Law Careers

The legal profession offers diverse roles, including attorneys who provide legal advice, advocates who specialise in courtroom representation, legal advisers for organisations, prosecutors, magistrates, and state attorneys, all requiring specialised legal qualifications.

The legal profession offers numerous career opportunities globally for those interested in law. It is essential to understand the academic requirements and roles of different legal practitioners. The practising legal professions are generally divided into two main branches: attorneys and advocates. Attorneys are typically the first point of contact for legal advice, handling cases involving individuals, companies, or organisations, while advocates specialise in representing clients in court. Attorneys may further specialise in areas such as commercial law, litigation, estate planning, or tax law, and may qualify as conveyancers or notaries. Advocates are experts in presenting legal arguments in court, often focusing on criminal or civil cases.

Other Legal Roles:

Legal Advisers provide legal advice to companies or organisations.
Public Prosecutors prosecute criminal cases on behalf of the state in lower courts.
State Advocates represent the state in criminal cases, primarily in higher courts.
Magistrates hear criminal and civil cases and pronounce judgements. There are regional and district magistrates, each dealing with different levels of cases, including serious crimes like murder and armed robbery.
State Attorneys handle legal matters on behalf of government departments in civil cases.
Family Magistrates oversee cases concerning family law, such as divorce.
State Law Advisers provide legal research and advice to the government and are involved in drafting legislation.
Registrars of the Court manage the administrative functions of higher courts.

These careers require various qualifications, typically an undergraduate law degree (such as an LLB), with additional qualifications or training depending on the specialisation.

Personal Requirements

excellent interpersonal skills
ambitious, dedicated and disciplined
impeccably honest
decisive, objective and confident
able to solve problems
able to handle stress and pressure
able to resolve any crisis
able to elicit trust and respect from clients and colleagues
exceptional communication skills, both in speech and in writing
can explain difficult legal concepts in easy terms
well-developed sense of fairness and justice
willingness to serve people

How to Enter

School Subjects:

Compulsory subjects: None, however students study a BCom (Law) must take mathematics as a requirement for BCom.

Students must pass a National Senior Certificate meeting degree requirements for a degree course

In addition to these requirements each university has its own entry requirements based on an admission point score (APS).

What to Study

Degree: Various Law degrees

Specialised diplomas / certificates in Tax, Human Rights, Labour Law can also be studied, e.g. Applied Law at DUT, more details about these courses can be obtained from university Law Faculties.

The only academic qualification that is presently recognised for the purpose of admission as an attorney is an LLB degree (the course duration of which is not less than four years).

Employment