The first ever award for Legal Excellence is currently being shared by two of Windhoek's leading law firms. This award was recently bestowed on Dr Weder, Kauta & Hoveka Inc. and LorentzAngulaInc. for their commitment to their respective social responsibility programmes.
The firms received the awards at a fundraiser for the JP Karuaihe Trust.

Mr. At Slabber (Dr. Weder, Kauta & Hoveka Inc), Ms. Elize Angula (LorentzAngula Inc), Adv Schimming-Chase (President: LSN) and Honourable Mrs. Pendukeni Ivula-Ithana (Minister of Justice).

The idea to bring recognition to law firms that excel in both their professional as well as their social milieu, started when the trustees of the JP Karuaihe Trust approached the Law Society of Namibia to assist in the launch of annual awards for Human Rights and Social Responsibility. All practising law firms were asked through the Law Society to submit nominations for these two awards.
Eventually 17 firms or individuals were nominated.
A panel of adjudicators consisting of Mr. Harald Geier, a member of the bar; Ms. Natasha Bassingthwaighte, a councillor of the Law Society, and Mrs. Retha Steinmann, the LSN director, decided after careful consideration of the submissions, not to make the award in the Human Rights category, but to make a joint award in the Social Responsibility category.
Upon the presentation of the award, the LSN said its main aim is to support projects that enhance and promote the image of the legal profession in Namibia.
"The positive contribution of the Law Society and its members to the legal profession are mostly unnoticed by clients and by the public," the society said, pointing out that a succession of incidents of misconduct by lawyers has tarnished the image of the profession in the eyes of the general public,” the society said.
During the 85th Anniversary conference of the LSN held at the end of 2006, the profession addressed the issue of “Integrity of the Law/Legal Profession – Myth or reality in our time”. Globally, the legal profession's image is under attack and the lawyer’s role in society relating to the perception of core values” were questioned at the conference.
The LSN is actively involved in building the image of the profession, to discipline its members when necessary, to provide continuing, practical and public legal education, to ensure the independence of the profession, to protect client/attorney confidentiality, and to honour human rights.