Completing an LLB degree is a significant achievement, but for aspiring attorneys, it is only one step on the road to admission.
For many law graduates, the transition from university to the workplace can raise important questions, such as:
What happens after I have completed my LLB?
What is practical vocational training (PVT)? Is it the same as law school?
How do articles of clerkship fit into the process?
And how can aspiring attorneys develop the practical skills they need to thrive in a law firm?
These are some of the questions addressed in the Unisa Career Talk on the GLR PVT School. The career talk was presented to help prospective candidate attorneys understand the role of PVT and what they can expect from a structured PVT programme. Here's what you need to know.
Bridging the gap between university and practice
An LLB provides aspiring legal practitioners with an important academic foundation. Students learn about the law, legal principles and the various areas of South African law. However, knowing the law and applying it in practice are two very different things
Practical vocational training is designed to help bridge this gap. Rather than simply revisiting the theory covered during an LLB, PVT focuses on the practical understanding and skills required in a legal practice.
The Gawie le Roux Institute of Law’s PVT School assists law graduates in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and the applied understanding required for legal practice.
This practical focus is particularly important because a candidate attorney may encounter matters in practice that require much more than knowing what the law says. Legal practitioners must be able to apply legislation and case law, communicate effectively with clients, prepare documents, manage files and understand the procedures involved in different types of legal matters.
What is PVT?
Practical vocational training consists of two important components:
- the practical training obtained through a PVT contract with a law firm (articles); and
- the structured course work completed through an LPC-accredited training provider (PVT programme/law school/PVT school).
The two components complement one another, and therefore, you cannot choose between the two.
Working under a PVT contract gives a candidate attorney practical workplace exposure and the opportunity to learn from experienced practitioners. The structured programme of coursework, such as the one offered by Gawie le Roux, meanwhile, provides broader practical training across a range of legal subjects.
This broader perspective can be particularly valuable because a candidate attorney's workplace experience may be concentrated in one particular area of law, while the PVT programme exposes students to a wider range of legal practice skills.
Why is PVT important for aspiring attorneys?
Completing an accredited PVT programme forms part of the requirements for admission as an attorney in South Africa.
At the Gawie le Roux Institute of Law, students can choose between a 150-hour and a 400-hour PVT programme, depending on their circumstances and PVT contract. Both programmes cover the same prescribed subject areas, although the number of notional hours allocated to lectures, assignments and assessments differs.
The programmes cover a broad range of practical legal modules, including:
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Constitutional law
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Ethics for legal practitioners
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Delictual and personal injury claims
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Civil procedure and trial advocacy
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Criminal court practice and trial advocacy
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Labour dispute resolution
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Alternative dispute resolution
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Legal practitioners' accounts management
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Wills and estates
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Matrimonial matters and divorce
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Legal costs
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Drafting of contracts
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Introduction to cyber law
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Introduction to practice management
This broad syllabus reflects an important reality of legal practice: a successful attorney needs more than knowledge of a single area of law.
150 hours or 400 hours?
One of the important decisions facing aspiring attorneys is choosing the right PVT programme for them.
The 150-hour programme is designed for candidate attorneys serving under a 24-month PVT contract, or for those who have completed such a contract. It provides the structured coursework required as part of the PVT process.
The 400-hour programme provides a more comprehensive practical training experience. One of its key advantages is that, subject to the applicable requirements, successful completion can enable a candidate attorney to reduce a two-year PVT contract to one year. Read more about how you may become eligible for early admission.
For someone trying to plan their legal career, understanding this distinction early can make a significant difference.
Learning while working
Another important consideration for aspiring attorneys is how to fit PVT into an already demanding schedule.
The Gawie le Roux Institute of Law offers its PVT programmes online, making it possible for students to complete much of their training remotely. Lectures can be attended online or, where applicable, watched as recordings. Assessments are also completed online.
This flexibility can be particularly valuable for:
- candidate attorneys who are already working during the day;
- those still looking to secure articles;
- someone who is working full-time outside of the legal field;
- people who reside outside of the country;
- LLM students; and
- those who only have one or two LLB subjects outstanding, but want to start their PVT programme of coursework.
The programme is nevertheless designed to be practical and structured. Trial advocacy subjects require real-time participation, ensuring that students have opportunities to engage with the practical aspects of legal practice rather than relying exclusively on recorded content.
Preparing for the reality of legal practice
One of the most important messages for LLB graduates is that the transition from university to practice involves a change in mindset.
At university, success often depends on understanding and explaining legal principles. In practice, the question becomes: How do I use that knowledge to solve this client's problem?
That means developing skills such as:
- analysing a client's circumstances;
- identifying the relevant legal issues;
- applying the law to practical situations;
- drafting legal documents;
- understanding procedural requirements;
- communicating effectively with clients and colleagues;
- dealing with ethical issues; and
- managing the realities of working in a legal practice.
These are the skills that can help turn theoretical legal knowledge into professional competence.
More than just another requirement
It is easy for LLB graduates to view PVT simply as another requirement standing between them and admission.
However, PVT provides aspiring attorneys with the chance to consolidate what they learned during their LLB and start developing the practical judgement required in the profession.
The Gawie le Roux Institute of Law's approach is centred on this transition from theory to practice, with experienced lecturers drawing on their professional experience to provide focused practical training.
Your legal career starts before admission
Becoming an attorney is a process, not a single milestone.
The LLB provides the academic foundation. The PVT contract provides workplace experience. Structured PVT coursework adds broader practical training. Together, these stages help aspiring legal practitioners develop the knowledge, skills and professional competence required for the profession.
For students approaching the end of their LLB, therefore, it is worth thinking about PVT sooner rather than later.
Understanding the different options, planning your training and choosing an appropriate PVT programme can help make the transition from student to legal practitioner more structured and purposeful.
Ready to take the next step?
The Gawie le Roux Institute of Law offers LPC-accredited 150-hour and 400-hour PVT programmes for prospective candidate attorneys and candidate attorneys under contract. The programmes are designed to bridge the gap between academic legal knowledge and the practical skills required in legal practice.
The journey does not end when the LLB is completed. In many ways, that is where the practical part of becoming a legal professional really begins.
Last updated on 14 September 2026.