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Katie Smits wins Hertfordshire Junior Lawyer of the Year Award

Posted onJune 14, 2022

Wills, Trusts and Probate Solicitor Katie Smits is awarded Junior Lawyer of the Year at the Hertfordshire Law Society dinner.

Last Thursday night, Katie Smits scooped the coveted Junior Lawyer of the Year Award at the Hertfordshire Law Society dinner. The glitzy black-tie event was held at the iconic Hertfordshire venue, Hatfield House Old Palace.

This was a massive achievement for Katie, who the judges described as “a shining example of a junior lawyer”. Katie was nominated by her colleagues, and highlights of her submission included evidence of her excellent client reviews, commitment to business development and outstanding legal knowledge. The judges also noted the “warmth of the submission”, which they felt displayed Katie’s friendly personality and popularity within the firm.

This was an extra-special occasion for us, as Katie becomes only the second recipient of this award. The inaugural winner, Georgina Donnellan, is also from Crane & Staples, and, fittingly, accepted the award on Katie’s behalf (Katie unfortunately could not attend on the night). These consecutive wins demonstrate the success of Crane & Staples’ renowned training programme for junior lawyers.

Manish Patel, training Partner at Crane & Staples, commented

“We are all so proud of Katie. It has been a privilege to train and work with her. This is only the beginning of her promising legal career and we look forward to seeing her grow. The fact that both Katie and Georgina have won this award is a testament to the firm’s commitment to training and development.”

Junior Lawyer of the Year Award Winner Katie Smits with previous winner Georgina Donnellan and other junior lawyers at the firm.

We would like to thank Steven Hamilton, President of the Hertfordshire Law Society, and all the committee members, for organising this wonderful evening. We would also like to congratulate the evening’s other winners. This was the first Herts Law Society event since the pandemic, and it was a pleasure to celebrate together again.

Guests at the HLS Dinner at the Old Palace, Hatfield House

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Gaby Williams

Gaby Williams

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