• The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) is the professional body representing over 22,000 members and is a leading provider of legal education.
• Legal Executives are qualified lawyers who specialise in a particular area of law.
• ILEX is recognised as the third branch of the legal profession alongside solicitors and barristers

What is a Legal Executive?

Legal Executives are qualified lawyers specialising in a particular area of law. They will have passed the ILEX Professional Qualification in Law in an area of legal practice to the same level as that required of solicitors. They will have at least five years experience of working under the supervision of a solicitor in legal practice or the legal department of a private company or local/national government.

Fellows are issued with an annual practising certificate, and only Fellows of ILEX may describe themselves as 'Legal Executives'.

What do Legal Executives do?

Specialising in a particular area of law, their day-to-day work is similar to that of a solicitor:

• handle various legal aspects of a property transfer
• assist in the formation of a company,
• be involved in actions in the High Court or county courts, draft wills,
• advise clients accused of serious or petty crime or families with matrimonial problems
• many other matters affecting people in their domestic and business affairs.

Legal Executives are fee earners - in private practice their work is charged directly to clients -making a direct contribution to the income of a law firm. This is an important difference between Legal Executives and other types of legal support staff who tend to handle work of a more routine nature.

The official trade publication for Legal Executives:
The Legal Executive
Journal of the Institute of Legal Executives. The only publication received by all members of ILEX containing topical issues, legal updates and legal jobs.

Interview with Nick Hanning, ILEX Lawyer and Advocate

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Nick Hanning - he was one of the 1st to qualify as a Legal Executive Advocate and he specialises in PI, Occupational Stress, Harassment & Bullying. Read the full interview with Nick Hanning, ILEX Lawyer and Advocate.

Links

• Legal Executive Jobs
• Wage Watch Data for Legal Executives
• ILEX Website