We're particularly keen to see initiatives that are demonstrably related to your firm’s strategy and/or growth.

Please provide evidence of impact, in terms of improved performance, engagement, productivity or reduced absence levels.

We’d like to see how your CSR initiative/s have benefited your community (and/or other external parties), your people and your wider business. Note that entries concerning social mobility initiatives will be better served in the ‘Best Social Mobility’ category.

Awarded to the firm with the most impressive achievement in environment, social and governance initiatives. This might be a multi-faceted strategy or a remarkable single initiative. As usual, the best entries will tell a story that aligns with a wider firm strategy.

We’re looking for innovative ways in which your firm has advanced the social mobility agenda and the impact your approach has had on the firm.

Tell us about how your firm has driven the diversity agenda — and describe the consequent benefits to the firm. Note that entries concerning social mobility initiatives will be better served in the ‘Best Social Mobility’ category.

Innovations are likely to concern HR software systems, payroll, recruitment, L&D, internal communications, etc.

Awarded to the firm that best demonstrates a well-planned and well-executed recruitment strategy or initiative. Achievements in employee referral, in-house search, careers site design and creative external campaigns are welcome here. As always, tell us the story of the problem you looked to solve, how you went about solving it and the results you created. Entries may concern single initiatives or wider departmental achievements.

Any campaign aimed at recruiting trainee, apprentice or other early stage talent across lawyer, technology, business development or any other practice support teams. Please include the brief, the attraction materials and any data you consider will help your case: applications, appointments, diversity, and evidence of successful outcomes for the campaign and so on.

Any communication campaign that has been produced for your employees is eligible for this category. It might have been around a new initiative or existing learning and development opportunities for example. If you can show how you used internal communications to help solve a problem, then this could be the category for you. As always, good ideas, effective campaigns and a bit of evidence will help you stand out.

We’re looking for any people-focused accomplishments that are new to your firm – and ideally, new to the sector too. We would also like to see measurements, other evidence of success and clear alignment with firm strategy: in other words, not just innovation for innovation’s sake.

We’re looking for either the best reward and recognition strategy or a single initiative (such as a new recognition or awards scheme). Factors of particular interest include alignment to organisational objectives, response to market pressures, innovation and impact.

Make a case for an established individual working within legal HR who has made a major contribution to your department, firm or the wider industry within the last year. We are looking for an individual that has excelled, regardless of their position within the team.

Make a case for a new entrant to legal HR who has made a significant impact on your department or firm. Nominees should have been working in the sector for less than three years. In addition to completing the form, please submit the CV of the nominee.

Make a case for someone who has made a positive contribution to people in your firm. Nominees could be from inside or outside of HR, for example Managing Partners, HRDs, Senior Partners, COOs and Practice Heads who have gone out of their way to make the firm a more productive, inclusive or enjoyable place to work.

We’d like to see how your department’s efforts have made a positive contribution to the firm over the course of the year. Please detail what you’ve achieved, how you’ve added value and what (if any) obstacles have been overcome. Results are critical, especially the commercial benefits that your department has brought to the firm. You can either enter the full team or part of the team, such as the Recruitment, Reward or HR Project Management sub-functions.