Can I switch from chartered legal executive to solicitor?

Dear Oracle

I passed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) two years ago and have been working as a paralegal. With no training contract in sight, can I become a chartered legal executive and go on to qualify as a solicitor that way?

The Oracle replies

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Qualifying as a chartered legal executive with CILEX

It’s possible to qualify with CILEX as a chartered legal executive and then either remain with CILEX, practising as a CILEX Lawyer, or choose to go on to qualify as a solicitor.

Aspiring lawyers who’ve already completed the LPC gain exemptions to the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) and enrol in the final stage of the CPQ – the Professional Stage. This stage combines academic study in your chosen area of law with work-based assessment.

On completion, as a CILEX Lawyer you’ll gain practice rights and be qualified to work at the equivalent level to solicitors in your chosen specialism.

Read about the CILEX Professional Qualification via CILEX’s LCN page.

A career as a CILEX Lawyer is a rewarding and fulfilling professional destination in its own right, and it may be that you find having qualified as a CILEX Lawyer, you’ve found your dream career and no longer want to switch. However, you may choose to use the experience and qualifications you’ve gained to count towards qualifying as a solicitor.

Chartered legal executive equivalent means pathway to becoming a solicitor

If you choose to continue on your path to becoming a solicitor having already passed the LPC, you can do so via the chartered legal executive equivalent means route until 31 December 2032.

As a practising chartered legal executive who’s completed the LPC, you’ll not need to complete a period of recognised training if you have:

• met the SRA’s academic stage requirements through study or any exemptions you’ve been granted;

• completed core elements of the Professional Skills Course (PSC); and
• been working as a chartered legal executive in the legal profession.

To qualify as a solicitor, you need to provide evidence of your status as a qualified legal executive (ie, a copy of a certificate of good standing from CILEX Regulation, which is fewer than three months old), as well as a copy of your PSC and LPC certificates to the SRA, after which point you’d be all set to be admitted to the roll. 

You can find out more about the documents you’d need when applying for admission this way via the SRA’s website.

Chartered legal executive to solicitor via SQE

If the LPC route is no longer an option for you (ie, you don’t meet the SRA’s transitional arrangements), you can qualify as a solicitor via the SQE route by sitting and passing SQE1 and SQE2.  

As a CILEX practitioner or chartered legal executive, you're recognised by the SRA as a qualified lawyer. This means you’re not required to complete two years of qualifying work experience, and you can also bypass the degree check and validation process. When you apply for admission, a certificate of good standing from your professional body will be sufficient.

Additionally, if you have practice rights similar to those of a solicitor in England and Wales, you can apply for an SQE2 exemption. There is a £265 fee and applications are assessed individually. For your application to be considered, you’ll need to provide detailed evidence such as references and examples from your practical experience demonstrating that your legal knowledge and skills meet the same standard as those assessed in SQE2.

For the most up-to-date information on applying for this exemption and the evidence required, visit the SRA’s website.

Once you’ve applied for your screening and received your SQE results, you can apply to be admitted to the roll of solicitors in the same way as before.