Lawyer Requirements In South Africa

The South African law requires that a lawyer obtain a law degree, work several years in a legal setting and pass an admissions exam. You must also be at least 21-years-old and a citizen or legal resident of South Africa.

Education Requirement

You have to hit the books to become a lawyer in South Africa. As stipulated in the country’s Attorneys Act of 1979, you must complete a four-year bachelor’s program to earn the required LLB degree. The degree must be earned at an accredited law school in South Africa.

Exceptions to the LLB can be made for equivalent foreign degrees and for those already admitted as an advocate in South Africa. If you already earned a law degree in your home country, you will have to check to see if it’s an acceptable LLB equivalent.

You can also meet the legal requirements for becoming a lawyer in South Africa by first getting a Bachelor of Commerce with Law (BCom) and then completing a two-year LLB program. This method requires five years of schooling instead of four but achieves the same result.

Subjects required to study law in South Africa include those with general application and those that are more specific. Subjects that are needed to become a lawyer in South Africa include Foundations of South African law, South African private law, constitutional law, criminal law, intellectual property, evidence and African Customary Law. Some classes are mandatory during law school and others are elective classes that you can choose depending on your interest.

Real-World Experience

Attorneys in South Africa get a taste of real-world law practice before getting the green light to practice on their own. The South African law requires prospective attorneys to work at a private law firm or the state attorney, or volunteer at a legal aid organization, before getting admitted as an attorney. You must do this for one-to-five years, depending on where you attended school and your previous experience.

There is an exemption to this requirement for those who have at least five years of relevant legal experience. That includes experience as a regional prosecutor or magistrate.

Attorneys’ Admission Exam

How to become a lawyer in South Africa also requires that you pass an attorneys’ admission exam. You must pass this exam before you can legally practice law on your own. The exam tests your knowledge of legal practice and procedure, wills and estates, legal bookkeeping, and attorneys’ practice, contracts and rules of conduct.

The attorneys’ admission exam is taken once you’ve completed six months of either real-world experience or attendance at a practical legal training course.

Other Requirements

There are several other statutory requirements for becoming a lawyer in South Africa:

  • You must establish your moral fitness to become an attorney
  • You must attend a practical legal training course
  • You must be interviewed and screened by a senior member of the Law Society

There are no longer statuary language requirements, but universities may still have language requirements you must comply with to graduate. Once you’ve completed the subjects required to study law in South Africa, obtained some real-world experience and passed a licensing exam, you’re ready to become a lawyer in South Africa.

What subjects do you need to be a lawyer in South Africa?

Subjects that are needed to become a lawyer in South Africa include Foundations of South African law, South African private law, constitutional law, criminal law, intellectual property, evidence and African Customary Law.

How long does it take to become a lawyer in South Africa?

The standard requirement before one can practice as a lawyer is completing an LLB degree which takes 4 years. Alternatively, some students choose to first study a BCom or BA which takes 3 years and then study another 2 years to complete their LLB.

How much do lawyers earn in South Africa per month?

Attorney Salary, Depending on which firm you get accepted into, the starting salaries can range from as low as R5000 per month to as high as R25 000 per month.