Celebrating success
CILEX President Emma Davies reflects on the recent consultation and the opportunity to meet with members at roadshows, October’s graduation ceremony and the annual National Paralegal Awards
We are now a quarter of the way into my presidency and I can’t believe where the time has gone. No doubt all new presidents say the same but, with such a flurry of activity in recent months, it’s great to have this opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved.
Consulting with the membership
CILEX’s three-part consultation, Enhancing Consumer Trust & Confidence, launched this summer and ran for three months, closing on 5 November. If you’re interested in my take on why I think the changes would be good for members you can read more here.
Members were encouraged to respond and have their voices heard, and we wanted to ensure you were equipped with all the information you needed to enable you to make an informed response. As well as providing a comprehensive consultation document and FAQs, we put on seven virtual webinars and seven in-person roadshows, travelling the breadth of England and Wales.
Attendees heard from CILEX CEO Linda Ford, who provided a detailed overview of the rationale behind the consultation, and she was accompanied by various office holders and members of the executive team to answer all member queries.
These sessions weren’t just about the consultation. They were also an opportunity for members to ask questions on any topic and, as with last year’s roadshows, the subject of practice rights ranked high on the list of priorities. We know this is an important issue for Chartered Legal Executives, to ensure complete parity with solicitors in your specialist area, and CILEX is committed to looking at alternative solutions to make the obtaining of practice rights less burdensome. You can read more about practice rights in this edition.
These events are great from my point of view because it means I can do what I love best, getting out there to meet members in person and gain a better understanding of what is important to you.
National Paralegal Awards
In September, I was fortunate to be invited to attend the National Paralegal Awards at the swanky Grand Hotel in Birmingham. Let’s just say Institute of Paralegals CEO Rita Leat and her team know how to put on a party!
As a trustee of the CILEX Foundation, I was delighted that we were chosen as the event charity and to be afforded the opportunity to raise awareness of the great work the charity is doing, opening the doors to talented aspiring lawyers who might not otherwise get the opportunity to embark on a legal career. It was such a positive night, bringing so many people together to celebrate the huge amount of talent in the room and shining a spotlight on the invaluable work paralegals undertake.
Opening of the Legal Year
In October, I was extremely privileged to witness the swearing-in of the first Lady Chief Justice, Dame Sue Carr, at the Royal Courts of Justice. She is the first ever woman to be appointed to this position in its nearly 800-year history.
This was followed by the Opening of the Legal Year ceremony at Westminster Abbey, where we joined hundreds of legal professionals to process into the Abbey. These were two great opportunities to network with key stakeholders and shout about the work of CILEX.
Graduation
This is my favourite event in the CILEX calendar and, as you read this, I’m probably still sharing posts about it on LinkedIn. It is a wonderful day of celebration, not only for the Graduates, Chartered Legal Executives, CILEX Practitioners, Lawyers, Advocates and Companions, but also for the friends and family who look proudly on and have been there every step of the way to champion, support and provide endless cups of tea.
“This was my sixth time at graduation…This, to me, is what CILEX is all about: a celebration of opportunity for people who might not otherwise have pursued a career in law”
This was my sixth time at graduation, but it was a very special one as I got to address these wonderful members and hand each one their well-deserved scroll. This, to me, is what CILEX is all about: a celebration of opportunity for people who might not otherwise have pursued a career in law if it weren’t for CILEX, and of the monumental effort they have put into qualifying whilst juggling study, working and perhaps caring commitments, on a timescale that fitted in with them. I felt proud for each person whose hand I shook and loved hearing so many stories afterwards.
Now, with two months left of the year, there will be no taking my foot off the accelerator. During my inauguration speech, I talked about how our focus would now be switching from parity in the profession, following the great wins we’ve notched up over the past few years, to parity in the workplace. Making work a better place for you. Our annual strategy event took place in October and plans are now underway to map out this important piece of work.
We’re busy and working hard to continue to raise the profile of CILEX more broadly but also with a focus on how we can make work better for you. As always, if you have any feedback or comments you can contact me on emma.davies@cilex.org.uk or follow me on LinkedIn.