Becoming a personal injury lawyer in South Africa involves several academic, practical, and professional steps. Here’s a clear breakdown of the full process:

🎓 Step 1: Complete a Law Degree (LLB)

• Minimum qualification: Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree.

• Duration: 4 years (undergraduate) or 2 years (postgraduate) if you already hold another degree.

• Where to study: Accredited South African universities such as:

  • University of Cape Town (UCT)

  • University of Pretoria (UP)

  • University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)

  • Stellenbosch University

  • University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

  • University of Johannesburg (UJ)

  • UNISA (distance learning)

🧑‍⚖️ Step 2: Complete Practical Legal Training

After your LLB, you must gain practical experience before you can be admitted as an attorney.

You have two main options:

Option 1: Articles of Clerkship

• Serve 2 years under a practicing attorney (known as a “principal”).

• You’ll gain real-world experience in areas like litigation, drafting documents, client consultation, and court procedures.

Option 2: Law School / Practical Legal Training (PLT)

• Attend a 6-month course offered by a Law Society-accredited School for Legal Practice (operated by the Legal Practice Council).

• If combined with articles, this can shorten your total practical period.

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📜 Step 3: Pass the Attorneys’ Admission Examinations

You must pass four board exams administered by the Legal Practice Council (LPC):

1. Legal Practice

2. Wills & Estates

3. Attorney’s Practice, Ethics, and the Legal Profession

4. Civil and Criminal Procedure

⚖️ Step 4: Be Admitted as an Attorney of the High Court

• Apply to the High Court for admission as an attorney.

• You’ll need to prove completion of:

  • LLB degree

  • Practical training (articles or PLT)

  • Admission exams

  • Character references and good standing

Once admitted, you are officially an attorney and can specialize.

💼 Step 5: Specialize in Personal Injury Law

After admission, you can choose to specialize in personal injury or related fields, such as:

• Road Accident Fund (RAF) claims

• Medical negligence

• Workplace injuries

• Product liability

• Public liability

Ways to specialize:

• Work at a personal injury firm to gain experience.

• Attend specialist short courses (offered by universities or the LPC).

• Network with other practitioners in tort and insurance law.

• Build litigation and negotiation skills—these are key in injury law.

🔍 Step 6: Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

You must complete ongoing Legal Practice Council CPD activities to stay compliant and up to date with changes in the law.

🧠 Optional: Advocate Route

Alternatively, you could become an advocate (barrister) instead of an attorney. Advocates typically handle court appearances and may specialize in personal injury litigation.
This path requires:

• Completing pupillage (1 year under the General Council of the Bar)

• Passing the Bar Exam

Bonus Tip

Personal injury law often involves contingency fees (“no win, no fee”), so strong business and client management skills are valuable alongside legal expertise.

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• • Personal Injury Lawyer Salary in South Africa