Natalie Flusk is a CILEX Paralegal at Hodge Halsall Solicitors in Southport. She's training to be a CILEX Lawyer. Read more to find out how her journey started and how it's going so far...
Tell us about your CILEX journey?
I've been training with CILEX for five years now, starting in 2017 and I’m just about to qualify as a CILEX Lawyer. I found out about CILEX while I was working as a Family Assistant in a local law firm having left school after A levels. A few of the members of the family team were already completing their CILEX qualification.
Part of the reason for picking CILEX as the course for me was because I liked the idea of being able to work and learn at the same time. It also made sense on a financial basis. I could have gone to university, but this way was a lot cheaper than obtaining a student loan and graduating with a significant debt.
What are the advantages of combining working with studying?
Combining working with learning on the job has meant that as my courses progressed, my practical knowledge has supported my examination knowledge and vice-versa. I’ve been able to pull a lot of things from my course and exams and use them in my day-to-day job in Family Law, especially now that I'm getting towards the end of completing my qualification. I've also had a lot of positive feedback from my employers about the way the course covers day-to-day professional and client care skills.
How have you managed the workload?
So, I will typically set aside time on two or three evenings a week and at the weekends. As it gets closer to exams, that increases a little bit, but I've always been able to manage working full time and also studying in my evenings. I’d say on average I'm putting in around 8–10 hours a week, probably 10 as I get close to an exam.
How has CILEX supported your learning?
The resources that my tutors provide have really helped in terms of time management. In terms of the resources I use for my learning, I rely heavily on the CILEX manual – that’s the bread and butter of my studying. And I also have gained information through my CILEX provider – my tutor provides lectures, notes, PowerPoints and additional reading materials that we want.
What kind of interaction do you have with other students?
So, although my learning is remote, I have a good relationship with my fellow students. There are lots of social media groups for the individual units that people are learning, which I find helpful. Sometimes it’s just a case of knowing that other people are wrestling with a difficult topic as well. It's helpful when somebody asks a question that you might not have thought of yourself, especially leading up to our exams. We also have Zoom or Teams meetings where we can all bounce ideas off each other. There’s actually quite a sense of community, even though we're all working remotely.
What are the main advantages of taking the CILEX route?
What I really like about the CILEX approach is that I've been able to gain a broad foundation knowledge in law and then quickly specialise into the area of law that I want to go into.
The legal industry is incredibly competitive and having a degree is no guarantee of getting a training contract. So, for someone like me, who decided not to go to university but to go straight into working in the legal sector, CILEX was a brilliant route. It’s allowed me to specialise earlier on in my career and to progress faster than I could have done any other way. So, CILEX was definitely the right route for me.
During that time I’ve also been able to carry on all the things I love. I go walking most weekends with my partner and our dog, I've bought my first home, and now I'm planning my wedding.
What advice would you offer to anyone considering qualifying with CILEX?
I’d definitely recommend organising your time each week, so that you can have a work-life balance and also a study-life balance. But I'd also recommend accessing all of the additional benefits that CILEX offer to students, and getting involved with other students on some of the social media groups because they have been really helpful.
What are your plans following qualification as a CILEX Lawyer?
After qualifying, I’d really like to work towards becoming the head of the Family Law team and to focus more on litigation and advocacy, which is something that I know CILEX can help me with. I've always enjoyed watching solicitors and barristers in courts when I've been taking notes, and it's something that I think would make me a more rounded lawyer.