Become an Apprentice
Looking to build a career in the Law? Worried about the cost of going to university? Then CILEX Apprenticeships are for you!
What is an apprenticeship?
The principle behind apprenticeships is simple: you work for an organisation and earn a salary in return, as you would in a regular job. In addition, you continue to train, and that training is paid for by the employer and the government.
Why choose an apprenticeship?
- Earn while you learn: start earning a salary from day one .
- Fast-track your career: gain work experience at the same time as studying, giving you a head start in your career .
- Gain real-world experience: practical on-the-job training helps build the confidence and commercial skills you need to succeed in law .
- No debt from studying: your training is paid for by the employer and the government .
Why train with CILEX Law School?
As part of CILEX, we exist to provide accessible routes into law: put simply, apprenticeships go to the heart of what we do.
Benefits of training with us include:
- Study with the experts: choose the specialist legal apprenticeship provider with experienced staff helping you to successfully complete your legal apprenticeship
- Be confident of success: our achievement rates are significantly above the national average
- Practical training: based on real life scenarios and interactive online workshops to put into practice in your job
- Clear progression: you will progress in stages through our programmes to support a gradual increase in responsibility as you grow in your role
- Be the future of law: in choosing to train with us, you’ll be joining a branch of the legal profession that is driven by the mission to be representative of the society it serves.
What apprenticeships do we offer?
We offer three apprenticeships with clear progression, from entry point roles in the legal profession through to qualified lawyer status:
Set at A-level equivalent, this programme is ideal if you have no law experience or have completed an intermediate apprenticeship or have some prior experience in a business or administration role.
Duration: 18-month programme
Benefits:
- Develop the highly transferable skills needed to develop, maintain and improve essential administrative services
- Off-the-job learning requirement: minimum six hours per week
Paralegals have become the fastest growing role within the legal services sector and work alongside law professionals such as chartered legal executives and solicitors. Paralegals give legal advice and support on regulated aspects of law. As a paralegal you can work in a law firm or within in-house legal departments, legal services firms, not-for-profit sector and charities.
The Paralegal apprenticeship is intended either to be a destination in its own right, or to be a steppingstone onto the full CILEX Lawyer apprenticeship offering.
Duration: 24-month programme
Typical roles: Legal caseworker, legal assistant, legal file handler, paralegal
Benefits:
- Develop fundamental legal knowledge and professional skills, as well as practical skills such as the use of technology and commercial awareness
This programme is for those who have a strong commitment to obtaining qualified lawyer status. We offer the programme as a steppingstone for those who have either completed the Paralegal apprenticeship programme, completed CPQ Foundation stage or possess a law degree.
Duration: from 36 to 48 months depending on entry point and route (contentious or non-contentious)
Typical roles: CILEX Lawyer; Chartered legal executive lawyer; Chartered legal executive litigator and advocate
Benefits:
- Develop the specialist knowledge and skills needed for a successful career as a CILEX lawyer, supported by a nationally recognised qualification, CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ).
Am I eligible to apply?
Apprentices must be over 16 years old and live in England. You will need to be employed in a relevant job role and so you will need the support of your employer. Whilst apprenticeships are open to both new and existing staff, government funding rules mean that all apprentices must require the development of significant new knowledge, skills and behaviours in their role.
CILEX Law School entry requirements vary by programme and so please contact us for further information. Individual employers may also have their own requirements so please check each vacancy you are interested in.
Get in touch
If you have a question about apprenticeships or would like to discuss your learning needs with us, please get in touch.
