Pearson to deliver new T Level Technical Qualification in Legal Services from September 2023

T Levels combine classroom theory, practical learning and a substantial (a minimum of around 45 days) industry placement with an employer to make sure students have real experience of the workplace. They provide the knowledge and experience needed to open the door to highly-skilled employment, an apprenticeship or higher-level study in the chosen sector.

The T Level in Legal Services is aimed at students who wish to progress into business administration roles in the industry, or to access further study to pursue a career in the legal sector.

The new qualification will be developed in partnership with industry expert CILEX (The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives), one of the three main professional bodies covering the legal profession in England and Wales. CILEX will work with Pearson to ensure the qualification content is current, relevant and supports the professional standards for the sector. The new qualification will allow progression directly into the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ), on-the-job training that marries legal knowledge with the practical skills, behaviours and commercial awareness needed by lawyers.

This will be the fifth T Level Technical Qualification that Pearson will deliver. In September 2020, Pearson started delivering two of the three first-wave T Levels, in ‘Digital Production, Design and Development’ and ‘Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction'. In September 2022, Pearson will also start delivering T Level Technical Qualifications in ‘Finance’ and in ‘Accounting’.

Suzanne Hall, Head of Technical Products at Pearson, said:

"We are delighted to be delivering the Legal Services T Level Technical Qualification from September 2023, and to hold the contracts for all three qualifications on the Legal, Finance and Accounting Route. We look forward to using our expertise in developing world-class qualifications to put together the course content and assessments, supporting students as they begin their programmes of study, and playing our part in developing talent in this vital industry."

Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, said:

“This exciting new T Level will help open out the profession to people who may want to follow a more direct training route into work. It will also be an important stepping stone to degree apprenticeships and more conventional degrees. I can’t wait to see it rolled out in classrooms.” 

Linda Ford, chief executive officer of CILEX, said:

“As the pioneer of the non-university route into law, it is only fitting that we partner with Pearson to deliver the new Legal Services T Level. By creating another pathway into the law for students, we will continue to drive social mobility in the profession and bring to bear our experience of providing thousands of work-ready practitioners into the legal services sector.”