
How long does it take to complete a Chartered Legal Executive qualification?
On average, both parts of your academic qualification can be achieved within four years of part-time study. Alternatively, we offer the CILEX Graduate Fast-track Diploma for Law and GDL Graduates who wish to complete the academic part of the Chartered Legal Executive qualification.
How to become a legal executive?
How to become a legal executive 1 University. You could do a degree in law or a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). 2 College. After completing a college qualification, you would do a 3-year period of qualifying employment. ... 3 Apprenticeship. You could take a chartered legal executive higher apprenticeship. ... 4 Work. ... 5 More Information. ...
How to become a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer (Fellow of CILEx)?
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 Graduate membership grade of CILEX. Met the work-based learning outcomes.
Would you consider a legal executive for your next solicitor?
Answer: not a lot, but I still find myself asking my clients, would you consider a legal executive for the role that you are ideally seeking a solicitor to fill. The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) is recognised as one of the three professional bodies of the legal profession, alongside the Bar Council and the Law Society.
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How do you qualify as a legal executive UK?
You could take start by taking an advanced paralegal apprenticeship. You could then move on to a chartered legal executive higher apprenticeship. As part of these apprenticeships you will study to gain the following professional qualifications: CILEx Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice.
How do you become a legal executive in Australia?
To become a Legal Executive You need extensive experience, or a formal qualification in law, legal studies or another related field to work as a Legal Executive. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.
How much does a legal executive earn in Ireland?
Salaries. Republic of Ireland: Junior legal executives earn €22,000–€24,000 but can earn salaries in excess of €30,000 after several years' experience. Those working in larger firms can earn considerably more than this.
How do you become a legal executive in NZ?
To become a legal executive you need a New Zealand Diploma in Legal Executive Studies (Level 6). It is recommended that you work in a law firm while you are studying for the diploma. Most legal executives register with the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives.
What qualifications do you need to be a legal executive?
To become a legal executive you must become a fellow of The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx). This can be attained by passing the CILEx professional qualification in law and completing a minimum of three years' supervised legal experience.
Is a legal executive a lawyer?
Legal executive The main difference between solicitors and legal executives is that the training of legal executives is narrower. Legal executives have studied to the same level as a solicitor, but they have specialised in a particular area of law and completed fewer subjects overall.
Is a legal executive the same as a paralegal?
Difference between a Chartered Legal Executive and Paralegal A Chartered Legal Executive is a qualified lawyer who is regulated by a professional body. A Chartered Legal Executive can become a partner in a law firm, can become a coroner and a judge. Paralegals are not regulated by a professional body.
What do legal executives do?
Providing legal advice to clients; corresponding with them and explaining complex legal matters. Liaising with fellow professionals on behalf of clients. Researching information and preparing legal documents. Attending court to assist with the presentation of cases.
How much do solicitors earn in Ireland?
How much does a Solicitor make in Ireland? The average solicitor salary in Ireland is € 75 000 per year or € 38.46 per hour. Entry-level positions start at € 65 000 per year, while most experienced workers make up to € 92 050 per year.
Can a Legal Executive become a solicitor?
Chartered Legal Executive lawyers have the option to become solicitors in one or two years after becoming Fellows and usually are exempt from the training contract graduates must complete to qualify as solicitors.
What is the highest paid job in NZ?
The highest-paying job in New Zealand is that of CEO or Managing Director. They earn, on the low end, around NZ$120,000 per year and, on average, around NZ$560,000 per year. On the high end, they can earn as much as NZ$4.5 million per year!
What is a Legal Executive in NZ?
A Legal Executive is a person who works as a trained assistant to a lawyer in a legal environment and belongs to the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives. A Registered Legal Executive is one who is registered with the Institute and is a member of the Institute.
How much do legal secretaries get paid in Ireland?
The average legal secretary salary in Ireland is € 40 000 per year or € 20.51 per hour. Entry-level positions start at € 35 000 per year, while most experienced workers make up to € 45 000 per year.
How much does a director of a law firm earn?
Legal Director Salaries in London Area The average salary for Legal Director is £116,476 per year in the London Area. The average additional cash compensation for a Legal Director in the London Area is £17,793, with a range from £2,385 - £132,746.
What is a legal executive?
Legal executives specialise in one area of law and carry out similar tasks to solicitors.
How long does it take to become a lawyer after college?
