A guide to work-based learning for CPQ

An integral component of CPQ is that students will undertake work-based learning in a legal environment and gain real-world experience that contributes to their qualification.

Whether you aspire to become a CILEX Paralegal, CILEX Advanced Paralegal or CILEX Lawyer, you will already have real-world experience under your belt at the time of qualification.

Each of the three stages of CPQ (Foundation, Advanced and Professional) include the requirement to complete a Professional Experience portfolio, enabling you to demonstrate the ‘soft skills’ all competent legal professionals need, which fulfils the Competency Framework. In addition to this, if you intend to qualify as a CILEX Lawyer, you will need to showcase your legal practice experience at the Professional stage of CPQ.

How much qualifying experience do I need to complete in my CPQ?

There is no requirement for your professional experience portfolio to be legal-specific during the Foundation and Advanced stages of CPQ. However, in the Professional stage it must be work that contributes to the provision of legal services.

To complete the Professional stage of CPQ and qualify as a CILEX Lawyer, you must undertake at least 2300 hours of qualifying experience. This can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis.

The 2 years immediately before you apply for Fellowship under CILEx Regulation must be served consecutively.

What kinds of work-based learning are valid for each stage of CPQ?

• The work must contribute to the provision of legal services and must strictly relate to the law of England and Wales. You must be supervised by an authorised person (a solicitor or a Chartered Legal Executive).
  In order to become a Chartered Legal Executive (CILEX Lawyer) at the conclusion of the Professional stage, there are 8 areas of competency which CILEx Regulation requires you to complete:

1. Practical application of the law and legal practice
2. Communication skills
3. Client relations
4. Management of workload
5. Business awareness
6. Professional conduct
7. Self-awareness and development
8. Working with others

To demonstrate the client relations competency, your work will involve taking instructions from clients, understanding their positions, evaluate the options available to them and the risks and costs involved, and provide clear legal advice.

For the application of the law and legal practice, there are a series of outcomes that CILEx Regulation requires you to achieve, with at least two pieces of evidence for each:

1. Apply the law to a matter
2. Apply the relevant legal procedure to a matter
3. Identify and deal with the issues arising in a matter
4. Undertake legal research

Some of the work you might perform towards these outcomes can include drafting client documents, gathering evidence, negotiating, or processing legal transactions.

To ensure your day-to-day duties fulfil the brief of qualifying experience, we strongly recommend you have your role assessed as qualifying experience by CILEx Regulation before you begin your portfolio. This will ensure you are exposed to everything necessary to meet these outcomes.

I already have legal work experience. Can I be exempt from modules or stages of CPQ?

Work experience cannot provide any exemptions from CPQ modules or stages; only qualifications can do this. If you have a law degree or another qualification based on English & Welsh law, there may be some modules you will be exempt from, as your existing qualifications might already cover those areas of knowledge or skill.