THE legal landscape is heading for a seismic shift with the forthcoming Clementi proposals promising to liberalise the way that different types of legal professional can join together through the new Legal Disciplinary Partnership.

For legal executives in particular, this would mark the final breakthrough in gaining equal status with their brothers and sisters-in-law — the solicitors and barristers. With a growing number of members, increasing recognition from government and a qualification system that is both accessible and flexible, the Institute of Legal Executives has powered forward recently to fill a gap both in the legal profession’s needs and the aspirations of individuals.

Gavin Neill, who works in-house for the legal department of the Royal Bank of Scotland, could easily have gone on to university. “I wanted to be a lawyer but I was concerned about the threat of student debt. I didn’t want to find myself aged 23 owing massive amounts of money,” he says.

Instead he opted to train as a legal executive with a local firm of solicitors in Bristol. “They were very supportive and funded me through my studies for membership of Ilex. From there I went on to a finance company and now I’m with RBS where we supervise major leasing and loan agreements for leading investments such as ships and property.”

Gavin has six years of work experience behind him, no debt and has enjoyed a good salary since leaving school. “I missed out on student life, I suppose, but I’m very happy with what I’m doing. And if I did want to qualify as a solicitor my Ilex qualifications give me significant exemptions from the Law Society’s exams.”

Training opportunities for would-be legal executives are available with high street and some corporate-based firms but are also on offer in both industry and the public sector. Moreover, it may shortly be possible to combine the Ilex qualifications with the new part-time foundation degree being introduced at many higher education institutions.

Unlike solicitors, who are required to gain very broad-based knowledge, the legal executive tends to focus much earlier on specialist fields such as conveyancing or probate. “Almost from Day 1 trainees are dealing with clients, writing letters, involved with the administration of the office,” says Diane Burleigh, of Ilex. “Legal executives are imbued with the spirit of practical lawyering. In many ways it is a more holistic approach.”

Nor is recruitment restricted to post-A-level entrants. An increasing number come in as graduates. Lorraine Hardy decided not to follow the Legal Practice Course after gaining her law degree because “there was no guarantee that I would get a training contract at the end of it”. Instead she set out to qualify as a legal executive and is now working in the childcare and adoption team within the family practice of Birkett Long Solicitors in Colchester, Essex. “Our hands-on approach to the job is beneficial to both us and the clients,” she says.

For further information go to www.ilex.org.uk

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