Nine scholarship winners enrolled on CPQ

Nine scholarship winners have been enrolled onto the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) this year, benefitting from the CILEX Foundation’s scholarship programme. This is targeted at those under-represented in the legal profession and/or from a socially disadvantaged background.

Each scholarship is worth up to £12,500 and will cover the training costs of becoming a fully qualified CILEX Lawyer.

Three of the scholarships were Millicent Grant scholarships, open to those from Black, Asian or other ethnic minority backgrounds. They are named after Millicent Grant, former CILEX president and the first CILEX member to be made an Honorary QC.

Stephanie Abbey, one of the first cohort of students to be awarded a Millicent Grant scholarship, explained how she was unable to complete her law degree due to a family bereavement and later, a difficult pregnancy. She wanted a career in the law “but felt trapped, without the qualifications needed to progress”.

Stephanie Abbey

“The scholarship means I can start studying right away,” she said. “The funding will take me through to qualification as a CILEX Lawyer and the possibility of fulfilling my dream of working as an immigration lawyer.”

Groups eligible for the scholarships include young carers, those with a protected characteristic, as defined by the Equality Act 2010, previous receipt of free school meals or a history of being in care.

Speaking on behalf of the CILEX Foundation board of trustees, chair HHJ Marc Dight CBE highlighted CILEX’s commitment “to improving social mobility within the legal profession” and “ensuring dedicated individuals like Stephanie and our other scholarship winners can succeed in the sector, regardless of their personal circumstances”.

The nine students awarded scholarships are:

If you know someone who might benefit or would like to find out more about applying for 2022, visit our CILEX Lawyer Scholarship web page.

CILEX appoints new head of membership 

Patrick Cullen joined CILEX as head of membership in February. His appointment to the newly created role, responsible for the direction and development of CILEX’s membership functions, will see him focus on growing CILEX’s member communities and ensuring CILEX provides members with the support and services they need to progress in their careers.

Patrick was previously head of membership at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, where he was responsible for conducting a strategic review of the organisation’s membership benefits and structure, creating a new member communications function and developing a membership value proposition for Fellows of the Royal College.

He praised CILEX’s “commitment to improving accessibility and opening up routes to the law” and said his focus would be on “driving meaningful engagement with members, ensuring CILEX develops, supports and inspires them, meeting their needs at every stage in their careers”.

He plans to build further on CILEX’s ability to connect its members, “bringing together communities of like-minded professionals from across the legal industry”.

Harvinder Sondh, CILEX’s chief growth officer, said: “The CILEX membership comprises a highly skilled body of specialist professionals drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds. From students starting out on the new CPQ to CILEX professionals who are partners or run their own firms, we want to ensure the needs of our members are central to the CILEX offering.”

CILEX launches new CPD products

CILEX has created new continuing professional development (CPD) webinars and e-learning programmes that meet the needs of CILEX professionals by addressing important areas of law and professional practice.

Designed to ensure that members stay abreast of current changes to legal practice, develop their broader organisational understanding, and enhance their personal professional skills, topics include: implementing legal technology; leadership and management; updates across all specialist practice areas; and personal branding and influencing. 

All products are developed and delivered by experts with a keen understanding of what legal professionals need to flourish in their careers.

Director of programme development and innovation, Chris Glennie, worked with CILEX’s education team to devise the programme based on the CILEX Professional Competency Framework that underscores all CILEX Education’s developments, including CPQ.

He said: “CILEX is committed to supporting and inspiring members, ensuring that individuals in our regulated community not only maintain and broaden their knowledge and skills but also improve and enhance their professional role and career.

“CILEX-qualified professionals are valued for the rigour of their training, their practical skillset and their specialist expertise. Our new CPD programme offers accessible, relevant and valuable resources and training which we hope will help all of our members in their professional journey.” 

For information on upcoming webinars log into your myCILEX account and look at MyEvents or, to browse all the available CPD products, go to the CILEX shop. Look out for updates on all the latest CPD developments in your CILEX weekly email newsletter and on CILEX social channels.

CILEX to deliver Legal Services T Level qualification 

CILEX has begun working in partnership with education provider Pearson to deliver the new Legal Services T Level, aimed at 16- to 19-year-olds.

T Levels are two-year courses that follow GCSEs and are equivalent to three A Levels. Involving extensive on-the-job training through an industry placement, combined with classroom-based learning, the legal services qualification is aimed at students who wish to progress into business administration roles in legal services, or to access further study to pursue a career in the legal sector.

The contract to develop, create and assess the Legal Services T Level was awarded to Pearson, in partnership with CILEX, by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

Bringing both industry expertise and an understanding of work-based learning, CILEX will work with Pearson to ensure the qualification content is current, relevant and supports the professional standards for the sector. It will ensure the T Level allows progression directly into the CPQ, giving students a clear pathway to progressing their career and ultimately, if they wish, qualifying as a specialist legal professional, a CILEX Lawyer.

David Cameron, CILEX Director of Education, said: “Combining a compulsory employer placement with academic learning, the new qualification will link seamlessly with the CPQ, providing a practical and relevant grounding in legal skills and knowledge that will give T Level students a headstart in their journey towards becoming a CILEX Lawyer.

“Pearson’s experience delivering the first wave of T Levels, combined with our industry-specific knowledge, makes for a strong partnership and we look forward to working with them on the new qualification that will raise awareness of CILEX and the opportunities it can offer amongst young people, schools and colleges.”

 

 

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