A Durham University student is a finalist in Future Legal Mind, National Accident Helpline’s award to find the brightest young legal talent in the country.
Olivia Donlan is studying Law LLB at Durham and is in with a chance to win a £5,000 prize, plus a coveted work experience placement at a top law firm.
Pictured: Nominee Olivia Donlan
The 20-year old student, originally from Manchester, is a keen football and tennis player in-between studying for her degree. Olivia’s sporting talents also extend to martial arts, as she is the proud owner of a brown belt in karate.
Olivia has been shortlisted by a panel of industry experts alongside seven other students, and says she is overjoyed to be nominated for the top prize:
“To know that the judges of the Future Legal Mind award believed my essay to be interesting and apt enough to be shortlisted is a real honour.
I was so happy to be shortlisted and to win the competition would be such a privilege. It would allow me to gain work experience in such a competitive industry, which is invaluable. Winning would make all these late nights in the library worth it and would be a very respected addition to my CV.”
To be in with a chance of taking the top spot for the prize, Olivia was tasked with writing an essay on the following topic:
The personal injury legal sector is frequently attacked by government, insurers and media as ambulance-chasing lawyers seeking to promote a compensation culture. What can organisations in the personal injury legal sector do differently in order to dispel the misconceptions and bring integrity back to claiming compensation?
National Accident Helpline’s Managing Director, Simon Trott, who chaired the panel of judges said:
“The Future Legal Mind award is designed to find the best up and coming legal talent in the country, and our shortlist this year certainly proves that. All entrants, including Olivia, have set the bar really high in terms of the standard of submissions that we received.
With that in mind, all of the shortlisted students should feel immensely proud of this achievement, and I wish them the best moving forward in the competition.”
The winner will be announced on 23rd April here: https://www.national-accident-helpline.co.uk/future-legal-mind
