Career Changer – Emma
The Career Changer
Emma Davies
Manager of the Civil Legal Advice Helpline Team
Simpson Millar Solicitors LLP
CILEx has had an enormous impact on my life and career as it has enabled me to pursue a career in law that I might not otherwise have been able to do. I am proud to call myself a Chartered Legal Executive.
Whilst serving as a musician in the Royal Air Force I decided that I wanted to study law so that I could apply for positions in the profession when I left the service. I considered LLB courses and also the GDL, as I had a first class honours degree in Music already. However, these were not suited to me as I constantly travelled with work and could not attend compulsory sessions. I could not afford to study full-time and did not want to become a student again, preferring to gain experience in the field as soon as possible. Therefore, the CILEx programme was the ideal opportunity as I could study even when on tour, and take exams when convenient.
I completed the whole of my academic studies whilst serving full-time and, after leaving the RAF, I obtained a position with one of the leading education law firms in the country, Simpson Millar. I have recently been promoted to Manager of the Civil Legal Advice Helpline Team, which is a team of specialist paralegals who run cases under the Legal Help Scheme, as we have one of the two education law contracts for England and Wales with the Legal Aid Agency.