA discussion evening on the legal issues and industry implications of ongoing bank charge litigation between the OFT and eight major banks.