Unit summary
CourseBook: Paralegal Practice in South Africa
Unit: 2. Working at a law firm
Name: Phemelo Molemane
Date: 19 May 2025
Working at a law firm
Prerequisties for working in the legal field
A career in the legal field is both intellectually stimulating and socially significant. To succeed,
you will need specific qualifications and characteristics.
Qualifications
1)Professionals: These individuals possess law degrees and either are undergoing practical
training (candidate legal practitioners), or have already completed their training, have been
admitted as a legal practitioner by the High Court and are practising attorneys. They provide
services that are billed to clients.
2) Non-professionals: This group of individuals work in a supportive capacity. While the non-
professionals of the firm do not render legal services to clients (i.e. they do not ‘bill’ for their
services), they play a vital role in supporting the professionals who do. This category includes
staff like paralegals, accountants or bookkeepers, messengers or drivers, and office managers.
The qualifications of professionals are codified in the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014. Section 26
of the Legal Practice Act, read together with Regulations 6 and 7 of the Regulations issued under
section 109(1)(a) of the Legal Practice Act (GN R921 of 2018), provides that in order to be
admitted and enrolled as a legal practitioner, you must have:
obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree;
undergone practical vocational training, which generally takes 24 months (two years); and
passed numerous competency-based examinations or assessments (colloquially referred to
as ‘board exams).
Page 1
, In contrast, paralegals do not have a minimum qualification framework. There is also no national
body to oversee or define their role and responsibilities, set competency standards, determine
the prerequisites for the profession, or implement accountability and oversight measures
(Dereymaeker, 2016: 19–21).
the Draft Legal Practice Bill of 2000 stated that ‘all legal practitioners and paralegal practitioners
should be regulated in terms of one statute’.
, the subsequent Legal Practice Bill of 2012 did not contain such a reference, making it clear that
only attorneys and advocates are recognised as members of the legal profession (Leach, 2018:
211–212). Additionally, section 34(9) of the Legal Practice Act mandates the Legal Practice
Council. This regulatory body exercises oversight and regulatory functions over all legal
practitioners and candidate legal practitioners, so as to investigate and advise the minister of
justice and constitutional development on the statutory recognition of paralegals.
It is also important to note that specific qualifications required may differ according to each law
firm’s size, structure and the services offered to its clients.
Core qualifications
Most firms will expect paralegals to have the following core qualifications:
A National Senior Certificate (Grade 12) or an equivalent qualification
Completion of a paralegal or legal secretarial course at a reputable institution
Characteristics
1)Being composed under pressure -
Handling pressure professionally and productively is a key trait that ensures high-quality work
and success as a paralegal. Staying calm and focused, and avoiding making mistakes in
stressful situations are important qualities that enable paralegals to continue producing high-
quality work, despite the distractions and pressures in a dynamic law firm environment (Indeed,
2023).
Page 2
CourseBook: Paralegal Practice in South Africa
Unit: 2. Working at a law firm
Name: Phemelo Molemane
Date: 19 May 2025
Working at a law firm
Prerequisties for working in the legal field
A career in the legal field is both intellectually stimulating and socially significant. To succeed,
you will need specific qualifications and characteristics.
Qualifications
1)Professionals: These individuals possess law degrees and either are undergoing practical
training (candidate legal practitioners), or have already completed their training, have been
admitted as a legal practitioner by the High Court and are practising attorneys. They provide
services that are billed to clients.
2) Non-professionals: This group of individuals work in a supportive capacity. While the non-
professionals of the firm do not render legal services to clients (i.e. they do not ‘bill’ for their
services), they play a vital role in supporting the professionals who do. This category includes
staff like paralegals, accountants or bookkeepers, messengers or drivers, and office managers.
The qualifications of professionals are codified in the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014. Section 26
of the Legal Practice Act, read together with Regulations 6 and 7 of the Regulations issued under
section 109(1)(a) of the Legal Practice Act (GN R921 of 2018), provides that in order to be
admitted and enrolled as a legal practitioner, you must have:
obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree;
undergone practical vocational training, which generally takes 24 months (two years); and
passed numerous competency-based examinations or assessments (colloquially referred to
as ‘board exams).
Page 1
, In contrast, paralegals do not have a minimum qualification framework. There is also no national
body to oversee or define their role and responsibilities, set competency standards, determine
the prerequisites for the profession, or implement accountability and oversight measures
(Dereymaeker, 2016: 19–21).
the Draft Legal Practice Bill of 2000 stated that ‘all legal practitioners and paralegal practitioners
should be regulated in terms of one statute’.
, the subsequent Legal Practice Bill of 2012 did not contain such a reference, making it clear that
only attorneys and advocates are recognised as members of the legal profession (Leach, 2018:
211–212). Additionally, section 34(9) of the Legal Practice Act mandates the Legal Practice
Council. This regulatory body exercises oversight and regulatory functions over all legal
practitioners and candidate legal practitioners, so as to investigate and advise the minister of
justice and constitutional development on the statutory recognition of paralegals.
It is also important to note that specific qualifications required may differ according to each law
firm’s size, structure and the services offered to its clients.
Core qualifications
Most firms will expect paralegals to have the following core qualifications:
A National Senior Certificate (Grade 12) or an equivalent qualification
Completion of a paralegal or legal secretarial course at a reputable institution
Characteristics
1)Being composed under pressure -
Handling pressure professionally and productively is a key trait that ensures high-quality work
and success as a paralegal. Staying calm and focused, and avoiding making mistakes in
stressful situations are important qualities that enable paralegals to continue producing high-
quality work, despite the distractions and pressures in a dynamic law firm environment (Indeed,
2023).
Page 2
