Johannesburg - The Law Society of SA (LSSA) on Monday said it was concerned at the many law graduates lacking essential skills.
The LSSA on Monday welcomed the findings on LLB curriculum research
presented by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) at a colloquium on
November 11.
"However, the LSSA continues to express its concern that a
substantial number of law graduates are lacking in a number of essential
skills such as research, computer work, literacy and numeracy," LSSA
co-chairs Max Boqwana and Peter Horn said in a statement.
"Graduates who lack basic skills - which they should already be
equipped with when they enter the profession - place a great burden on
the attorneys' profession to provide training in these skills, instead
of using the time and funding to strengthen the legal transactional
skills required in the attorneys' profession," they said.
Clients in legal matters were placed at risk if new legal practitioners were not properly equipped to assist them.
This, in turn, had a negative impact on access to justice.
It seemed that, in general, law graduates were not adequately equipped for the practice of law.
A gradual decline in skills over time also appeared to have taken place.
The LSSA made extensive submissions to the CHE during the research phase.
Respondents to the CHE research survey - which included the LSSA as
well as other players in the legal profession - generally agreed the
most crucial abilities that should be attained by law graduates included
problem solving, English language proficiency, understanding the
application of legal principles and research skills.
In terms of legal topics, most faculties included in their curriculum
the theoretical learning areas that were regarded as necessary for
attorneys by the LSSA.
However, there appeared to be a lack of consensus on the skills that were needed.
The need for a core curriculum had been raised, Boqwana and Horn said.
LSSA director of legal education and development Nic Swart said the
LSSA was concerned that, even if consensus was reached about the focus
certain content should enjoy at all law faculties, this still did not
guarantee the quality of tuition.
"This is a very high priority which the CHE, the department of higher education and the law faculties must address," Swart said.
The LSSA was also concerned about the disparity between faculties, in particular as far as depth of tuition was concerned.
Some law faculties offered eight times more practical skills training
than others, and only 10 of the 17 law faculties offered language
courses.
"The LSSA trusts that these issues will be addressed by the relevant authorities without delay.
"For its part, the LSSA - with the financial assistance of the
Attorneys Fidelity Fund - will continue to make meaningful interventions
to the quality of academic tuition of those law graduates who enter the
ranks of the attorneys' profession.
"The LSSA is confident that the profession will continue to be
acknowledged as a partner in the process of review of the LLB
curriculum," Swart said.