Qualifying Employment & Work-based Learning
How to Qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive Lawyer
Qualifying Employment and Work-based Learning are both necessary requirements for you to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive and a Fellow of CILEX. If you are studying the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ), click here to see how you would qualify as a CILEX Lawyer. To become a Chartered Legal Executive Lawyer (Fellow of CILEX) you must have:
- Completed the academic stage of training.
- Been in qualifying employment for at least 3 years, of which at least one must be in the Advanced Paralegal membership grade of CILEX.
- Met the work-based learning outcomes.
To satisfy the academic stage of training you are required to complete and pass the 10 units of the CILEX Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice and 6 units of the CILEX Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice. Timescales are flexible according to your personal and professional needs and the choice of full, part-time or distance learning can enable you to fit study around your personal and work life. On average, both parts of your academic qualification can be achieved within four years of part-time study.
Remember, you are likely to be working and studying at the same time, which means that you are earning a valuable salary income from the outset, thereby avoiding the hefty future debts incurred by full-time university law students.
If you have already studied the LLB/GDL and the LPC/BPTC you are exempt from all academic study and can become an Advanced Paralegal member of CILEX on payment of the relevant fees.
To become a Chartered Legal Executive Lawyer you must also satisfy requirements for Qualifying Employment and fulfill the Work Based Learning Portfolio.
Qualifying Employment and Work Based Learning
You must have completed at least 3 years’ qualifying employment of which:
• 1 year must be served as an Advanced Paralegal member of CILEX.• The 2 years immediately before you apply for Fellowship must be served consecutively.
CILEX Regulation’s rules provide for a break in the 2 years’ continuous employment of up to 12 months. A break for up to 12 months will not count as part of the 2-year period but will not break the continuity of employment.
Visit the Qualifying Employment page for more information on the application process and resources, as well as find information on the 80 accedited study centres across England and Wales.
The Day One Outcomes function as a competence framework for Fellows of CILEX. They set out the knowledge, skills and experience which you must demonstrate before you can be admitted as a Chartered Legal Executive. The CILEX examinations, qualifying employment and work based learning that you undertake will enable you to satisfy the requirements of the Day One Outcomes
To be admitted as a Fellow of CILEX you must demonstrate that you meet 8 competencies, which have been broken down into 27 learning outcomes.
Visit the Work Based Learning page for more information on the application process and resources.
Once you have been upgraded as a Advanced Paralegal member or been admitted as a Fellow you will be invited to attend the CILEX Graduation and Admission ceremony. A short video from the 2017 ceremony can be found below.
If you wish to qualify through CILEX but have not studied yet, you can qualify via our CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) route, which you can learn about here.