Legal degrees: what you should know

“A legal career would appeal to those who want to develop abstract thinking and practical problem-solving expertise.”

These are the words of Gabriella Kruger, a candidate attorney at Malherbe Rigg and Ranwell Attorneys in Beyers Park.

Kruger said studying law can develop a range of skills and explore many aspects of life while also allowing you to sharpen your mind, strengthen your understanding of the wider world, and deepen your experience across the full range of humanities and social sciences.

“The legal profession has a positive and diverse career outlook for anyone who invests their time and energy in obtaining a law degree. It is a highly respected profession with excellent job security.
“In SA, a prospective legal student must complete the four-year Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) as a minimum requirement to join the legal profession. However, they can simultaneously couple the LLB with a Bachelor of Commerce in Law (Bcom Law) or a Bachelor of Arts in Law (BA Law). In these cases, it would take five years to complete the LLB and either the Bcom Law or the BA Law,” she added.

Furthermore, Kruger said a career in law is one of flexibility because pursuing a legal degree does not bind you to the profession. Law graduates are in high demand in several career sectors because of their problem-solving, reasoning, communication and analysis skills.

“Honing these abilities is invaluable not only for the legal profession but all aspects of business and day-to-day interactions. A law degree equips you for almost any profession requiring intellectual strength combined with a practical approach to the world.”

However, she said it is crucial to know that studying for a legal degree is not an easy venture but a demanding one that requires commitment, grit and many late nights buried in books.
“Nonetheless, it is a rewarding and diverse career path for anyone with the wherewithal to pursue it.”

Riyaadh Young, the head of programme at The Independent Institute of Education, said those graduating with an LLB degree often have questions and concerns about their future after completing their degrees. However, they need to understand that there are various paths towards employment and that they need to do the work to investigate what the right approach is for them and the options in the job marketplace.

Young says that traditionally, law graduates either became attorneys (through articles of clerkship) or advocates (through pupillage). However, more options are now available to graduates, including in academia, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), non-law related services, and self-employment.

Attorneys
LLB graduates who want to become attorneys must secure a practical vocational training contract at a reputable law firm post-graduation. Assuming the graduate secures it, they are expected to have gainful employment after completing the training. The candidate legal practitioner will be expected to complete a minimum of two years of training or undertake six months of practical legal training at the Law Society of South Africa’s Legal Education and Development (LEAD) division to reduce their training contract to one year in preparation for the competency-based examinations for legal practitioners, of which there are four to complete and pass before the candidate legal practitioner is in a position to make an application to the High Court for admission as an attorney.

Advocates
Pupillage is the pathway to becoming a practising advocate in a private practice. This path requires a year of unpaid pupillage, and after its completion, the pupil is expected to write and pass the national bar exam of the General Council of the Bar.

Academia
Entering academia requires the graduate to study further and hone their knowledge and research skills to become an expert in a field of their choice. The would-be scholar will be expected to complete their undergraduate degree and a two-to-three-year LLM/MPhil degree to qualify as a lecturer at a foundational level. Furthermore, the graduate will be expected to complete their PhD/LLD degree, which will take two to five years, to progress more in academia. This career requires a passion for lifelong learning and teaching and gaining a reputation as a peer-reviewed published scholar.

NPA
The NPA recently reopened the Aspirant Prosecutor Programme. A graduate who applies to it and is accepted will be expected to pass the entry exam and then begin practising as an aspirant prosecutor for one year. After completing this process, the prosecutor may apply for a permanent position as a prosecutor.

Non-law related services
There are many careers where a law degree is required or considered an advantage, yet where the focus of the field is not law-specific. These careers include but are not limited to various financial, human resource, labour relation, commercial and even not-for-profit organisations.

Self-employment
LLB graduates have a strong foundation from which to launch entrepreneurial ventures because a law degree gives graduates the tools to create their own employment across various industries. Graduates who completed their practical vocational training, passed the competency-based exams and were admitted as an attorney can practice for their own account, provided they met the other legal and practical requirements.

“Becoming a successful legal practitioner requires LLB students to have critical thinking and research skills. This is why prospective LLB students must ensure their higher education institution of choice provides research-based modules and application-styled assessments to ensure they have a competitive advantage when applying for positions after graduation and to prepare them for the world of work after graduation,” concluded Young.

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