Sara Fowler takes over as new CILEX President
Incoming CILEX President Sara Fowler to prioritise recognition for CILEX members as skilled, specialist legal professionals playing a significant role in the legal sector, during her year in office.
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Ms Fowler, who took up the reins from Yanthé Richardson on 16 July said: “CILEX has made huge strides in recent years, gaining recognition for its members’ skills and expertise, but the perception of many in the profession has not always kept pace with the reality. I want to build on the work of my predecessors, engaging with the judiciary, regulators, employers and policy makers, to ensure that all CILEX qualified professionals, be they CILEX judges, partners, Chartered Paralegals or newly qualified CILEX Lawyers, are rightly recognised.”
Ms Fowler is Head of Clinical Services at Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust and joint head of the Covid 19 Inquiry team for her trust and Barts Health NHS Trust. She previously worked at NHS Resolution and began her career at the law firm Hill Dickinson, where she qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive through the firm’s graduate apprenticeship scheme, specialising in clinical negligence.
She grew up in and out of the care system, leaving school with no qualifications, and is committed to opening up the legal profession to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“At 18, I was a single mum living in a hostel with very little support but I knew I wanted more. I started from scratch at college, eventually gaining a law degree before beginning my career as a paralegal in a City firm. Studying with CILEX alongside full-time work allowed me to qualify as a lawyer and get where I am today.
“That is what CILEX represents: a profession that rewards resilience, opens doors and sees talent for what it is, not where it comes from. I am so proud to lead our institute at a time when the work we do – for equity, for modernisation, for recognition – is more important than ever.”
CILEX Chair Eileen Milner said: “Sara will be a strong advocate for our membership, bringing lived experience that echoes the journey made by many of those who have qualified with CILEX, as well as a career that has seen her progress to a senior level within the NHS.”
To read more about Ms Fowler’s plans and her career journey, read her column in this edition of the Journal.