Legal Practice Act — LPC Practical Vocational Training Guide: LPC Guide for Introduction to Practice Management (Regulation 6(10)(o)) (source: https://lpc.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/o-LPC-Guide-for-IPM-ito-Regulation-6-10o.pdf)
PRACTICAL VOCATIONAL TRAINING (PVT) STRUCTURED COURSEWORK
PROGRAMME FOR CANDIDATE LEGAL PRACTITIONERS (CANDIDATE
ATTORNEYS)
Introduction to practice
management, in terms
of Regulation 6(10)(o)
Author acknowledgement
Ismail Hussain SC
2026/2027 PVT Structured Coursework Programme
Publication and Copyright information
© 2026/2027 The South African Legal Practice Council. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the South African Legal
Practice Council. This intellectual property is strictly for the education and training of
candidate legal practitioners as mandated by the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014 and are
not for commercial resale
Acknowledgements
The Legal Practice Council extends its gratitude to the Evaluator for his/her rigorous
review, quality assurance, and contributions to the pedagogical effectiveness of this
study guide:
Reviewer:
Mrs., Shivani Moodley (Pillay) ( Practising Legal Practitioner)
Published by:
The South African Legal Practice Council
National Office, Building 10, Riverview Office Park
100 River View Park Street,
Halfway Gardens
Midrand, 1686
GUIDE FOR
INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
Regulation 6 (10)(o)
FIFTEEN GUIDES
There are fifteen guides for practical vocational training of candidate attorneys. This guide deals with the
Introduction to Practice Management module in regulation 6(10)(o).
OVERVIEW
On 20 September 2014 Parliament assented to the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014 (LPA). In terms of section 4
of the LPA, the Legal Practice Council (LPC) was established on 31 October 2018. The following day, on 1
November 2018 the bulk of the rest of the LPA came into effect.
The Legal Practice Act regulates all legal practitioners whether on the practising roll or the non-practising
roll. There are three forms of legal practice. They are an attorney, an advocate and an advocate with a
Fidelity Fund certificate: see section 34 of the LPA.
Under section 109(1)(a) of the LPA, the LPC published GN R921 in GG 41879 of 31 August 2018, as
amended by GN R3779 in GG 49104 of 11 August 2023. The compulsory course work required in the
regulations for candidate attorneys was standardised by the LPC in terms of the Norms and Standards.
Regulation 6(10) reads:
“(10) The programme of structured course work referred to in sub-regulation (1)(a) and (b) must be
standardised and uniform throughout the Republic and comprise the following modules:
(a) constitutional practice;
(b) professional legal ethics;
(c) personal injury claims;
(d) high court practice;
(e) magistrate’s court practice;
(f) criminal court practice;
(g) labour dispute resolution;
(h) alternative dispute resolution;
(i) attorneys’ bookkeeping;
(j) wills and estates;
(k) matrimonial law;
(l) legal costs;
(m) drafting of contracts;
(n) information and communication technology for practice, and associated aspects of
cyber law; and
(o) introduction to practice management.”
The LPC published the Norms and Standards on 11 December 2020 in Government Gazette 43981 under
section 3 (g)(i) read with section 6(1)(b)(i) and section 95(1)(n) of the LPA.
Regulation 6(10) requires candidate attorneys to be trained in the modules listed above. The similarity
between regulation 6(10) for candidate attorneys and regulation 7(9) for pupils is not an accident. Section 32
of the LPA permits legal practitioners at any time, as determined in the rules and upon payment of the fee
determined by the LPC, to apply to the LPC to convert their enrolment as attorneys to that of advocates and
vice versa. Consequently, the training of candidate legal practitioners must allow for seamless section 32
conversions.
Each guide per module deals with the requirements in regulation 6(10). Examiners are required to set
questions drawn only from the latest LPC candidate attorneys’ curriculum and reading list. The combined
curriculum and reading list is referred to as the “syllabus”.
