Michael Walker

Michael Walker, of London firm Kingsley Napley, has been nominated for a Law Society Legal Hero award for his role in establishing the LILA Trailblazers programme — making a shortlist of 19 out of over 500 nominations.

Writing on LinkedIn, Mr Walker paid tribute to those who helped make the programme happen, including Kerri McGuigan, Tomas McGarvey, Megan Millar, Maeve Keenan, Jonathan Lyness, Úna Campbell, Eavan Prenter, David Walker, David Hardstaff, Seán Corcoran, Mark O’Brien O’Reilly and Anna Metadjer.

He also paid tribute to High Court justices Judge Angela Rafferty KC and Dame Maura McGowan, who oversaw the programme’s grand mooting final in February, as well as LILA volunteers and university and school staff.

Mr Walker said: “The individualised nature of the award sits uneasily alongside how much of a team effort LILA Trailblazers’ pilot was, without fully embracing and recognising the efforts of all of the other blister inducing efforts of everyone flagged above.

“I’m hugely proud to represent LILA and the Trailblazer working group, and the Trailblazer programme, on the list though — and it’s a real sign of how much effort the bunch of us put in.

“Here’s to cementing Trailblazers in in the coming academic year, and having a chance to work with so many of the above exceptional people again to make it happen!”