Legal executive apprenticeships - where to start
You can get into this job through
a university coursea college coursean apprenticeshipworking towards this role
University
You could do a law degree, or a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) if your degree is not in law. You would then do:
- the Graduate Fast-Track Diploma
- 3 years' qualifying employment
You'll usually need 2 to 3 A-Levels, or equivalent.
College
You could take the following college courses to qualify:
- CILEx Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice
- CILEx Level 6 Professional Higher Diploma in Law and Practice
After completing a college qualification, you would do a 3-year period of qualifying employment. This means you'll carry out legal work under the supervision of a solicitor, senior chartered legal executive, barrister or licensed conveyancer.
You could do this in a legal practice, a legal department of a private company or in a government department.
You'll usually need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a Level 3 course. You'll need 1 or 2 A-Levels, a Level 3 diploma or relevant experience for a Level 6 course.
Apprenticeship
You could take start by taking an advanced paralegal apprenticeship.
You could then move on to a chartered legal executive higher apprenticeship.
As part of these Apprenticeships you will study to gain the following professional qualifications:
- CILEx Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice
- CILEx Level 6 Professional Higher Diploma in Law and Practice
You'll usually need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for a Level 3 apprenticeship. You'll need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A-Levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship.
Work
A lot of people work for a law firm and study for qualifications part time.
You could study for CILEx qualifications even if you're not working in a legal environment, as long as you meet their entry requirements. Qualifications may be studied full time, part time or by distance learning.
You'll still need some work experience to give you a chance of finding a job once you're qualified. You'll need to register with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives to start your training.
Legal executive apprenticeships - what it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- excellent verbal communication skills
- excellent written communication skills
- the ability to work well with others
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- the ability to use your initiative
- the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Legal executive apprenticeships - what you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day duties will depend on your specialism. You could:
- advise clients and explain legal matters
- contact mortgage lenders, planning officers or other professionals on behalf of clients
- research and summarise legal information
- prepare legal documents
- write to clients
draw up wills
- prepare contracts
- represent clients in court
- prepare bills for clients
Working environment
You could work at a police station, in a court or in an office.
Career path and progression - Legal executive apprenticeships
With experience, you could take on more complex cases and build up a large client base. You could also progress to leading a team of legal executives and secretaries, or become a practice manager in a law firm.
With further study, you could qualify as a solicitor.