CILEx Level 6 Qualification
Government Funded Route
The Chartered Legal Executive Apprenticeship is currently the only government-funded apprenticeship that grants practice rights in your chosen legal specialism on completion. Once accepted by CILEx Regulation, you can conduct litigation, advise clients, and act as a fee-earner from Grade C and above, on par with a solicitor in your specialism.
Private Diploma Route
Prefer to qualify on your own terms instead of through an apprenticeship route? Our privately-funded Chartered Legal Executive Diplomas – the Graduate route for law graduates and the Non-Graduate route for legal staff without a degree – take you to the same Chartered status, with practice rights built in and flexible monthly payment plans.
What You Need to Know About the CILEx Level 6 Qualification
The Level 6 Chartered Legal Executive Apprenticeship is a degree-equivalent qualification that combines academic study with day-to-day legal practice. Over 29 months of structured training, plus up to 4 months for the final assessment, learners build deep knowledge across the core areas of English law and then specialise in their chosen pathway. On successful completion and acceptance by CILEx Regulation, learners qualify as Chartered Legal Executives with full practice rights in their specialism.
The programme is government-funded with up to £27,000 of training costs covered. Co-funded employers pay no more than £1,350 across the full programme; levy-paying employers can use their existing levy funds. All exam costs are included, and Datalaw is approved by CILEx Regulation as a training and exam centre for this qualification.
Companies That Chose This Programme
Want the Full Programme Details? Download Our 2026 Apprenticeship Prospectus
Routes That Give You Practice Rights
If you want to qualify and start practising in a specialist area of law without the longer SQE pathway, two government-funded apprenticeships put you on a direct route to recognised practice rights. Compare the options below to see which best fits your role.
A Level 6 degree-equivalent qualification that combines structured academic study with applied legal practice. Over 29 months, you complete core mandatory modules and a chosen specialist pathway, then apply to CILEx Regulation for full practice rights in that specialism. From day one of qualification you act as a Grade C fee-earner and above.
Duration: 29 months of training plus up to 4 months for end-point assessment.
Funding: Up to £27,000 covered. Co-funded employers pay no more than £1,350.
Outcome: Chartered Legal Executive status with litigation practice rights in your chosen specialism.
A 36-month Level 6 route awarded by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers. It builds advanced conveyancing knowledge, accounts and compliance skills, leading directly to qualification as a Licensed Conveyancer with practice rights in residential and commercial property work.
Duration: 36 months plus up to 4 months for final assessment.
Funding: Up to £18,000 covered. Co-funded employers pay no more than £900.
Outcome: Eligible to apply for a CLC conveyancing licence and practise as a property lawyer.
The Private Diploma Route to Chartered Legal Executive
If government-funded apprenticeships do not suit your circumstances, our private Chartered Legal Executive Diplomas are an alternative way to qualify with full practice rights. Both Diplomas are CILEx Regulation-approved, delivered 100% online, and lead to the same Chartered Legal Executive status as the apprenticeship route – with monthly payment plans starting from £89 per month.
The Graduate Chartered Legal Executive Diploma is built for learners who already hold an LLB or an equivalent qualifying law qualification (such as a non-law degree plus the GDL/PGDL). It picks up where your degree leaves off and focuses on the applied legal practice your degree probably did not cover – dispute resolution in practice, conveyancing in practice, wills and probate, and the advanced day-to-day skills lawyers actually use.
You then choose a specialist pathway aligned to the area of law you want to practise in, before completing a Professional Readiness stage. Study is fully online and self-paced, so you can fit it around a fee-earner role or other commitments.
The Non-Graduate Chartered Legal Executive Diploma is the route for legal team members who are working in law firms without a degree. You will need to be employed in a legal role, but you do not need a law degree, an LLB or a GDL to start. The first year covers the foundations – the legal system, public law, human rights and core skills for legal professionals – then a second year develops these into deeper practitioner-level knowledge.
From there you select a specialist pathway and complete the Professional Readiness stage. The whole programme is delivered online with structured tutor support and built-in flexibility.
Both Diplomas finish at the same point under the new CILEx Regulation framework. On completion you can:
- Be admitted as a Chartered Legal Executive with full practice rights in your chosen specialism
- Act as a Commissioner for Oaths under section 113 of the Legal Services Act 2007
- Practise independently and run your own legal practice as an authorised person
- Use the protected professional title CILEX Lawyer
Authorisation is integrated into the Diploma itself – there is no separate application or extra portfolio submission once you finish.
Curriculum: Apprenticeship and Diploma Routes
The CILEx Level 6 Apprenticeship and the two Chartered Legal Executive Diplomas finish at the same destination, but the journey is different. Use the tabs below to see how each route is structured – the apprenticeship modules, the Graduate Diploma units, the Non-Graduate Diploma units, and the specialist pathways and benefits shared by all three.
The Level 6 CILEx apprenticeship route blends mandatory core modules with one specialist pathway:
- Paralegal Skills (including Ethics)
- Introduction to Dispute Resolution (Civil) Law
- Introduction to Criminal Law
- Introduction to Public Law
- Introduction to Human Rights and Equality
- Plus the specialist pathway you choose at enrolment
Apprentices follow the structured 29-month plan with off-the-job learning, end-point assessment and a tutor assigned for the duration of the programme.
