Legal Advisor Requirements In South Africa

Legal advisors are lawyers who are employed by the government, large companies and other organisations to provide legal advice and services to the organization and its employees.

Most legal advisors are former attorneys or advocates who want to go into a corporate environment. Therefore, the requirements and training for legal advisors are the same as for advocates and attorneys.

Apart from general characteristics like ambition, dedication and a disciplined approach, a legal advisor also needs to possess special characteristics and skills including:

  • Honesty, decisiveness and integrity
  • Being objective in a matter
  • Being able to distinguish facts from irrelevant detail
  • Confidence
  • The ability to solve problems
  • Exceptional communication skills
  • Discretion, diplomacy and tact
  • Working well under pressure

School Subjects
National Senior Certificate meeting degree requirements for a degree course

Compulsory Subjects: English and any other Official Language
Recommended Subjects: Languages, Accounting, History

Training
Law: all universities, RU, US, Wits, UZ, UJ, UL UFH, UCT, UWC, UP, UKZN, NMMU, UL, NWU, UV, UFS, UNISA.

Requirements to register as a lawyer:

– LLB degree from a South African University
– legal training course approved by the Law Society
– two years of service under articles of clerkship with a South African firm of attorneys, or community service at an accredited law clinic or approved office of the Legal Aid Board
– completion of the Attorneys Admission Examination on legal practice and procedures, practical accounting for attorneys, and the functions of an attorney, set by a provincial law society

To practise as an attorney, all candidates must register with a Law Society after having passed all the required examinations.

How much does a legal advisor earn in South Africa?

In South Africa a legal advisor with 1-3 years of experience can expect to earn between R350 – 550k whilst a qualified lawyer with over 10 years experience would earn R1. 1m+. For further information on legal salaries access the Robert Walters Global Salary Survey.