Each of the fifteen guides will assist training supervisors, mentors, busy legal practitioners and candidate
attorneys to navigate the syllabus. The focus of the syllabus is on practical vocational training.
INTRODUCTION TO EACH GUIDE
Each guide per module in Regulation 6(10) is designed to assist candidate attorneys to understand, in real
time, the minimum necessary under practical vocational training to become effective attorneys in practice.
The essence of effective legal practitioners is the ability to read, to assimilate legal principles from that
reading and to apply those principles to the facts of your client’s case and in argument before courts,
tribunals, disciplinary bodies, and any other forms of formal gatherings and meetings.
The guides avoid prolixity.
However each guide requires dedicated concentration.
For the examinations, candidate legal practitioners (candidate attorneys and pupils) must be up to date with
the latest Constitutional Court and Supreme Court of Appeal cases to within one week before the date of
each exam.
The guides do not rehash what you studied at University. Your LLB proves your capability. This guide will
assist you to prepare for the LPC admission examinations. More importantly, this guide will also equip you
to be an effective, competent, calm and (reasonably) confident attorney when you enter the legal profession.
REQUEST TO CANDIDATE ATTORNEYS FOR DUE DILIGENCE
Please read this guide attentively.
Please carry out all recommended court attendances.
Please carry out all the recommended practical exercises.
Please complete reading all the material in the LPC reading list.
Please note the notional hours to complete all 15 guides are 400 hours.
Please note this guide, like the other fourteen guides, is sufficient for self-study.
Please remember, the exams are based on the LPC’s most up to date reading list.
• Currently the most up to date syllabus dates from 28 March 2025: Notice 3086 of 2025 published in
Government Gazette 52388.
• Matters omitted from the LPC reading list will not be in the examinations unless the statute, case or
article under question is included in your exam paper and you are allowed extra reading time to
consider that statute, case or article.
• Matters mentioned in the LPC reading list are the subject of exam questions.
• You will be required to answer the exam questions from the perspective of:
o Facts first
o Law later
• The LPC exams, also referred to as assessments, are practical in nature.
• The questions will proceed from the following perspectives: –
o What would you, as attorney of record, advise your client to consider?
o What would you, as attorney of record, advise your client to do?
o When and why would you refer a matter to another attorney or to counsel?
o And similar practical questions.
REFERENCES
One of the products of Juta & Co Ltd is Jutastat. Most of the notes to this guide are downloaded from
Jutastat. Please read the notes with care and diligence. This guide also relies on the Southern African Legal
Information Institute (SAFLII).
SAFLII is free and open access on the Internet.
NOTE WELL
The sequence of this guide follows the sequence in the most recent LPC PVT syllabus of 28 March 2025 for
candidate attorneys. The fifteen guides are designed to be updated when the LPC so requires. Bullet points
below are drafted to assist you to grasp the material in the reading list. You must decide whether to accept or
to amend the bullet points to suit your understanding. When there are no bullet points, you need nonetheless
to read the rule or case to prepare for your exams.
LPC SYLLABUS AND THE OFFICIAL SOURCE FOR ALL EXAMINATION QUESTIONS AT
THE LPC ATTORNEYS’ ADMISSION EXAMS
CURRICULUM READING LISTS
AND COURSE CONTENT
Overview of the legal profession in South Africa Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014
The transformative provisions of the LPA See Chapters 2, 3 and 4
- Attorneys
- Advocates – referral and non-referral (section 34) Regulations 6 and 7 to the Legal Practice Act
- Distinction between practicing and non-practicing
attorneys and advocates. Rules to the Legal Practice Act
The role of the Legal Practitioners’ Fidelity Fund Rules Part V
Legal practice as a business Part VI
The role of efficient management Part VII
Business plan Part VIII
Marketing – ethical marketing
Financial management Hawarden v Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs Inc
- Business 2023 (4) SA 152 (GJ) at paras [1] to [4] and
- Personal paras [63] to [97] and [108]. Reversed on
Administration appeal: Edward Nathan Sonnenberg Inc v
- The use of technology Hawarden 2024 (5) SA 9 (SCA) – the headnote
- Deploying the appropriate technology tools
bearing in mind budgets
Risk management
• Risks in accounting
• Cyber fraud
• Business email compromise
• Interception of payments from trust account
• Fake instructions affecting the trust account
• FICA
• RICA
• FAIS compliance
• Money laundering
• Illegal funding
Personal and professional time management
Starting a practice
Introduction to digitising legal practice
The attorney and insurance
The role of AI
Deploying AI tools according to the needs and budget of
the practice.