After completing a college qualification, you would do a 3-year period of qualifying employment. This means you'll carry out legal work under the supervision of a solicitor, senior chartered legal executive, barrister or licensed conveyancer. You could do this in a legal practice, a legal department of a private company or in a government ...
How to become a legal executive?
There are two ways to become a legal executive, the first of which is the academic route. By doing a law degree or a non-law degree followed by the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), you can then take the CILEx Graduate Fast-Track Diploma instead of the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and work up to five years to become fully qualified.
What skills do I need to become a legal executive?
Therefore, excellent spoken and written communication skills, the ability to explain legal matters clearly, accuracy and attention to detail and research skills are all required alongside the ability to organise and manage your time and the ability to work well under pressure.
How to become a CILEX graduate?
By undertaking the Graduate Fast-Track Diploma, you need to study two level six units, one of which must relate to the subjects you studied previously. You also need to complete the Client Care Skills unit. You will then become a graduate member of CILEx and after three years of experience, you will be eligible to become a qualified lawyer and fellow of CILEx!
What is legal executive?
Legal executives are the third branch of legal professionals in the UK, alongside solicitors and barristers. Legal executives have a very similar role to solicitors but only specialise in one area of law. Nevertheless, they’re still trained to the same level as solicitors in that area and work on similar cases.
What are the skills required to be a lawyer?
Therefore, excellent spoken and written communication skills, the ability to explain legal matters clearly, accuracy and attention to detail and research skills are all required alongside the ability to organise and manage your time and the ability to work well under pressure.
How long does it take to get a law degree?
This typically takes two years to complete and following this you can study for the Professional Higher Diploma in law, a qualification that is the equivalent to a degree, but doesn’t cost nearly as much! During the Professional Higher Diploma in Law and Practice, students will have to complete.
What happens after you get a CILEX license?
After this, you’ll undergo a period of qualifying employment, after which you’ll be eligible to become a qualified lawyer and fellow of CILEx.
What is a Legal Executive?
A Legal Executive is a regulated legal professional qualified in England and Wales to give legal advice, represent clients in matters and anything else that you would expect a lawyer to be able to do. Legal Executives can practice in firms, as part of in-house teams and anywhere else that lawyers practice. They are able to become partners and judges. Like solicitors, their rights of higher audience are limited.
How long does it take to get a work based learning certificate?
You can qualify by working in any role where the requirements are met. To qualify, you need to complete three years’ work in roles where these requirements are met, and one of these years must be completed after all of your academic study has been completed.
How long is graduate school?
graduate members have completed their academic training but are still completed their period of work-based learning. This is a period of three years total, at least one of which must be completed as at this level.
Can legal executives become partners?
In as recent as 2007 the Tribunal Courts and Enforcement Act removed the restrictions on legal executives becoming certain types of judges and the Legal Services Act 2009 said that legal executives could finally become partners in law firms. Now, on the back of these monumental legislation changes a lot of worthy individuals can sit in senior positions having chartered legal executive status, meaning that the opportunities for legal executives, alongside their solicitor counterparts, is also limitless.
Did solicitors rule the legal world?
This was a good few years ago now and whilst there were a few legal executives who I was able to seek guidance from along the way, the very obvious reality was that solicitors ruled the legal world, and legal executives stood in their wake.
Is CILEX a legal apprenticeship?
CILEx is finally being recognised as a genuine alternative to those costly years spent qualifying as a solicitor. Clyde & Co became the latest big named law firm to get involved in launching legal apprenticeships offered via CILEx. The individuals who start these apprenticeships will qualify as chartered legal executives in four years time via a combination of qualifying employment (i.e. on the job training) and study.
Does CILEX have audience rights?
Since early 2015, CILEx has been able to grant its members additional rights of audience to conduct litigation in a number of disciplines independently of solicitors; again, working towards narrowing the gap between legal executives and solicitors.
Do legal executives get paid less than solicitors?
Whilst we are closing the gap in terms of perception externally of the differences between legal executives and solicitors, internally the battle continues to get recognition in their bank accounts! My own personal experience of the pay gap between legal executives and solicitors was stark. This has, again, notably changed in recent years but it is still the case that legal executives are paid on average less than their solicitor counter-parts despite across most disciplines the firm charging solicitors and legal executives out at the same rate. For me, this doesn’t make any sense and so for anyone reading my blog (anyone…?), rest assured I am fighting for equality across the profession.
How to become a legal executive?
To become a Legal Executive, you must undertake a qualification offered by the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx). Whereas Solicitors must cover a range of legal practice areas in their route to qualification, Legal Executives focus on one particular specialism. Common areas of expertise include but are not limited to Litigation, Conveyancing and Private Client law.
What is a Legal Executive?
A Legal Executive, formally known as a Chartered Legal Executive, is a type of qualified Lawyer who has trained and specialised in one specific area of law such as litigation or conveyancing. Despite the difference in their qualifications, the role of a Legal Executive is like that of a Solicitor, with fee earning duties including providing legal advice to clients, preparing documents, and attending court.
What Skills Does a Legal Executive Need?
To succeed as a Legal Executive, you will need to demonstrate strong competency in the following:
How Much Do Legal Executives Earn?
The average starting salary for an entry level Legal Executive ranges from £15,000 to £28,000 per annum. A fully qualified Legal Executive can expect to earn around £30,000 - £50,000, whilst senior Legal Executives can earn over £55,000.
What is required to become a CILEX fellow?
After you qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive, you are required to undertake further training and career development activities. As a CILEx fellow, you must complete nine Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities every year, which include attending networking events, conferences and seminars. These events are organised by local CILEx and Law Society organisations.
How long does it take to become a CILEX member?
After completing the Level 6 qualification, you will need to complete a 3-year period of employment to fully qualify as a CILEx member. During employment, you will be trained by either a senior Solicitor, Barrister, Legal Executive or licensed Conveyancer.
What is the best way to gain experience in the legal sector?
Gaining experience in the legal sector is recommended for a trainee Legal Executive as it will increase your chances of finding employment post-qualification. Any experience you can gain before or during the CILEx, such as a short-term placement or working as a caseworker / paralegal will be useful.
How long do you have to be a CILEX graduate?
You must have completed at least 3 years’ qualifying employment of which: • 1 year must be served as a Graduate member of CILEX. • The 2 years immediately before you apply for Fellowship must be served consecutively. Qualifying employment is work that is wholly of a legal nature.
What is qualifying employment?
Qualifying employment is work that is wholly of a legal nature. You must be undertaking work that is qualifying employment for at least 20 hours per week and also be supervised by an authorised person.
How to become a CILEX member?
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 Graduate membership grade of CILEX. Met the work-based learning outcomes. To satisfy the academic stage of training you are required ...
How many competencies are required to be a Fellow of CILEX?
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.
Who Can Do a Chartered Legal Executive Apprenticeship?
A chartered legal executive apprenticeship is geared towards those who have already studied law and have some experience in the field. It’s not recommended that students embark on a chartered legal executive apprenticeship straight after leaving school.
What Does the Apprenticeship Involve?
Apprentices study for either the two-year level six professional diploma in law and practice (if they have completed the level three professional diploma) or nine-15-month Graduate Fast-track Diploma (if they have studied a law degree or GDL). They are then known as Graduate Members of CILEx.
Apprenticeship Assessment
The level six professional diploma involves six subjects including legal practice and professional skills units. The Graduate Fast-track Diploma only consists of two units, one of which is related modules studied during your law degree, and one client care skills unit.
What Do Chartered Legal Executive Apprentices Earn?
Salaries for chartered legal executives vary across firms and depend on the level of experience you have. It can also depend on factors such as location; with lawyers based in London, for example, earning more due to higher living costs.

What Skills Do I Need to Become A Legal Executive?
- As legal executives carry out the same activities as a solicitor, the skills you need to become a legal executive are mostly the same as those you need to become a solicitor. Therefore, excellent spoken and written communication skills, the ability to explain legal matters clearly, accuracy and attention to detail and research skills are all required alongside the ability to organise and mana…
The Academic Route
- There are two ways to become a legal executive, the first of which is the academic route. By doing a law degree or a non-law degree followed by the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), you can then take the CILEx Graduate Fast-Track Diploma instead of the Legal Practice Course(LPC) and work up to five years to become fully qualified. This is a notably cheaper option; the CILEx Fast-Track …
The Apprenticeship Route
- The other way you could become a legal executive is by undertaking an Apprenticeship after finishing your GCSEs or A-Levels. As part of your Apprenticeship you will work in a legal environment whilst also studying for the Professional Diploma in Law and Practice, allowing you to earn as you learn. This typically takes two years to complete and foll...