International Legal English Certificate

The International Legal English Certificate (ILEC) is a high-level English language qualification for lawyers. ILEC is an examination set at levels B2 and C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. ILEC assesses language skills in a legal context. Examinations at the C1 level may be used as proof of the level of language necessary to work in an international legal context or to follow a course of legal study at university level. The ILEC exam will be discontinued, with the final examination session to take place in December 2016.^[1]

Internationally recognised

ILEC is a Cambridge ESOL^[2] examination, developed in co-operation with TransLegal^[3] – Europe’s leading firm of lawyer-linguists. It is recognised by leading associations of lawyers including the European Company Lawyers Association, the European Law Students' Association, the International Association of Young Lawyers, and the European Young Bar Association.

Introduction to ILEC

The aims of ILEC:

to assess candidates’ ability to operate in English in an international legal environment
to allow candidates to demonstrate to employers their ability to communicate in English with clients and colleagues
to allow candidates to demonstrate to educational and training institutions their ability to follow a course of legal study where a significant portion of the instruction is in English
to have a positive and beneficial impact on the content and delivery of English language training courses for legal purposes
to provide an examination to do this which is fair to all candidates and which is delivered to international standards
to provide an examination which reports candidates’ results in terms of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The content of ILEC

ILEC comprises the Test of Reading, the Test of Writing, the Test of Listening and the Test of Speaking. Each test is based on realistic texts, tasks and topics similar to those practitioners would expect to encounter in their daily working lives. The examination texts and topics are set in the context of international commercial law.

The following list is an illustration of some of the areas of law featured in ILEC:

• Corporate
• Business associations
• Contract
• Sale of goods
• Real property
• Debtor-creditor
• Intellectual property
• Employment
• Competition
• Environmental
• Negotiable instruments
• Secured transactions
• Aspects of international law
The ILEC examination will also cover relevant aspects of legal practice.

Varieties of English

Candidates’ responses to tasks in ILEC are acceptable in varieties of English which would enable candidates to function in the widest range of international contexts. ILEC texts are based on authentic source material from many English-speaking countries.

Official accreditation in the UK

ILEC has been accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), the statutory regulatory authority for external qualifications in England, and its counterparts in Wales and Northern Ireland at Level 1 and Level 2 in the National Qualifications Framework, under the title ‘Cambridge ESOL Level 1 Certificate in ESOL International (Legal English)’ and ‘Cambridge ESOL Level 2 Certificate in ESOL International (Legal English)’.

ILEC candidature

ILEC is suitable for law students and practising lawyers who are seeking employment in an international legal setting.

This includes law students who are:

seeking employment in an international commercial law context, e.g. law firms, company legal departments, and government agencies
intending to study law where the course includes a significant English language content, either in their own country or abroad
seeking certification to demonstrate their English language proficiency.

It includes practising lawyers who are:

seeking new employment in an international commercial law context
seeking promotion within their own organisations
learning English as part of a training programme
seeking certification to demonstrate their English language proficiency.

ILEC candidates are expected to be familiar with some legal concepts and terminology commonly associated with international commercial law.

Grading and results

Results are reported as three passing grades (C1 Pass with Merit, C1 Pass and B2 Pass) and two failing grades (Narrow Fail and Fail). A candidate’s overall ILEC grade is based on the total score gained by the candidate in all four papers.

References

External links

Official website more detailed info about the exam, past exam downloads, study materials, etc.
ILEC more information regarding testing cooperation

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