Founded in 1892, The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) became a company limited by guarantee in 1963 following support from the Law Society. It regulates the professional conduct and training of its 24,000 members and is recognised as one of the three core regulators of the legal profession alongside solicitors and barristers.
Legal Executives and Solicitors do a very similar job, working alongside each other in industry, local government and private practice. In most cases, wherever you find solicitors you are very likely to see Legal Executives as well. Since the Legal Services Act 2007, this has paved the way for legal executives to become partners in law firms, effectively removing the last major hurdle distinguishing the two professional bodies. There are now over 100 Legal Executive partners across the Country with this figure rising weekly.
Legal Executive advocates now have the same rights of audience as solicitors in their chosen discipline. They can also work as autonomous practitioners and can become commissioners for oaths. Although the ILEX route to qualification has been traditionally viewed as a non-graduate route to qualification, things are definitely changing.
So what are the advantages of becoming a legal executive? The first is that a training contract is not needed. Unless you are already aware, securing a training contract is a very difficult process and is extremely competitive. Training Contracts are harder to come by and more and more firms are taking on LPC graduates into paralegal positions. The time they spend as a paralegal is not counted towards fully qualified status. This is not the case with trainee Legal Executives. In addition, the ILEX route to professional practice is a lot cheaper than training as a solicitor.
It must also be noted how healthy current employment opportunities are for Legal Executives. Given the costs associated with running a training contract scheme, Legal Executives are viewed as a great alternative due to the versatility to their practices. Legal Executives can train in a variety of capacities, allowing them to undertake qualifying work and allowing employers use their other skills where appropriate. Given the advantages of employing Legal Executives, many legal employers now view the training contract option less favourably.
The Legal Services Act 2007 has also made it a lot more accessible for qualified legal executives to qualify as a solicitor. Although individuals will still need to undertake the Legal Practice Course, you will not need to secure a training contract and will be able to apply for admittance to the Role of Solicitors immediately the course ends successfully.
As a Graduate Member of ILEX, you will need a qualifying law degree within the last seven years and to have undertaken a practice-based course similar to the LPC.
You will study the following areas of legal practice: A compulsory Client Care Unit and two electives from the following: Civil Litigation, Criminal Litigation, Family Practice, Probate Practice, Conveyancing, Company & Partnership Formation, Employment Practice. One of the electives must correspond with an academic subject within your degree. The examinations are compiled and assessed by ILEX, a qualification awarding body in its own right. The choice of electives does not preclude you from changing legal discipline later, it is just a requirement for Graduate Membership.
Adrian Mason is the Principal of Advance CPD, a private college wholly owned by a prestigious firm of provincial solicitors and the only institution in England & Wales offering the PGED Fast Track course to ILEX Graduate Membership for qualifying law graduates.
Adrian is also an ILEX chief examiner.
www.advancecpd.org.uk
www.ilex.org.uk
Provided by AllAboutLaw.co.uk – The Law Careers Website
