CILEx inspires women of the future

23 January 2014

The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) attended the national Inspiring Women campaign event which was supported by Miriam González Durántez, Partner at Dechert LLP (right) at Basildon Upper Academy in London on Wednesday, 22 January. The ‘career speed dating’ event brought together 100 girls and ten highly successful women and was followed by a careers fair hosted by 175 women from a wide range of industries.

Jennifer Egginton, Chartered Legal Executive and Regional Development Officer for CILEx attended the fair, representing women working in law. Jennifer said: “The event was fantastic, there were so many role models and industries represented that the girls could really be inspired and motivated. Seventy four per cent of CILEx members are women and we are champions of social mobility. The CILEx route to qualifying as a lawyer is a testament to this as it allows school leavers, paralegals and career changers, from any background, a flexible and affordable pathway to progress in the law.”

Miriam González Durántez, Partner at Derchert LLP said: “Girls need to feel free to make their own choices. The main purpose of the Inspiring Women campaign is to reassure them that there are many female role models out there willing to help and that any option they take in life is valid if it is what they really want.”

The campaign, run by the Education and Employment Taskforce, aims to get 15,000 women volunteering to give up an hour a year and go into a schools or colleges near where they live or work to collectively chat with 250,000 young women about their career and their experiences in life.

The ten successful women who attended the ‘career speed dating’ event were:

Dr Margaret Aderin-Pocok MBE, Space Scientist
Christiane Amanpour, Chief International Correspondent, CNN
Clare Balding, Presenter, Writer and Broadcaster
Gail Bojarski, General Manager, Benefit Cosmetics
Samantha Cameron, Creative Consultant, Smythson
Miriam González Durántez, Partner, Dechert LLP
Mandy Hickson, former Royal Air Force fast jet pilot
Dame Tessa Jowell DBE, Politician
Chrissie Rucker, Founder, The White Company
Jennifer Taylor, Chief Operating Officer EMEA, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

ENDS