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Record pass rate as foundation students sit CILEX Professional Qualification

Record pass rate as foundation students sit CILEX Professional Qualification

25 August 2022

CILEX (the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) today published the results of its latest CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) assessments, which saw 83% of students pass assessments as part of the first stage of the new qualification. 

In June, 294 students from across England and Wales sat assessments forming the first step in the Foundation stage of the CPQ, which is aligned to the role of paralegal/case handler. This is the first stage for school leavers, non-law graduates and professionals without legal experience, who want to eventually become fully qualified CILEX Lawyers.

Nine of the cohort have now completed the further assessments and practice experience needed for the CPQ’s Foundation stage and have qualified as CILEX Paralegals and can go on to study for the CPQ Advanced stage.

The Advanced stage results were also published today, with an overall pass rate of 57%. Those who complete the Advanced stage of the CPQ will be qualified as CILEX Advanced Paralegal and as Trainee CILEX Lawyers can go onto study the CPQ Professional stage. 

The CPQ was launched in February 2021 with the aim of producing uniquely qualified, specialist legal professionals with the skills to meet the changing demands of the modern legal market. It builds on CILEX’s core propositions of accessibility, affordability, and flexibility, offering both graduates and those who did not attend university the opportunity to practise law at the highest level.

The results show that there was no significant difference between the performance of candidates on a range of diversity characteristics: 84% of White candidates passed compared to 75% of Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups; 73% of men passed compared to 85% of women.

CILEX CEO Linda Ford says: “Congratulations to all those students who are receiving positive news today. Those passing assessments today have been successful in the first step of their journey towards a rewarding legal career and progressing to the next stage of the CPQ. By gaining  both legal knowledge and practice-based experience, provides them  with a competitive edge in the legal market and makes them an attractive proposition for employers.” 

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Louise Eckersley, Black Letter Communications on 0203 567 1208 or email: [email protected]
Kerry Jack, Black Letter Communications on 07525 756 599 or email: [email protected]

Notes to editors:
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 20,000-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 recently 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 that creates a workforce of specialist legal professionals, that can ultimately qualify 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% identify as being Black, Asian or another ethnic minority
  • 84% attended state schools
  • 31% are the first generation in their family to attend 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.

Linda Ford is CEO of CILEX.