CILEX Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice

In 2021, CILEX will be introducing a new qualification framework – the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ). If you start studying a CILEX Level 6 qualification now, you will have until November 2026 to complete it.

However, you will have the right to transition to the CPQ framework at any time during this transition period. Details of which Level 6 units to complete, so that this transition can be as smooth as possible, can be found here. 

The CILEX Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice is the second and final academic stage towards becoming a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer. You can study at your own pace, but the qualification should take you around two years to complete.

Building on the CILEX Level 3 Diploma in Law and Practice, students are required to demonstrate a broad and detailed understanding of the law in three specific areas.

For one of these areas, the candidate must also demonstrate a sound practical understanding of the legal practice that arises from the law.

The candidate must also demonstrate the required level of underpinning professional legal skills by undertaking two mandatory Professional Skills units.

The structure of the qualification is as follows:

CILEX Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice

1 Practice unit plus its linked Law unit + any other 2 Law units + both Professional Skills units

The final academic stage towards becoming a Legal Executive. Completion of the qualification ensures candidates are eligible to become members of CILEX.

250 hours

No Practice unit can be counted as achievement towards the Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice without the candidate having also achieved the linked Law unit*. The following table summarises the relationship between Law and Practice units:

You must do the following Law unit …	… if you intend to do this Practice unit …
Unit 1 Company and Partnership Law	Unit 16 The Practice of Company and Partnership Law
Unit 2 Contract Law or Unit 13 Law of Tort	Unit 15 Civil Litigation
Unit 3 Criminal Law	Unit 18 Criminal Litigation
Unit 4 Employment Law	Unit 19 The Practice of Employment Law
Unit 7 Family Law	Unit 20 The Practice of Family Law
Unit 9 Land Law	Unit 17 Conveyancing
Unit 14 Law of Wills and Succession	Unit 21 Probate Practice

*It should be noted that this rule does not affect those students wishing to take a Practice unit as a single unit which is not towards the achievement of the Diploma qualification.

For students wishing to dual qualify as solicitors, CILEX level 6 qualifications have exemptions with the SRA (Solicitors' Regulation Authority) for the Foundations of Legal Knowledge subjects, and candidates achieving the Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice can use this qualification towards becoming a solicitor.

Further information on the CILEX Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice can be found on the Register of Regulated Qualifications website. 

There are numerous specialist pathways for studying law, and developing legal careers in different fields of law, to suit the needs of the individual and legal sector. You can find a selection of example pathways for different specialist legal practice areas by following this link.