By Nomfundo Jele

The Legal Practice Council (LPC) would like to rectify incorrect information regarding the Practice Management Training (PMT) course. It has come to the LPC’s attention that some practitioners who opened new practices since 1 November 2018 or who were appointed as partners/directors for the first time as from the same date, have, due to a bona fide administrative oversight, received correspondence from the LPC incorrectly advising them that they have to complete the compulsory practice management training course by either 31 December 2019 or 31 December 2020, depending on the date when the practitioner was issued with their first Fidelity Fund Certificate.

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, complete a legal practice management training course approved by the Council. This relates only to practitioners who practise as attorneys.

In terms of r 30.4.4.2 and r 32.2.2 an advocate who applies for conversion of enrolment to that of an attorney; and an advocate who applies for conversion of enrolment from a s 34(2)(a)(i) advocate to a s 34(2)(a)(ii) advocate (advocate with a trust account) must submit proof of completion of the legal practice management course.

The one-year period referred to in r 27(1) is not applicable in these instances, as prior completion is required.

The approved training course is offered by the Legal Education and Development (LEAD) division of the LSSA. Information on the course is available from LEAD at (012) 441 4600 or on www.lssalead.org.za.

Read the LPC notice here.

Nomfundo Jele, Communications Officer, Law Society of South Africa, nomfundom@lssa.org.za