INDEX
Overview – Fifteen Guides pages 1 to 3
LPC syllabus and the official source page 4
for all examination questions at the LPC attorneys’ admission exams
Index page 5
Introduction to Practice Management page 6
The Regulatory Framework pages 7 to 8
- Is practice management training mandatory for legal practitioners? page 7
- How do legal practitioners comply? page 7
- By when do legal practitioners have to comply? pages 7 to 8
Rule 27 page 8
Starting a practice pages 9 to 10
Getting Started pages 10 to 11
Risk Management and Control pages 11 to 12
Marketing pages 12 to 13
INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
Introduction
This is an introduction to practice management, as we discuss below, after you complete your
vocational assessment examinations, you will have to undertake an LPC accredited course in
practice management.
After you complete your PVT contract, you will be expected to enter into practice. You will have
the following popular choices:
➢ The firm where you completed your PVT contract might invite you to remain in the firm as
a Professional Assistant. This is an option that is always worth pursuing.
➢ You may decide to start up your own practice. This module is important to you.
➢ You may want to venture into the corporate world, where you will join their legal team. This
module is not actually relevant to that choice.
➢ You may want to, at some stage, practice as an advocate. The LPA has effectively fused the
profession and it will be easy for you to move from the practicing attorneys roll to the
practicing advocate’s roll.
At present you will be receiving vocational training and it is part of your training to observe how
the firm operates as a practice and as a business. Find out what the firms business model entails.
Note that when you enter into practice, you must treat your practice as a business and you are
expected to run it as such. In this guide we assist you with that.
Always remember that, although you are expected to run your practice as a business, it is first and
foremost a law practice and the applicable regulatory framework and code of ethics applies.
The Regulatory Framework
The legal profession is regulated and the regulatory authority is the Legal Practice Council (LPC).
The LPC derives its powers and functions from Chapter 2 of the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014
(LPA). You are expected to read Chapter 2. Section 23 requires the LPC to establish Provincial
Councils, you are most likely to deal with a Provincial Council which will be established within the
jurisdiction of the High Court in your province.
The Practical Vocational Training (PVT) requirements for candidate attorneys is dealt with in
Regulation 6 to the LPA. You are expected to read and comply with the regulation’s provisions.
Regulation 7 pertains to the training requirements for pupils.
Is practice management training mandatory for legal practitioners?
Section 84(1) of the LPA provides that every attorney or any advocate referred to in s 34(2)(b) –
trust account advocate – who intends to practice for their own account, either alone or in partnership
or as a director of a juristic entity, must be in possession of a Fidelity Fund certificate (FFC).
Section 85(1)(b) provides that every legal practitioner who, for the first-time practices as such, must
within the period determined in the rules, complete a legal practice management course approved
by the Legal Practice Council (LPC).
How do legal practitioners comply?
The practice management training (PMT) course offered by the Law Society of South Africa’s
education division, Legal Education and Development (LEAD), has been approved by the LPC as
determined in the LPA (s 85(1)(b) read with s 95(1) (zL)). Currently LEAD provides the course, it is
done online and is accessible from any part of the country. In future the LPC may accredit more or
other service providers to provide the PMT course. Consult the LPC and LEAD websites for more
details.
By when do legal practitioners have to comply?
