Last year a young Bermudian lawyer was named `Woman of the Year' for her service to the community through her work with under-privileged clients.

Elizabeth Christopher received the award from the Business and Professional Women's Association of Bermuda last March.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette Ms Christopher said: "I thought it was a great privilege to get the award.

"The theme of the evening was empowerment and actually there in the audience were so many people who had empowered me.'' Ms Christopher has worked in the community and with legal aid clients since 1991 and says she has a particular interest in human rights law.

Ms Christopher, 38, was educated at Berkeley Institute and Bermuda College before attending the College of William and Mary, in Virginia, USA.

She is a Bermuda Scholar and received a bursary from Appleby Spurling & Kempe and the Graham Lynn Memorial and Conyers Dill and Pearman scholarships to complete her schooling.

She was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1990 and to the Bermuda Bar in 1991.

Ms Christopher was taken on at Lord Simmons and Warner before moving to Conyers Dill and Pearman, where she worked for four years.

In 1998 she opened her own law firm. Her practice consists mainly of legally aided criminal and matrimonial clients.

Ms Christopher is also a member of several charitable organisations such as Amnesty International and Aids Help line.

Dr. Norma Hendrickson, president of the association introduced Ms Christopher to 75 women gathered at the Port Royal Golf Club for the presentation and an annual Candle Light Ceremony.

She said: "As you can appreciate legal aid work is not well re-numerated yet the hours are long and hard.

"Our woman of the year has represented defendants in some of the most well-known criminal cases in Bermuda.

"She has been before every court at every level in Bermuda.'' Dolores Darrell, chairperson of the organisation said it was the outstanding work Ms Christopher had done for the community that made her stand apart from other women.

"She is outstanding for her professional achievement and for her charitable work.

"She does a great deal of Legal Aid work for which the pay is not very much.

She has touched the lives of a great number of people.''