CILEX (the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) has announced the appointments of NHS lawyer Sara Fowler as CILEX President, and former Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) CEO, Jennifer Coupland, as CEO.
Sara, who begins her term as 62nd CILEX president on 16 July, is Head of Clinical Services at Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust and joint head of the Covid 19 Inquiry team for her trust and Barts Health NHS Trust. She previously worked at NHS Resolution and began her career at the law firm Hill Dickinson, where she qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive through the firm’s graduate apprenticeship scheme, specialising in clinical negligence.
Speaking on the eve of her inauguration, Sara Fowler promised to prioritise recognition for CILEX members as skilled, specialist legal professionals playing a significant role in the legal sector:
“CILEX has made huge strides in recent years, gaining recognition for its members’ skills and expertise, but the perception of many in the profession has not always kept pace with the reality. I want to build on the work of my predecessors, engaging with the judiciary, regulators, employers and policy makers, to ensure that all CILEX qualified professionals, be they CILEX judges, partners, Chartered Paralegals or newly qualified CILEX Lawyers, are rightly recognised.”
Sara, who grew up in and out of the care system and left school with no qualifications is committed to opening up the legal profession to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. She shared:
“At 18, I was a single mum living in a hostel with very little support but I knew I wanted more. I started from scratch at college, eventually gaining a law degree before beginning my career as a paralegal in a City firm. Studying with CILEX alongside full-time work allowed me to qualify as a lawyer and get where I am today.
“That is what CILEX represents: a profession that rewards resilience, opens doors and sees talent for what it is, not where it comes from. I am so proud to lead our institute at a time when the work we do – for equity, for modernisation, for recognition – is more important than ever.”
Jennifer, who joins as Chief Executive in September, was most recently Pro Vice-Chancellor, Skills, at London South Bank University. Prior to that she was CEO of IfATE for five years. At IfATE she was responsible for setting quality standards in apprenticeships and technical qualifications for careers across the economy. She has worked with employers and professional bodies to create over 700 apprenticeships, launched and grown the T level qualification programme and improved the quality of higher technical qualifications.
Jennifer said:
“CILEX plays a critical role in the legal profession, widening access to justice, and opening careers in law to people from a wide range of backgrounds.
“Throughout my career in education, I have been committed to championing talent over tradition and carving out alternative routes to skilled jobs and professional careers. I look forward to leading CILEX as we continue to improve diversity in the profession and grow the reach and impact of the organisation and its members.”
Before joining IfATE, Jennifer held roles as director of professional and technical education at the Department for Education, acting chief executive of the Standards and Testing Agency, and deputy director of the joint Department for Education/Department for Business Innovation & Skills Apprenticeships Unit.
CILEX Chair Eileen Milner added:
“I am pleased to welcome Sara and Jennifer to their new roles at an important time for CILEX, as we look to build on our proud history, support our members to thrive in their careers, drive change in the sector and grow our reach and impact.
Jennifer takes over from CEO Craig Hamer, while Sara takes the reins from Foot Anstey partner Yanthé Richardson.
