Why I Chose CILEX: Qualifying Around Real Life

Our Senior Paralegal, Ellie, shares why she chose the CILEX route to qualification, and how its flexibility has allowed her to develop her legal career without putting the rest of her life on hold.

When I started my role at Robinson Ralph, I knew I wanted to continue developing my legal career, but I hadn’t yet decided exactly what I wanted my path to look like.

Having completed a law degree and then gone on to gain a qualification in HR, I already had plenty of experience of studying. As I settled into my role, I found myself particularly enjoying employment law and realised that this was the area I wanted to specialise in.

At the same time, I was working full time in a busy career, had a home to run, a social life and was also planning a wedding. I wanted to progress my career whilst still having time for everything else that mattered to me.

That’s where CILEX really suited me.

Why CILEX?

There are now several routes into legal qualification, and I considered the LPC and SQE alongside CILEX. I had also heard plenty about the intensity of the SQE, so I wanted to find a route that suited both my circumstances and the way I wanted to study.

CILEX offered the flexibility I was looking for. I could continue working full time, develop my career in employment law and study alongside it, whilst having more control over when I studied.

For me, it has been a really good fit for both my career and my life.

Being able to specialise in employment law whilst continuing to work in the area has also been a huge benefit. I’ve been able to gain practical experience alongside my studies, seeing how what I’m learning applies to the work I do every day.

Balancing work, study and life

Working full time whilst studying does require commitment, but I’ve found the flexibility of CILEX has made it possible to fit everything together.

There have been busy periods at work, evenings spent studying and plenty of competing priorities, but I’ve been able to organise my studies around them.

Having a busy career and all the other things that come with everyday life means flexibility really matters. I wanted to progress professionally whilst still enjoying everything outside of work, and CILEX has allowed me to do that.

I’ve also been really fortunate to have a supportive workplace. I’ve never felt that I was treated differently because of the route I chose, and the support I’ve received throughout my studies has been fantastic.

Almost at the finish line

I’ve passed all of my exams to date, which I’m really proud of, and I have the final hurdle coming up next year!

The whole journey has gone incredibly quickly. Looking back, it’s hard to believe how much has happened alongside my studies: progressing my career, planning a wedding, holidays and everything else in between.

CILEX has given me the flexibility to work towards qualification whilst continuing to enjoy all of those things.

For me, it has been about finding a route that works alongside my life, rather than having to put my life on hold to qualify. As I get closer to the finish line, I’m really glad I chose a route that allowed me to do both.