SLP1025D Skills for Law Practitioners: Course Overview

• Course titled "Skills for Law Practitioners" with subject code SLP1025D
• Conducted by Dr. N.J Malange at Tshwane University of Technology

Announcements

• There is no final examination in 2025.
• There will be six assessments per year, with three per semester, excluding optional tests and assignments.
• Assessment Weightings:
  • Assessment 1: 10%
  • Assessment 2: 15%
  • Assessment 3: 25%
  • Assessment 4: 15%
  • Assessment 5: 10%
  • Assessment 6: 25%
• Two sick tests are available.
• Students can address queries about marks or SLP105D via WhatsApp or telephone at 0826662180.
• On-campus students can meet after class.
• There will be two assignments; submission dates to be communicated.
• No prescribed textbook; lecture notes will be provided.
• Test 1 set for March 3, 2025, at 11:30 in Building 14-G96 focuses on Units 1 and 2 (Notes)

Course Content

• The course covers:
  • Essential Life Skills
  • Communication Skills
  • Research Skills
  • Student Life Involvement
  • Community Legal Engagement
  • Numeracy Skills and Personal Budgeting
  • Negotiation and Mediation
  • Classification of South African Law
  • Adjudication, Interpretation and Dispute Resolution
  • Litigation
  • Legal Practitioners/Actors

Study Unit 1: Essential Skills: Oral Communication

• Language is critical for legal professionals.
• You must be able to convey info with:
  • Clarity
  • Conciseness
  • Logical terminology.
• Communication necessitates persuasion and advocacy
• Attorneys must master legal terminology and active listening.

Written Communication

• Writing is essential in the legal profession for simple to complex documents
• Legal professionals need stylistic, mechanical, and grammatical mastery.
• You must write with organization, conciseness, and persuasiveness.
• Writing skills are needed to draft effective documents like motions, briefs, memorandums, resolutions, and agreements.

Client Service

• Serving clients capably, honestly, and responsibly is key to success
• Client-focused legal professionals must master these:
  • "Rainmaking" abilities for income generation.
  • Client development skills
  • Customer service skills

Analytical and Logical Reasoning

• Attorneys must efficiently assimilate complex information. Skills should include:
  • Reviewing complex written documents
  • Drawing logical inferences
  • Connecting legal authorities
• Developing organizational and problem-solving abilities is essential.
• You must structure and assess arguments.
• Conclusions and inferences rely on inductive and deductive reasoning.

Legal Research

• Important skills include researching:
  • Legal concepts
  • Case law
  • Judicial opinions
  • Statutes
  • Regulations
  • Other information
• Attorneys must locate/synthesize legal authority by mastering research techniques.
• Proficiency needed in areas such as legal citation and statutory interpretation.
• You must use legal research software and internet research.

Technology Skills

• An integral part of every function is technology
• Skills include:
  • Word processing
  • Presentation
  • Time management
  • Billing software
  • Practice-related software applications
• Communication technology must be mastered, for example:
  • Email
  • Voice
  • Video conferencing.
• Legal professionals needs to be familiar with electronic discovery, computerized litigation support, and document management software.

Knowledge of Substantive Law and Legal Procedure

• All legal professionals need a basic understanding of substantive law and legal procedure.
• Secretaries and support staff need knowledge of the legal court system and deadlines
• Understanding legal principles in specialized areas is essential.

Time Management

• An attorney is placed under pressure to manage large workloads
• Professionals operate under the billable hour business model.
• Productivity is key to financial gain.
• Superior multi-tasking skills are necessary
• You need a good work ethic
• There an ability to handle competing priorities.
• Calendaring is needed to meet tight deadlines.

Organization

• Legal experts need organizational skills to manage document and data volumes
• Includes skills to sort and order documents, files, exhibits, and data in paper form
• The ability to catalog data and create organization from unrelated facts.
• Technology applications should also be utilized for case-related data.

Teamwork

• Legal professionals rely on support staff and collaboration.
• Even solo practitioners rely on co-counsel, vendors, and experts
• Collaboration is essential to individual and organizational success. Teamwork skills are necessary to reach common goals
• These include sharing information and working together.
• Relationships with colleagues and clients need cultivation
• Should attend team events, confrences and meetings.