CILEx Awards 2016: recognising and rewarding excellence
The annual CILEx Awards honour excellence in study, practice and practical training with five prestigious accolades. This year’s recipients were announced at the CILEx Graduation and Admissions ceremonies in October.
Sponsored by: Hoopers International Probate Genealogists
This award is given to the CILEx graduate who achieved the highest average score, over 82%, in their Level 6 subjects.
Gemma Ashcroft works as a legal officer in the adult social care and education legal team at Wigan Council and studied parttime at the Law Academy in Liverpool. On receiving the award, Gemma said: ‘I am incredibly honoured to be awarded CILEx Graduate of the Year. I have worked very hard, and I feel very privileged and humbled that my efforts have been recognised. I would like to thank my family and friends, my colleagues at Wigan Council and the Law Academy for all their support throughout my studies.’
Sponsored by: CILEx Law School
This award recognises an employer that has shown their ongoing support and commitment to legal services apprenticeships.
Bond Dickinson is a national law firm employing over 650 legal professionals across seven sites in the UK. The firm recruited three legal apprentices in 2014, a further three in 2015 plus a Business Administration apprentice and recently they have also enrolled a third cohort of three legal apprentices in their Plymouth office. From day one, legal apprentices are fully integrated into the firm gaining access to high-quality legal work. The firm was voted the highest-ranked law firm in the UK’s 100 most popular employers for school-leavers surveyed in 2015, and was also accredited with the sixth-generation Investors in People Standard, one of the first law firms to be assessed and to achieve this standard.
On accepting the award, Mark Norman-Ball, onshore deputy manager at Bond Dickinson said: ‘We are delighted that our apprenticeship programme has been recognised in this way. Legal Apprenticeships are now playing an important role in our pipeline of future fee earners. To date two of the apprentices from our first cohort have been promoted into paralegal roles during August 2016 ahead of plan.’
Sponsored by: Kings Court Trust
The award recognises the dedication and commitment of an outstanding individual who, in addition to their daily work, has contributed to the community through giving their time, without charge, to help others by providing work of a legal nature.
Christine Howard, a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, is a passionate believer in access to justice. Since 2005, Christine has dedicated over 2,100 hours, which is testament to her long-standing dedication to pro bono. This is despite having an incredibly busy day job in a dispute resolution practice. Christine has co-ordinated the rota for the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ) Advice Bureau for 10 years, and is also a trustee of the organisation.
Peter King, partner and global co-chair of the Weil Pro Bono Committee said: ‘Christine is a true pro bono star, for the last 11 years she has consistently delivered hundreds of hours of free legal advice to deserving charities and individuals with great vigour and passion. She never stops until she gets the result the client deserves. Christine is also an integral member of our pro bono committee and helps maintain and drive the pro bono culture we have in the office and wider firm.’
Christine’s prize money is being donating to the charity of her choice: RCJ Advice Bureau Ltd.
Sponsored by: CILEx
This award recognises an individual who has given outstanding service to CILEx and the legal community, and who represents CILEx’s values and ethos.
Muhammed, who is a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer and also a barrister, works as a senior appeal consultant for Lincoln's Chambers Solicitors and MQ Hassan Solicitors. Muhammed is a model of excellence, an outstanding CILEx practising individual and leads by example. He has a genuine commitment to pro bono work, professionalism, attention to detail and doggedness when he is fighting for a just cause. He gives free legal advice by running popular live legal shows on NTV Europe.
On receiving the award, Muhammed said: ‘The award is a great honour, and I really appreciate CILEx’s recognition. Thank you all for your choice and for your trust in me. I will do my best to keep your trust and try to provide the best possible legal service to my community and other communities, to ensure justice for all.’
Muhammed is donating his prize money to the Prince’s Charities.
Sponsored by: CILEx Law School
This award acknowledges and celebrates an apprentice’s outstanding contributions to their workplace, and exceptional progress in both their skills development and studies.
Jessica is a legal apprentice who works in the Solicitor's Office and Legal Services team at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in London. She is an exceptional ambassador for CILEx and for HMRC, and she has great ambition, drive and passion for her legal career. Jessica passed all her CILEx exams first time, and to date has achieved two distinctions and a merit.
On receiving the award, Jessica said: ‘It is a privilege to receive this award from CILEx and CILEx Law School. I am very proud to be a CILEx Legal Apprentice and show that you don't need to go down the traditional route to have a successful career in the legal sector.’