Annual survey launch: help CILEX to drive change
This week CILEX launched its annual member insight survey, part of a long-term project aimed at improving the working lives and career opportunities of CILEX members.
By repeating the insight survey annually, CILEX will be able to see where progress is being made towards changing the culture of the profession and reengineering the workplace for its members.
Last year, over 2000 CILEX members took the time to participate in the first ever survey, providing insight that led CILEX to reshape its strategy, focusing in on improving the justice system, members’ working environment, career opportunities and the CILEX brand.
The results meant CILEX were able to better represent members interests, leading to public commitments from the government and Judicial Office to address the remaining legislative, regulatory and policy barriers that prevent CILEX members from participating fully in the legal system.
CILEX heard from members about the discrimination and lack of respect many faced from employers in particular . This resulted in a concerted drive to tackle these issues through engagement with other legal professional bodies and employers themselves.
CILEX Chair Professor Chris Bones said, “Last year’s membership insight survey gave us an incredible understanding of the the working lives of our members and the challenges they face. This knowledge has helped us refocus our strategy and informed the conversations we have with government, other professional bodies and regulators, helping us achieve significant progress.
“We are once again calling upon our members to share their experiences. Change doesn’t happen overnight; this is a long journey. There is strength in the crowd and that is why we want to hear from as many of our members as possible – it is within their gift to drive change.”
The research is being carried out by Pipeline, an independent consultancy and leading provider of diversity and inclusion related data who are conducting the online research on CILEX’s behalf. All responses are anonymous and by taking part, members will also be raising money for the CILEX Foundation to support aspiring lawyers from disadvantaged backgrounds to qualify with CILEX.
Click here to complete the survey.
Emma Davies named CILEX vice-president
Emma Davies has been named as the new CILEX vice-president and will be taking on the role from Matthew Huggett in July.
Emma is a legal officer at the Royal College of Nursing, practising in healthcare regulatory law, and has been actively involved in CILEX for the past 15 years. She began her legal career in her mid-20s, working as a legal secretary before qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive and practising in personal injury law.
Emma was one of the founding members of the CILEX Devon branch in 2009 and remained involved in its running for almost a decade.
She served a three-year term on the CILEX Council and after taking time out due to a cancer diagnosis – during which she wrote a book dedicated to helping those going through treatment - she joined the professional board and became a trustee of the CILEX Foundation.
Emma says: “It’s a huge privilege for me to be selected as vice-president and I look forward to working alongside Matthew Huggett to improve the working lives of our members and cultivate our networks of CILEX professionals across the country.
“Having been heavily involved with CILEX over the years I have seen a great deal of change in the organisation and am excited about the direction we are headed in, with barriers for members continuing to fall and increasing recognition of the specialist skills our members offer.”
CILEX scholarships and bursaries programme open to new applicants
The CILEX Foundation has opened its scholarship and bursary programme to new applicants.
The CILEX Lawyer Scholarship is a targeted programme that covers the cost of studying for the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) and becoming a fully qualified CILEX Lawyer.
Scholarship winner, Katie Thurston
To be eligible for the scholarship, worth up to £12,500, applicants need to demonstrate that their finances and particular circumstances mean it is challenging for them to access a professional legal qualification. Support is targeted at those under-represented in the legal profession and/or from a socially disadvantaged background.
Eligible groups 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. Three of the 22 scholarships are Millicent Grant scholarships, open specifically to those from Black, Asian or other ethnic minority backgrounds.
The bursary programme provides funding for training and development for existing CILEX members, where costs are a barrier to them gaining qualifications and progressing their legal career.
One of last year’s scholarship winners, Katie Thurston, says: “I spent time in care as a young adult and had a difficult family life after I left. When I saw the scholarship was open to candidates like me, I went for it.
“Finding out I had been successful was life-changing. Over the years, I had lost all faith that advancing in a legal career was possible for me as I simply didn’t have the financial means to pay for study.
“CILEX has opened up the prospect that I can qualify as a lawyer without a law degree and take my career as far as I want it to go.”
