Cover story
Taking the CILEx route: issues and top tips for CILEx students
CILEx Journal spoke to CILEx students about the issues they face and their coping mechanisms, and what invaluable practical study tips they have for their peers.
About the author
Nicola Laver is a freelance legal journalist/editor, and a former solicitor.
The CILEx qualification is a valuable commodity for potential lawyers, with the true value of Chartered Legal Executives being recognised increasingly by law firms and legal departments. Chartered Legal Executives are now being made partners in law firms.
Many CILEx students are working full-time in legal practice alongside their studies. Even if they are not, the costs are comparatively low (see box). The very clear advantage for CILEx students is that the Chartered Legal Executive route is far cheaper and more flexible than the traditional solicitors’ route into legal practice. Throw in the fact that you can then go a step further and qualify as a solicitor, if you wish, demonstrates just how wide the career options are by taking the CILEx route.
That is not to say that CILEx students have no worries: juggling study and work can be tricky. Employers may not always be tolerant of their employees’ need for support, and there may be concerns over future career prospects. CILEx Journal spoke to various CILEx students, as well as to CILEx Law School, about the issues for students today, how they deal with them, and what tips they have for other students.
Georgia Diaz successfully took the CILEx route and is now a trainee solicitor. She studied for CILEx part time through Brightlink, and did the Level 6 Graduate Fast-track Diploma as she already had a law degree.
She explains how she started the CILEx route: ‘I had already started the LPC before starting CILEx. At that point, I wasn't certain whether or not I would get a training contract and CILEx was brought to my attention, and it was the perfect alternative as I was already working in a legal practice at the time.
‘I started my training contract in April this year, and I'm due to qualify as a solicitor in October 2018. I will also be eligible to become a Fellow of CILEx in March 2019, so then I will have the option to be dual qualified.’
Georgia Diaz says: ‘I really liked the flexibility of the way I studied for the CILEx qualifications. All of the work was online (apart from the exams), and meetings with my tutor were over Skype, and arranged to fit in with my work schedule.’
She says that she would not have done anything differently, and she did not find that it interfered with her other studies or work at all. She also says that she had ‘a really great support network while studying, I've never had any issues taking time off work to study or sit exams’. Nor did she have any issues with funding the CILEx qualifications (‘I was very lucky that my mother supported me with the funding - and the costs are really reasonable’).
So, what is her advice for CILEx trainees? Georgia Diaz says: ‘It's important to really focus on your studying. Some of the units can appear to be a bit daunting at first because there is a lot to take in, but if you do small amounts frequently it makes it so much easier, and it does all tend to link in together and fall into place.’
However, she warns: ‘You must be prepared to work hard and have a bit of flexibility in your approach to your job. You won't always be doing the same work, and sometimes, as you progress, you might be asked to do work that would previously have been out of your comfort zone.’
Morag Hiskett, marketing manager at CILEx Law School, says that the issues which most concern students vary greatly according to a student’s personal experience and circumstances.
She comments: ‘Most of our CILEx students are being sponsored by their employers, so I wouldn’t say that finance is the biggest concern for most, although it will be for some. Unlike most people going through the solicitor route, they won’t be saddled with student debt.’ And she adds that the impetus towards an ‘earn-asyou-learn’ route is growing.
She also says that diversity is less of an issue for CILEx students than for potential solicitors seeking a training contract. Morag Hiskett comments: ‘Many of our students get the opportunity to study for CILEx exams through coming in at secretarial or even receptionist level, and are recognised as having the attitude and aptitude for development. For most people seeking to gain access to the legal sector via the solicitor route, it will be necessary to have a good degree from a good university, which is obviously a bigger hurdle to overcome.’
As for career prospects, says Morag Hiskett, this very much depends on the student’s starting position. ‘Those who have entered the sector as secretarial or support staff will have a great sense of achievement in becoming qualified lawyers. The prospects for individual Chartered Legal Executives are only limited by the attitudes within their organisations. Forward-looking firms that judge on merit have been making Chartered Legal Executives team leaders and partners for many years now.’
A prevailing issue is, as Morag Hiskett says, ‘the perception amongst some people that Chartered Legal Executives are inferior to solicitors. This is a source of great frustration for those of us who know how difficult the exams are at Level 6.’
Some who initially started on the solicitors’ route are changing direction. Morag Hiskett says: ‘Many law graduates now do the CILEx Graduate Fast-track Diploma rather than the costly LPC, particularly if they are already in paralegal employment, which can be used to meet CILEx’s qualifying employment requirements. As the numbers coming into the profession that way increase, so will awareness of the route.’
