CILEx Regulation oversees the education, qualification and practice standards of Chartered Legal Executives, CILEx Practitioners and others in our regulated community. We do this because education and training are key to the effective preparation of competent lawyers and legal practitioners. We are committed to creating a more diverse talent stream, with enhanced social mobility, entering the profession and the flexibility in our qualification scheme supports this.
Our education and training requirements focus on what an individual must know, understand and be able to do at the point of authorisation. The emphasis of the education standards is on the competences required to be an effective lawyer and this enables the framework to be flexible enough to enable training providers to determine how to deliver training, education and experience that meets the outcomes required.
A high standard of ethics and professionalism is one of the benchmarks of best practice of the law, and CILEx Regulation is fully committed to enhancing the ethical standards of those we regulate. We therefore integrate ethical and professional issues into our monitoring of ongoing competence through the CPD requirements.
Proposals for change to the Education Standards
In 2011, CILEx Regulation (then known as ILEX Professional Standards), the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Standards Board jointly initiated a Legal Education and Training Review (LETR). The LETR was a fundamental, evidence-based review of all legal education and training requirements. It covered both regulated and non-regulated activity in England and Wales. The LETR report is available in different versions, together with supporting evidence and references. As a result of the LETR, CILEx Regulation in 2013, revised the CILEx competence framework and developed Day One Outcomes that set out the knowledge, skills and experience expected and required of a Chartered Legal Executive on their first day as a practising lawyer.
The changes have now been in operation for five years and CILEx Regulation is undertaking a review of the education standards to consider the effectiveness of the changes made as well as considering new developments in the legal sector which have taken place since the LETR was published; including increasing use of legal technology and the highlighted importance of emotional competence for practising lawyers.
In 2014, and in collaboration with the Bar Standards Board, CILEx Regulation commissioned a Youth Court Advocacy Review (YCAR). The final report was published in 2015 and this is also providing part of the evidence base to be used for any changes to be made to the education standards as part of the education standards review.
If you are interested in finding out more about the proposals for changes to the education standards for CILEx members, the documentation can be found here. The consultation closes on 28 February 2019.
Apprenticeships
During 2014, Trailblazer apprenticeships were developed by legal employers for three job roles within the legal profession:
- Paralegal
- Chartered Legal Executive
- Solicitor
Separate standards have been developed for each of the three occupations: the standard for the Chartered Legal Executive apprenticeship is set by CILEx Regulation.
These routes have been available since 2016.
The purpose of the initiative is to facilitate an alternative to the traditional route into the legal profession, to open the doors to a more diverse talent stream, with enhanced social mobility, entering the profession. The development and delivery of these apprenticeships will give many more people the opportunity to build successful careers and will help businesses to invest in a broader group of people with the skills that they need to grow.
