Legal executives should be able to provide the full breadth of services ‘on an equal footing’ to solicitors, the president of the Institute of Legal Executives said yesterday.

David McGrady said securing further rights for ILEX members remains the goal of the professional body.

He said: ‘Legal Executives have served the profession and the public very successfully for many years.

'We have embraced the requirement for greater independence of regulation by the creation of our regulating body, ILEX Professional Standards.

‘It is only equitable, therefore, that we are able to provide the public with the full breadth of legal services available, and on an equal footing with that of solicitors and licensed conveyancers.’

McGrady noted that the past 12 months had seen the first ILEX judge appointed, and the 100th ILEX partner.

He added: ‘We all await with interest the events of October and the predicted arrival of Alternative Business Structures … We have concerns but at ILEX we hope these changes will provide new opportunities for our members.

'For some it will be to go into partnership with fellow Legal Executives.

'For others it will be to join with the new entities that may come into the market.

'And for others it may simply be the opportunity to work with fellow professionals both inside and outside of the legal profession.’

McGrady added that the Legal Executive route to qualification ensured greater diversity.

He said: ‘ILEX is committed to diversity because very few of our members come from privileged social backgrounds.

'ILEX members qualify as lawyers often despite their circumstances and not because of them.

‘Indeed, 80% of my members come from families where no one has a degree or been to university.

'Instead they have studied and worked at the same time, sometimes bringing up a family single-handed as well.’