What is CILEX?

If you’re aiming to become a lawyer, you might have heard the term CILEX. But what is CILEX, how does a CILEX Lawyer compare to a solicitor or barrister, and how can you become one?

In this guide we’ll explore CILEX in detail, breaking down the type of work that CILEX lawyers do, how you can earn the CPQ, and the other resources and qualifications that it offers.

What are CILEX Lawyers?

CILEX stands for the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, which is a professional body for specialist lawyers known as Chartered Legal Executives (sometimes simply called CILEX Lawyers).

In the UK, most people are familiar with solicitors and barristers as types of lawyers. CILEX Lawyers are the third type of lawyer – fully qualified legal professionals who typically specialise in a particular area of law. CILEX’s mission is to make the legal profession more accessible and inclusive. It provides an alternative route into law that doesn’t necessarily require a university degree, allowing you to earn-as-you-learn in a real job while studying to qualify as a lawyer.

Chartered Legal Executive lawyers perform very similar work to solicitors. They can advise clients, handle cases, draft legal documents, and even represent clients in court (especially in their area of specialism).

Over time, CILEX Lawyers have gained rights and recognition on par with solicitors – for example, experienced Chartered Legal Executives can become partners in law firms, advocates with rights of audience (rights to speak in certain courts), coroners, or even judges.

The main difference is in the path to qualification: instead of going to university then law school, a CILEX Lawyer qualifies through professional training and experience overseen by the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.

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How to Become a CILEX Lawyer

The CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ)

The main route to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer is through the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ). Introduced in 2021, CPQ is a flexible three-stage training programme that combines exams with practical work experience. Each stage you complete earns you a qualification in its own right. You can stop your training after any stage, but you need to complete all three stages to qualify as a lawyer.

CPQ Foundation

The first stage, covering core legal knowledge and skills. When you complete this stage, you become a CILEX Paralegal (an entry-level legal professional). You can learn more about how to become a paralegal and the type of work they do in our dedicated guide.

CPQ Advanced

The second stage, which builds on the foundation. It includes more in-depth law subjects and allows you to choose a specialisation (e.g. criminal litigation, family law, conveyancing). Completing this stage qualifies you as a CILEX Advanced Paralegal.

CPQ Professional

The final stage that leads to the CILEX Lawyer status (Chartered Legal Executive). You study one advanced module in your chosen specialty plus high-level professional skills and ethics training. Passing this stage, along with the required experience, makes you a fully qualified lawyer.

One big advantage of the CILEX route is that it’s designed to let you earn while you learn. There’s no need to secure a formal training contract or pupillage as in the solicitor or barrister routes. Instead, to qualify you must complete a period of qualifying legal work experience totalling 3 years.

You can gain this experience by working in any legal setting (for example, as a paralegal in a law firm) either during or after your studies. In practice, most CILEX students do work alongside their studies, applying what they learn in real time.

By the time you finish the CPQ exams, you may have already completed your three years of work experience, allowing you to become a fully qualified Chartered Legal Executive as soon as you pass the final stage.

How to Apply for the CILEX CPQ

Applying for CPQ involves a few simple steps. First, you must become a CILEX member. This just means registering with CILEX (and paying a membership fee). There are no academic entry barriers – anyone with an interest in law can join as a student member. Once you’re a member, you then enrol in the CPQ programme.

Typically, you would sign up for the Foundation stage. The exception is if you have a law degree, which would enable you to skip to the Advanced stage. You’ll also choose a training provider for your studies. Many students study through CILEX Law School (which offers online distance learning), but you could also take courses at certain colleges or training companies that offer CILEX-approved classes.

After enrolling, you simply begin your studies: you’ll work through the learning materials for each module and register for the exams when you’re ready.

How long does it take to qualify?

CILEX qualification is quite flexible in terms of timing. There’s no fixed duration; it depends on your pace of study and work experience. A motivated student starting from scratch might complete all the CPQ exams and the required experience in around 4 years (it could even be as quick as about 3 years in some cases).

Many students will take a bit longer if they are studying part-time while working. The important thing is you can progress at your own speed. If you already have some legal education (for example, a law degree), you will have exemptions that allow you to qualify faster (perhaps in 2–3 years).

And remember, you gain qualifications as you go – after CPQ Foundation you become a certified paralegal, after Advanced you’re an advanced paralegal – so you can build your career step by step.

How much does it cost?

One big attraction of CILEX is the lower cost compared to the traditional route. As of 2025, doing the full CILEX CPQ (all three stages) costs roughly £12,000–£13,000 in total for course fees and exam fees.

This is typically spread over several years. If you start at a later stage (for example, if you already have a law degree and skip the Foundation stage), the cost is lower – maybe around £6,000–£8,000 for the remaining training. By comparison, going through university and then solicitor exams can cost several times more (an LLB alone is ~£28.5k of tuition, and that’s before postgraduate training).

