Eligibility 

To be eligible for the award a nominee must be under 30 years of age or, if over 30, have equal to, or less, than 5 years post admission experience.

Any nomination must Illustrate the contribution made by the nominee over the period 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 or over a number of years by the Nominee, and contain a detailed summary of the nature of the continuous and outstanding contribution to federal litigation and dispute resolution made by the Nominee, including:

• full particulars of the contribution;
• the manner of implementation;
• the benefits derived by the profession and/or the legal and wider community;
• the period of the contribution;
• proof of age of the nominee at the date of nomination;
• proof of date of admission of the nominee.
  
  

Nominations

The nominee can be either nominated by colleagues or self-nominated. The nominator should confirm that the nominee is aware of the nomination and willing to be nominated.

There is no set form for a nomination – a letter or document that describes how the nominee has made an outstanding contribution in the field of federal litigation and dispute resolution is sufficient.

Nominations should be accompanied by educational qualifications and material to confirm eligibility and must address the eligibility criteria.

Information regarding professional contributions should include employment history, publications, conferences attended, presentations and seminars.

The nomination can include up to three references and testimonials. Testimonials could be provided by colleagues, clients or office bearers of NGOs or government departments.

Nomination process

The Federal Dispute Resolution Section Executive will review all applications. If the Executive cannot agree on a winner, the final decision shall be made by the Section Chair.

Presentation of award

The winner of the award will be announced in January 2024. 

The presentation of the award will be at the 2024 Commonwealth Law Conference in Melbourne on Friday 23 February 2024.

The award

The winner of the award will receive:

• complimentary membership to the Federal Dispute Resolution Section for one year;
• complimentary registration to the 2024 Commonwealth Law Conference and
• flights to Melbourne and accommodation for the evening of 22 February 2024 (if required).