CILEX acquires Institute of Paralegals in latest move to boost consumer confidence

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The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) has secured its role as the leading body for specialist legal professionals by acquiring the Institute of Paralegals (IoP) and its Professional Paralegal Register (PPR).

The IoP’s 1000 members will join the 20,000 CILEX lawyers, chartered legal executives, paralegals and other legal professionals who make up CILEX’s membership. This is the most recent push from CILEX to boost consumer confidence in the provision of legal services, by “ensuring paralegals have the necessary experience, training and regulation”.

Further, more than 75% of the IoP’s members belong to the voluntary regulator, PPR, alongside 200 members of other paralegal organisations.

Meanwhile, 44% of IoP members are in law firms, while the remaining 66% work in a variety of settings, from companies and charities to local and other public authorities (eg, the NHS). Over the course of 2023 CILEX will manage a phased transition to integrate IoP and PPR members into CILEX membership.

Rita Leat, IoP’s chief executive and PPR’s managing director, will work with CILEX as a special adviser to advise on the transition and to support IoP, PPR members and their employers during this change.

CILEX Chief Executive Linda Ford says: “CILEX and the IoP have a shared vision for recognising the important role paralegals play in the delivery of legal services. As the home of specialist legal professionals, we were the natural choice to take the IoP and PPR forward, as we are able to offer its members a recognised professional status as a CILEX Paralegal and access to structured and supported career pathways.”

CILEX pioneered the non-university route into law and recently launched the CILEX Professional Qualification.

For more alternative routes into the law, check out this guide to law apprenticeships and our law apprenticeships vacancies board.