Becoming CILEx QualifiedTraditional Pathway

The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives

• Membership body for paralegals, CILEx Practitioners & Chartered Legal Executives

• A representative and regulatory body • Established in 1963• 20,000 members

Chartered Legal Executives Broad based understanding of law & practice Specialist knowledge, experience and skills Authorised Person Status (LSA 2007) Independent Practice Rights - Advocacy & litigation

in Civil, Criminal, Family, Immigration Judicial appointment, Partnership, Coroner

CILEx Practitioners (probate & conveyancing) Specialist subject pathway Authorised Person Status (LSA 2007) Independent Practice rights Specialists in their field of practice

Multiple Entry Points

Direct from workplace

Career changers

Legal Service Apprenticeship

City & Guilds Legal Studies

City & Guilds Legal Secretaries

GCSE / A Levels

Postgraduate

CILEx Pathways into the profession . . .

• CILEx Apprenticeships Level 2, 3 & 4

• CILEx Practitioner pathway

• CILEx Professional Qualifications

• Ideal for school leavers who wish to get into the legal environment straight from school and start learning about the world of work

• 12-18 month programme

• A detailed work programme developed for each apprentice in consultation with the employer

• A number of mandatory units and optional units which can be selected to match the employer's training needs for a specific role 

• Apprentices must demonstrate that they have key skills. In Wales called Essential Skills and covers communication, application of number and ICT

Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship in Legal Administration

Designed for people who are interested in becoming paralegal fee-earners

Responsibilities can include:•advising individuals who have suffered personal injuries;•advising insurers & other companies who are being sued in PI cases;

3 Elements

Knowledge - “technical certificate” to ensure that an apprentices has the underpinning knowledge required by all paralegals plus the specialist knowledge required for their area of practice.

Competence qualification, assessed in the workplace

Essential skills to ensure that learners have the skills required to do the job e.g. communications, application of number and ICT

 

Level 3 Advance Apprenticeship in Legal Services

Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship in Legal Services

Provides specialist knowledge pathway e.g. Personal Injury Litigation

Elements: A technical certificate that assess the technical knowledge A competence based assessment - conducted in the workplace Essential skills qualifications in Communication and Application of Number

at Level 3 and ICT at Level 2. Employee Rights & Responsibilities and Personal Learning &Thinking

Skills at Level 3

Can contribute to the first stage of training to become a Chartered Legal Executive (CILEx Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice)

CILEx Practitioner (probate/conveyancing*) Authorised Person Status enables you to provide * services through regulated entity Requires evidence of Knowledge, Skills, Experience

(academic qualification, practical experience or mixture of both)

Independent practice

CILEx Litigator & Advocate (Civil, Criminal, Family, Immigration) Eligible to qualify if a Chartered Legal Executive & can

demonstrate your competence to exercise litigation rights awarded rights to conduct litigation – independent practice application for litigation rights will therefore also include an

application for advocacy rights - 'rights of audience‘ Independent practice

Becoming a Chartered Legal Executive

Stage 3Qualifying Employment

3 Years work of a wholly legal nature

Stage 2Level 6

Professional Higher Diploma in Law & Practice

Stage 1Level 3

Professional Diploma in Law & Practice

CILEx Membership Grades – Professional Status

• Student No formal legal qualifications

• Affiliate Minimum 1 CILEx level 3 unit or years legal sector employment

• Associate CILEx Level 3 Diploma / QLD graduatesACILEx

• Graduate CILEx Professional Programme

GCILEx or QLD plus CILEx Fast Track Diploma

or LPC/BVC/BPTC

• Fellow All law & practice units plus 3 years Qualifying

FCILEx Employment

Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law & Practice ~ Qualification Rules

Certificate

5

units

Diploma

10

units

Level 3 Professional

Diploma in Law & Practice

* Rules of combination apply

Level 3 Certificate requirements

Member must complete

Unit 1

Practice Unit

Legal Research

Client Care Skills

Law Unit

CILEx Level 3 Certificate Combinations

CIVIL LITIGATION

(TORT)

