Nearly nine in 10 respondents (88%) agree ‘the legal profession is ignorant about what a CILEX lawyer can do’ and 81% believe the rest of the profession looks down on them. The survey, of more than 2,000 CILEX Lawyers, uncovered a lack of support from employers for career development and leadership training and an overall perception that ‘CILEX Lawyers are considered to be lesser lawyers than solicitors’.
According to The Pipeline, which ran the survey, the barriers are compounded further where lawyers are female, ethnic minority, or went to a non-selective state school. Three-quarters of CILEX members are women, 17% are from an ethnic minority background, and 70% of respondents went to a non-selective state school.
CILEX Chair, Professor Chris Bones called on the Law Society, Bar Council and other lawyers’ organisations to meet to discuss the issue.
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