In recent reports, it has been found that the graduates that are leaving varsity to enter the legal profession, as candidate attorneys are not fully equipped with the requisite practical skills they ought to have. See links for full report http://bit.ly/1zWrQff, http://bit.ly/1AvRb5g. (Courtesy of University World News Site)
The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) reports that since 1990 thousands of law graduates have benefitted from Practical Legal Training (PLT) programmes, by which their academic training has been supplemented with practically-based training, thereby enhancing their skills preparatory to entry into the profession.
In light of the report on shortages in terms of legal practical skills we emphasise the following: we at the BLA-LEC have designed our legal education training programmes in a manner that caters to historically disadvantaged South Africans, who were deprived of the necessary resources then to further their studies. The Law degree itself in South Africa was the subject of reform in 1998. The aim of this reform was to make the degree more accessible to a larger pool of students, more specifically those from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. Yet, thus for the reform to prove fruitful, it should also be aided by the requisite resources.
What our legal education centre provides is technique that cannot be taught restrictively in a book alone, but rather it is knowledge which is applied through technique, for instance our Trial Advocacy Training (TAT), which we at the legal education centre have been conducting since 1986, Trial Advocacy Training is the art of persuasion, which allows one aided with semantic skill, to deliver sharp legal arguments.
Our legal education centre is funded by the Attorney’s Fidelity Fund which is committed to legal education. Our programmes offer a thorough list of tools required by our candidates. For instance, a 3 day basic intensive training programme which covers the aspects of a trial, inclusive of:
- Case Analysis
- Opening Statements
- Direct Examination (Examination in chief)
- Cross Examination and
- Closing Arguments
We have highly established trainers who bring their experience to the learning programme through, demonstration and valuating performances, instant feedback for our candidates. With this kind of learning one is well on their way to advancing in their legal profession, legal education training is therefore the quintessence of a great lawyer.
