The British Italian Law Association is pleased to present the BILA Award for Italian law students. The aim of the prize is to encourage students of Italian Universities with interests in the British legal system to explore relevant themes and topics by researching, considering and developing an argument in a short essay written in English about any matter of law in particular with regard to cross-border legal practice issues. A new subject will be allocated each year.
The competition is open to all students that are enrolled in an Italian university at the time of the submission.
Applications for the prize will accepted every year from June to the 15th December.
The winner of the prize will be announced at the BILA Annual Dinner and on BILA’s website.
The value of the prize will be £1,000 (one thousand pounds) and the opportunity of a one-week work shadowing experience with an English Law Firm. The winner of the prize will also be invited to submit a shortened version of his/her essay for publication on BILA’s website.
The rules governing the competition are as follows.
1. Essays can be of any length up to 3,000 words (including any footnotes) and must be in English.
2. Applications which must contain a completed Form (link here and below) and the Essay must be submitted as a PDF file ONLY via email to award@bila.biz. The applicant will receive an Acknowledgment of Receipt.
3. The competition is open to everyone enrolled in an Italian University at the time of the application (proof of the enrolment must be provided). Any individual student may enter the competition only once. In case of a high number of applications, the competition panel will review only the first 40 essays received, on a first-come-first-served basis.
4. Essays must be the original work of the student alone. The judges will check the content of the submission and plagiarism will not be tolerated.
5. Essays will be assessed on a range of factors, including how well the argument is sustained, the quality of language and appropriate use of supporting material and facts which evidence any assertions made.
6. The BILA Committee will appoint a panel of three judges taken from the legal professions and academia in UK and/or in Italy who will determine the winner of the Prize. The BILA Committee will adopt any measure to ensure a fair and orderly functioning of the award selection procedure.
7. The decisions of the Judges are final. No correspondence will be entered into.
8. Essays will not be returned, so candidates should keep a copy for their own reference.
9. The Prize will be announced on BILA’s website.
APPLICATION FORM
Please download the Application Form here.
BILA AWARD 2024
This year candidates will be asked to write an essay on the following topic: "Discuss how AI entered the legal sector in Italy and the UK, from a comparative perspective. Candidates should focus on the impact of AI on the legal profession, the risks connected with its use when advising clients and representing them in legal proceedings with particular reference to:
Duty to clients
Use in disclosure/ discovery
Prepare a legal action
Preparation of evidence
Submitting evidence to the court
Candidates should also consider the respective approach of the Italian and English regulators dealing with the changes and risks posed by Artificial Intelligence.”
BILA AWARD 2023 WINNER
The winner of the 2023 edition of the BILA Award is Mr Giovanni Musso Piantelli of Universita’ Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. To read Mr Pantelli’s submission, please download his essay here.