Representation and recognition

Incoming President Sara Fowler reflects on the role the CILEX route has played in her own legal career and her key priorities for her year in office

CILEX has brought me into rooms I never thought I would enter, much less take my place at the table. And I know my story is just one of many. Our members bring with them a wealth of perspectives shaped by lived experiences. From every corner of society, they carry with them stories as diverse as the communities they serve. That’s not just powerful, that’s our magic. 

Leadership

As I begin my term as president, I do so with immense gratitude, pride and an unwavering sense of responsibility. The president is the most senior member representative on the CILEX board and the public face of the organisation in matters relating to the legal profession.

I am supported in my role by an exceptionally committed and capable professional board, who play a key role in linking our membership to the strategic direction of the institute. I am also privileged to work alongside immediate past president Yanthé Richardson and vice-president Kim Findlow, both of whom bring dedication and vision to their roles.

I have over a decade of experience in healthcare law, with the last five years spent in senior leadership roles within the NHS. I currently head up legal services at a large NHS trust, recently overseeing a joint public inquiry team supporting several London NHS trusts in their response to the Covid-19 inquiry. Whilst my day-to-day work remains grounded in legal practice, my strength lies in leadership – in driving cultural change, supporting legal services to evolve and contributing meaningfully to broader public service objectives. That said, I will never entirely hang up my legal heels.

Yet none of this would have been possible without CILEX.

Starting out

Throughout my professional life, I have rarely spoken openly about my personal background, but as president of CILEX, representing a membership built on diversity, resilience and determination, not telling my story would be a disservice to everything that CILEX stands for.

“By 18, I was a single mum living in a grotty hostel with very little support. I knew I wanted more; I wanted my son to know better.”

I grew up in and out of the care system. I left school early with no qualifications. By 18, I was a single mum living in a grotty hostel with very little support. I knew I wanted more; I wanted my son to know better. I went to college aged 20. Starting from scratch, I studied full-time and eventually earned a place at university to read the law. I started my career as a paralegal in the City at an international law firm and, although I was fortunate enough to have had various offers for training contracts, I wasn’t able to commit to the legal practice course. Back then, it was in person and in the evenings and weekends alongside work. This was impossible with no support, on a low income and unable to afford additional childcare.

Then I discovered CILEX. With the support of a partner at my then firm, I joined the first cohort of the CILEX trailblazer graduate apprenticeship and I never looked back. I still see that partner now and then, and it fills me with pride to look back at how far I have come. 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.

My priorities

This year I will focus on three core priorities: representation, recognition and professional growth.

Representation is central. Representation matters and visibility at the top matters more. We must continue to ensure that the legal profession reflects the society it serves, not only through those professionals who join, but those who make it to the top and lead.

I will also build on the monumental work on recognition of CILEX members’ skills and experience that has taken place in recent years, remaining a fierce advocate for members showing up and being seen. I will continue to engage with the judiciary, regulators, employers and policy makers to ensure that all CILEX-qualified professionals, be they judges, equity partners, Chartered Paralegals or senior leaders, are rightly recognised.

I will ensure that our members continue to be supported with the initiatives we have in place. That will include:

• Further cohort roll-outs of the CILEX judicial development programmes, a significant step in facilitating career pathways for our members;
• The introduction of Chartered Paralegal, offering long overdue recognition for our paralegal members;
• The expansion of ‘Connect and Grow’ events across the country, creating opportunities for networking, development and community; and
• Continued development of our specialist reference groups, empowering members to influence policy.

Meeting members

We have a number of events coming up over the next year and I hope to see as many of you there as possible.

In September, the National Paralegal Awards in Birmingham will celebrate the very best of paralegal talent across the country, and in October our graduation ceremony will take place in London.

In November our annual conference will be addressed by justice minister and barrister Sarah Sackman KC MP, with expert speakers on topics that include AI, judicial careers and confidence-building.

Following the success of our Connect and Grow events, we will continue to roll these out across the country.

I am really looking forward to this next year and hearing your stories of success. My inbox is always open, and you can contact me on sara.fowler@cilex.org.uk.