Chartered Legal Executive
Become a fully qualified lawyer without the university path. Choose one of eight specialism pathways, gain practising rights on the same level as a solicitor in your area of law, up to £27,000 government funding.
The Chartered Legal Executive pathway
Where a CILEx-qualified lawyer sits on the wider apprenticeship route. Take the SQE afterwards to dual-qualify as a solicitor.
Chartered Legal Executive Apprenticeship
The route to becoming a fully qualified lawyer without the university path. Gain practising rights in one specialism pathway: civil, criminal or family litigation, conveyancing, employment, immigration, business or wills & probate. Level 6 Law and Legal Practice Diploma.
Level 6 Law and Practice Diploma
Become Chartered with CILEx Regulation
Gain Practising Rights in your chosen specialism, on the same level as a solicitor in that area of law
Post-completion route: take the SQE to dual-qualify as a solicitor
The eligibility criteria.
No law degree required. Haven't got GCSE Maths or English? You can take Functional Skills alongside the course. Just ask us.
You need a legal role to start. Browse live paralegal apprentice vacancies. Most firms hire quickly if you're keen to train.
See our recruitment pageUp to 100% funded. You pay nothing.
If you're under 25 and work for a small organisation (under £3m annual payroll) the Department for Education covers 100% of your apprenticeship. You and your organisation pay nothing.
Small firms (under 50 employees) also receive a £1,000 incentive payment when they hire an apprentice aged 16–24.
If your organisation has a payroll over £3m they will pay 0.5% of their monthly payroll into the apprenticeship levy pot, and will be able to use this accumulated pot directly towards apprenticeships , see employer funding for more information.
Your programme, module by module.
The CILEx Chartered Legal Executive programme, structured in four stages. Foundation modules, specialised knowledge, your chosen specialism, then final professional readiness. Delivered as live Zoom workshops and one-to-one tutorials.
Writing, analysis, professional conduct and ethical standards.
Overview of the legal system, sources of law, court structures, and legal research methods.
How public law governs relations between individuals and the state — constitutional, administrative and human-rights principles.
Foundational contract law alongside the law of tort. Duty of care, negligence, breach and remedies.
Foundation half of the conveyancing subject. Property transactions, the conveyancer's role, core legal principles.
Advanced practice half. Complex transactions, professional responsibilities and case management. Runs straight after the foundation module.
Foundation half of the dispute resolution subject. Litigation, mediation and arbitration principles.
Advanced practice half. Case strategy, procedural mastery and ADR application.
Foundation half of the criminal practice subject. Criminal law principles and procedure.
Advanced practice half. Case handling, court procedure and criminal advocacy.
Wills, estate administration and the probate process. Mandatory for every route — law-degree graduates do not skip this one, even though it sits in Stage 1.
Advanced practice half. Contentious probate, estate planning and estate administration in practice.
Choose your specialism.
At Stage 3 you pick one of eight pathways and go deep. This is where you become a specialist. Your practising rights on qualification and application approval by CILEx Regulation are in this chosen area of law.
Dispute resolution across commercial and personal claims. Pleadings, disclosure, evidence, hearings.
Prosecution and defence practice. Case files, police station, magistrates' and Crown Court work.
Divorce and financial remedy, children's matters, domestic abuse, cohabitation and family injunctions.
Visa applications, appeals, asylum work and business/family immigration for individuals and firms.
Residential and commercial property transactions from instruction to completion, including leasehold.
Contracts, workplace policy, tribunal work, discrimination and settlement negotiation.
Commercial contracts, corporate governance, business structures and transactional legal work.
Drafting wills, administering estates, contentious probate and trust structures.
The mandatory skills unit for all routes. Applied research, drafting, client management and advocacy under CILEx standards.
Mandatory for all routes. Client account management and the accounting rules that govern professional legal practice.
Mandatory for all routes. Ethical framework, CILEx Regulation conduct rules and professional responsibilities.
The concluding project of the programme, supporting full professional readiness.
