Practical Experience

GUIDANCE FOR THE APPLICANT

1.      ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA TO APPLY TO THE CLC FOR A LICENCE

To apply for a first/dual/cross qualifying CLC licence, an applicant must demonstrate that:

• they have obtained a minimum of 1200 hours of supervised qualifying work experience obtained over 24 months of supervised work; and
• their experience meets the CLC’s Day One Outcomes, including the competent completion of standard legal and technical processes; and
• they act in a professional, principled manner as per the CLC Code-of-Conduct

All applicants seeking to apply for a CLC Licence must complete a Statement of Practical Experience (SoPE).

The SoPE forms the occupational competency and professional standards component of a CLC licence application.

The CLC will as part of its standard application checks seek to verify genuine supervision arrangements have been conducted. This includes verifying SoPEs with the Authorised Persons who has certified it, and if appropriate, the named employer.

2.      QUALIFYING WORK EXPERIENCE

Qualifying work experience amounts to 1200 hours of supervised work either in full or part time employment completed over a period of 24 months (completed within the past 36 months) under supervision of a qualifying Authorised Person in the employment of a Qualifying Employer.

3.      QUALIFYING EMPLOYERS

A Qualifying Employer is a business that:

1. is regulated by a statutory regulator (such as the CLC, CILEx Regulation, the SRA) in England and Wales; and
2. is licensed to provide conveyancing or probate services to the public in England and Wales; and
3. has a registered main office in England and Wales;

OR

1. a Government body, Local Authority, Utilities Company, or national charity (when the work of the licence applicant has been supervised by an Authorised Person in their capacity as in-house legal counsel).

Where supervision cannot be obtained through the standard qualifying work experience route, i.e. in full or part time employment, or in a Qualifying Business. Prospective licence applicants should secure other appropriate supervision arrangements from another appropriate business or Authorised Person. These arrangements should be agreed with the CLC BEFORE the period of practical experience begins. Sole Practitioners should contact the CLC to discuss what options may be available to them.

Please email licensing@clc-uk.org with a detailed explanation of your circumstances. We will confirm in writing whether the arrangements have been accepted. Please wait to receive confirmation that this arrangement has been accepted before commencing the 1200 hours of practical experience.

You will be asked to submit this written confirmation with your SoPE as part of the licence application.

4.      APPRENTICES.

National Government Apprentices, on the Level 6 Licensed Conveyancer or Probate route, may have their SoPE verified by a Legal Education and Training Supervisor when it is completed as part of the End-Point-Assessment.

5.      INVALID SOPES

A SoPE will be considered invalid when: –

• the Authorised Person certifying the SoPE is not considered to be a Qualifying Authorised Person.
• When the supervision has not been conducted in the employment of a Qualifying Employer

Any SoPE that does not meet the requirements set out in this document and is submitted to support a licence application, will invalidate the application.

Please note SoPEs are not routinely verified by the CLC until after all licence application and screening fees are paid. Please note application and screening fees are non-refundable.

GUIDANCE FOR AUTHORISED PERSON

1.      QUALIFYING AUTHORISED PERSONS

Qualifying Authorised Persons is an “Authorised Person” i.e. a licensed conveyancer/probate practitioner, a solicitor or a CILEX Lawyer (Conveyancing/Probate Practitioner and Fellow), licensed by a regulatory body in England and Wales to offer conveyancing/probate services directly to the public.

• They should hold a current and valid licence, free of conditions.
• They may not certify a SoPE when they are the subject of any regulatory or disciplinary investigations, allegations, proceedings or subjected to a disciplinary sanction during the period of supervision.  When a CLC disciplinary sanction has been applied and published, the findings will remain on the CLC website for 2 years, or for the duration of the sanction applied, whichever is the longer period.  Supervision cannot take place whilst the sanction remains in effect. 
• They are the individual that is providing legal supervision to the licence applicant during the period of their qualifying employment.
• They should be employed by the Qualifying Employer. This means being either a) as a direct line manager or b) a delegated legal supervisor. This excludes peer working arrangements, such as consultants operating as agents verifying each others SoPEs.

Only in exceptional and pre agreed circumstances should the Authorised Person be a relative or spouse of the applicant.

Supervision by a relative or spouse must be agreed with the CLC BEFORE the period of practical experience commences. The applicant should email licensing@clc-uk.org  setting out the exceptional circumstances. We will confirm in writing whether it is agreed that the circumstances are exceptional and that the proposed supervision arrangements are satisfactory.

You will be asked to submit this written confirmation with your SoPE as part of the licence application.

You can download a copy of the Statement of Practical Experience using the links below:

Statement of Practical Experience – Conveyancing (Feb 2024)

Statement of Practical Experience – Probate (Feb 2024)