Our general courses consist of three introductory courses which lay the foundation for a legal assistant’s understanding of the law and the formal legal environment in which he or she will operate, namely:
- Module 1 - Legal practice
- Module 2 - South African law
- Module 3 - Practical legal skills
Module 1 - Legal practice – consists of five topics that lay the foundation for any legal assistant’s understanding of the formal legal environment within which he or she will be working, namely:
- Legal profession – explains career opportunities in both the private and the public sectors;
- Attorney’s office – explains the staff, equipment, filing systems and registers kept in a legal practice;
- Court structure – discusses the judiciary, jurisdiction and court structure in South Africa;
- Communication – shares thoughts on communication in a formal legal environment; and
- Legal accounts – concludes with a basic knowledge of the unique accounting principles that apply in a legal practice.
These topics cover the bare minimum an ambitious legal assistant should know. This knowledge will help you to advance rapidly in your career as a legal assistant in the formal legal environment, whether in an attorney’s office or elsewhere.
Recommended: We recommend completing this module before advancing to our 'Civil litigation' and 'Debt collection' courses if you have no prior knowledge of legal practice.
Read more about the course content here.
In Module 2 – South African law – you will learn what the law is, where it comes from, where to find source references, how it is classified, how it develops, how it functions, and what the basic principles are. By the end of this module, you will have gained the essential knowledge that a professional legal assistant (paralegal) working in the formal legal environment requires. This module is a great way to upskill or to ensure you have the basic knowledge of South African law needed to function with confidence within a law firm.
- The law
- Classification of the law
- Sources of the law
- History of the law
Read more about the course content here.
Module 3 – Practical legal skills – consists of various general topics which a legal assistant (paralegal) must know when working alongside a legal practitioner. The aim is to equip you with a number of useful and practical tips which will help you to be informed and to function well in a formal legal environment.
- Professional conduct
- POPIA and FICA
- Matrimonial property law
- Wills and testaments
- Prescription
- Civil procedure
- Correspondents
- File management
Read more about the course content here.
- Each module in this course is presented online over 4 hours from 08:00-12:30.
- Modules can be taken separately and in any sequence.
- Lectures can be attended either online, by obtaining recordings or through self-study.
- When opting for recordings, follow the instructions in your registration confirmation email to request access to view recordings online. Recordings can be viewed at any time once you've received login details. Recordings are only available for a limited time (2 weeks), please refer to your registration confirmation letter for more information.
- The presentation is accompanied by a comprehensive reference manual.
- The material is presented in an interactive format, with an evaluation that needs to be successfully completed to qualify you to receive your certificate.
- This is a great introductory course for legal assistants (paralegals) new to, or already working in, the legal environment.
- It is a great way to upskill or to ensure you have the basic knowledge of South African law needed to operate with confidence within a law firm.
- You will walk away with an understanding of career opportunities within the legal profession, of how an attorney’s office is managed, court structure, effective communication in an attorney’s office, and the basic principles of legal bookkeeping (module 1). You will have a basic knowledge of South African law (module 2). You will learn a number of useful legal skills to apply in your daily workplace (module 3).