Emma Hardie recently successfully completed her Portfolio Route application for Litigation Practice Rights. Despite finding the application process initially daunting, she was able to successfully manage the application process.
We asked her to tell us about her experience of how she approached her practice rights application, her thoughts on the process overall and what advice she would give to others.
How did you approach the application and what did you start with? For example, did you select the cases for your litigation portfolios as a first step?
When I first began preparing my practice rights application, my approach was to take a step back and fully familiarise myself with what was required. I started by reading through the application form in its entirety, so I had a clear understanding of each section, the expected evidence, and the scope of the learning outcomes. Because some time had passed since completing my Work-Based Learning portfolio for Fellowship, I revisited that work first. I knew there would be a strong overlap in competencies, so I reviewed the portfolio carefully to identify examples and materials that could be repurposed or adapted.
Once I understood what I already had, I printed out a list of the remaining learning outcomes I needed to evidence and pinned it to the board above my desk. This meant I could keep the requirements at the forefront of my mind while working on my current caseload. As a result, whenever I encountered a matter that demonstrated a particular skill or competency, I could flag it immediately for potential inclusion.
The application form itself was fairly straightforward, so my main focus was organising my supporting evidence.
What influenced you in your selection of the litigation cases you chose to detail in your application?
When choosing the cases for my litigation portfolio, I selected matters that not only showcased technical ability, but also reflected the skills expected of someone seeking practice rights. I focused on cases that naturally lent themselves to evidencing key competencies and provided a straightforward narrative that highlighted my role, responsibilities, and decision-making. I wanted to ensure that the assessors could easily see my contribution and how it aligned with the learning outcomes.
Because I was seeking parity with my solicitor colleagues and aiming to demonstrate that I could work independently, I selected cases where I exercised professional judgment and handled matters with confidence.
How did you select evidence to demonstrate competence against the Learning Outcomes within the 6 Skills Elements?
My approach to selecting evidence was to map each learning outcome directly to real examples from my casework. With the list of outstanding outcomes visible above my desk, I was able to identify them as I progressed through my daily work. When a case or task clearly aligned with a particular skill, for example, conducting a detailed client interview or managing a difficult negotiation, I made a note to capture it as potential evidence.
I aimed to choose examples that were clear and specific. I considered what the assessor would need to see, not just that I had performed the task, but how I approached it, the reasoning behind my decisions, and how the outcome demonstrated competence at the required level. I also reviewed my earlier WBL portfolio and reused examples where appropriate, supplementing them with more recent cases to demonstrate continued development.
How did you find the experience of applying as a whole?
Overall, I found the experience of applying for practice rights to be manageable. Although at first it seemed daunting, particularly because some time had passed since my WBL portfolio, once I began revisiting my previous work and identifying relevant cases, the process came together quite naturally. In fact, the more I thought about suitable examples, the more cases I began to recall, and it became much easier to build a strong evidence base.
I understand that CILEX now provides additional guidance to applicants, which I believe will be incredibly helpful for those starting the process.
