CILEX unveils five-year strategy focused on growth, recognition and social mobility

Bethany Wren (she/her) is head of content and events at LawCareers.Net

Reading time: two minutes

CILEX (The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) has launched a new five-year strategy aimed at increasing recognition for CILEX Lawyers, supporting regulatory reform and widening access to the legal profession.

The professional body said the strategy is designed to strengthen CILEX’s position as the third branch of the legal profession while expanding opportunities for its members.

The strategy follows CILEX’s successful Court of Appeal challenge to the Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys LLP judgment earlier this year which had created uncertainty around the litigation work that could be carried out by many chartered legal executives and other legal professionals.

Building on this successful outcome, the organisation says it’ll campaign for reforms designed to improve regulatory effectiveness and support greater recognition of its members across the legal sector.

The plan is centred on four strategic goals:

• Create a proud professional community;
• Drive change and elevate CILEX’s profile;
• Provide excellent education for a growing profession; and
• Build firm foundations for a sustainable future.

The strategy reinforces CILEX’s commitment to social mobility and widening access to the profession. According to the organisation, women make up 77% of its membership, while 16% are from an ethnic minority background and 77% attended state schools. CILEX also intends to work with members and CILEX Regulation to simplify membership grades, titles and qualification routes.

CILEX CEO Jennifer Coupland said that the legal sector could not rely solely on traditional pathways to meet growing demand for legal services amid technological change, workforce pressures and court backlogs.

She went on to say: “Modern legal services require multiple routes to qualification, flexibility and a workforce that is skilled, diverse and equipped for the realities of contemporary practice.

“CILEX has a vital role to play in shaping that future and is committed to pressing for the regulatory reform required to make that happen, opening up further opportunities for our members. If we are serious about wanting a diverse and inclusive legal profession, accessible to all, then CILEX Lawyers are the test case for what is possible.

“We do not underestimate the challenges ahead, but we are ambitious for our members, confident in the value they bring, and determined to ensure that CILEX continues to champion opportunity, recognition and excellence across the legal profession.”  

Find out more about the different types of lawyer with our Beginner’s Guide content.