AN aspiring Caerphilly county borough lawyer has been named as the winner of a legal award.

Charlotte Addicott, never thought a career in law was an option for her when she applied for a job as a paralegal.

Three years ago a friend suggested she apply and explained a law degree wasn’t necessary for a paralegal. Miss Addicott was pleasantly surprised when she landed the role and began on the job training.

On her first day she was introduced to the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives' (CILEx) course at Cardiff and Vale College, which offers an alternative route to becoming a lawyer.

And on Saturday March 2, Miss Addicott, 25, accepted the award for top CILEx student in the region for her exceptional achievements.

She said: “I’m over the moon with the award, I can’t believe it. When I applied for the paralegal role, I didn’t understand fully the doors open to me.

“On my first day of working in the legal sector a colleague suggested I could train through CILEx to gain a qualification equivalent to that of a solicitor.”

Miss Addicott is now working as a litigation executive at Slater and Gordon's Cardiff office. The law firm also fund and support her through the training.

“I’m about halfway through my studies with another two years ahead of me," she said.

"To win something like this so early on in my career has made me feel really proud.

“It’s a fantastic drive for me to keep going during the long hours of studying ahead of me before I qualify.

“Working while studying doesn’t come without challenges, however this award has fuelled my appetite for success.”

The CILEx programme is divided into two levels, with Miss Addicott winning the top prize for her level of students within the Cardiff and Vale College area.

The course generally involved six years of studying and work-based training, with CILEx fellows widely recognised as equals to those qualifying through the traditional Solicitors Regulation Authority framework.

She was presented with the award at a dinner for institute members at St David's Hotel in Cardiff.

She said: “I had a degree in geography. I didn’t think law was an option or something I would be able to do. Even though I was only 21 year’s old I thought it was too late to retrain.”

Her line manager and chartered legal executive Mark Glen described her as a great team player and congratulated her on the well-deserved award.

“Charlotte is a huge asset," he said.

"I’m really proud to have her as part of my team.”