Legal Apprentices

What is a Legal Apprentice?

The term ‘Legal Apprentice’ is increasingly used  within the legal sector to describe a number of differing training opportunities that employers are developing for existing and new members of staff.

Traditionally, an apprentice is someone who learns an art or trade from an employer or other skilled workers. Knowledge and skills are passed on this way and this method of learning is well established and effective in a variety of occupations.

The term has only been used in a limited way in the legal sector. However CILEx has always understood the merits of the relationship between working and learning for trainee Chartered Legal Executives.

Trainee Chartered Legal Executives are often considered to be taking an ‘apprenticeship style’ approach as they usually combine their study whilst earning in the workplace.

However, the idea of a formal Legal Apprenticeship has previously failed to grasp the imagination of the legal services sector. At the moment there is no government backed, national apprenticeship framework for Legal Apprentices.

However, this is now in the process of changing.

National developments in the Legal Services sector

CILEx is currently working with Skills for Justice (Legal Services Sector Skills Council), the National Apprenticeship Service, and other key sector stakeholders to develop an apprenticeship framework for non lawyer staff employed in Legal Services.

This is likely to be initially at Advanced Level (A Level equivalent). It will be designed to meet the needs of the employers in the legal sector and equip Legal Services employees with the necessary occupational legal knowledge and skills to meet their specified role.

Once developed, this framework would offer new opportunities both to school leavers contemplating a legal career, and to existing legal employees. The framework would also provide progression routes into the legal profession for those wishing to build upon their achievements.

It would offer legal employers the opportunity to recruit and train staff in a flexible way that will meet their needs, and potentially be subsidised by government funding.

There are a number of different elements to the development of this first apprenticeship framework for the entire legal services sector.  It is anticipated that the framework itself will be ready for use by early 2013. CILEx, in conjunction with Skills for Justice and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), is currently finalising the first pathway through the framework for CPS paralegal case workers, which is to be launched by April 2012. With support from CILEx and a number of voluntary organisations, Skills for Justice is also developing an apprenticeship framework based on national occupational standards developed for those working in the Legal Advice Sector.

Existing Apprentice Schemes

Whilst the development of a national apprenticeship framework in Legal Services marks the first step by the Legal Services sector towards the creation of a nationally recognised Legal Apprenticeship, there are existing apprenticeships in other roles.

The Business Administration frameworks have specified ‘legal administration’ pathways at both Intermediate (Level 2) and Advanced (Level 3) levels. Since 2004 ILEX (in conjunction with City and Guild) has provided the ‘knowledge’ qualifications for this ‘legal administration’ pathway at both levels. Further details can be found by clicking here.

Bespoke Schemes for law firms

Increasingly legal firms are looking to create their own ‘apprenticeship-style’ training for their employees. ILEX Tutorial College is already leading the way in helping a number of firms to create these training schemes, some of which have the backing of Skills for Justice.

These included bespoke programmes which will provide a route into the legal profession for young people who choose not to attend university, as well as being a development option for current staff. The ‘apprentices’ receive customised inductions, training and study support.

Similar schemes are also in place to help firms with their own in-house training programmes where their staff study both at Level 3 and Level 6.

The future of legal training

CILEx’s history and understanding of the Legal Services sector, as a professional, membership and awarding body, means that it is ideally placed to play a key strategic part in the development of the idea of a fully-fledged Legal Apprentice pathway.

CILEx is committed to the development of the idea of the Legal Apprentice in all forms. CILEx is dedicated to a professional and diverse Legal Services sector and recognises that it is only through a range of initiatives including apprenticeships that the needs of the public, legal employers and employees can be met.

If you are interested in finding out more about CILEx’s involvement in legal apprenticeships, then please contact one of CILEx’s apprenticeship team: