CILEx Regulation consults on new Education Standards

We would like to receive your views on our proposed new Education Standards which seek to introduce two new competencies relating to emerging legal technologies and emotional competency.

We are proposing to redevelop our Education Standards, to create simplified pathways to authorisation. Our consultation seeks your views on the introduction of a revised competence framework which it is proposed will be contextualised for each area of practice. The consultation primarily focuses on:

• Introduction of legal technology and emotional competence into the standards
• Assessment of competence
• Revising the definition of qualifying employment
• Removal of the requirement for authorisation to serve 12 months in the Graduate grade of membership
• An amendment to the exemptions policy to create parity between units completed within a non-qualifying law degree and a qualifying law degree
• Removal of QASA from the CILEx Regulation rules in relation to criminal advocates and Associate Prosecutors

Director of Authorisation and Supervision, Vicky Purtill said: “The proposed new standards aim to equip those seeking authorisation as Chartered Legal Executives with the knowledge and competency required for specific areas of legal practice. The CILEx route was founded on developing specialist lawyers and we would like to build further on that to recognise emerging legal technologies which are changing the way in which legal services are accessed by consumers. We also recognise the importance of emotional competency, both from a personal resilience perspective and a consumer vulnerability perspective. That’s why we are seeking your views on expressly including these two new areas into the competence framework.” 

We welcome responses from our regulated community and other stakeholders; including consumers of legal services, education and training providers, other regulators who may seek to rely on the standards, employers and other interested parties.