Chartered Legal Executive

Skills

• Communication Skills and Literacy: Use accurate and suitable language in communication – written and oral. Represent and advise a client through effective communication, including negotiation and advocacy, where applicable and permitted.
• Numeracy: Ability to read and understand numbers used in different ways, interpret results and present findings accurately.
• Planning & Organising: Plan and meet deadlines expeditiously in order to deliver outcomes for the business.
• Working relationships: Ability to work co-operatively with others towards achieving internal and external clients' objectives.
• Client relationship management: Client focused with an ability to build strong relationships with client and third party contacts at all levels. Provide clear advice to clients or service users.
• Research: Ability to identify, gather and present relevant information from appropriate sources to order this information in terms of importance, relevance and value and to use it to carry out required tasks. Ability to undertake legal research and produce research notes.
• Drafting & Accuracy: Ability to draft and present legal documentation which is accurate and appropriate.
• Data & File Management: Understand, implement and maintain filing and recording systems and procedures.
• Critical thinking and problem solving: Analyse, interpret, critically evaluate and synthesise information in order to apply the law appropriately to a client’s situation and advise on solutions to legal problems. Providing legal advice: Give succinct and practical legal advice to clients in terms that they can easily understand

Knowledge

• Business & Ethics in Law: Understand the different business models operating in the legal services sector. Understand one’s own organisation and the part of the legal services sector in which it operates. Understand the ethical issues and obligations applying to the provision of legal services, including the IPS Code of Conduct requirements, other rules and regulatory requirements and how to act inclusively and respect diversity.
• IT: Use available technology to suit different purposes, and achieve the quality of outcomes required, and to store, retrieve and analyse information.
• Commercial Awareness: Understand commercial practices relevant to one’s area of work and have an awareness of commercial practices of one’s organisation.
• Finance: Understand the basic financial methods and drivers of one’s own organisation.
• Risk & Compliance: Is compliant with legal organisational and regulatory policies and procedures. Understands the risks.
• Technical: Has a broad base of legal knowledge to draw on, and a detailed understanding of the law, practice and procedures of own specialist area of practice.

Behaviour

• Adaptability & Resilience: Ability to work under pressure and willingness to accept changing priorities and work patterns when new jobs need to be done, or requirements change.
• Personal development: Proactive in own development, commitment to the job and the sector, ensuring knowledge is up to date and progressing. Evaluate own professional skills and legal knowledge.
• Team working & collaboration: Establish effective working relationships with others.
• Honesty & Integrity: Apply the rules of professional conduct appropriately to relevant situations. Demonstrate an understanding of the need to avoid discrimination and promote equality and diversity. Understand when work is beyond own capability; openly admits mistakes/difficulties and seeks guidance and support as appropriate.
• Motivation & Enthusiasm: Demonstrate a positive and proactive approach to work. Take responsibility for own actions.

Entry Requirement

There are no formal entry requirements. However, it is recommended that students have a minimum of four GCSEs at grades C or above (including English Language or Literature) or equivalent qualifications. Individual employers may identify any additional relevant entry requirements for employment in terms of previous qualifications or other criteria. 

Duration

An approximate time frame for completion is five years.

Professional Qualification / Recognition

This is a Level 6 apprenticeship. This is achieved through two stages: completion of Level 3 learning is a foundation for progressing onto the Level 6 and full competency is achieved, as described in the standard, at that end point only. 

This apprenticeship can link to the Paralegal standard and the Solicitor standard. Apprentices who have passed the ‘paralegal’ CILEx Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Legal Services and the CILEx Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship in Legal Services are eligible for exemption from part of the current Chartered Legal Executive qualifications. Apprentices will be registered members of CILEx for the duration of their Apprenticeship. There are different membership grades at different points of the route to becoming a Chartered Legal Executive. CILEx members are regulated by ILEX Professional Standards (IPS) and apprentices must demonstrate that they meet the regulatory requirements necessary to become a CILEx member. 

Originally published on Gov.uk, this information has been re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence.