Bath lawyer wins prestigious legal award

A Bath lawyer has scooped the prestigious President’s Award from the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx).

Sarah Goodridge, a Chartered Legal Executive in the commercial property team at Bath law firm Withy King, received the award in recognition of her outstanding service to CILEx and the legal community.

Sarah, now aged 37, followed CILEx’s vocational route to qualify as a lawyer, beginning her career as a legal secretary when she was 18. Her employers recognised her capabilities and supported her through the CILEx earn-as-you-learn route into law which led to her qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer in 2007. In addition to her day job at Withy King, Sarah also visits schools and colleges to promote CILEx as an attractive way into the legal profession.

On receiving the award, Sarah said: “I am delighted and honoured to receive the President’s Award. I think it is very important as CILEx lawyers that we all strive to raise our profile within the legal sector and it is a testament to CILEx that we are now viewed as equal within the profession.”

Frances Edwards, CILEx President said: “Sarah has supported hundreds of CILEx members in her community; she is a fine example of a Chartered Legal Executive and a champion of the opportunities CILEx provides.”

The President’s Award was sponsored by Caswell Jones Solicitors in South Wales.

ENDS

Photo L-R: Michael Edwards, Litigation Partner at Caswell Jones; Frances Edwards President of CILEx; Sarah Goodridge and her husband Martin.

For further information about this press release, please contact Natalie Birrell at NBPR on 07557 356860 or [email protected]

Date of issue: 22 April 2015

Notes to Editors:

• CILEx has been providing innovative vocational legal courses for more than 50 years.
• Over 100,000 students have chosen CILEx for their career in law during the last 25 years.
• Chartered Legal Executive lawyers can become partners in law firms, coroners, judges or advocates in open court, and now litigators, immigration practitioners, conveyancers and probate practitioners. As of 2015 they can also set up and run their own law firms as sole practitioners providing reserved legal activities.
• CILEx is the professional association representing over 20,000 Chartered Legal Executives, paralegals and legal professionals.
• 74% of the Chartered Institute’s members are women and one third new students are from a BAME background.
• CILEx opens up access to a career as a lawyer to all. 82% of members do not have a parent who attended university, and only 2% of members have a parent who is a lawyer.
• Press enquirers should contact Rebecca Grant-Jones on 01234 845713 or email [email protected]
• For more details about CILEx visit www.cilex.org.uk