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Annual IBA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award
Supported by LexisNexis
The IBA Young Lawyers' Committee annually presents an award to a young lawyer who has shown not only excellence in their work and achievements in their career to date, but also a commitment to professional and ethical standards as well as a commitment to the larger community. The award is free to enter and it is open to all lawyers, whether or not they are members of the IBA.
Application details
Each year, the IBA Young Lawyers’ Committee present an award to a young lawyer who has shown not only excellence in their work and achievements in their career to date, but also a commitment to professional and ethical standards as well as a commitment to the larger community.
Annual IBA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award is now closed. If you have any questions, please contact divisions@int-bar.org
The IBA Young Lawyers’ Committee’s goal is to identify, discuss and promote issues relevant to young lawyers. Its purpose is to provide a point of first contact for young lawyers to the IBA so that they can learn about the other IBA divisions and become further involved in the Association.
The award created in partnership with the IBA and LexisNexis is in recognition of William Reece Smith Jr. A former IBA President, William Reece Smith Jr, who passed away in 2013, distinguished himself as one the finest and most respected legal experts. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he demonstrated leadership in the legal profession as an accomplished lawyer, an extensively published legal scholar and lecturer, a mentor and an outstanding community servant. In addition, Mr Smith exemplified a commitment to advancing many charitable and civic causes, most notably in his support for legal services to the poor. LexisNexis is delighted to sponsor an award in his name to recognise a young lawyer who has demonstrated outstanding professionalism.
2022 Recipient
The 2022 International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Outstanding Young Lawyer Award recipient has been named as Ghana’s Yorm Ama Abledu, Senior International Attorney at Centurion Law Group and Lecturer at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), for her demonstrable passion for mentoring the next generation of African legal professionals and her remarkable achievements within the academic field.
On receiving notification of being the 2022 awardee, Ms Abledu remarked: ‘It is a privilege to be honoured as this year’s award winner for the IBA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. History has been made, as I am the second African, and importantly, the first Ghanaian female lawyer, to win this prestigious award. I consider this my greatest achievement so far as a legal academic and lawyer and this victory, I must say, is a dream come true. I know that receiving this award will positively impact young lawyers all over the world and encourage them to do more.’
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Previous Recipients
- Congratulations to Alberto Mata, winner of the 2013 Annual IBA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award!