Legal Executive
Legal executives are qualified lawyers who do similar work to a solicitor. They deal with routine cases and help to prepare the more complex ones, often specialising in one of four areas:
· Conveyancing - helping clients through all the legal stages of buying, selling and leasing property.
· Company/business law - advising clients on the law as it relates to their company or business
· Probate - making sure that the estate or property of people who have died is disposed of in the way they stated in their will
· Litigation - advising clients in dispute with another person or organisation
Entry level
It is possible to begin in this career at 16 through an apprenticeship or by finding a full-time job with training. You can also start by taking a full-time college course to study for the first set of exams, and then continue training in employment or through an apprenticeship. The minimum qualificationsare four GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3) in academic subjects, including English. Many people start in this career at 18 or over, and have more than the minimum qualifications. Some have degrees.
To become fully qualified, you must be at least 25, have passed the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) Professional Qualification in Law and have worked for five years in qualifying employment. Two of these years must be worked after passing the final exams.
In Scotland, there are no legal executives but staff known as paralegals or solicitors' assistants support work in solicitors' offices. Most employers ask for at least four GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3) including English and maths, followed by office experience, ideally with a law firm. There is no Scottish professional body equivalent to ILEX.
Making the grade
You can study for the ILEX exams through day release, evening classes or distance learning. The ILEX Professional Qualification in Law has two parts:
· ILEX Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law (PDL) is an advanced-level course which provides a broad introduction to all the main areas of law and legal practice
· ILEX Level 4 Professional Higher Diploma in Law (PHDL) is a degree-level course which covers study in law and legal practice within one of the main legal specialisms: civil litigation, company practice, conveyancing, criminal litigation, matrimonial practice or probate.
The average time to complete the course is four years.
After qualifying, you can move on to more complex cases. In a large organisation, you might gain promotion to managerial work.
It is possible to qualify as a solicitor after becoming a Fellow of ILEX. There is no requirement to serve a two-year training contract but you must take a Legal Practice course.
Personal qualities
As a legal executive, you should be able to communicate effectively at all levels, giving advice clearly and objectively, using documents in complicated legal language, and able to write clear, concise English.
You would possibly be dealing with several different cases at the same time, and would need to have good organisational and administrative abilities. You must be able to concentrate and work accurately with attention to detail. Much of the information you handle would be highly confidential so tact and discretion would be essential.
Looking ahead
Most of the 23,000 members of ILEX work for solicitors in private practice. However, the number employed in a practice, and the type of work they do, depends on the size and location of the practice. You could also find work in the Civil Service, local government, commerce and industry.
Alternative suggestions
You might also consider barrister/advocate, barrister's clerk, civil servant, licensed conveyancer or solicitor.
Take-home pay
There is no recommended minimum salary for trainee legal executives but starting salaries typically range from around £18,000 to £20,000. Your salary is likely to rise with experience and increasing responsibility to £25,000 to £50,000, and even more for a senior Fellow of ILEX. Salaries vary greatly depending on employer, location and type of work, with those in the city, particularly in commercial litigation, normally very high.
Employers often help with course or examination fees - the total training costs, including fees and books, come to around £3,000.
Effects
You would normally work 37 hours over a five-day week, but you might need to work late or take work home during busy periods. In addition, you would need to be prepared to use your free time in the early years to study for your examinations.
Sources of information
Institute of Legal Executives: www.ilex.org.uk
Law Careers Advice Network: www.lcan.org.uk
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