CILEX Foundation commits £123K in scholarships and bursaries this year

24 October 2025

CILEX has awarded £123K in scholarships and bursaries in 2025, enrolling nine scholarship winners onto the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) and providing 30 existing students with financial support to continue their studies.

Seven students were awarded scholarships worth up to £13,200 each as part of the CILEX Foundation’s scholarship programme, targeted at those under-represented in the legal profession and/or from a socially disadvantaged background. The scholarships cover the training costs of becoming a fully qualified CILEX Lawyer.

Two additional students received ‘Launchpad to Law’ scholarship awards, joining the Millicent Grant Career Enhancing Programme which funds the first year of study for those with minimal or no legal experience, as well as providing career and personal development support.

Eligible groups for the scholarship programme include young carers, former refugees with a right to remain in the UK, those with a protected characteristic, as defined by the Equality Act 2010 (such as Black, Asian and other ethnic minority students), previous recipients of free school meals or a history of being in care.

The seven students awarded full scholarships this year are:

Anieka Ali
Holly Bonney
Farah Jade Fensome
Shonni Gibson
Anna Lebedynska
Victoria Patel
Sandrine Uwase

Anna Lebedynska was a prosecutor in Ukraine before the war brought her to the UK. She found work as a paralegal and is now a legal adviser.

Anna says: “My parents made great sacrifices to support me through law school in Ukraine but my legal career was cut short by the war. The CILEX scholarship allows me to continue to progress in a career that I am passionate about, studying while working full time to support myself and my son.

“The scholarship has given me the opportunity to qualify in the UK and sends an important message to the Ukrainian community here – even after experiencing displacement, with resilience and support, it is possible to rebuild and continue to pursue your professional dreams.”

Anieka Ali works in a risk and compliance role and is a carer to two of her children who have health conditions.

Anieka says: “For over a decade I was a full-time carer and had to put my career on hold. Study and work experience felt out of reach and the traditional route to a legal career was not going to be possible for me.

“I studied for a law degree with the Open University and after graduation looked at options for remote working and study, eventually securing a job as a risk and compliance officer at a humanitarian aid charity. The CILEX scholarship gives me the opportunity to continue in my role while studying to become a fully qualified CILEX Lawyer, progressing my career whilst building further legal expertise to help my charity deliver on its humanitarian goals.”

Speaking on behalf of the CILEX Foundation board of trustees, Chair Ian Hunt says: “CILEX is committed to improving social mobility and diversity within the legal profession – ensuring dedicated individuals like Anna, Anieka and our other scholarship and bursary winners can succeed in the sector and progress their careers, regardless of their personal circumstances.”

“CILEX has a long history of opening up legal careers to those traditionally underrepresented in the legal progression and we are proud that the Foundation is able to further remove barriers for promising future legal professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Since the launch of its new scholarship programme in 2021, the Foundation has supported over 81 students with their studies, awarding over £400K.

—

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Louise Eckersley, Black Letter Communications on 0203 567 1208 or email at [email protected]

Kerry Jack, Black Letter Communications on 07525 756 599 or email at [email protected]

Notes to editors:

CILEX Foundation

The CILEX Foundation is an independent, registered charity supporting CILEX members, CILEX students and those who aspire to become CILEX Lawyers.

The Foundation helps address inequality and underrepresentation in the legal sector. By removing financial and social mobility barriers to legal education and career progression, more talented and aspiring lawyers are achieving their career goals.

Support includes scholarships, bursaries, and grants, along with access to development opportunities, wellbeing and money advice services.

CILEX

CILEX (The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) is one of the three main professional bodies covering the legal profession in England and Wales. The approximately 18,000 -strong membership is made up of CILEX Lawyers, Chartered Legal Executives, paralegals and other legal professionals.

CILEX pioneered the non-university route into law and in 2021 launched the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ), a new approach to on-the-job training that marries legal knowledge with the practical skills, behaviours and commercial awareness needed by lawyers in the 2020s.

The CPQ is a progressive qualification framework that creates a workforce of specialist legal professionals, providing a career ladder from Paralegal through to Advanced Paralegal and ultimately full qualification as a CILEX Lawyer. CILEX Lawyers can become partners in law firms, coroners, judges or advocates in open court.

CILEX members come from more diverse backgrounds than other parts of the legal profession:

76% of its lawyers are women
16% are from ethnic minority backgrounds
- 8% are Asian or Asian British
- 5% are Black or Black British
- 3% are from a mixed ethnic background
77% attended state schools
63% come from families where neither parent attended university
Only 3% of its members have a parent who is a lawyer.

CILEX members are regulated through an independent body, CILEx Regulation. It is the only regulator covering paralegals.