Apprenticeship training course

Chartered legal executive litigator and advocate (level 7)

Handle legal matters including giving legal advice.

• Qualification level: 7 ; Equivalent to master’s degree.
• Typical duration: 66 months
• Apprenticeship category: Legal, finance and accounting
• Maximum funding: £27,000 ; Maximum amount government will fund ; for apprenticeship training.
• Skills:
  Skills an apprentice will learn

  • establish the clients' existing position, needs and expectations and identify needs that they may not recognise, utilising specialist expertise as required.
  • undertake independent research in the areas of specialism using standard legal information sources.
  • conduct and collate legal and factual research around all aspects of the matter, including case law, legal procedure, legal changes and documentation in a thorough, pragmatic and organised manner, using the full range of available tools and digital technologies, including assessment of quality of research sources and apply it to the legal matter in hand, to produce research notes.
  • identify the applicable law and procedures for legal matters.
  • test and challenge information and data, establish evidence and evaluate its validity.
  • analyse, synthesise, and evaluate information in different ways to determine how to act on client’s instructions and identify any real or potential conflicts of interest.
  • undertake the analysis of factual, legal, procedural, and evidential information.
  • integrate information and materials from a variety of different sources and identify appropriately the relevant chronology and issues.
  • interpret results, present findings accurately and apply these to the legal matter using supporting evidence.
  • summarise the strengths and weaknesses of each party’s case.
  • provide clear and unambiguous legal advice to clients and service users, including advice on the available options, the risks, the costs and the benefits of alternative courses of action, next steps and providing supporting evidence.
  • make critical judgments of the merits of particular arguments.
  • present and make a reasoned choice between alternative solutions.
  • develop an effective case presentation strategy.
  • prepare a case theory that is both succinct and persuasive and that observes the rules of professional conduct.
  • prepare a coherent submission to the court based upon relevant facts, general principles, and legal authorities in a structured, concise and persuasive manner in a practical setting in relation to an interim application.
  • undertake an opening speech, examination-in-chief, cross-examination, re-examination, and a closing speech.
  • deal effectively with uncooperative witnesses.
  • call expert evidence when appropriate and use and challenge expert evidence effectively.
  • deal with the court’s questions and concerns promptly.
  • respond to an opponent’s points.
  • prepare the necessary documentation on behalf of clients, draft and present legal documentation in line with professional standards including documents with bespoke content.
  • select most appropriate method of communication and use accurate and suitable language in communication, both written and oral, to communicate to clients and stakeholders in a clear and impactful way.
  • take accurate instructions relating to legal matters from colleagues and clients through use of interviewing skills, including effective listening.
  • identify where information is missing or in the hands of third parties and take steps to obtain it.
  • communicate clear, accurate and practical advice to the client, including where objectives may be unrealistic and respond appropriately to manage clients' legal needs and engage others in the team and externally with the necessary legal expertise.
  • represent and advise clients through negotiation and advocacy.
  • mitigate against conflict by managing underlying issues and mediate and manage conflict when it arises.
  • negotiate outcomes on behalf of stakeholders to deliver the best possible outcome, taking steps to ensure agreement or compromise is reached which is clear, lawful and legally binding.
  • build an internal and external network of contacts.
  • take a customer-focused approach and build strong relationships with customer and third-party contacts at all levels.
  • deliver legal services in line with customer service level agreements and commitments.
  • identify steps to achieve customer's wishes or further their objectives and plan and implement progress steps.
  • undertake ongoing communications with the customer to keep them informed and identify and communicate emerging risks.
  • assist others in combining commercial and legal expertise to bring value to customers and the organisation.
  • maintain filing and recording systems in compliance with organisational procedures.
  • plan caseload and wider workload to meet deadlines and deliver outcomes for the client and the organisation.
  • prioritise, plan and review progress and reschedule activities in line with changing priorities to meet changing client and business demands, in accordance with procedural requirements and legal time limits.
  • contribute to the financial management of cases, including budgets, work in progress, timely billing and collection and variance recognition.
  • meet quality assurance expectations within legal service provision.
  • work collaboratively towards achieving customer and organisational objectives.
  • manage own resource requirements, caseload and workflow, to objectives and budgets.
  • support and advise colleagues on routine legal matters.
  • contribute to a culture of continuous improvement including feedback mechanisms.
  • using reflection and evaluation of own competence, recognise when the limit of technical competence and skills is reached and ask for support.
  • agree and achieve own performance objectives and key performance indicators for personal delivery.
  • apply the CILEx Regulation code of conduct and related professional and ethical frameworks, including, representing information and data honestly, accurately, completely and confidentially whilst maintaining its security, contributing to a culture of data and cyber security ensuring that digital technology is used safely and securely and upholding ethical risk management and professional standards and escalating issues as required.

Full information on Chartered legal executive litigator and advocate (level 7) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

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