2024 Application now open

Enquiries

For additional information and school contact details… Click Here (Note the various email address per campuses)

PVT School for Legal Practice (Attendance)

The Law Society of South Africa established the Schools in 1990 and implemented them via its Legal Education and Development Division (LEAD). The LPC accredits LEAD as an education provider, and the training course at the Schools is registered with SAQA as a Postgraduate Diploma in Attorneys’ Practice [#17210]

In-depth practical vocational training is offered at nine campuses. These are situated at: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, East London, Johannesburg, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth, Potchefstroom, and Pretoria (Click Here contact details). This is a 4-month attendance course.

LLB law graduates who successfully complete the course qualify for one year’s credit for their practical vocational training contract  period (articles) as candidate attorneys.
There are a limited number of places available at each campus and applicants go through a selection process before being accepted (refer to item 8, below for key selection criteria). Therefore, the form attached is only an application  form and your acceptance is not guaranteed.

Subject to adequate applications, the LSSA may elect to open a 3rd School in the final trimester (September to December) at the nine attendance Schools or
an additional course at the LSSA – UNISA Distance Learning School (July to December).

Objective of the course

To provide law graduates with the opportunity to acquire and develop practical legal skills to become effective legal practitioners. Training is provided by practicing legal practitioners

The primary benefit of attending the course is that law graduates gain a full spectrum of skills and knowledge which they may not gain as candidate attorneys during their period of service under practical vocational training contract  (articles).

Attendance and after-hours course (excludes LSSA-UNISA Distance Learning School)

Depending on the campus, the course is offered during the day (“Day School”) and/or after-hours. The after-hours course is called the “Night School” and it accommodates applicants who are employed during the day.

Nature of study

The School course consists of modules as prescribed by the regulations as per the Legal Practice Act No 28 of 2014 (as amended). Training is practice- orientated to ensure that students will be able to perform most tasks on an entry level with minimal supervision once they have completed the course.

Students are trained in a practical context, in a simulated law firm environment. Each student is allocated to a “law firm.” Each “law firm” has access to an office and the students have access to computers and a law library.

Moot courts and practical work form the foundation of the training activities. Students exchange pleadings and draft the necessary court papers in action- and application proceedings

Modules

The programme is standardised and uniform throughout the Republic and comprises of the following modules consisting of 400 notional hours in total:

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Attorneys’ Bookkeeping;
• Constitutional Practice;
• Criminal Court Practice;
• Drafting of Contracts;
• High Court Practice;
• Information and communication technology for practice, and associated aspects of cyber law
• Introduction to Practice Management;
• Labour Dispute Resolution;
• Legal Costs;
• Magistrate’s Court Practice
• Matrimonial Law;
• Personal Injury Claims
• Professional Legal Ethics;
• Wills and Estates.

Instructors

The medium of instruction is English.

School hours (Attendance)

Day School:
Monday – Friday, 08h15–16h00 and certain Saturdays from 08h30–13h30

Night School:
Monday – Friday, 17h00–22h00 and certain Saturdays from 08h30– 13h30

Admission requirements and selection

1.  Candidates who will be considered:

• Candidates who have completed the LLB degree at a S.A. university; or
• Candidates who have been awarded a S.A. BProc degree prior to 31 December 2004; or
• Candidates who have completed a law degree in a foreign country which is equivalent to the S.A. LLB degree, and which is recognized by SAQA as equivalent.

NB: confirmation of foreign accreditation by SAQA is the responsibility of the applicant.

2.  A selection committee will consider the applications. The committee may require applicants to attend interviews.

3.  Due to the large number of applications preference will be given to applicants who reside within the School’s region.

Dates

The School’s Board of Control reserves the right to change dates and/or cancel any course if the number of applicants is not sufficient. Applicants will be given sufficient notice of cancellation.

Tuition fee (2024)
R19 100 (15% VAT included).

If your application  is successful, payment of the fee must be done before the course commences. The fee includes study material but excludes stationery.

Students are responsible for their own arrangements and expenses regarding accommodation and travelling. Students may wish to defer making accommodation and travelling arrangements until it is confirmed that the course is proceeding.

