After two rounds of judging by our panel of academic and legal experts, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Lord Carnwath of Notting Hill CVO and Yasmin Batliwala MBE, Chief Executive of Advocates for International Development (A4ID) selected the winner of the ILBF’s law undergraduate essay competition for 2025. The Rt. Hon the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, announced the winner at our 20th anniversary event on Wednesday, 14th May.
The judges were impressed by the quality of the essays and the insightful arguments of the finalists. It was a huge pleasure to meet all the finalists at the 20th anniversary event.
The topic of the essay was “What will be the challenges to the rule of law in the next 20 years?”.
“This is a fitting question for the ILBF’s 20th anniversary, given the mission of the ILBF to support the rule of law through the provision of good quality legal texts to organisations overseas. Access to legal knowledge, written by experts in their field, is a core pillar of the rule of law and vital for law students, lawyers and judges, and the public.” Baroness Carr, Lady Chief Justice
Sean Xue will spend a week with competition sponsor Brown Rudnick over the summer. Our thanks to Brown Rudnick for offering this wonderful opportunity to the winner. The winning essay will be published very shortly on the ILBF’s website and in the Commonwealth Lawyers Association June newsletter as well as other legal news.
“Winning the first prize in the ILBF Essay Competition 2025 has been one of the most meaningful moments of my journey in law so far. Writing about the rule of law at a time when its foundations feel increasingly fragile pushed me to think not just as a student, but as someone who wants to be part of the solution. That’s what made this competition so valuable—it gives students space to ask difficult questions and engage seriously with the ideas that underpin justice.
The awards evening was something I’ll always remember. I had the rare and humbling opportunity to speak with Lord Carnwath, Lord Thomas, and Baroness Carr. Each conversation left me challenged and inspired in ways I’m still reflecting on. My sincere thanks to Ms. Katrina Crossley and Mr. Paul Lowenstein KC for their warmth and leadership, and to the entire judging panel for their thoughtful engagement with our work. I’m also incredibly excited to be joining Brown Rudnick LLP this summer and to keep learning from those who are shaping the law in practice.
Most of all, thank you to my parents and to everyone who’s stood behind me throughout this journey. I’m lucky to have had so many people believe in me. This experience has left me more grounded, more motivated, and more certain than ever that this is the path I want to walk.” Sean Xue, University of York
Our thanks to all the entrants for engaging with the question and addressing this vital and timely question.
In due course we will publish a grand summary of all the ideas in the submitted essays, with the goal of continuing to stimulate legal and public discourse and to maintain vigilance on the future of the rule of law.
Our thanks to all of the judges and in particular to Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Lord Carnwath of Notting Hill CVO and Yasmin Batliwala MBE for the final judging and their support for the competition.
We would also like to thank Brown Rudnick for sponsoring the competition this year and their invaluable support for the ILBF’s mission.
We wish all the entrants to our law undergraduate essay competition the very best of luck in their studies and their future careers. It was a pleasure to read your essays.
The Rt. Hon. the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill with the winner Sean Xue of the University of York
Jane Colston and Matthew Sharp of Brown Rudnick with the winner Sean Xue of the University of York