The introduction of the apprenticeship levy is also causing legal services organisations to review their recruitment policies. Morag Hiskett says: ‘The Chartered Legal Executive route is now available within the context of an apprenticeship, the training costs for which can be drawn down from levy payments.’
Finally, Georgia Diaz gives a word of reassurance to students studying for CILEx who lack confidence: ‘There's nothing wrong with asking questions if you're not sure about the work you're doing, as it is very much a job that you learn how to do in practice - just as much as you do through your studies!’
Emily Johns is self-funding her distance-learning CILEx studies which, she says, gives her the opportunity to work while studying and being able to learn at your own pace. However, there are disadvantages: ‘Trying to find the motivation to study (especially after work); trying to find the right balance between work and study that suits myself, my studies and my manager.’ Yet she would not have it any other way: ‘I enjoy my distance learning and the freedom it has given me. It has also taught me to self-motivate and how to find the right balance for me.’ Importantly, she feels that she has all the support she needs from CILEx, which has helped her with all her queries.
So, what are her career options? Emily Johns says: ‘My options when I qualify are to stay within my current employment and take my studies further, or find a legal position with the qualifications I have.’
She advises any prospective CILEx trainees to put a lot of thought into how much studying they take on, and to be realistic with themselves as to how many modules they can do at once. She adds: ‘If you need help with anything, do not hesitate to ask for it: CILEx are very supportive. Finally, I would say: ‘Go for it!’ CILEx was the best option for me.’
Amy Floyd is a senior paralegal at Blake Morgan, and is just starting the Level 6 qualification through distance learning. She is sponsored by the firm, which pays 100% of her fees. She says that there are clear benefits from working in legal practice alongside the studying: ‘Sometimes, to see a scenario in practice helps to make it make more sense! Sometimes, when you read the manual, it is diÿcult to understand concepts fully, but when you can refer back to a case you have dealt with, it really helps.
‘There are times when I lack the classroom experience, but I am lucky enough to be surrounded by some fantastic lawyers, who not only have the knowledge but lots of experience too.’
She says that distance learning is a preferable method for her because of the practical experience she is gaining: not just legal experience, but also client care skills, learning to work as a team, and learning how to work cross-oÿce when further expertise is needed. And she adds: ‘Distance learning is also preferable because I have a family, as I can fit it around my family life too.’
While some CILEx students feel that they lack employers’ support, Amy Floyd is not one of them. She says: ‘I am lucky enough to have lots of very experienced lawyers around me every day, and there is always someone I can call on to explain any areas I may be struggling with.’
Having colleagues also studying CILEx is useful for bouncing ideas off each other.
Her advice to others? ‘Manage your time effectively and don’t overload yourself. It is very easy to do this, but if you work with a good timetable it is manageable. Don’t be afraid to ask for help: self-learning is difficult. Try and find a study buddy! This is especially helpful at revision time: you can test each other and you don’t feel so alone with exam stress.
Don’t feel under too much pressure to do all the exams at once: the beauty of CILEx is that it allows you learn and qualify at your own pace, whilst still managing your life, children, work, weddings, etc.’
George Thwaytes is distance learning his CILEx studies. He completed his Level 3 in June, and will shortly be working towards Level 6. He is self-funding , but will be looking for funding next year. He has found few disadvantages, saying: ‘Studying whilst working is a fantastic way to study. We are given as much help as we want Monday to Friday, either by e-mail , phone or Skype chat. The tutors are very helpful, and will always do their best to respond to e-mails and questions on that same day. I have been able to save money whilst studying, and it has given me the opportunity to grow as a person and become more confident.’
George Thwaytes says that he has had no funding issues at all (CILEx will support you to find the right funding route).
He advises prospective students: ‘Ensure you are confident about learning through distance learning, and make sure you have the mental ability to push yourself for the best results; ensure you are sure that's what you want to do; plan your life so that you have work balance with normal work and CILEx work, but also enjoyment too and relaxing times.’
But he warns: ‘Don't push yourself too hard and, if you get stressed, ask for help. Make sure you have a funding option available, and be sure to get advice and choose the subjects you are most interested in.’
In general, people chose the CILEx route due to affordability.
- The CILEx route costs, on average, around £9,500, depending on where and how you choose to study.
- CILEx offers a Graduate Fast-track Diploma which, typically, costs around £2,775 and, on average, takes around one year to complete through part-time study.
- On top of a degree, law graduates still require postgraduate legal qualifications (LPC or BPTC) to become a lawyer. The LPC will cost between £8,000 and £15,000, and the BPTC will cost up to £19,000 in total.