ILEX Sets Higher StandardsThrough New Member
Grades
14 October
2009 pr041.09
The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) has launched a new
system of membership grades with wider reaching requirements for
Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The new system, which
comes into effect immediately, also reflects the learning
milestones achieved by prospective Legal Executive lawyers as they
work their way up the ladder.
Commenting on the ethos behind the new grades, ILEX President
and Chair of the ILEX Education Committee, Judith Gordon Nichols
stated: "ILEX believes in progress through knowledge. We say that
it is unthinkable for anyone to undertake legal work for
individuals and businesses without relevant education, training,
qualification and regulation. We have now moved to a structure that
better supports those values.
"Previously many ILEX members fell into what was called the
Student category, but that label didn't fully acknowledge the
valuable skills they were amassing whilst undertaking their ILEX
qualifications.
The 'ILEX Student member' category
will now only contain individuals who have no relevant
qualification and who possess less than 3 years' experience of
fee-earning work in the legal sector. Many of those who were
previously termed ILEX Students will now have their achievements
formally recognised by a number of new grades, some of which
entitle them to use designated letters after their names, and
impose CPD obligations on them. This will provide reassurance for
employers and clients alike," she explained.
'ILEX
Affiliates' are the first grade up from the redefined
'Student' category. Affiliates members will hold at least
one ILEX Level 3 unit qualification (set and assessed at A-level
difficulty), or will have completed a relevant legal qualification
at Level 2, or at least three years' experience in a legal
environment undertaking predominantly fee earning work.
The
'ILEX Associate 'member follows on. This category
has been remodelled to embody all those who have completed their
ILEX Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice or who are
graduates with Qualifying Law Degrees. Associate members can now
use the designatory letters A.Inst.L.Ex after their name, and are
required to complete eight hours of CPD.
The 'ILEX Graduate
Member' category will comprise those who have
completed the ILEX Level 6 ILEX Professional Diploma in Law and
Practice (which is set and assessed at honours degree level), and
those holding either an Legal Practice Course (LPC) or a Bar
Vocational Course (BVC) qualification. Graduate members are
entitled to use the designatory letters G.Inst.L.Ex after their
name, and are required to undertake 12 hours of CPD.
The 'ILEX Fellows' category will
remain as it is, still requiring completion of the relevant
academic qualifications, and five years' qualifying employment, at
least two of which must be after completing ILEX's academic
requirements. ILEX Fellows are recognised as qualified lawyers and
only they are eligible to use the term Legal Executive and the
designatory letters F.Inst.L.Ex. Fellows are required to take 16
hours of CPD.
"Our new membership structure will help reassure employers and
clients and clearly establish the level of competence which their
individual adviser has reached, with recognition of the skills they
have achieved along the way. Once they have completed their first
stage of ILEX academic training and become an Associate, employers
can charge fee-earning time as level D litigation assistant fee
scale, which is currently up to £136 an hour in London and up to
£116 nationally Ms Gordon Nichols continued.
"Once they have passed their second stage of ILEX academic
training and become a Graduate Member they can be charged out at
level C litigation assistant fee scale, which is currently up to
£222 an hour in London or £158 nationally. Thereafter, with
experience, there is no reason for ILEX Fellows not to make grade A
fee earners" she stressed.
All ILEX members will continue to be regulated by ILEX
Professional Standards (IPS).