Criminal Litigation Practice Rights Qualification

No. You do not need a law degree or previous legal qualifications to start this route. You can start as a school leaver, a career changer or someone already working in law. If you have studied law before, your relevant previous study may qualify you for exemptions following review.

Yes. Recognising previous study is at the heart of how we have designed our qualifications. We believe you should not have to repeat learning you have already completed or pay again to study what you already know.

We have mapped a wide range of qualifications, including UK and overseas law degrees, the LPC, passed SQE assessments, and CILEX and CPQ units. You may have exemptions even if you did not finish the qualification.

Send us your certificates and transcripts. We will explain your exemptions, remaining study and reduced course fee.

No. You can start studying without previous legal work experience. You will need qualifying legal experience for authorisation, and you can gain this alongside your studies.

No. You do not need to become a CILEX member to study with us, and there are no CILEX student membership fees to pay.

We have designed our qualification with criminal litigation practice rights as the goal, rather than Fellowship alone.

Once you have completed the qualification and met the required work experience and portfolio requirements, you can apply to CILEx Regulation for authorisation as a Chartered Legal Executive Litigator (Criminal Litigation).

As part of that process, you are admitted as a Fellow of CILEX (FCILEx) before your criminal litigation practice rights are granted. Both steps are handled together when you make your application for practice rights.

Professional admission and practising fees become payable at that stage. A separate qualifying-experience assessment fee is payable when you apply to have your experience assessed, which may be an earlier step. There are no CILEX student membership fees to pay while studying with us.

Yes. Over a decade of helping thousands of people study alongside their jobs has shaped how we designed this qualification.

You study online, focusing on one unit at a time or studying units alongside each other. Tutor support, workshops and personal academic coaching help you understand the law and plan study around your work and other commitments.

You do not need to be employed or working full-time to start. If you are in a suitable legal role, you can also build the experience required for authorisation while studying.

Your study time depends on your previous qualifications and the time you can commit each week. If you are taking the full qualification, Core Legal Knowledge & Practice (Part 1) comprises ten units, and Specialist Legal Knowledge & Practice (Part 2) comprises three units.

Indicative completion time: [TO BE CONFIRMED]

Recommended weekly study commitment: [TO BE CONFIRMED]

Course access: [TO BE CONFIRMED]

Completing the qualification and becoming authorised are separate stages. You will also need to meet the qualifying-experience and portfolio requirements. You can work towards these alongside your studies through suitable supervised legal work. If you are not yet working in law, you will need access to that work before you can become authorised.

Yes. You can gain the experience required for authorisation alongside your studies, through suitable supervised legal work. The five-step section above explains the qualifying hours, competencies and case portfolio. Speak to your employer and supervisor early about the responsibilities and casework you need, so you can collect the required evidence as you gain experience.

Yes. Each unit is assessed through an online exam that you can take from home or your workplace, with remote invigilation. You do not need to travel to an exam centre.

Depending on the unit, questions include multiple-choice and single best answer questions, short answers and written advice applying the law to practical situations.

The ten units in Core Legal Knowledge & Practice (Part 1) are taught and assessed at Level 3. The three units in Specialist Legal Knowledge & Practice (Part 2) are taught and assessed at Level 6, equivalent to degree level.

Yes. You will receive individual feedback on your assessment so you know what to work on before your next attempt.

Over a decade of supporting learners, we have seen how frustrating an unsuccessful result without useful feedback can be, especially when you study alongside work. We do not believe that is fair. Your tutors can help you revisit topics, and mock assessments with tutor feedback help you prepare.

We have three assessment sittings each year. You can resit at the next scheduled sitting. Resit fees are £150 for a Core Legal Knowledge & Practice (Part 1) assessment and £250 for a Specialist Legal Knowledge & Practice (Part 2) assessment.

Yes. Over a decade of helping learners qualify while working, we have helped many people make the case for employer sponsorship.

Our downloadable Career Progression Business Plan template and guide help you explain your goals, the support you need and the benefit to the firm. We can help you confirm your exemptions, remaining study and fees, so you have a clear proposal.

For this qualification, your case could show how progressing towards criminal litigation practice rights would help you take on greater responsibility within the team. Download our business plan and guide, or speak to us for help getting started.

Yes. If you have someone in your criminal litigation team who is ready to progress, you can sponsor their studies with Law Training Centre.

We can review their existing qualifications for exemptions and explain the remaining study, costs and work experience requirements. This helps you plan their development around the role you want them to take on within your firm.

If you would like help deciding where to start, our free Employer Development Review gives you an opportunity to discuss your team’s needs and receive a practical written plan.

Complete the enrolment form, select employer sponsorship and provide your employer’s details for invoicing. We then invoice your employer directly.

You can complete the form yourself, or your employer can complete it on your behalf. If your firm needs a purchase order number or has particular invoicing requirements, let us know so we can arrange this with them.

Yes. If you are paying for your own studies, you can spread the cost through an instalment plan.

Initial payment: [TO BE CONFIRMED]
Monthly instalments and payment period: [TO BE CONFIRMED]
Total payable: [TO BE CONFIRMED]

Our Student Services Team will help you get started:

1. Enrolment: we process your form and contact you if anything needs clarifying.
2. Payment: we arrange payment with you or invoice your employer. For instalments, we explain the initial payment and Direct Debit setup.
3. Course access: once payment has been processed and your cooling-off period has ended, allow up to two working days for your login. You can request access during the cooling-off period if you want to start sooner.

You can then access your online materials and tutor support. Contact Student Services if you need help getting started.