The programme is open to applications until 29 July. Please encourage anyone you believe could benefit to apply.
The University of Law unveils law degree aligned with CPQ
The University of Law (ULaw) is partnering with CILEX to provide a four-year part-time online LLB aligned with the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ).
Aimed at students who wish to go on to qualify as CILEX Lawyers, the programme allows students to complete the first two stages of the CPQ – Foundation and Advanced – with the option of moving on to the final Professional stage by the time they graduate.
It is also suitable for students who wish to pursue a career in the legal or wider commercial sector and have the desire/need to complete their degree online.
The LLB (CILEX) has a practical focus, with employability integrated into the programme. As a student progresses, subject to meeting CILEX requirements, their professional status will be recognised and they will be designated as a CILEX Paralegal. At graduation, they will not only be awarded the LLB but also, subject to completion of the additional CILEX modules and professional experience requirements, be recognised as a CILEX Advanced Paralegal.
David Cameron, director of education at CILEX, said: “The demand for a new kind of lawyer is on the rise. The industry needs specialist lawyers, who are work-ready from day one with the skills to meet the changing needs of the modern legal market. We aim, in partnership with ULaw, to provide this specialist degree course to help shape the future of the legal industry and bring more specialist lawyers into the fold.”
Legal apprenticeships launch in Wales
CILEX has partnered with the Law Society and the Welsh Government to bring new, more flexible legal services apprenticeships to Wales.
The new apprenticeship pathway is the result of a collaborative approach across government and the legal services sector in Wales, aimed at improving access to justice by opening up opportunities to the growing number of individuals looking for a vocational route into a career in law.
The new Level 3 and Level 5 apprenticeships are open to students aged 16 or over who have a high standard of numeracy and literacy and are sponsored by their employer. Any organisation that is able to provide the necessary legal work experience is eligible to sign up, with an estimated 700 organisations in Wales potentially suitable to sponsor a legal apprentice.
Linda Ford, CEO of CILEX, said: “As a pioneer of legal education, we’re delighted to be able to offer an alternative, vocational route into a legal career to aspiring lawyers in Wales. Adopting the CPQ as the framework for the new legal services apprenticeships means employers will be training employees who are on their way to becoming specialist lawyers with not only the right legal knowledge but also the practical, commercial and interpersonal skills to make an impact from day one.”
Employers who want to know more about the Welsh apprenticeships should visit: https://businesswales.gov.wales/skillsgateway/skills-and-training-programmes/apprenticeships
Public affairs update
CILEX continues to work on members behalf to influence government policy and lobby for the removal of the remaining barriers to practise and progression.
One of the key achievements in recent months was the announcement of government plans to modernise powers of attorney and its intention to let CILEX Lawyers certify copies. CILEX was aware this change was coming but welcomed formal, public confirmation. CILEX comment was included in a news piece on Legal Futures.
The criminal justice inspectorates warned the government will struggle to cut the court backlog unless it increases both prosecution and defence resources. CILEX commented, using the opportunity to call for prosecutors who trained via the CILEX route to be permitted to become Crown Prosecutors in the context of alleviating court backlogs. Comment was picked up by New Law Journal.
According to Labour Party analysis, the number of people employed by the government to prosecute criminals would fall to the lowest level in 30 years under plans to reduce the size of the civil service by a fifth. While the government has not yet set out where the cuts will fall, if they were replicated across the board, it would reduce the number of prosecutors employed by the Crown Prosecution Service to just 5,125. CILEX is engaging with MPs Emily Thornberry and Steve Reed from Labour’s shadow justice team on CPS and general qualification.
In May, CILEX was mentioned in a House of Commons justice select committee session on the future of legal aid. James Cartlidge MP mentioned CILEX several times, noting the diversity of the profession and the possibility of CILEX Lawyers becoming police station duty lawyers.
Criminal legal aid was again in the spotlight as a Ministry of Justice consultation on reforms proposed by the criminal legal aid review closed in June. CILEX’s response was covered in New Law Journal and The Barrister Magazine.