Is CILEx worth doing?

Mar 11, 2023

Written By Claudia Chan

The legal sector offers a variety of methods for qualification. Many graduates find themselves overwhelmed with the options available. One option is to qualify into the legal sector through the CILEx route. The CILEx route is fundamentally different to the SQE route: the main distinguishing factor is that CILEx results in qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive as opposed to as a solicitor. Knowing this, this article seeks to break down whether CILEx is worth doing.

What is CILEx?

A Chartered Legal Executive is a qualified lawyer who is trained to specialise in one or two specific areas of law in England and Wales. While they share the same rights as solicitors under the Legal Services Act, they differ slightly in practice. Chartered Legal Executive lawyers are more specialist. In contrast, solicitors are more generalist in nature: they tend to have received broader, more general legal training.

The main difference between CILEX lawyers and solicitors is the route to qualification and training. CILEX lawyers qualify through the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, or CILEx.

What are the benefits of CILEx?

There are three main benefits of CILEX.

Specialisation at early stages

CILEX allows you to become a Chartered Legal Executive, trained to specialise in one or two areas of law that interest you. This differs from a solicitor, who tends to have received broader, more general legal training. Chartered Legal Executives can specialise in: Dispute Resolution, Criminal Litigation, Residential Conveyancing, Commercial Conveyancing, Employment Law, Business & Commercial Law, Family Litigation, Wills & Probate, or Immigration Law.

Practical work experience alongside studies

In order to qualify as a CILEX lawyer, you’ll need three years qualifying employment. Thus, CILEX focuses on developing you as an effective legal professional, ready for the world of work. The practical work experience will allow you to gain experience doing client-facing work that lawyers frequently encounter.

This allows you to build excellent business skills, such as client care, networking and business development. You can also organically develop commercial awareness in the practice area that you choose to work in. Finally, you’ll learn how legislative changes affect your practice area and how the business needs to adapt to meet these changes.

Flexibility

A main selling point of CILEX is the ability to qualify into law without going to university. CILEX aims to broaden access to the legal sector. You’ll be able to study at your own pace in a way that suits you and your schedule, with part-time and distance learning options available. Plus, you don’t need a university degree to start.

CILEX adopts a hybrid model of study: study resources are available online alongside regular live events. This blended learning approach accommodates for a wide range of learning styles, to shape you into the best legal professional you can be.

What are the disadvantages of CILEx?

To make an informed decision, you’ll also need to consider the disadvantages. There are three main disadvantages of CILEX:

Less flexibility

As CILEX requires you to start focusing on a particular practice area from the beginning, it can be difficult to change routes. This is particularly difficult for those who are indecisive or unclear of what they are interested in. It can be difficult to know which practice area would suit you especially without the help and support of an academic institution to guide you. To circumvent this issue, you have to take the initiative: conduct research and try to get work experience in different areas of law to test the waters.

Elitism in the legal industry

While CILEX executives have proved to be as competent as solicitors - as seen by the fact that CILEX executives can now become law firm partners, judges and have the right of higher audience - there is still some snobbery within the legal system. Some believe that the CILEX qualification is a secondary route for those with lesser academic ability. But it should be stressed that this view does not represent the majority of the legal system.

Lower Salaries

Solicitors tend to earn higher salaries than CILEX lawyers. Starting salaries for solicitors vary, but range from £28,000-£68,000 for those in private practice. Solicitors working at Magic Circle firms and large international firms can start off on £80,000-£130,000! In contrast, newly qualified CILEx lawyers earn around £28,000. However, given that you don’t need a university degree for CILEX, CILEX lawyers tend to have less debt than solicitors.

Is it worth doing?

In short, CILEx may be worth doing if you are looking for a more flexible and accessible option into the legal sector. It is also an attractive option for those who know what area of law they want to specialise in.

Alternative Routes into Law