Legal Executives

• How does someone become a legal executive?

  1. Obtain the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX)
  2. Complete 3 years supervised legal experience
• Who do Legal Executives work for?

  1. A firm of solicitors
  2. CPS
  3. Private companies
• What kind of work will a Legal Executive perform in their role?

  Often, they specialise in a specific area of law and perform similar work to a solicitor, but usually deal with less complex manners.
• What is required for a legal executive to appear in court?

  • Advocacy certificates
  • They are usually only for lower courts (County, Youth, etc.)
• Who sets out the Code of Conduct and investigates if there's been a breach?

  CILEx Regulation
• Who decides if there's been a breach?

  A CILEx Professional Conduct Panel
• Who handles more serious matters?

  A disciplinary tribunal
• Possible punishments for breaching the code of conduct:

  1. A reprimand
  2. A fine
  3. Exclusion
• Legal Services Act [2007]


  Allows a complaint to be made to the legal ombudsman if unhappy with sanction.
• Legal executives are not immune from being sued.