Who must comply?
All attorneys who are issued with an Attorneys Fidelity Fund certificate for the first time after 14 August 2009 must complete a course to the satisfaction of the relevant statutory provincial law society. (Section 8 to 10 of the Judicial Matters Second Amendment Act 55 of 2003).
Purpose?
The purpose is to equip attorneys for the management aspect of their legal business, to enhance sustained business success and leadership for the legal profession in general and professional services to the public.
How to comply
The training will be offered by the Law Society of South Africa's Legal Education and Development (L.E.A.D) division (or another accredited provider). The format will be either attendance (after hours) or distance-based.
The training will be practice orientated and offered by persons with experience in the following modules:
- Introduction to Management
- Risk
- Finance
- Systems
- Administration
- Marketing
- People
- Strategy
Courses will run over six months and will be offered during the first and second half of the year, with commencement dates in January and July respectively. Attendance courses will run for 120 hours on an after hours basis in sessions of three hours. Distance courses will include workshops and assignments. Both forms will include the submission of a business plan and completion of a final open-book problem-based test.
By when must attendance be completed?
The course must be completed before 31 December of the year which follows upon the year in which the first AFF certificate was issued.
Extension?
Extension may be requested from the relevant statutory provincial law society.
Exemption?
Attorneys who can show that they have obtained sufficient experience and/or posses an appropriate qualification pertaining to the course subjects, may apply to the LSSA Practice Development Committee for exemption. This committee may require an applicant to attend an assessment.
Information on practice management training can be obtained from
Martha Lubasi
Fax number: 086 550 7153
or e-mail marthal@lssalead.org.za
Information on Attorneys Fidelity Fund certificates can be obtained from
Your relevant provincial law society:
- Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North-West: Law Society of the Northern Provinces at (012) 338 5800
- Western, Eastern and Northern Cape: Cape Law Society at (021) 443 6700
- Free State: Law Society of the Free State at (051) 447 3237
- KwaZulu-Natal: KwaZulu-Natal Law Society at (033) 345 1304
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