Why Study CILEX?

By Lorna Baldry

There are some clear and compelling reasons:

• Lower costs than some legal training routes.
• The opportunity to qualify as a specialist, regulated lawyer with in depth expertise.
• Few entry requirements.
• Earn while you learn.
• Practical skills and application learned as well as law and legal theory.
• Flexible approaches to study and take exams at home.
• No student debt.
• No Need to go to University.

There are many roles available in the legal sector and several routes to get into one of those roles.

CILEX membership is available to anyone who can meet their conduct and other requirements. As a member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives you are a recognised Lawyer or law student.

No entry qualifications are necessary, although experience working in the legal sector and/ or 4 GCSEs grade C or above, or equivalent are recommended.

This ease of entry to CILEX law courses means that they are accessible to far more people than some other routes to a career in law.

To study CILEX Professional Qualifications, you will need to be working in a legal environment at the latest by the time you are 6 months into your course. The courses give an excellent practical grounding, enabling you to apply what you learn to your practice in the workplace.

CILEX Lawyers are specialist lawyers and their clients know they are getting a depth of expertise when they instruct them. They can work in law firms or in house as employees or self-employed consultants.

CILEX Lawyers can be partners, can run their own business and if they choose, can apply for a judicial role if they meet the experience requirements to do so.

One significant reason that many choose CILEX as their route to a career in law is cost. It costs from £11,000 for the full qualification. This can be spread across instalments over several years. In many cases an employer will pay some or all fees for courses, membership, exams and other registration fees. It’s hugely beneficial that learners earn while they learn too, which means there is no student debt and real experience in the workplace can begin right away and run alongside study.

It is possible to study for CPQ so flexibly that a study plan is often almost completely bespoke to each learner, their needs and the available time they have. This means you can complete your studies as quickly or as slowly as you need to. For example if you spend around 3.5 hours a week studying, you may take up to 9 years to qualify, study for 7 hours a week and it’s likely to take you around 4.5 years. If you have 14 hours to study each week and you are able to sit multiple exams in each exam session, they you may complete your qualification in as little as 3 years.

Chartered Legal Executives and CILEX Lawyers form a wonderful, professional and supportive community that reaches out to embrace and encourage new members and reaches back to guide and mentor learners who follow in the footsteps of those already qualified.