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Ring in the new!
Mandie Lavin sets out some of CILEx’s guiding principles for 2016.
About the author
Mandie Lavin is CEO of CILEx
Editorial deadlines mean that instead of writing this in January - a bit like the lovely John Lewis Christmas advertisement - it is being written in November, well in advance of the festive season.
I must begin by hoping that you all had a peaceful and joyous Christmas, and wishing you all a happy and prosperous New Year. Indeed, by the time this edition hits your desks, many New Year’s resolutions will have already been set and broken, gym memberships signed up to and pledges of new dietary rigour entered into with gusto.
Other resolutions will have been carved into tablets of stone, and will be our guiding principles for the year ahead. So, I would like to use this article to set out some of those principles.
In previous years, when I spent Christmas and New Year working in the hospital as a manager and as a nurse, I was constantly surprised at the array of injuries and problems that patients brought to our Accident and Emergency Department. From small toys that instead of being unwrapped were simply eaten through to the pitfalls of cooking the Christmas dinner, with fingers - instead of vegetables - being burnt, scalded and sliced up.
And there are legal parallels: some of our colleagues are likely to have a very busy January as research shows that the post-Christmas period can be hectic for family lawyers, as the long hours spent in the company of family can, at times, prove testing. For criminal practitioners, the overindulgence in fine wines and ales can also lead even the most conservative of us astray and in need of help at a police station or representation at court.
The similarity is that, in times of trouble and difficulty , we need someone there to help us through, either to bandage wounds or to ensure that the civil and criminal justice system delivers fair, reasonable outcomes for all. The other thing which binds the two systems together is that they have a strong tradition of being publicly funded services, and as we enter 2016 that tradition is not just in jeopardy, but has been under increasing attack: junior doctors threatening to strike; court fees increased to what some commentators have described as an unsustainable level; hospital deficits at an all-time high; and the immense demand for both health and legal services, resulting in a great deal of unmet need. These are not problems that will be solved instantly, but they stand a greater chance of being solved with positive engagement and collaboration, and that is my continuing theme for 2016: Let’s collaborate!
As we enter 2016, it is time to think about our CILEx New Year resolutions; I am delighted to share them with you and to ask for your views about whether we are on the right track.
Before looking forward, I must look back and reflect on the highs and the lows of last year. I joined CILEx as the new CEO in January, and I fairly soon entered into a round of meeting and getting to know all of the key players in the external and internal world of CILEx. What follows reads like a who’s who in the law: the Lord Chief Justice; the Master of the Rolls; the Attorney General; the Solicitor General; the Lord Advocate for Scotland; and the Counsel General for Wales.
Ministers in the government and in the Opposition; senior civil servants and those at the helm of the Crown Prosecution Service and the Legal Aid Agency; and the list continues.
Closer to home, I was greeted warmly by the treasurer of Middle Temple, the chairman of the Bar and the new CEO and the president of the Law Society. It has been a major part of my mission to ensure dialogue and, where possible, joint working, with all of those major players. In some circumstances, I was meeting both friends and established contacts, and also, at times, forging new relationships for CILEx. Many of the people I have met during the year have delighted in sharing with me their journey into the law, and how determination and dedication had reaped the rewards of a truly satisfying career.
The highs of the year included the Magna Carta dinner in the splendour of Caldicot Castle, the President’s Inauguration at Hatfield House, and the tribute to our outgoing president at the Honourable Artillery Company, in London. All were significant events where the friends of CILEx, members and all of those who had contributed to the success of the membership and the organisation could meet and network.
The graduation and admissions ceremonies in April brought the opportunity to relive some of my own personal memories of exams and revision timetables, and the realities of juggling work and study. It was so wonderful to meet everyone, and to hear your personal stories. Do continue to send these into our editor, Valerie; there are so many unsung heroes and heroines out there, you need to get it into print and tell the world about what it has taken for you to get to where you are. Who knows? Someone may pick up the Journal in a waiting area at a train station in Dorset, and you could inspire another CILEx student. Let’s inspire!
The year also saw the launch of CILEx Regulation, and a strong, independent, credible regulator is at the heart of professional life. It ensures and justifies public trust and confidence, and ensures that we all maintain high standards of conduct and professional performance in the interests of our clients. The reputation of a profession can rise or fall on the tide of regulation. Let’s love regulation!
During the year, I have worked with the best group of council members I have ever encountered in my professional career, and also with two of the most dedicated presidents. For those of you who, at times, have thought about joining the council, make 2016 the year that it happens: joining will enrich your professional life; you will acquire and refine new skills; and be part of the onward-and-upward success story of CILEx. Just give me a call or send an e-mail to find out more: come and contribute to our work.
Our staff are highly skilled and professional, they work incredibly hard to provide excellent services, advice, support and guidance, so do engage with us and call us to see what we can do to help. I have been delighted to receive profound letters of thanks from members who have been on the receiving end of really high-quality service. I have especially enjoyed getting out and about, meeting members at the launch of new branches and at the many events that I have attended dealing with judicial appointments, regulatory reform and at law fairs and in education forums.
Members have done their bit during the year by attending events, responding to consultations and surveys, and contacting us by phone and e-mail to let us know about developments in their area of the law or diÿculties they may have encountered. The branch personnel day provided a real discussion forum for branch support and development. So, let’s contribute to the work of CILEx, and do it now!
There are challenges ahead for the CILEx Group: the organisation needs to invest in IT infrastructure and embrace more commercial opportunities, and to respond to a massively changing legal market place. Our organisational structure has been reviewed to ensure a modern, fit-for-purpose organisation as we enter 2016. The results of the membership Omnibus Survey earlier in the year provided invaluable data for our publications and marketing materials, but there were messages about the importance of keeping our qualifications, membership and all of our activities affordable and accessible.
Increased use of online tools, a more flexible website and a higher marketing profile are all messages that we have received during the years from our members. Some letters to my office have commented on the level of practising certificate fees; the need for more plain English in our communications; and the need for an easier- to-navigate set of websites. We have responded to all of these messages, and will continue to do so.
The work of our Law School continues apace with sales currently exceeding expectations, but we need to do more. There are changes which are likely to emerge in regulation, and as government policy evolves in education and the law, we will need to work with minsters and those who support them to advance our views and to identify where the opportunities lie for our members.
I invite everyone reading this article to contact me with ideas for new commercial business; ideas about how we can support our members and students throughout their careers; and how we can ensure a vibrant, creative, fulfilling career for all who study, qualify and retain membership with us. We need to ensure that the organisation delivers value for money, but also enters a new era of fiscal stability. Let’s innovate and prosper together!
I am sure that the changes you will see in CILEx during 2016 will be positive ones, if they are you should write and tell me, and if they aren’t you need to do the same thing. I am your CEO and this is your Institute, so stay warm, get some rest, and let’s start 2016 with our guiding principles firmly in mind.