Organisation : The Law Society of the Northern Provinces
Facility : Application For Admission As An Attorney
Location : Pretoria
Website : northernlaw.co.za
Download Guideline : https://www.southafricain.com/uploads/5425-ADMISSION.pdf
Application For Admission As An Attorney :
1. The founding affidavit must contain the following :
1.1 Confirmation of the jurisdiction of the Court;
1.2 Confirmation of your date of birth;
Related : MANCOSA South Africa Apply for Admission : www.southafricain.com/5228.html
1.3 Confirmation of your citizenship/permanent residency;
1.4 Confirmation that you passed matric and the date of matriculation-exemption if granted after matric;
1.5 Confirmation of your degree(s) obtained, date completed and period of study. LLB-degree = not less than four years; other bachelors-degree + LLB-degree = aggregate period of not less than five years (refer to Section 2);
1.6 Confirmation of the date of signing of the contract of articles of clerkship or contract of service and period thereof;
1.7 Confirmation of the date of registration of the contract of articles of clerkship or contract of service;
1.8 Confirmation that your principal(s) was entitled to enter into a contract, specifically compliance with Section 3;
1.9 Confirmation that service was performed under the direct supervision of your principal, in the office of your principal (Section 6);
1.10 Confirmation that you were not absent for more than 30 working days during any one year of service (Section 7);
2. Your principal’s supporting affidavit must contain the following :
2.1 Confirmation of the exact dates that you served him/her in terms of the contract of articles/contract of service. Please note that your principal(s) may only sign the supporting affidavit(s) once the period you were obliged to serve had been served;
2.2 Compliance with Section 3(1):
** that he/she had been practising as an attorney for his/her own account or as a partner in a firm of attorneys or as a member of a professional company (whichever is applicable to your principal) continuously for three years or periods of three years in the aggregate during the preceding four years at the date of commencement of the contract;
Law Clinic/Legal Aid SA :
that he/she had been practising as an attorney in the full-time employ of Legal Aid /Law Clinic continuously for three years or periods of three years in the aggregate during the preceding four years at the date of commencement of the contract;
State Attorney :
that he/she had practised the profession as the state attorney, deputy state attorney, senior assistant state attorney or assistant state attorney in the office of the State Attorney or any branch thereof continuously for four years at the date of commencement of the contract;
** that he/she continued to practise as aforementioned during the period of the contract of articles or contract of service;
2.3 Compliance with Section 3(3):
** That he/she at no time employed more than three candidate attorneys during the period of the contract.
** This restriction is not applicable to principals employed at the Legal Aid /Law Clinic who entered into a contract of service with a candidate attorney – as opposed to a contract of articles of clerkship – however see comments at Case numbers 34536/2011 and 44294/2011 on page 4 of the “Issues raised by the Court”- document;
3. Copies of the following must be attached as annexures to the application :
3.1 ID document, certified;
3.2 Marriage certificate or proof why surname recorded on annexures do not correspond, if applicable, certified;
3.3 Senior (matric) certificate and proof of matriculation-exemption if granted after you matriculated, certified;
3.4 Degree certificate(s), certified;
3.5 Proof of the date when you complied with the minimum requirements of the LLB-degree ONLY IF you were not yet in possession of your LLB-degree-certificate at the time when you entered into the contract of articles of clerkship or contract of service, in the form of e.g. a letter from the University or your academic record, certified;
3.6 Contract of articles of clerkship or contract of service. Note that the original remains lodged with the Society;
Note :
** Please note that this document is a guideline and that the Court may from time to time determine new requirements.
** Please contact Estelle Jordaan on (012) 338 5800 or e-mail admissions AT lsnp.org.za for more information.
What to expect on the day of hearing of your application :
** Try to dress formal and conservative – jackets are compulsory for men;
** Ensure the day before the hearing (at the latest) that all the originals of the annexures to your application are all together and ready for you to take to Court. Your Counsel/attorney must inform the Court that he/she has seen the originals of the annexures and that it correspond with the copies annexed to the papers before the Court. On occasion the Court required the originals to be handed up for inspection;
** Arrive at Court by no later than 09h15 on the day of hearing of the application in order to ensure that you have sufficient time to find your Counsel/attorney and find out in which Court your application will be heard;
** The Judge’s clerk will call each Applicant’s name according to the order on the Roll – remain seated.
** After your name has been called, your Counsel/attorney will address the Court and the Judge may raise queries and if not, order that you are admitted and that you may come forward to take the Oath;
** Only then do you rise and move forward to the front centre of the bench where the clerks are seated to take the Oath (not in the witness box) in front of the Judge’s clerk who will first enquire as to your preference of English/Afrikaans and whether you have any objection to the taking of the Oath.