CILEX Blog

Empowering Legal Careers: CILEX Foundation

Written by Emily Howells | 18-Feb-2025 13:56:49

Celebrating CILEX Foundation’s 2024 Success & Exciting Opportunities for 2025

As the CILEX Foundation marks its fifth anniversary, 2024 was a landmark year of progress, impact, and dedication to supporting aspiring legal professionals. From new initiatives to significant fundraising efforts, the Foundation continues to champion social mobility and create accessible pathways into the legal sector. Let’s take a look back at the highlights of 2024 and what’s in store for 2025!

About the CILEX Foundation Charity

The CILEX Foundation is an independent, registered charity supporting CILEX members, CILEX students, and those aspiring to become CILEX Lawyers. Our mission is to address inequality and underrepresentation within the legal sector by removing financial and social mobility barriers. This enables talented and aspiring lawyers to achieve their career goals. Our support includes scholarships, bursaries, and grants, along with access to development opportunities, wellbeing, and money advice services. We also offer organisations and individuals the chance to give back through partnerships, volunteering, and fundraising to support our vital work.

2024 in Figures: A Year of Growth and Impact

  • 2 New Trustees appointed to the CILEX Foundation board this spring. Abbey Webb FCILEX, a Director of Operations at a Wealth Management company and CILEX alumna, brings valuable experience. Christine Baer MCIPD, Director of Legal Operations at JLL, is a strong advocate for work-based learning and social mobility, having completed her MBA through an apprenticeship programme. 
  • 20 Kilometres Walked: Team CILEX took on the London Legal Walk, completing both routes in one day to raise funds for the Foundation.
  • £2,000 Raised: Thanks to the determination of our walkers and the generosity of our supporters, this amount will help fund future opportunities.
  • 30 Minutes of Support: Our new ‘Application Confidence’ workshops have provided scholarship and bursary applicants with key insights to maximise their chances of success.
  • 105 Professional Volunteer Hours: Senior legal professionals dedicated their time in June to shortlist applications and interview candidates, making an invaluable contribution to the selection process.
  • 10 Scholarships Awarded: Five full CILEX Lawyer Scholarships and five ‘Launchpad to Law’ awards were granted, paving the way for new talent in the legal field.
  • 13 Bursaries awarded to CILEX members, enabling them to continue their studies without financial worries.
  • 1 New Programme Piloted: The Millicent Grant Career Enhancing programme, offering mentoring, networking, and career support. It launched in November with a LinkedIn Masterclass from TBD Marketing Ltd. 
  • 3 Delegates Represented the Foundation: Our Charity Lead, a volunteer, and a funded bursary student attended the inaugural CILEX Conference, highlighting the Foundation’s impact.
  • £124,000 in Funding Awarded: This impressive total of scholarship and bursary awards helped students progress in their legal careers.
  • 5 Years as a Registered Charity: A milestone worth celebrating as the Foundation continues to make a difference in the legal profession.
  

2025 Funding Announcement

The CILEX Foundation is pleased to confirm that Scholarship and Bursary awards will be available again in 2025. These awards aim to support aspiring and current CILEX students on their journey to becoming legal professionals. Here’s what you need to know:

Bursaries

CILEX Foundation Bursary awards are available to members who wish to continue their CILEX education, applicable for both CPQ and Legacy qualifications. To be eligible, applicants must:

Be current CILEX members

Reside in England or Wales

Demonstrate a need for financial support

  • Applications open on Thursday, 27th March 2025
    A second application window will also be run later in the year

Scholarships

CILEX Lawyer Scholarships are designed for ambitious early career legal professionals with no prior CILEX learning, supporting them in pursuing the full CPQ qualification.
Launchpad to Law Scholarships offer newcomers to the legal field a flexible start to their studies.

  • Applications open on 2nd May 2025

To help applicants maximise their chances of success, the Charity Support team will be hosting online ‘Apply with Confidence’ sessions for both Scholarship and Bursary applicants in the lead-up to the application windows.

For full eligibility criteria and detailed application guidance, visit the CILEX Foundation website.


Get Involved in 2025!

The CILEX Foundation is always looking to expand its network of supporters and partners. If you’re passionate about social mobility and giving back to the profession, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re a legal professional willing to volunteer, part of a professional network interested in collaboration, or a business leader looking to engage with the legal community meaningfully, your contribution can make a real difference.

As we step into 2025, we remain committed to breaking barriers and creating opportunities for the next generation of CILEX Lawyers. Stay connected, get involved, and be part of the journey!

For more updates, visit CILEX Foundation’s website or follow us on social media.

 
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