CILEx graduation: celebrating the Class of 2016

CILEx celebrated the highest number of graduates in its 53-year history being recognised at the Graduation and Admission ceremonies in October.

Due to the record number of passes, for the first time ever, three consecutive ceremonies were held. Graduation scrolls were presented by Martin Callan, CILEx’s President, who told graduates: ‘You have more opportunities open to you now than ever before. You can practise independently in any area of law, you can become a partner in your firm, or even set up your own, and if you want to you can progress to become a judge. Work hard, be adaptable, stay ahead of the curve, and aim high.’

Commenting on the event, Linda Ford, CILEx’s chief operating officer, said: ‘It was absolutely wonderful to see a record number of graduates this year. It demonstrates that both individuals and employers see a CILEx qualification as a viable route into the legal profession.’

Keynote speakers at the ceremonies, Baroness Dianne Hayter, Sam Younger CBE and Raphael Rowe, delivered speeches recognising the graduates’ diligence and determination, and in equal measure expressing admiration for the positive effect Chartered Legal Executive lawyers have on the legal profession.

Baroness Dianne Hayter, Shadow consumer affairs minister and a whip in the House of Lords:

I am so in awe of those who graduate having combined study with employment, but I also value the experience you bring to your profession … The new Lord Chancellor Elizabeth Truss has said that the law should be seen as an ‘attractive and prestigious career by every possible person from every possible background.’ Fine words, but I wish she were in my shoes today and could see this aim in practice rather than simply as a wish list.

Sam Younger CBE, chair of CILEx Regulation since November 2015:

You are in a profession that, as I see it, has everything. It is of supreme importance at the heart of our civic life in the UK, it’s challenging for everybody in it, and in common with other things that are worth doing it’s an environment that’s changing very rapidly as well. But in my view Chartered Legal Executives are a community whose time has come.

Raphael Rowe has been a staff reporter on the BBC Radio 4 ‘Today’ programme and BBC TV programmes, ‘The Six O' Clock News’ and ‘Panorama’. Currently, he is a reporter and presenter on BBC1 ‘The One Show’. In July 2000, after 12 years in prison, he was freed when the Court of Appeal quashed his wrongful convictions for murder and robbery:

There are people out there who think the legal profession is only for a particular kind, and you’ve proven you are the champions of change. Your achievement has already, opened the door, your success is the start of a more diverse and representative profession – all you need to do is to go out there and prove it. If I can fight my corner from a prison cell, with limited resources, no computer, only a pen and a piece of paper for twelve years, the resources you have to go out there and change your profession and inspire others to follow you is there for the taking. Your will, your determination, is what is going to change the legal landscape. You’ve got to believe that you can go out there and do something. Photography by: Abraxas Photography (www.abraxasphoto.co.uk)