England: First Chartered Legal Executive becomes Honorary Queen’s Counsel

A Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) board member and a former CILEx president had her appointment approved by Her Majesty The Queen yesterday, along with nine other Honorary QCs awarded to those who have made a major contribution to the law of England and Wales, outside practice in the courts.

Ms Grant was the first person from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background to lead a legal professional membership body and has worked to tackle diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and the judiciary. She gave evidence to the Constitution Committee regarding the eligibility of chartered legal executive for judicial appointment and contributed to the Pre-Application Judicial Education (PAJE) group and programme.

Her commitment to supporting BAME lawyers and aspiring lawyers, and to championing diversity across the whole legal profession, led to her being awarded the UK Legal Diversity Award of ‘Black Solicitors Network Lawyer of the Year’ in 2017.

She is an ambassador for social mobility and chair of the Knights Youth Centre. She has provided coaching support to senior managers in the public sector and to employees wanting to progress in their profession, as well as working as a tutor to those studying for CILEx level 3 qualifications.

Honorary QCs are awarded by the Queen, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor. He is advised by a panel of representatives from the legal profession, civil service, judiciary, and academia.

Ms Grant said: “It is an honour to be recognised for my work, both as an advocate for CILEx and for diversity in the legal profession more broadly. I am a big believer that there is more than one route into the law and that CILEx, with its diverse membership, has an important role to play in bringing people from a range of different backgrounds into the legal profession.”

Matthew Foster, president of CILEx said: “Millie has been a chartered legal executive for over 30 years and is an inspiration to many of us. Her appointment as an Honorary QC, is richly and warmly deserved, as the first chartered legal executive to achieve such an honour, it is a considerable achievement and recognition of the important role that CILEx have to play in our legal system.”

Professor Chris Bones, chair of CILEx commented: “This appointment demonstrates that the sky is the limit for chartered legal executives. It shows there is space at the top of the profession for lawyers from all backgrounds, including those who have taken the CILEx route to qualification. It’s an important moment for our organisation and the membership.”