Meet the team

CILEX’s Alison Wright explains her involvement in developing the new CILEX Chartered Paralegal assessment, the skills paralegals bring to the workplace and how she began her career as a lawyer before moving into education

 

What are your role and responsibilities?

I am the quality assurance manager for the CILEX Paralegal and CILEX Chartered Paralegal experience assessment routes. Initially I worked on the development of the assessments and relevant duties, and now I manage the assessment process and quality assurance of those gaining CILEX membership through this route.

I oversee the applicant’s assessment from start to finish, managing the team of assessors and working on the standardisation process to ensuring consistency in how paralegals’ experience is assessed.

I also manage the professional experience element for those completing the CPQ professional stage and carry out some internal quality assurance for other qualifications.

I am a member of CILEX’s awarding body operations committee, where we discuss how the awarding body is operating, including qualification performance, risk and audit outcomes. I am also on the L5 Advanced Paralegal trailblazer group, which discusses the development of the L5 qualification, including the grading criteria, assessment methods and expected knowledge, skills and behaviours.

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

I enjoyed studying law at A-level and was keen to work as a lawyer, but university wasn’t a viable option for me due to my family circumstances. The possibility of continuing to study while earning money was very appealing, so when I finished sixth form, I went to work in a wonderful law firm based on London’s Chancery Lane that agreed to fund my CILEX studies.

Legal apprenticeships were not around back in 1999, so I worked full-time and studied at the University of Law twice a week in the evenings. After seven or so years (you had to be 25 to qualify at the time), I qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive and continued to work in legal practice as a litigation lawyer until my first child was born eight years later.

I returned to legal practice after maternity leave but not long afterwards I was contacted about a role working for a training provider delivering CILEX legal apprenticeships. After 16 years working in law firms, it felt like the right time for a career change and taking the new role as a trainer and a coach meant I would still be working in the law, just in a different way.

After eight years working on legal apprenticeships, I got the opportunity to join CILEX, which felt like the perfect time to take on something new and develop my career with a great organisation.

What is a typical day like for you?

I start by checking in with CILEX’s quality assurance co-ordinator, who plays a key role in allocating the applications to assessors and arranging the necessary interviews. I then start some quality check work on applications and/or interviews, as well as marking the professional experience submissions. Some days I work on the development of policy, procedures and guidance documents, as well as handling queries around the experience assessment route and professional experience.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy reviewing applications and getting an insight into the diverse and brilliant skills CILEX Paralegals and CILEX Chartered Paralegals bring to the workplace. It’s been fascinating to see the different areas people are working in and now I know all about genealogists and probate researchers, I am hopeful that one day I will get a call from an heir hunter myself!

It is hugely rewarding to be part of something that is opening up opportunities for people to develop and be recognised for their knowledge and skills. I feel very passionate about the work that I do at CILEX. 

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

Away from work, I am mum to two lovely, lively girls and our weekends are filled with gymnastics, football and parties. I also enjoy weekends away with family and friends and the opportunity to relax, read a good book and spend quality time together.