CILEx members shortlisted for Legal Aid Awards

08 June 2015

Two members of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) have been shortlisted for the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards (LALYs). The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 1 July.

Dual qualified Chartered Legal Executive and Solicitor Lisa Haythorne is a finalist in the Social and Welfare category and Sarah Miller (pictured), an Associate member of CILEx has been shortlisted for the Family Legal Aid award.

42-year-old Lisa works at the Derbyshire Law Centre and began her legal career as a housing case worker. She changed career in 1993 when she left her shop assistant job to work in law and began studying to become a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer.

Lisa, talking about CILEx said: “I would not have had the career I’ve had and a job that I love.”

In 2014 Lisa dual qualified as a solicitor and has been described by the judges as a “tireless campaigner for the law centre movement and for justice for the poor and disadvantaged.”

Lisa is currently expecting her third child which is due the day of the awards ceremony.

Sarah, 37, works at Tozers Solicitors LLP in Newton Abbot, Devon. She specialises in domestic violence and has worked at the firm for 19 years.

In addition to working closely with the local domestic violence service SPLITZ, in 2014 Sarah established DART (Domestic Abuse Response Team) operating from Tozers’ Newton Abbot office.

Tracy Lambert, partner and head of the family team at Tozers, said: “Sarah’s support of the workers and volunteers at SPLITZ is remarkable. In addition, her clients speak very highly of Sarah and the feedback from her clients shows that she demonstrates excellence, compassion and understanding in this difficult area of work. Sarah thoroughly deserves to have been shortlisted.”

CILEx President Frances Edwards, who is a family legal aid lawyer herself said: “Legal aid is a cornerstone of our justice system and I am truly proud that CILEx members have been recognised in these awards.”

Frances continued: “I have witnessed the explosion in numbers of people going without legal assistance in the family courts, and the aftermath for families whose disputes have not been resolved constructively; recognising and celebrating the work of legal aid lawyers is more important now than ever.”

CILEx is sponsoring the Criminal Defence Award this year. For the full list of finalists visit: http://lapg.co.uk/lalys/.

ENDS