To become a corporate lawyer in South Africa you need an LLB, a practical vocational training (PVT) contract with a qualified principal, a pass in the competency assessment for candidate legal practitioners, and admission by the High Court as an attorney. The Legal Practice Council (LPC) describes one general route to becoming an attorney and does not set out a separate corporate lawyer qualification; corporate law is the area you choose to practise in.
What sets you on the corporate path is mostly where you do your training and which practice you join, not an extra qualification.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
The route to admission as an attorney involves the following.
- An LLB from a South African university of not less than four years, or not less than five years if it is preceded by another bachelor’s degree. A foreign degree recognised as equivalent by SAQA is also accepted.
- A practical vocational training (articles) contract, registered with the LPC.
- A pass in the competency-based examination or assessment for candidate legal practitioners.
- Admission by the High Court: you must be duly qualified, a South African citizen or permanent resident, and a fit and proper person, and your application must be served on the Council.
- Optionally, postgraduate specialisation such as an LLM in commercial law. Check the requirements with the faculty offering it.
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The LLB is the foundation, and admission to it is decided by the law faculty. See law requirements for the academic requirements. Where the faculty lets you choose electives, commercial, company and tax law modules are a sensible way to prepare for corporate work, but the LPC does not require them.
Admission is by the High Court on application; the LPC handles enrolment and sets the rules for practical vocational training. The LPC’s vetting checklist for admission as an attorney sets out what the court application must show.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
School subjects and APS are decided by each law faculty, not by the LPC, so check each faculty’s own requirements before you choose subjects or apply.
The qualification the LPC asks for is the LLB (four years, or five if preceded by another bachelor’s degree), or a SAQA-recognised equivalent foreign degree.
Documents and Application Requirements
For registering a practical vocational training contract, the LPC’s requirements include the following.
- A certified copy of your ID
- A certified copy of your LLB
- Two character references, not older than six months
- Payment of the registration fee of R345
The contract documents must be lodged with the provincial LPC office within two months of the date of the contract. See the LPC’s requirements for registering a practical vocational training contract and the LPC FAQ for the full list and the current fee.
The training period is two years plus at least 150 notional hours of structured coursework, or one year if at least 400 notional hours of structured coursework were completed over not more than six months before the contract was registered.
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Your principal must have practised for at least three years (or three of the preceding four), and service done before you have satisfied the LLB requirements does not count. Firms and companies choose their own candidate attorneys, so ask the firms you are interested in how and when they recruit.
Corporate law is an area of practice. Whether you do commercial work depends on the firm or legal department you train and work in, so research their practice areas before you apply for a training contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements for a corporate lawyer?
An LLB (four years, or five after another bachelor’s degree), a practical vocational training contract of one or two years, a pass in the competency assessment, and High Court admission as a South African citizen or permanent resident who is fit and proper.
Is there a corporate lawyer qualification?
The LPC documents describe a single qualification route for attorneys and do not set a separate corporate qualification. The qualifications for a corporate lawyer are the LLB, the training contract, the competency assessment and admission. An LLM in commercial law is optional further study; confirm its entry requirements with the faculty.
How long is the training contract?
Two years plus at least 150 notional hours of structured coursework, or one year if at least 400 notional hours of structured coursework were completed over not more than six months before the contract was registered.
When do I have to lodge my training contract?
With the provincial LPC office within two months of the date of the contract.
Does the LPC set the admission requirements?
The High Court admits attorneys on application, and the LPC handles enrolment and sets the rules for practical vocational training. Confirm the details with the Legal Practice Council.
Confirm admission requirements with the Legal Practice Council and LLB entry requirements with each faculty. See admission requirements and browse all education requirements.