Nine scholarships awarded for CILEX’s new CPQ

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The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) has enrolled nine scholarship winners onto the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) – a new approach to on-the-job training which CILEX launched in 2021.

The scholarships are worth up to £12,500 each as part of the CILEX Foundation’s scholarship programme which is targeted at underrepresented groups, as well as those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

Chair HHJ Marc Dight CBE spoke on behalf of the CILEX Foundation, explaining that “CILEX is committed to improving social mobility within the legal profession […]”, with the scholarships designed to ensure that, regardless of personal circumstances, everyone can succeed in the legal profession.

The programme includes full funding for the training costs of becoming a fully qualified CILEX lawyer, plus the chance to network and learn from others who have gone through the CILEX route.

Groups eligible for the scholarship include individuals with a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, previous receipt of free school meals or a history of being in care.

Of the nine scholarships awarded, three were Millicent Grant scholarships – named after the former CILEX president who was the first CILEX member to receive Honorary QC status and the first Black person to lead a legal professional membership body. The Millicent Grant scholarships are awarded to candidates from Black, Asian or other ethnic minority backgrounds.

Read ‘The law is for the many, not the few’ by Millicent Grant for insight into Grant’s journey and ambitions to improve diversity, access and inclusion within the legal profession.

Stephanie Abbey, one of the three students to be awarded the Millicent Grant scholarship, expressed her gratitude: “I wasn’t able to complete my law degree due to a family bereavement and later, a difficult pregnancy. I wanted a career in the law but felt trapped, without the qualifications I needed to progress.

“The scholarship means I can start studying right away, fitting the CPQ around my part time role and care of my three-year-old daughter. The funding will take me through to qualification as a CILEX Lawyer and the possibility of fulfilling my dream of working as an immigration lawyer.”

Dight CBE added: “Not only does the CPQ offer a route to a successful legal career to those with or without a university degree, the targeted support offered by the Foundation will also help further remove barriers for promising future legal professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

The nine students who received a scholarship are:

• Stephanie Abbey (Millicent Grant scholarship);
• Tanesha Begum (Millicent Grant scholarship);
• Daniel Dankwah;
• Katie Dean;
• Charlene Douglas (Millicent Grant scholarship);
• Shannon Onions;
• Amy Roberts;
• Maya Dimitrova; and
• Katie Thurston.

You can find out more about the CPQ via LawCareers.Net.