Lawyer

A lawyer serves businesses, institutions, local authorities, governments and individuals with legal advice regarding rights and obligations. Fields include: business and corporate law, civil and criminal litigation, property transactions, taxation, estate planning, business and personal advice.

In order to qualify as a lawyer, you will need to complete the following training: 

• a BCom Law/BA degree (3 or 4 years) plus a LLB degree (2 years). Alternatively, you can practice law with just a LLB degree (4 or 5 years).  
• two years of articles with a South African firm of attorneys or community service at an accredited law clinic or approved office of the Legal Aid Board
• successful completion of the Attorneys Admission Examination
• a legal training course approved by the Law Society will have to be attended before application can be made for admission as an attorney

Many lawyers work more than the average 40 hours per week, with extra time put in to do research and prepare/review documents.  Lawyers who work at legal firms are able to accumulate billable hours, which are the hours that the client pays for directly.  The number of hours that a lawyer should bill varies depending on the practice area and expectations of the firm.  In some large firms, lawyers are required to bill over 2,000 to 2,200 hours a year.

Depending on experience, a lawyer’s compensation ranges from a starting salary of +-R20 300 per month up to +-R60 700 per month or more. 

You can expect various levels of intensity in this field depending on where you work.  However, in general, expect a competitive industry that requires hard work, dedication and a high level of commitment.