Moreover, many CILEX students continue working while studying, which can make financing the qualification easier. Some employers even sponsor their staff through CILEX because you’ll be contributing at work as you learn.

Does CILEX have its own law school?

Not in the same way universities have law faculties – CILEX doesn’t have campuses where all its students go. Instead, it has an official training arm called CILEX Law School (CLS) which provides courses (mostly online) for CPQ.

Beyond that, CILEX approves various colleges and training providers around the country to teach its qualifications. So you have flexibility: you could study via distance learning with CILEX Law School, or attend classes at an accredited college, or even do much of the learning on the job. There isn’t a “CILEX University” – but there are plenty of study options for CILEX students, and everyone sits the same exams in the end.

Other Qualifications CILEX Offers

Aside from the main CPQ lawyer route, CILEX provides other qualifications and entry points into law. For example, CILEX accredits courses for legal secretaries and legal assistants, which are roles that support lawyers. It also used to offer standalone law and practice diplomas at Level 3 and Level 6 (these were the older qualifications that the CPQ has now begun to replace).

Another pathway is through legal apprenticeships: these are programs where you work in a legal environment (earning a wage) while studying CILEX courses part-time. A school leaver could, for instance, join a law firm as an apprentice and complete the CILEX Foundation and Advanced stages over a few years of work, ending up with recognized paralegal qualifications and valuable experience.

Apprenticeships are a great option if you want to start working straight away and avoid full-time university, since the training is often funded by the employer or government apprenticeship schemes.

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What Else Does CILEX Do?

Beyond education, CILEX functions as a professional membership association for its community of legal professionals. When you join CILEX, you gain access to various benefits and support:

Career Support

CILEX offers career development tools and a dedicated online careers hub (“myCareer”) with job listings, CV advice, and mentoring opportunities to help you progress.

Continuing Professional Development

CILEX provides training courses, webinars, and other resources to ensure members keep their knowledge up to date. Members get exclusive discounts on further courses and materials.

Networking and Community

With around 20,000 members, CILEX hosts networking events, an annual conference, and local branch meetings so you can connect with peers and learn from each other.

Regulation and Standards

CILEX, through its regulatory arm, sets a code of conduct and professional standards for its members. Chartered Legal Executives are regulated professionals, just like solicitors and barristers. CILEX can handle complaints and discipline to maintain trust in its portion of the profession.

Advocacy and Inclusion

CILEX actively promotes diversity in the legal field. It campaigns for greater recognition of Chartered Legal Executives, aiming to open up the profession to people from all backgrounds (not just those who go to university). These efforts have greatly increased opportunities for CILEX-qualified lawyers.

How Does CILEX Compare to Other Legal Career Paths?

CILEX vs. Law Degree (LLB)

An LLB (Bachelor of Laws) is a 3-year academic degree in law. Having an LLB by itself doesn’t make you a lawyer – you must still do professional training after graduation. By contrast, CILEX is a direct route to a legal qualification: you can start without a degree, and by the end of the CPQ you are a qualified lawyer.

The LLB gives a broad understanding of the law in an academic setting, whereas CILEX focuses on practical legal skills and work experience from the outset. The university route also tends to cost more (and you won’t be earning during those years), while CILEX is more affordable and lets you earn as you learn.

CILEX vs. Solicitor (SQE) Route

Becoming a solicitor usually requires a university degree (in law or with a conversion course), then passing the SQE exams and completing about 2 years of work experience. It’s a more academic-heavy path initially and typically takes at least 5–6 years in total.

Both solicitors and CILEX Lawyers end up as qualified lawyers and often do very similar work, but there are differences in training style. The solicitor route involves studying a broad range of law at university and only specialising after qualification. The CILEX route lets you specialise early and integrates work experience throughout. Entry requirements also differ: the solicitor path requires a degree, whereas the CILEX path is open to school leavers and is more flexible.

The cost of qualifying as a solicitor (university fees + courses) is generally higher than the cost of the CILEX route. In practice, Chartered Legal Executives and solicitors often work side by side, and CILEX Lawyers today can achieve similar positions (such as becoming partners in law firms).

CILEX vs. Barrister (Bar) Route

The barrister path requires a law degree (or a conversion course), then a one-year Bar training course, and a 1-year pupillage (apprenticeship under an experienced barrister).

It’s a long and highly competitive route – many law graduates pursue it, but pupillage positions are limited. Barristers primarily work as courtroom advocates, arguing cases in court and giving specialist legal opinions. This contrasts with Chartered Legal Executives, who typically work in office-based legal roles (like solicitors), handling client cases and paperwork, with only limited advocacy.

If your dream is to argue in the higher courts in a wig and gown, the barrister route is the way to achieve that. The downsides are the cost (Bar training is expensive, on top of university fees) and the risk of not securing a pupillage. The CILEX route is far more accessible and lower-cost, though it will not make you a barrister.

Comparison Table: Key differences at a glance

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