A Bradford solicitor has become the first Asian female to reach the final stages of the Yorkshire Lawyer of the Year Award.

Asama Javed is one of five to be named in the final of the general practice section of the competition run by Barker Brooks Media and the Leeds Law Society Bulletin.

At 26-years-old, the solicitor has only been practising since 1999 but has already established a high reputation in her specialist field of representing women and families who have been subjected to violence. She currently works for McManners Seddon and holds free legal surgeries and Saturday clinics in Manningham to help people in the area where she grew up.

She said: "I think one of the reasons I've been chosen is because I work with the community.

"That's just as important to me as getting paid for work. It obviously helps being able to speak more than one language and the work helps bring a lot of women confidence. Some of the people I've spoken to are now going to college."

Mrs Javed is also involved with the Grosvenor Community Centre and is a director of the Marlborough Cinema.

Winners of the regional heat will be announced on Friday, September 22 and will go forward to the national stages of the competition.