Chartered Legal Executive.
Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice awarded, Chartered with CILEx Regulation, with practising rights in your chosen specialism.
CILEx graduates can sit the SQE without repeating training and dual-qualify as a solicitor.
See next apprenticeshipsSupported at every step.
The programme is built for people completely new to law. From day one you have a Progress Tutor, structured feedback and a clear path to the end-point assessment.
A dedicated Progress Tutor
The same expert Progress Tutor from onboarding through Portfolio and QWE submission. One-to-one Zoom tutorials every 12 weeks.
Live learning
Face-to-face one-to-one sessions with an expert tutor, plus live group workshops with your cohort. Never a recording playing at you. Real conversations, real questions answered on the spot.
The Datalaw Learning Platform
All your workshop recordings, module notes and portfolio in one place. Accessible for 12 months after you qualify.
Portfolio review before EPA
In the final months we work with you and your line manager to make sure your evidence meets every standard.
Best-practice legal training
Every workshop, tutorial and assignment is grounded in current SRA and CILEx best practice. How good firms actually run files today. You leave modelling how senior fee-earners work, not textbook theory.
Off-the-job training built in
Off-the-job training hours are tracked and evidenced for you against your standard's minimum. Live workshops, private tutorials, self-study and reflection all count. No spreadsheets to keep, no last-minute scramble at EPA.
Reviews from
learners.
“Datalaw's unwavering support and genuine enthusiasm towards teaching students makes the whole experience all the more exciting, and I can't wait to see how the Chartered Legal Executive apprenticeship takes my career to the next level.”
“The most attractive thing to me was having the opportunity to study while also working. The practical experience is perfect for gaining the relevant transferable skills. It also means that once you've qualified, you are already established.”
“The most important thing ultimately is the hands on experience but embedded with the theoretical knowledge. I'm doing my workshops where I'm learning all different things and then I'm actually applying them to my everyday work which is so beneficial.”
Hear it in their own words.
A current apprentice, her line manager, and a graduate who progressed all the way to CILEx. Recorded with them at their firms, unscripted.
Everything applicants ask us.
How does work and study fit together?
Most of your time is spent in your legal role; the rest is structured learning that counts toward your standard's minimum off-the-job hours. Live Zoom workshops plus one-to-one tutorials with your Progress Tutor.
How long is the apprenticeship?
29 months of training time plus up to 4 months to complete your final assessment. Around 2 years 9 months in total.
What specialism pathways can I choose?
Eight: civil, criminal or family litigation, conveyancing, employment, immigration, business, or wills & probate. You pick one pathway that fits your firm and your interest.
Do I need a degree to enrol?
No. Law graduates and non-law graduates with legal work experience are both eligible. You do need to be currently employed within a UK organisation.
What does it cost me and my employer?
£0 to you. Up to £27,000 in government funding is available. Co-funded employers pay no more than £1,350. Levy-paying employers use their apprenticeship levy pot at no extra cost.
Can I qualify as a solicitor after this?
Yes. On completion you hold Chartered Legal Executive practising rights. You can then sit the SQE to dual-qualify as a solicitor without repeating training.
Four steps from day one to qualified.
You get enrolled, we get you funded
You're already employed in a UK organisation. As an approved training provider by CILEx Regulation, we draw down the funding so there's nothing for you to pay.
Learn live, around your work
Live group Zoom sessions plus one-to-one tutorials with your Progress Tutor. Everything fits around your working week.
Specialise deeply in your chosen pathway
Pick one of eight specialism pathways. Civil, criminal, family, immigration, conveyancing, employment, business or probate. And go deep with Zoom workshops and 1-to-1 tutorials.
Qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive
Finish with a Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice, become Chartered with CILEx Regulation, and hold practising rights in your specialism. With the option to take the SQE and dual-qualify as a solicitor.
Your legal career starts here.
Register your interest and our team will walk you through funding, eligibility and your start date. It takes two minutes.