Year 1 of the Graduate Diploma focuses on the practical legal areas that a qualifying law degree usually does not cover in any depth:
- Dispute Resolution – Legal Practice
- Conveyancing – Legal Practice
- Introduction to Wills and Probate Legal Knowledge & Practice
- Advanced Skills for the Legal Professional (research, drafting, client interviewing, case management)
Year 2 layers in your chosen specialist pathway and the Professional Readiness stage that demonstrates the competencies CILEx Regulation requires for authorisation.
The Non-Graduate Diploma starts from the foundations, so a degree is not assumed. Year 1 builds your core legal knowledge:
- Introduction to Law and Legal Practice
- Introduction to Public Law
- Introduction to Human Rights
- Foundation Skills for the Legal Professional
Year 2 develops deeper practitioner-level units before you move into a specialist pathway and the Professional Readiness stage that aligns with CILEx Regulation’s competency framework.
Whichever route you take, you finish by specialising. Choose one of the pathways below to match the work you do or the practice area you want to qualify into:
- Business Practice
- Civil Litigation
- Conveyancing
- Criminal Practice
- Employment Law
- Family Practice
- Wills and Probate
The specialist pathway is what unlocks practice rights in that area on qualification.
- Practice rights are built into every route – no separate authorisation step once you complete the programme.
- All three routes are CILEx Regulation-approved and lead to the same Chartered Legal Executive status and the right to use the title CILEX Lawyer.
- You can act as a Commissioner for Oaths and run your own practice as an authorised person.
- Apprentices study with full government funding; Diploma learners use flexible monthly payment plans starting from £89 per month.
- Live tutor support, applied case-based learning and online delivery on every route.
Who Can Apply for the CILEx Level 6 Qualification
- Hold a 2:2 or 2:1 law degree, or a non-law degree plus the GDL/PGDL.
- Be employed in a UK legal team and on the payroll throughout the apprenticeship.
- Spend at least 50% of your working time in England.
- Pathways differentiate by experience: 0-2 years, 2-5 years, 5+ years.
How Government Funding Works for the CILEx Level 6 Qualification
The Chartered Legal Executive Apprenticeship attracts up to £27,000 of government funding. How much your firm contributes depends on whether you pay the apprenticeship levy. Datalaw’s team can walk you through the rules and the steps to reserve funding through the government platform.
- Non-levy paying employers pay just 5% of training costs - capped at £1,350 across the full programme.
- Levy-paying employers cover 100% of training costs from existing levy funds.
- All exam fees and assessment costs are included in the apprenticeship funding.
Trusted by Over 27,000 Professionals
Speak With a Datalaw Apprenticeship Coordinator
Not sure whether the Chartered Legal Executive route fits your firm or your career path? Our coordinators talk through the options with you directly, no pressure, no sales script.
- Confirm whether the CLE Apprenticeship is the right fit for your role and firm.
- Walk through eligibility, exemptions and how the specialist pathways are chosen.
- Map out funding, levy use and the 5% employer contribution if applicable.
- Discuss progression options including SQE prep after qualification.
Why Law Firms Choose Datalaw for the CILEx Level 6 Qualification
Datalaw is the UK’s number one training provider for government-funded legal apprenticeships and an approved training and exam centre for the Chartered Legal Executive qualification. Over 700 firms trust us to develop their fee-earners through this route.
- Approved by CILEx Regulation as a training and exam centre - all exam costs are included.
- Higher fee-earning capability for your apprentice from Grade C upwards on qualification.
- Dedicated tutor and progress reviews so the learner and the firm always know where they stand.
- Multiple cohort start dates each year to align with your hiring and resourcing plans.
Join Our Community
Powerful Results
The Chartered Legal Executive Apprenticeship delivers measurable outcomes for both apprentices and the firms that support them. The results below come from learners on Datalaw’s CILEx Regulation-approved pathway.
90%
of CLE apprentices report higher confidence in their specialism within six months.
94%
of supervisors say their CLE apprentice adds measurable value to fee-earning work.
100%
of exam fees and assessments are covered inside the apprenticeship funding.
Ready to Start Your CILEx Level 6 Qualification?
Explore More Apprenticeships with Datalaw
Level 4 Conveyancing Apprenticeship
An 18-month CLC-aligned route into property law, ideal for paralegals moving into conveyancing-focused fee-earning roles.
- 21 months duration
- Group & 1-2-1 sessions via Zoom
- Level 4 qualification
Paralegal Apprenticeship
The Level 3 entry route into the legal profession, designed for learners new to law or those with experience but no formal qualification.
- 13 months duration
- Group & 1-2-1 sessions via Zoom
- Level 3 qualification
Advanced Paralegal Apprenticeship
The Level 5 stepping-stone for graduates and Level 3 paralegals, embedding SQE1 competencies and CLE-aligned content.
- 12-24 months duration
- Group & 1-2-1 sessions via Zoom
- SQE Prep Course