Attendance School Brochure
School Brochure 2022
Attendance School Application form
School Application 2022
School dates
Intake 1
Day School: January 2022 – May 2022 Closing date for applications: October 2022
Night School: January 2022 – June 2022 Closing date for applications: October 2022
Intake 2
Day School: May 2022– August 2022 Closing date for applications: February 2022
Night School: June 2022 – November 2022 Closing date for applications: February 2022
Enquires
For additional information and school contact details… Click Here (Note the various email address per campuses)
LSSA-UNISA Distance Learning School (note the distance brochure & registration form will be availible soon)
About the Attendance School for Legal Practice
The School, established by the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) in 1990 and implemented via its Legal Education and Development division (LEAD); provides a postgraduate, vocational training course for law graduates and is accredited by SAQA
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
To be announced
R13 025 (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