| 1. Academic stage | Complete the CILEx qualifications (or equivalent) |
| 2. Qualifying Employment | Complete three years of Qualifying Employment |
| 3. Demonstrate competence | Complete your Work-Based Learning portfolio using this Handbook for guidance |
| 4. Satisfy character and suitability requirements | |
| 5. Admission |
1. Academic Stage
To complete the academic stage of the training to become a Chartered Legal Executive (Fellow of CILEx) and use the designatory letters FCILEx, you must have completed the following qualifications:
CILEx qualifications
- CILEx Level 3 Diploma in Law and Legal practice AND CILEx Level 6 Higher Diploma in Law and Legal Practice; or
- CILEx Level 6 Diploma in Legal Practice (Graduate Fast Track Diploma) (having already completed a qualifying law degree)
Other qualifications
- LLB (qualifying law degree); and
- either LPC or BPTC
2. Qualifying Employment
Qualifying employment is what we call the work experience that you need before you can be admitted as a Chartered Legal Executive. For more information, see here.
Qualifying employment has a specific definition in our rules and means:
- Your work is “wholly legal” for at least 20 hours per week for three years
- Your work is supervised by an authorised person as defined by s.18 Legal Services Act 2007
- If you are thinking of qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive, we advise you to have your work assessed using the application form here
3. Demonstrating competence
You show that you are ready to be admitted as a Chartered Legal Executive by completing a portfolio of log sheets and evidence which demonstrate that you meet the eight competencies that define a Chartered Legal Executive:
- Application of the law and legal practice
- Communication skills
- Client Relationships
- Planning and managing work
- Understanding the business environment that you work in
- Professional conduct
- Self-development
- Working with others
These competencies are broken down into outcomes and putting the portfolio together takes time to complete. We would recommend that you start to collate your portfolio once you have completed your academic studies and have at least two years of qualifying employment.
To help you to plan and put together your portfolio, please see the Fellowship Work-Based Learning Handbook along with our week by week guide. It sets weekly goals to assist you in building your portfolio, offers guidance on the types of examples that we are looking for you to provide and explains a bit more about each outcome including whether you have to give one example or two examples.
Once you have completed the portfolio and can meet the qualifying employment requirements, you can submit your portfolio for assessment, together with your Fellowship via Work-Based Learning Application Form and the fee.
4. Character and suitability requirements
As you are applying to be a qualified lawyer, we will ask you some questions about your background, through a statement of prior conduct on the application form. As a qualified lawyer, the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 does not apply, and you must declare additional information about convictions that would otherwise be treated as spent. You may be asked to complete a standard DBS check.
We hope you are satisfied by the decision you have received. However, if you are unhappy with the decision you can appeal. More information on the appeals process can be found here.