Rule 27(1) provides that every legal practitioner who is obliged in terms of s 84(1) to be in
possession of a Fidelity Fund certificate must, within a period of one year after the date on which
the legal practitioner was required for the first time to be in possession of a Fidelity Fund certificate,
or within such further period as the Council may approve in any specific case, complete to the
satisfaction of the Council a legal practice management training course approved by the Council.
This Rule applies to legal practitioners who practise as attorneys.
Rule 27
The following further provisions are relevant:
➢ The LPC may exempt a practitioner from completing the PMT course. A qualifying
practitioner may apply for an exemption.
➢ The rule provides for various means of presenting and attending the course. The LEAD
program is currently presented online.
➢ The program itself must comprise the following modules:
• Module 1: general introduction to management;
• Module 2: risk management and insurance;
• Module 3: law business finance;
• Module 4: systems and technology;
• Module 5: practice administration;
• Module 6: marketing of legal services;
• Module 7: human resources management;
• Module 8: strategic management.
➢ In addition to completing the above modules, you will be expected to complete the
following assignments:
• Law business finance;
• Risk management and insurance;
• A business plan.
You have 12 months to complete these assignments.
Starting a practice
Before you can manage a practice you first have to start one, sounds obvious. But this may not be as
easy as you think.
Before you do anything, apply your mind to compliance. Consider the following:
➢ Firstly, attend to registering with the LPC and place yourself on the role for practicing
attorneys;
➢ Next apply for a fidelity fund certificate;
➢ Register with SARS, personal tax and if appropriate, business tax;
➢ Register with SARS for VAT;
➢ Register for PAYE when you hire staff;
➢ Register with the Department of Labour for UIF, after employing staff;
➢ Register with the Compensation Fund, COIDA compliance;
➢ Open a bank account in the name of your firm, business account and separate trust account.
You must also have a personal bank account;
➢ Consult with a reputable short-term insurer and obtain necessary insurance for your firm and
for yourself;
➢ You must obtain sufficient Professional Indemnity cover;
➢ Register with FICA as an “accountable institution”. You can register online.
➢ After registering with FICA, please find out about yours and your firms reporting
obligations to FIC;
➢ Appoint an accountant to assist you with proper trust account management; alternatively, if
yours is a small practice, then obtain the required and appropriate accounting software. The
latter must have “trust accounting” competencies;
➢ Be ready to submit annual trust audit reports.
➢ You must comply with POPIA, register as an Information Officer with the Information
Regulator. You will have to lawfully process client data. Find out how you can do this. Read
the act; and
➢ Appoint a good web designer and establish a website for your practice.
Getting Started
As a new entrant to the profession, the idea of opening your own practice will be foremost on your
mind. With careful planning and good advice, this does not have to be a daunting task. What
follows are some practical suggestions; bearing in mind the compliance requirements as stated
above:
➢ Never underestimate the value of having an excellent website that tells people about your
firm and what services you offer. Consult a good designer and marketer, it is worth the
spend. However, advertising in mainstream media is very expensive.
➢ Have a strategy for using social media networks to promote your firm.
➢ The choice of your location is a decision you have to make after much consideration and
advice. Work out who your possible clients are likely to be. Then find premises that can be
easily accessed. The idea is not to make potential clients travel unnecessarily. You also have
to apply your mind to security. A factor to be taken into account is the distance from your
office to the high court and magistrate’s court.
➢ The size of your office need not be large, rent premises according to your needs and
available budget. You can always expand as your practice grows.
➢ Get advice on how to manage finances. If you fund your practice with loans or any other
kind of leveraging, be very conservative. Do not spend extravagantly from funds that you
will still have to pay back with interest. The best strategy is to start small and to avoid
getting into debt. Please avoid debt where possible. Do without, save money and live
according to your means. Consulting a financial advisor at your bank, costs nothing and they
can help you manage your funds.
➢ Begin by obtaining technology and AI tools strictly according to your needs as a small,
developing firm. Beware of consultants who will attempt to sell you more technology than
you actually need. A good strategy is to consult colleagues who will tell you what you need
and where to obtain IT services.
