30 September 2011
Irwin Mitchell turns to ILEX for Paralegal training
The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) will be providing
paralegal training for one of the country’s biggest law firms as
part of a three year contract.
Irwin Mitchell has turned to ILEX and ILEX Tutorial College
(ITC) to tailor a programme with the firm to ensure its paralegals
are among the best trained.
Chief Executive Officer at ILEX, Diane Burleigh,
said: “In the past few months we’ve had some very large, national
law firms coming to ILEX to develop their in-house training and we
are delighted to now also be working in close partnership with
Irwin Mitchell.
“ILEX represents over 10,000 Paralegals making us
the largest Paralegal representative body in England and Wales.
Irwin Mitchell clearly recognises the knowledge and professionalism
that ILEX brings to the legal sector and understands the importance
of ensuring that their paralegals are fully trained.”
Catherine Kenwright, the Firm’s Head of Knowledge
and Learning Services adds, “The Irwin Mitchell University (IMU)
Law and Business School, which launched this year, is a
career-spanning development programme for our people, from
paralegals to partners. It is designed to equip them with the
legal and business skills they need to support our
clients.
"The strategic relationship with ILEX and ITC has
enabled us to go one step further than other UK Firms to develop a
bespoke programme of education which meets our particular business
and training needs at paralegal level, rather than simply placing
individuals on ILEX standard courses. It strongly complements
our strategic relationship with The College of Law, with whom we
have also worked to develop similar blended graduate and post
graduate programmes for trainees, solicitors and partners."
The 15 paralegals started their IMU Certificate
in Legal Practice with ITC on 8 September and will study units such
as Tort, Contract, Civil Litigation and Client care and further
internal business based subjects. On completion students will
graduate with an externally recognised. ILEX Level 3 Professional
Diploma in Law and Practice and the opportunity to progress further
study with the IMU Law and Business School at the next stage of
their career with the Firm. Further students will begin next
calendar year.
Jenny Pelling, ITC’s Business Director, explained
the process: “Irwin Mitchell employees would be studying with ITC
by ‘blended’ distance learning with additional in-house face to
face classes to give the students, and the firm, flexibility.
The ILEX subjects will be interspersed with elements of the firm’s
internal learning and development programme through the IMU Law and
Business School.”
This news follows Yorkshire law firm Gordons and
national firm DWF taking on legal apprentices who will study via
the ILEX route to become Legal Executive Lawyers.
For more information about the ILEX route, visit
our website http://www.ilexcareers.org.uk/
or contact ILEX Tutorial College at http://www.ilex-tutorial.ac.uk/
01234 844326
ENDS