About ILEX members
ILEX membership and qualification
ILEX is a membership organisation that provides a training and
qualification scheme. A person wishing to train in the law
will register with ILEX and commence the Level 3 qualification
programme and thereafter move onto the Level 6 qualification.
You can find full details of the ILEX qualification structure
here.
ILEX members also require at least 5 years qualifying employment
to complete their qualification programme. Upon completion
they become a Fellow of ILEX. A Fellow of ILEX is a Legal
Executive and may also be referred to as a Legal Executive
Lawyer. Details of the grades of ILEX membership through
which members may progress on their route to becoming a Fellow can
be found
here. It is a breach of the ILEX rules for a member of
ILEX to refer to themselves as a Legal Executive before they
have qualified as a Fellow.
ILEX maintains a register of members who have qualified as
Fellows. The register can be found
here.
Powers and duties
Membership of ILEX carries rights and privileges. It also
grants some practice rights to members.
A member who has qualified as a Fellow of ILEX may administer
Oaths. Fellows may also exercise additional advocacy rights
upon qualification as Legal Executive Advocates. You can find
out more about these practice rights
here.
Most members of ILEX work in legal practices and are able to
undertake most areas of work if they work under the supervision of
an authorised person, regardless of the grade of membership they
hold, if they are competent to do so. ILEX members tend to
specialise in one area of law.
A member who does not work under the supervision of an
authorised person may not undertake a ‘reserved legal
activity'. Reserved legal activities include conveyancing,
making applications for grants of probate or letters of
administration, conducting litigation and exercising advocacy
rights.
Further information about what work a member of ILEX is able to
undertake can be found here.
Code of Conduct
All members of ILEX are required to comply with all of ILEX's
rules and bye laws and to uphold the standards set out in the ILEX
Code of Conduct which can be found
here. The Code sets out 9 principles that members must
observe.
The 9 principles are that members must:
1. Uphold the rule of law
and the impartial administration of justice
2. Maintain high standards
of professional and personal conduct
3. Behave with honesty and
integrity
4. Comply with the ILEX and
IPS rules and bye-laws
5. Act in the best interests
of your client
6. Treat everyone equally
and fairly
7. Ensure your independence
is not compromised
8. Respect confidentiality
and trust
9. Act within your
competence