UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

PARALEGAL PRACTITIONER

ONLINE SHORT COURSE

Learn to assist licensed lawyers by performing a number of key legal and operational tasks

16 weeks, excluding
orientation

7 hours per week,
entirely online

Weekly modules,
flexible learning

ON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE, YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH:

1

A broad understanding of current South African legislation and legal procedures.

2

The specialist technical and administrative skills needed to operate effectively as a legal support professional.

3

Knowledge of best practices in legal reading, writing, and research.

4

Proof of your paralegal competencies in the form of a certificate from Africa’s leading university.¹

¹QS Top Universities (Aug, 2021).

COURSE CURRICULUM

Over the duration of this online short course, you’ll work through the following modules:

MODULE 1: Introduction to South African Law
Learn to navigate the South African legal environment.
MODULE 2: Sources of South African Law
Learn about the sources of the South African legal system.
MODULE 3: Classification of South African Law
Learn to navigate the classifications of South African law.
MODULE 4: Introduction to the Legal and Paralegal Profession
Discover the traditional career opportunities offered to legal and paralegal practitioners.
MODULE 5: Private Law and Civil Law Procedures
Discover how the law protects the subjective rights of a party by providing legal remedies.

MODULE 6: Criminal Law and the Law of Criminal Procedure
Learn about criminal law and the law of criminal procedure.
MODULE 7: Business Law
Gain an introduction to business law.
MODULE 8: Law of Evidence
Discover a bit more about how parties prove their cases.
MODULE 9: Courts and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Learn which courts are responsible for hearing different matters.
MODULE 10: The Constitution and the Impact of HIV/AIDS on the Law
Learn about the South African Constitution and discover the laws protecting the rights of individuals with HIV/AIDS.

MODULE 11: Human Rights
Learn about the inalienable and inviolable human rights that form part of the South African Constitution.
MODULE 12: Legal Comparison and Perspectives on the Law
Learn about legal comparisons, the study of foreign legal systems for comparison with South Africa.
MODULE 13: Legal Language and Reading
Discover the importance of language as a lawyer's top tool for success.
MODULE 14: Legal Writing
Discover the importance of effective writing skills in law.
MODULE 15: Legal Argument, Logic, Interview and Oral Advocacy Skills
Learn how to advise a client, persuade a court, and deliver a judgment.
MODULE 16: Legal Research Skills
Learn how to conduct and present legal research.

Please note that module titles and their contents are subject to change during course development.

COURSE CONVENOR

Salona Lutchman

Attorney and Notary of the High Court of South Africa; Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Law, UCT

Lutchman completed her Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2006. She subsequently did her articles of clerkship at Routledge Modise Attorneys in Johannesburg, and was admitted as an attorney and notary of the High Court of South Africa. She completed her Master of Laws degree in international legal studies at New York University in 2012, and was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Private Law at UCT. Lutchman currently reads for a PhD at UCT, and teaches the law of evidence, international law and European Union law. She is the co-convenor of the master’s in human rights law programme. Her research interests include general public international law, children's rights, and criminal justice.

AN ONLINE EDUCATION THAT SETS YOU APART

This UCT online short course is delivered in collaboration with online education provider GetSmarter, part of edX. Join a growing community of global professionals, and benefit from the opportunity to:

Gain verifiable and relevant competencies and earn invaluable recognition from an international selection of universities and institutions, entirely online and in your own time.

Enjoy a personalised, people-mediated online learning experience created to make you feel supported at every step.

Experience a flexible but structured approach to online education as you plan your learning around your life to meet weekly milestones.