Student evaluation and certification

• A student’s progress is monitored throughout  the duration of the course.
• Attendance and preparation  is of paramount importance to complete the programme successfully. Students are expected to be proficient in knowledge of the substantive law prior to attending the programme. Due to severe time constraints, students are expected to do independent self-study prior to attending lectures.
• Formative and summative assessment will be conducted.
• For the attendance Schools a minimum of 50% per summative assessment and full attendance is required to complete the programme successfully.
• For the UNISA distance School a minimum of 50% per summative assessment and 130 hours of “participation”  is required to complete the programme successfully.

Documents to be included

To be considered for the course, applicants must submit the following documents with their application  forms:

• A certified copy of the applicant’s S.A. identity document; and
• Proof of law degree:
• A certified copy of the applicant’s LLB degree from a S.A. university or an original letter from the Dean of Law of the  University concerned, stating that the student has completed his her LLB degree; or
• A certified copy of the applicant’s BProc degree, awarded prior to 31 December 2004; or
• A certified copy of written proof of a completed law degree in a foreign country which is recognized by SAQA as equivalent to the SA LLB degree, and a certified copy of written proof of such recognition by SAQA.

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LSSA-UNISA Distance School (Online)

Enquires

General Email: LSSAUNISA@LSSA.org.za

Dorcas Kanyuchi
Email: dorcas@LSSALEAD.org.za
Tel: 012 441 4662

Zukiswa Kala,
Email: zukiswa@LSSALEAD.org.za
Tel:(012) 441 4641,

Phyllis Mphasha,
Email: phyllis@LSSALEAD.org.za
Tel: (012) 441 4603

Linda Sokopo
Email: Linda@LSSA.org.za
Tel: (012) 441 4649

Switchboard: 012 441 4600 Fax: 0862146569

Attendance School for Legal Practice (for more info – Click Here)

About the LSSA-UNISA School

The School started offering the Practical Vocational Training (PVT) in the year 2004. It offers practice orientated training to law graduates under the Learning, Education And Development ( LEAD) divisIon of the Law Society of South Africa (the LSSA).

As a distance-learning school it offers the practical vocational training jointly with the University of South Africa (UNISA). The School remains open for students who could not be accepted to the attendance the (LEAD) schools due to them being fully subscribed to their fixed maximum intake number.

The LSSA-UNISA Distance Learning School offers Candidates a distance practical vocational training course, in compliance with Regulation 6 (4) (b) of the Regulations under the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014, as amended and is accredited by the Legal Practice Council [LPC]. The programme is structured course work that comprises the compulsory modules as per the regulations of not less than 400 notional hours, during a period of no longer than six months. There are two-semester PVT courses offered by the LSSA-UNISA Distance School for PVT each year. The first course starts in January and the second, in July.

LLB law graduates who successfully complete the PVT course qualify for one year’s credit for their practical vocational training contract period (articles) as candidate attorneys.
Places for students who wish to register PVT at the School are generally, and unlike at the LEAD Schools, not limited. However, every application for such a place of training is subject to preliminary provisional acceptance. Therefore, the form is only an application form and acceptance is not guaranteed.

Objective of the course

To provide law graduates with the opportunity to acquire and develop practical legal skills to become effective legal practitioners. Training is provided by practicing legal practitioners, and the School make every attempt possible to employ legal practitioners who are experts and or specialists in the field(s) of the modules or course that they will present or lecture in.

The School achieves this objective without placing on its students the responsibility of attending classes every day during the week (for the day school) nor during the evening (for the night school). The LSSA-UNISA Distance School therefore accommodates that category of students who for various reasons cannot afford to enrol at attendance (LEAD) schools during the day or in the evening. It is primarily a compliance school-and not an attendance school.

The primary benefit of attending the course is that law graduates gain a full spectrum of skills and knowledge which they may not gain as candidate attorneys during their period of service under practical vocational training contract (articles).

Nature of training

Training is practice- orientated to ensure that students will be able to perform most tasks on an entry level with minimal supervision once they have completed the course.

The main component of the training is distance learning requires students to engage in disciplined study of the LSSA Practice Manuals and any set books as may be prescribed. It further requires the student to punctually submit all prescribed assignments, which the student must pass with a minimum of fifty percent (50%).

The student have to participate in an online 10 day case work session. They are further required to again fully attend another five (5) days of the BLA Trial Advocacy training. Satisfactory (full) attendance of the BLA Trial Advocacy Training entitles the student to the issue a BLA Trial Advocacy Training Certificate in their name.

The School’s Board of Control reserves the right to change dates and/or cancel any course if the number of applicants is not sufficient. Applicants will be given sufficient notice of cancellation.