A Buckingham Law student has been named as a finalist in a national legal competition

Charley-Anne Gordon beat competition from budding lawyers across the country to be named on the shortlist for the annual Future Legal Mind Award.

The 21-year-old is in the final year of her Law degree at The University of Buckingham and aspires to become a legal academic.

Charley-Anne said: “Being shortlisted has helped me to feel a lot more confident in my academic potential, I’m thrilled.

“I applied for the competition because I felt that not only would it help fuel my future career, but I believed that if I was lucky enough to make the shortlist, it would be fantastic for my personal development, particularly my confidence.”

The competition, now in its fifth year, is run by National Accident Helpline to give a boost to the fledgling careers of the nation’s most promising legal talent.

Law students and those in the first two years of their legal career were invited to submit an essay about their legal ambitions and how having a legally-trained mind would benefit them, their local community and society.

Their responses were whittled down to a shortlist of 10, including Charley-Anne, who were all asked to submit a home-made video to support their written entry. You can watch her video here.

The essays and videos will be reviewed by judges as they decide who will be named Future Legal Mind 2019.

Tom Fitzgerald, Managing Director of National Accident Helpline, said: “We received some excellent entries from law students and trainees who were clearly very passionate about pursuing a career in Law.

“Charley-Anne submitted a very clear and impressive essay and video, and we wish her the best of luck in the competition.”

The winner of Future Legal Mind will be named in May and will receive a prize package including valuable mentoring and networking experience.

The winner will meet with a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice and receive mentoring advice from experienced lawyers within the National Accident Helpline team.

They will also star in a showcase film highlighting their skills and receive a prize fund of £2,000.