Here at Chan Neill Solicitors, we are committed to delivering high-quality legal expertise, providing client-focused services tailored to businesses and individuals alike. We pride ourselves on providing strategic guidance and well-considered advice whilst protecting our clients’ interests. Our team of skilled legal professionals strive to become their clients’ trusted advisors in all aspects of their clients lives and businesses, working to help clients navigate complex legal challenges, fostering trust and long-term relationships.
We are, therefore, pleased to announce our inaugural Litigation Essay Competition! We are looking to foster debate, critical thinking, and practical writing abilities in law students and legal professionals at the very start of their career. Entries will be judged on the quality of their legal research, understanding of statute and case-law, and their ability to set out and defend it.
Please select from one of the following questions:
- Part 36 offers of settlement serve the purpose of ensuring parties to litigation seriously consider settlement. However, to what extent can Part 36 settlement offers be strategically misused and/or abused, and how?
- The use of AI has become increasingly common in everyday life. To what extent should litigants make use of AI, and what are the potential pitfalls of doing so?
- The “Mazur decision” has sent shockwaves throughout the litigation market. What areas within the litigation sphere have been most impacted, and what steps should be taken to ensure compliance?
- “Ignorance is not a defence”. To what extent does this fundamental legal principle still hold true?
This opportunity is open to undergraduates, post and recent graduates without a training contract or pupillage.
In addition to your essay submission, please write 50 words outlining what stage you are at in your studies and that you do not yet have a pupillage or training contract. Please also confirm that you have not used Artificial Intelligence.
Rules
- Essays must be no more than 1,500 words (excluding footnotes).
- Answers should be sent to tboyton@cnsolicitors.com in Microsoft Word format. The covering email should state the entrant’s full name, present (or most recent) university/college and contact details (judging is anonymous). All submissions will be acknowledged.
- Any submissions found to be AI led will be immediately disqualified
- This opportunity is open exclusively to those in the UK.
- The deadline to submit is Monday, 2nd March 2026
Each essay is judged against the following criteria:
1. Legal and case analysis;
2. Structure; and
3. Legal writing style.
HOW THE COMPETITION IS JUDGED
Essays are judged in two stages:
- In the first instance, members of the Litigation Team will review all entries to select a shortlist.
- At the second stage, the prize-winners are decided by the Head of Litigation.
REWARD
The top prizes for the competition are as follows:
Winner – Two week Vacation Scheme and a 1-1 discussion on work with Litigation Head ·
Runner Up – One week Vacation Scheme
The winning essays will also be published on the Chan Neill Solicitors LLP website.