Every year we recognise emerging talent within our in-house community. The In-house Rising Star Award celebrates and rewards the brilliance of trainees and NQs with up to five years' PQE who are shining in their early careers.
Working in-house brings a huge range of challenges and opportunities. The landscape of career options is forever changing and constantly attracts the brightest and the best to work for a vast array of in-house employers. Currently around 30 per cent of our members work in-house spread across public, private and third sector roles.
In-house Rising Star Award 2024
The most recent In-house Rising Star Award was presented to Christopher Knudsen at the In-house Annual Conference in June 2023. Read more from Christopher below.
Watch out for details of the 2024 award - nominations will open in the Spring. If you have any questions meantime, please get in touch with us at inhouse@lawscot.org.uk
Meet some of our previous winners
"Thank you so much to the panel and Law Society for this privilege. I’m extremely grateful to Too Good To Go for creating such a supportive environment where I can help contribute to saving food waste.
"I’ve been very lucky to work with such great lawyers over the years and this really feels like recognition of the challenges they have been patient enough to help me learn from and importantly to grow as both a lawyer and a person. I hope I can continue to help others in the legal profession in the same way as I’ve been supported in my career."
Christopher Knudsen, Rising Star 2023, Too Good To Go
"I was over the moon to be awarded the In-House Rising Star Award in 2022. All of the nominees were more than deserving winners, and it was lovely to be chosen from a group of such talented young lawyers. I am very grateful to my colleagues, past and present, who have been so supportive of my career to date. Since winning the award, I have taken on a new role at the Scottish Law Commission. I am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to further develop my career in a new area of in-house legal work."
Mariel Kaney, Rising Star 2022, Lord President's Private Office
"I am thrilled to have been chosen as the winner of the Rising Star award. Having moved in-house relatively recently, I’m delighted to have my work recognised internally and by the judges at the Law Society. I’ve been very lucky to work with such a supportive and innovative team at BoxMedia and as the sole General Counsel I’ve been involved in some terrific projects. This is a professional highlight for me, there was such a talented shortlist of nominees and I can’t quite believe I won in the end!"
Angus Niven, Rising Star 2021, Box Media
“Being awarded the In-house Rising Star Award has been a career highlight for me so far. This was particularly so given the strong talent amongst the shortlist and within our in-house legal community - it was wonderful to be recognised by the judges. I’m very grateful to all of those who have spent time mentoring me and to the Bank for allowing me such a varied and enjoyable role in which to develop.”
Marliese Perks, Rising Star 2020, The Royal Bank of Scotland
On winning the 2019 award John said: "I was absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted and am over the moon now. I've been very lucky to work with lots of amazing people and great mentors in my career so far. It was great to meet everyone at the conference and congratulations again to all those nominated. We already have plans to stay in touch and share our in-house experiences and challenges!”
John Frame, Rising Star 2019, Serco UK, Europe & SGS
“Being awarded the In-house Rising Star Award was a professional highlight, and a brilliant reflection of the training and experience I received at Glasgow City Council. It was a particular honour to receive the award given the high calibre of shortlisted candidates, and I am very grateful to my colleagues for the nomination and to the judges for picking me. Winning the award has encouraged me to develop professionally and I have since moved to Optical Express where I’m looking forwarding to learning from a new in-house environment.”
Sarah Haig, Rising Star 2018,Glasgow City Council
“I was delighted to have been shortlisted, and to have won the Rising Star Award, particularly given the high calibre of lawyers who were shortlisted. It was lovely to be recognised, not only by the judges but also by my organisation for doing a job I love. For me, winning the award was also acknowledgment of the trust, commitment and support my organisation had placed in me as their sole in-house legal counsel. Winning the award has created numerous opportunities for me in terms of career progression and professional development.”
Leanne Hammel, Rising Star 2017, ECS
"I was really delighted to be nominated for, and win, the Rising Star Award. It was great to have my role at The Royal Bank of Scotland recognised by the judges, and to my mind the award was equally a reflection of the high calibre of support provided by the wider legal function at the bank. Winning the award has created further opportunities to shadow and be coached by senior in-house lawyers in Scotland, all of which has been great for my on-going development."
Leigh Kirkpatrick, Rising Star 2015, Royal Bank of Scotland
Nominees must be trainees or solicitors with up to 5 years PQE, working in-house. We ask that the nominator has agreement from both the nominee and the employer before submitting the nomination.
No! If you work in-house, you can nominate a colleague. You can be a manager, senior leader or close colleague of an in-house lawyer (and have no legal background at all). Or, if you work in private practice you can nominate contacts or clients that deserve recognition.
Each year, our judging panel is made up of In-house Lawyers Committee members, supported by the Society's Head of Member Engagement.
Working in-house
In-house lawyers make a critical contribution to the success of the companies and organisations that employ them. If you work in-house, we want to hear from you.
