In legal practice, document review is where risk is discovered, value is captured, and mistakes are prevented before they become costly.  Whether you are vetting a draft contract, combing through discovery sets, or quality checking court bundles, a structured document review turns a pile of pages into reliable information that a client can act on.  This guide explains what document review is, why it matters, and practical techniques that make your reviews consistent, defensible, and fast without sacrificing quality.

I recently had the privilege of attending the Advanced trial advocacy course hosted by the Gawie le Roux Institute of Law and presented by Dr Willem Gravett.  

This experience was something I haven't had in a while, seeing that these days I find myself more at the front of the class, presenting rather than daydreaming in the bleachers.  Little did I know that it turned out to be one of the most exciting and practical learning experiences of my legal journey so far.  

Sitting for the notarial practice exam was most certainly one of the most daunting, yet rewarding, milestones in my legal career.

The content is technical, the time pressure is significant, and many candidates underestimate the skill of writing quickly and clearly under exam conditions.

If you enjoy solving complex problems, translating rules into plain language, and helping organisations make sound decisions, a career as a legal advisor could be the ideal career path.  In South Africa, legal advisors work in banks, insurers, tech companies, start-ups, municipalities, SOEs, and NGOs.  They work at the intersection of law, risk, and strategy, guiding leaders so that projects move forward with legal confidence and compliance.  

Nowadays, an LLB graduate has more options available when pursuing admission as a legal practitioner.  One of these beneficial options is a 400-hour practical vocational training programme, which enables a candidate attorney to shorten their legal articles and/or apply for admission and enrolment as an attorney earlier.

Let’s explore the different practical legal training options available to LLB graduates and candidate attorneys in South Africa.

Too often, law reports show that property sale disputes could have been prevented if one expert had been used to attend to the entire property transaction.  I.e., marketing the property, closing the sale, concluding the sale agreement, transferring the property, and finally dealing with the proceeds of the sale.

There is no better person than an attorney or conveyancer to handle both stages, professionally and cost-effectively, assisted by a competent team of property professionals.

Becoming an academic in the legal field has various benefits.  One of the main benefits is the opportunity to impart practical know-how on aspiring legal practitioners.

Johan van Stade spoke to #Rooted&Relevant legal podcaster Macdonald Sesinyi about his personal experience transitioning from legal practice to academics at a private training institute.

Watch the episode: