Legal Week’s LegalTalent competition, which aims to identify fresh ideas from up-and-coming lawyers, is looking for submissions from both students and associates ahead of the deadline for entries, with a £2,000 cash prize and media coverage up for grabs.

The Dragons’ Den-style competition aims to tap into new thinking on how law firms can embrace and retain young, talented employees, with a focus on diversity and inclusion.

This year’s competition, which will take place at the LegalWeek Connect event on 29 November at County Hall London, will be split into two strands – one for law students and one for associates. The two competitions ask the same question: “How can the legal profession change to better manage diversity, inclusivity and talent for future business success?”

This year’s judging panel will include ITV group legal director Andrew Garard, Diageo general counsel Siobhan Moriarty, KPMG UK GC Jeremy Barton and Legal Week publisher John Malpas.

The submission deadline is 26 October 2018, with finalists announced mid-November, and the final pitches being held on 29 November. Prizes on offer include a £2,000 cash prize, a write-up in Legal Week, a presentation of the award at the First Hundred Years: Inspirational Women in Law Awards at LegalWeek Connect, one year’s free subscription to all ALM brands, and an invite to pitch your idea at a roundtable made up of managing partners and general counsel.

Last year, sisters Queenie Djan and Yolanda Kibuukamusoke (pictured) won the competition, seeing off competition from 15 teams with their ‘Lawyer Like Me scheme’, linking law firms to secondary schools to host moots for minority students. The competition was fierce, with the judges describing the entries as “incredible”.

LegalWeek Connect, which is sponsored by Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner and Luminance, is now in its second year, gathering in-house counsel and law firm partners together to talk about collaboration, diversity and talent. Speakers include Snapchat UK GC David Lewis, Uber assistant GC Helen Hayes, Barclays litigation head Tracey Dovaston and many more.

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