CONVEYANCING FAMILYPRACTICE

PROBATE PRACTICE

CIVIL LITIGATION

(CONTRACT)

EMPLOYMENT CRIMINAL LITIGATION

ELDERLYCLIENT

PRACTICE

CILEx Level 3 Diploma

Completes stage 1 of the CILEx Professional Qualification Route

Delivers broad based knowledge/skills

Awarded on completion of ten units

The 5 units completed for the Level 3 Certificate make up one half of the Diploma

Units completed as part of a Legal Services Apprenticeship may be counted towards the requirement

Rules of Combination

10 Units required to successfully complete the Diploma

Mandatory Units (7)

Unit 1 – Introduction to LawUnits 2, 3, 4, 5 Contract, Criminal Law, Land Law, TortUnit 16, 17 Client Care & Legal Research

Electives (3)

Electives are selected from the remaining practice and non-mandatory law units (Units 6-15)

2 electives must be practice units, one must link directly to a law unit completed as part of the Diploma

Level 3 Unit - Assessment

Unit 1 Multiple Choice Questions (1 hour)

Law Units Closed Book Examination (1.5 hours)

PracticeUnits

Closed book Examination, with pre release materials (1.5 hours)

Professional SkillsUnits

CILEx tasks, assessed by centres

Level 3 Examination fees 2015/16• £48 per unit

2 Exam sittings per year January & June

Time Commitment

Certificate: typically studied over one year Diploma: typically studied over two years Approx. 8 hours study per week per year

STAGE 2

CILEx Level 6 Professional Higher Diploma in Law & Practice Qualification Rules

Law Unit

Law Unit

Client Care Skills

Legal Research

Practice Unit

Law Unit

Level 6 - Assessment

Law Units Closed Book Examination (3 hours)

PracticeUnits

Closed book Examination, with pre release materials (3 hours)

Professional SkillsUnits

CILEx tasks, assessed by centres

Level 6 Examination fees 2014/15• Law & Practice Units £91 each• Skills Units £66 each

2 Exam sittings per year : January & June

STAGE 3

Qualifying Employment – Work Based Learning

3 years’ work of a wholly legal nature

Requires completion of an outcomes focused work diary

Requires a significant level of legal, rather than administrative, work to be completed

Final year must be completed after becoming a Graduate Member (GCILEx) of CILEx..

Qualifying Employment

During the final year of QE, a Graduate Member should work, in the following capacity, for a minimum 20hrs/week:

a fee earner (or equivalent)

have conduct of and running their own caseload

as a trainee Chartered Legal Executive

The WBL Handbook explains what constitutes QE.

Members are asked to check before proceeding if they are in any doubt as to whether their employment constitutes QE.

Annual Membership Fees 2015/16

One-off registration £40

o Student £55o Affiliate £125o Associate £185o Graduate £215o Fellow £355

Where to Study

CILEx Study Centres

Course tuition fees are payable to, and set by, individual centres.

Enquiries should be made with centres to confirm

Costs.

Benefits of CILEx Qualification

Qualified Lawyer Status; an Authorised Person (LSA2007)

Regulation/Representation by a Professional Body

Litigation Rights – Independent practice

Eligibility for partnership

Advocacy rights civil, criminal, family

Eligible for Judicial appointment

Eligible to apply for Coroner appointment

Own & run own legal entity, in your own name

Management opportunities

Benefits for Employers

Flexible: continue to train whilst working

Cost effective: fee earning capacity compared with training cost and salary (CILEx research)

Good value compared with other legal sector staff Typical target: £60-£100k Total cost to train: less than £6k

Enhanced expertise: in some cases, CILEx members may possess unique skills and practice knowledge

Improved staff retention/development

Additional Opportunities (web links)

Probate Practice rights Conveyancing Practice rights Litigation & Advocacy Practice rights Judicial Appointment Entity Regulation

Further Information

www.cilex.org.uk

www.cilexcareers.org.uk

Twitter : @cilexlawyers

Tel: 01234 841000

Lynne Squires

CILEx Business Development Officer

Email: lsquires@cilex.org.uk @lynnesquires

Tel : 07795062905