CILEX (Chartered Legal Executive) Explained: The CPQ Route Into Law

Not every legal career runs through a law degree, the SQE and a training contract. The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) offers a distinct, work-based route into legal practice, leading to Chartered Legal Executive status — a qualified lawyer in their own right, rather than a stepping stone toward becoming a solicitor.

What is CILEX?

CILEX is a professional body representing Chartered Legal Executives — specialist lawyers who typically focus on a particular area of law, such as conveyancing, family law, litigation or probate. Since 2021, CILEX has delivered its qualification through a single framework, the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ), replacing the older Level 3/6 diploma structure (legacy Level 3 units closed in November 2023, legacy Level 6 units end in November 2026, with June 2026 the last exam session according to CILEX Law School, and the last date to submit a legacy portfolio application is 31 December 2027, so anyone still on the old route should check CILEX Regulation's transitional arrangements).

The three-stage CPQ structure

CPQ is built around three sequential stages. The Foundation stage has five mandatory modules covering legal systems, the law of tort, contract law, property and private client law, and professional and legal skills, and CILEX estimates it at 18 months to two years. The Advanced stage builds on that foundation with mandatory modules in dispute resolution and litigation, criminal law and litigation, and professional and legal skills, plus one chosen option from property and conveyancing, wills, probate and private client, family law and practice, or business and employment law. CILEX again estimates 18 months to two years. The Professional stage is the final tier. It combines a mandatory Professional Skills Project with one specialist module chosen from a range of options (for example residential conveyancing, family law and litigation, or employment law and practice), and CILEX estimates 12 to 18 months. All candidates also complete ethics and professional responsibility modules. Studied continuously, CILEX's stage estimates add up to roughly four to five and a half years, though CILEX's flexible, part-time-friendly structure means many candidates study while working in a legal role throughout.

The qualifying employment requirement

Academic study alone isn't enough. To qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive (a Fellow of CILEX), candidates must also complete at least 2,300 hours of qualifying experience, which replaced the previous three-year requirement in 2023, alongside the ethics and professional responsibility modules built into the CPQ stages. A CILEX Lawyer is a Chartered Legal Executive who also holds practice rights in a specialist area. This work-based element is central to CILEX's model — it's explicitly designed as a route that combines paid legal work with study, rather than requiring candidates to step away from earning to complete a full-time law degree first.

Entry requirements and accessibility

Unlike the traditional degree-then-SQE solicitor route, CPQ's Foundation stage has no formal entry requirements, making it accessible to school leavers, career-changers and existing legal support staff (such as paralegals) without a law degree. You do not need to be employed to start studying, but you will need a legal role to complete the qualifying experience requirement. This is a large part of CILEX's appeal: it's generally more affordable and more flexible than a university law degree followed by further professional training, while still leading to a recognised, regulated legal professional title.

How it compares to the solicitor route

It's important to be clear about what CILEX does and doesn't do: completing CPQ qualifies a candidate as a Chartered Legal Executive, not as a solicitor — a distinct, separately regulated professional title with its own scope of practice, generally more specialised than a solicitor's broader qualification. Those who later want to become solicitors are not starting from scratch: Chartered Legal Executives and CILEX Practitioners with relevant practice rights can apply to the SRA for an exemption from part of the SQE, although exemptions are assessed individually and are not automatic. Firms increasingly value the CILEX route specifically because it produces experienced, practice-ready legal professionals without the cost of a full training contract.

Why firms increasingly value the route

Law firms have faced growing pressure on the cost and availability of traditional training contracts, and CILEX-qualified staff offer a practical alternative: legal professionals who have built genuine, sustained practice experience throughout their qualification rather than only after completing it. For firms with established paralegal teams, supporting staff through the CPQ pathway is often a more cost-effective way to grow qualified legal capacity than competing for a limited number of training contract candidates.

A route open to career-changers

Because the Foundation stage has no formal entry requirements and the whole pathway is designed to be studied alongside paid legal work, CILEX has also become a genuine option for career-changers moving into law from an unrelated background, not just school leavers or existing paralegals. Combined with its lower relative cost compared to a full law degree, this has made it one of the more accessible ways to build a legal career from a standing start.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Chartered Legal Executive the same as a solicitor?

No — they are distinct, separately regulated legal professional titles. Chartered Legal Executives typically specialise in a particular area of law, while solicitors generally have a broader scope of practice, though CILEX Lawyers hold practice rights equivalent to a solicitor's within their specialism and there is meaningful overlap in the work both can do day to day.

Do I need a law degree to start the CPQ?

No — the Foundation stage has no formal entry requirements, which is one of the main reasons candidates choose the CILEX route over a traditional law degree.

How does CILEX's CPD compare to the SRA's requirements for solicitors?

CILEX members follow a CPD scheme run by CILEX Regulation, separate from the SRA's continuing competence requirements for solicitors. The CILEX CPD year runs from 1 October to 30 September. Fellows (Chartered Legal Executives), Advanced Paralegals and CILEX Practitioners follow an outcomes-based scheme rather than logging a set number of hours, while CILEX Paralegals follow an hours-based scheme.

If your firm is developing paralegals or legal support staff toward a formal legal qualification, CILEX's work-based CPQ route sits alongside broader CPD training as one of the more accessible ways to build that career path without requiring a full law degree upfront.

This article is general information, not legal or regulatory advice. CILEX and CILEX Regulation update their qualification and CPD rules from time to time, so check the current requirements on the CILEX and CILEX Regulation websites before making decisions about your own route or your firm's training plans.