Meet the team

CILEX policy officer Libbie Grubb discusses lobbying for change on behalf of CILEX members, her busy meeting schedule and her passion for baking

What are your roles and responsibilities? 

I’m part of CILEX’s three-person policy and public affairs team. We are focused on lobbying for equality of opportunity for CILEX members, as well as influencing policies that directly impact our members’ areas of practice.

A lot of my time is spent managing CILEX’s relationships with key government departments and sector bodies, as well as responding to government consultations and parliamentary enquiries on topics relevant to our members.

My work includes liaising with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Ministry of Justice, the Land Registry and HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) among others. I attend steering group and advisory council meetings on everything from family law to improving the home buying and selling process.

CILEX has 17 specialist reference groups (SRGs) which are divided between me and my colleague Kian Hearnshaw. I cover practice areas such as employment, family, local authority and property law.

We also monitor and support those SRGs focused on protected characteristics, such as gender or LGBTQIA+ equity.

A core part of my work is ensuring the groups are well informed on policy developments through the newsletters and other engagement opportunities, as well as running quarterly meetings with SRG advisers, which are an important way for members to inform and influence CILEX’s policy work.

Tell us a bit more about your background. How did you come to work at CILEX?

After leaving school, I wanted to be a musical theatre and drama teacher but during the pandemic I changed my view, deciding a life in theatre wasn’t for me.

I graduated with a first-class law degree from the University of Derby and went on to work in personal injury and family law. I was supervised by a brilliant Chartered Legal Executive, so I found out more about CILEX.

I decided during this time that I wanted to move away from practice into something more academic and creative. I had enjoyed being part of a volunteer policy clinic at university and was interested in the justice system and how laws are created, so when the job at CILEX came up it seemed like the right role for me.

I joined in 2024 and, although I’m a relatively junior member of the team, I’ve found my experience of the practical side of working in a law firm combined with my academic studies has been a useful combination.

What is a typical day like for you?

I start my day with a coffee and monitor the news for legislative and sector developments. A lot of my work runs on government deadlines, so it’s important to stay informed.

There is a wide array of policy and public affairs work to get on with, including engaging with stakeholders, building surveys for consultations, conducting data analysis and organising member communications on developments in practice. Recently, as part of a wider public affairs project, I surveyed local authorities across England and Wales to understand how they view the CILEX route to qualification, and how CILEX members are considered for statutory roles such as monitoring officer and deputy monitoring officer. The results were positive and have helped us create a professional relationship with stakeholders such as Lawyers in Local Government.

In the afternoons I often have a lot of meetings, either with other CILEX team members or with our stakeholders. If I get a quiet moment, I will take advantage and do some research for my portfolio or for my consultation responses.

What are you working on at the moment? 

I’ve been working to support the development of CILEX’s corporate strategy. We held a members’ workshop last month as part of that process and hope to go out for public consultation in the summer.

I’ve also been drafting consultation responses, including one on commonhold and banning leasehold flats and another on reforming the right to request flexible working.

I am also engaged in several other stakeholder projects. More recently, this has involved liaising with UK Finance on the functionality of the new Lenders’ Handbook and discussing financial remedy pilots with HMCTS.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love the variety and the people I meet. I get the chance to hear different perspectives and apply them to my work at CILEX. I’m always learning something new.

After leaving university, it took me a while to find my passion. Since joining CILEX, I genuinely enjoy coming to work every day. It’s not always easy – consultation deadlines are strict and requests are often urgent – but I am grateful that I like what I do.

What do you like to do away from your job to relax/have fun?

I am an absolute fanatic when it comes to baking. I did the Big Manchester Bake for my birthday last year and came in a respectable third. My colleagues are always happy when I bring baked goods to our team days.

I also enjoy going to the gym and I’m trying to get into running. My friend and I have a 10k race around Alton Towers booked in for November, which I’m looking forward to.