Legally Law | Pupillage components

To become an advocate, a person must have an LLB degree and do pupilage.

Pupillage comprises of three components namely:

➢ Mentoring of the candidate by a practicing advocate with three or more years practice or three years practice in the aggregate over the preceding four years. (Legally Law provides support in obtaining mentors for candidates that need to complete pupillage.)

➢ Structured Coursework accredited by the LPC. (Legally Law provides the structured coursework training as prescribed by the LPC.)

➢ National LPC examinations written bi-annually. (The LPC is the only authorised institution that administers the national examinations for legal practitioners.)

FAQ:
Q: I am currently working full-time and would like to know how to approach the pupillage contract whilst working.

A:You will have to engage with the LPC together with your mentor in this regard.

Legally Law (Pty) Ltd is a private institution accredited by the LPC to offer the following courses:

Structured Coursework:

Intake 2 – 2024 registrations close 30 April 2024
Intake 3 – 2024 registration close August 2024

Students who have an LLB but has not been admitted as an advocate must register their PVT contract with their mentor with the LPC, do the structured coursework, which is what Legally Law offers, and on completion of the structured coursework write the LPC National Advocate's Admission Exams.Read more ->Apply now ->

Mentoring

Legally Law does not supply students with mentors, but we recommend that you approach your nearest Advocate’s Bar or Advocates practicing in your area to obtain a mentor.

The mentor and the candidate must be engaged with a signed Practical Vocational Training (PVT) Contract registered with the Legal Practice Council (LPC). See Regulation 7 of GG 41879 dated 31 August 2018.

Candidates that are admitted and only doing the structured coursework training for personal development does not need a mentor with a registered PVT contract.

NOTE: Candidates that are in full-time employment, not admitted and considering doing pupillage, must apply in writing to the LPC and obtain authorisation to register a PVT contract. The LPC considers such applications on a case to case basis.

Structured Coursework

The LPC prescribes that a candidate do standardised compulsory structured coursework . See Regulation 7 of GG 41879 dated 31 August 2018.

The LPC further prescribes the content of the structured coursework to be successfully completed by the candidate. See GG 43192 dated 3 April 2020.

Structured coursework is not compulsory for admitted advocates, however may be done for personal development.

LPC National Examinations

Usually in March and September of each year. Only candidates that have successfully completed a structured coursework program and and are engaged with a mentor and are in possession of a PVT contract may write the national examinations administered by the LPC. All the examinations must be written in the first attempt and failed examinations may be re-written as prescribed by the LPC.

NOTE: Admitted advocates that does structured coursework for development MAY NOT write the LPC national examinations.

Only candidates seeking to be admitted may write the national examinations on successful completion of the structured coursework and are in possession of a PVT contract with a mentor as indicated above.

Advocate’s National Admission Examinations
(all examinations are facilitated by the Legal Practice Council):

Students must have successfully completed the Structured Coursework Training as per Regulations 7 and must have completed at least 6 months of their 12-month mentorship contract in order to qualify to apply to write the Advocate’s National Admission Examinations.

Attorney’s National Admission Examinations (all examinations are facilitated by the Legal Practice Council):

Students must have successfully completed the Structured Coursework Training as per Regulations 6 OR must have completed at least 6 months of their 12-month mentorship contract in order to qualify to apply to write the Attorney’s National Admission Examinations.

Further enquiries on pupillage requirements

Please contact us if you have further enquiries in this regard.
Contact no: +27 81 436 3717
Email: admin@legallylaw.co.za