➢ You must obtain the basic software to manage the firm’s finances and, in particular, is
capable of trust accounting. You must commit yourself and your firm to comply fully with
the LPA, Regulations and rules pertaining to the strict management of the trust account.
Most available software can assist you with this. Also, you need the services of an
accountant, you do not need the services of a charted accountant.
➢ Obtain professional advice regarding cyber-crime. You will require anti-virus software and
effective firewalls. In this regard read the judgement in the SCA in ENS v Hawarden 2024
(5) SA 9 (SCA). This judgement also explains the legal nature of the Delictual Claim that
was the cause of action. Also refer to the discussion about this case in your guide on
Attorneys Bookkeeping.
➢ Be conservative in employing staff. Employ to obtain the services you need. Someone to
manage reception and telephone calls is necessary. If you are unable to type or use “voice to
text” technology, then consider employing a secretary/typist. Obtaining the appropriate
software might reduce your reliance on employing staff.
Risk Management and Control
➢ You will require short term insurance; it is a good idea to find a reliable and experienced
insurance broker. The object is not to buy more insurance than you will need. You must read
Chapter 6 of the LPA, pertaining to the Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund (LPFF).
Understand what protection the LPFF provides. Does it protect the individual attorney
against negligence and misappropriation of funds?
➢ Be familiar with the Legal Practitioners Indemnity Insurance Fund (LPIIF). This is separate
from the LPFF and is established by the LPFF; it is a statutory short-term insurer established
to provide a base level of professional indemnity insurance to legal practices holding
valid Fidelity Fund Certificates. Please consider the cover offered by the LPIIF, you may
want to consult a broker specializing in legal PI insurance.
➢ A risk that must be managed by you is the risk of having claims prescribe. An example is the
prescribing of an RAF claim. The consequences can have serious financial implications. If
you handle insurance claims, then policy time bars can pose a risk to your practice. You can
obtain software from the LPFF that will bring up prescription alerts. Busier firms use Legal
Practice Management Software; this type of software will also assist you in tracking court
timeframes, so you do not fall foul of non-compliance with the rules.
Marketing
Your practice must be conducted like a business. The above requirements make that very clear.
What drives business is effective marketing. Consider the following:
➢ There was a time when attorneys were not allowed to advertise. That has changed with the
times. You are allowed to advertise; but you must observe the LPC rules. Advertising must
be truthful, not misleading and must not amount to touting.
➢ There is a wide array of options available to you; from print media to social media and radio
and television. You have to find a medium that suits your profile and your practice’s needs.
➢ Firstly, you must define your practice areas. You will typically start with a general practice
but you should, after some years, find your particular niche. It could be family law, personal
injury, property, labour law, criminal defence, tax, commercial law etc.
➢ Marketing survey has shown that general practices do not stand out well amongst the
competition. You have to develop your niche and concentrate your marketing on it. This is
not simple and takes time to achieve.
➢ We already mentioned that a good website is absolutely essential. Spend some effort on this,
consult experts and get it right first time. Find a service provider who can make the most out
your practice’s profile and competencies. You will need content marketing. The website will
have to be updated regularly.
➢ Make effective use of social media platforms such as LinkedIn. Again, you may want to
engage an expert to help you set this up. A Google Business Profile is effective, find out
how to set this up.
➢ You have to start networking within your community. Attend public functions and
participate. Give free talks that are topical and hold public interest. Provide free compliance
seminars for local business. Write topical articles in local media, such as “knock and drop”
newspapers. You simply have to “put yourself out there”. Volunteering for community work
is very effective.
➢ Finally, when you get your first case, treat it like the most important case in your practice;
irrespective of how small it might be. Do the best for your client and produce excellent
work. Word of mouth remains a powerful force in “putting yourself out there”.
Remember, your practice should evolve with the passing of time. It is up to you to direct it in the
right direction.
I Hussain SC
February 2026
Plant Breeders' Rights Act, 1976
