Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
24 June 1998
USAID AND BLACK LAWYERS ASSOCIATION IN AGREEMENT TO TRAIN 240 DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS FOR THE BAR
On June 23, 1998, the South African Black Lawyers Association and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) signed a grant agreement that will provide practical academic training for 240 black law graduates and will assist in placing them with law firms to complete the required articles with professional firms, according to South African law.
The grant agreement is part of the initial Bilateral Agreement signed between USAID and the South African Ministry of Justice in September 1994, whereby an amount of R8 million was made available by the United States government to improve and transform the system of all South Africans. Five specific areas of activity were then identified, among which the increased accessibility to the justice system by newly graduated disadvantaged students. The present grant addresses this particular area of accessibility.
Six organisations were identified by the Ministry of Justice, led by the Black Lawyers Association (BLA), which meet the criteria for carrying out the exercise. These include the National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL), Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), Law Society of South Africa, General Council of the Bar of South Africa (GCB) and the Legal Resources Centre. The programme is designed to:
(a) train law pupils in chambers through the General Council of the Bar of South Africa, which includes lectures, compulsory workshops on practical training, and final written and oral examinations (b) a 12-month legal placement, which entails articles of clerkship plus full-time course work (c) 24 month legal placement which involves articles of clerkship and selected courses.
The Consortium of six organisations, led by the Black Lawyers Association, will advertise the availability of subsidies, invite applications from law graduates, screen the applicants, and place candidates at law firms and before the Bar.
Enquiries: US Information Officer: Bruce Wharton, tel: (012) 342 1048 x2009 Black Lawyers Association: Adv Thomas Bokaba, tel: (011) 337 1536 Department of Justice: Marie Schouwsta/Rasiga Naicker, tel: (012) 323 9302 x2187/2189