Chartered Legal Executive Lawyer Qualifications
Why choose the CILEx route to a career in law?
Becoming a qualified lawyer and then going on to become an
advocate, partner in a law firm or even
a judge does not mean you have to start your career with masses of
student debt.
Taking the Chartered Legal Executive lawyer route means you
can earn-as-you-learn and gain valuable practical experience while
those studying traditional law degrees are stuck in the classroom.
Once your Chartered Legal Executive studies and qualifying employment are complete you will
be able to call yourself a qualified lawyer straight away
without having to undertake an LPC or wait for an elusive training
contract to become a solicitor. Find out how
to apply.
"Legal Executive lawyers stand shoulder to shoulder with
solicitors in the legal sector"
Affordability
With students entering university expected to leave with an average student debt of more than £55,000 the CILEx route is ideally placed to provide an affordable route to a career in law. CILEx qualifications can offer a significant cost saving, as can be seen from our comparative indicative costs.
Earn-as-you-learn
While CILEx qualifications are cost effective, 70% of employers
pay for their staff to study with us. That means you get your
training for free and earn a salary at the same time.
Employment
Law firms across the country recognise the quality and skills
that CILEx qualifications bring to their teams. You will find
Chartered Legal Executive lawyers working and studying in
firms as large as Pinsent Mason and Irwin Mitchell, or regional
legal providers like Gordons and Minster Law.
Respect
Completing your Chartered Legal Executive lawyer training
means you will have a qualification set and assessed at honours
degree level and will be tackling specific areas of law with
enviable knowledge and skill. Many students have already
studied through CILEx and forged successful and rewarding careers
at law firms across England and Wales. Some are heading up
departments in large law firms where they manage other lawyers
(including solicitors), some have gone on to become advocates to
help represent clients in court, some have become partners in law
firms such as Irwin Mitchell or have set up their own business but
there is also the option of choosing to enter the Judiciary later
on in their career too. Just like our first Chartered Legal Executive Judge Ian Ashley
Smith.
Member case study - Stuart
"I read legal studies at university followed by a Masters in
Intellectual Property Law. During my studies, I was aware that my
university offered the CILEx qualification and given how many
people were graduating from law degrees and the LPC, I knew that
competition to secure a training contract would be tough. I wasn’t
prepared to take on the additional debt needed to complete the LPC
so I investigated the qualification further. The CILEx route
appealed as a recognised qualification that would allow me to work
and earn money while learning and developing my legal skills.
“I feel much more confident in myself in advice giving to
clients. I also feel more on a par with my colleagues and am
excited about the prospects ahead for me now I have my CILEx
qualification, as it means that I will not have to re-qualify as a
solicitor to have my own practice.
After seven years’ practical experience I am positive that the
route I chose in order to practice law was correct. If you are
considering a life in the law, I would definitely recommend
considering the CILEx route."
Stuart Southall, Chartered Legal Executive/Director, EHL Commercial