CoL and CILEx join forces for profession-wide training service

The College of Law (CoL) and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) have teamed up to deliver a 'one-stop shop' for the legal profession's training requirements. The free training service aims to cater for the needs of legal professionals at all stages of their careers.

The new partnership is a response to one of the main issues raised by the forthcoming Legal Education and Training Review (LETR); the need for more clear and flexible entry routes into the profession, as well as recognised qualifications for both university graduates and non-graduates. The collaboration will see the CoL advising clients on the training of all staff, from school leavers to partners. In the cases of support staff, paralegals and chartered legal executives, the CoL will draw on the expertise of CILEx. The new training service will provide recognised qualifications at every level and increase the number of exit and entry points to the profession in order to cater for the diverse needs and goals of modern legal professionals.

Professor Nigel Savage, the CoL's chief executive, said: "This agreement brings together two organisations [that] are the leaders in their fields and represents a practical and pragmatic approach to the issues being addressed in the LETR. While the LETR is set to publish its final recommendations in December, the College and CILEx are ahead of the game by already putting forward solutions for the changing face of the legal profession. Considering the strong positions we occupy in our respective marketplaces and the growth of paralegal employment in UK legal services, we believe that this partnership will be very positive for both organisations."

Noel Inge, managing director of the CILEx-owned law school, ILEX Tutorial College, added: "This approach is absolutely right for the fast changing legal services industry."