The CILEx Professional Qualification (CPQ) has three core elements, legal knowledge, practice and skills and ethics and professional responsibility. Candidates are also required to complete professional experience to complete the three levels on their journey to achieve the full CPQ.

The qualification is divided into three levels:

•          Foundation

•          Advanced

•          Professional

Candidates will commence their journey being able to claim exemptions from certain modules depending on what existing qualifications they hold or if they have completed the CILEx Paralegal Apprenticeship.

The CPQ will take an average of around 5 – 6  years to complete.

The stages and content are set out below:

Foundation

This is the first level of the CPQ, there are six mandatory modules:

          Ethics and Professional Responsibility

          Professional Skills (succeeding in a legal environment and legal research)

          Legal Systems

          Contract Law

          The Law of Tort

          Introduction to Property and Private Client

In addition to complete this level candidates must complete a period of Professional Experience,

Once this level is complete, successful candidates will hold CILEx Paralegal status.

Advanced

This stage has five mandatory modules and a choice of at least one optional module:

Mandatory Modules

          Ethics and Professional Responsibility Part 2

          Professional and Legal Skills

          Dispute Resolution

          Criminal Law and Litigation

Optional Modules – candidates must select one of the following optional modules:

          Business and Employment Law

          Family Law and Practice

          Will, Probate and Private Client

          Property and Conveyancing

 

Candidates at Advanced level will also be required to evidence the application of these areas of knowledge in their Professional Experience.

                                                                                               

Professional

This is the final stage and upon completion candidates will be CILEx Lawyers. This final stages allows candidates to demonstrate specialist knowledge in particular areas of practice.

There is one mandatory module:

          Professional Skills

Candidates are able to select one further module from the following options:

          Dispute Resolution

          Criminal Litigation

          Residential Conveyancing

          Commercial Conveyancing (Subject to demand )

          Employment Law

          Family Litigation

          Will, Probate and Private Client

The Professional stage module choice is determined by the area of practice that the candidate wishes to enter, however the module choice MUST BE UNDERPINNED by a relevant Advanced stage module.

 

As part of your apprenticeship,  you will be required to complete an End point assessment on completion of your professional unit.

You will be required to log 6 hours a week off the job training based on working 30 hours per week or  20% if you work less than 30 hours, for the duration of the course prior to your End Point assessment.