By Nomfundo Manyathi

Young lawyers – aged 35 years and younger – have come together to form an association called the Young Legal Practitioners Association (YLPA). The association was formed during a meeting between the young lawyers and the chief executive officer of the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) Nic Swart, as well as other LSSA staff, during the LSSA annual general meeting in March.

The YLPA has a steering committee of ten members.

The organisation held its first meeting on 14 April, where it discussed its objectives. It will meet with young legal practitioners from the four provinces that form part of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces (Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo) and then, if possible, will meet other young practitioners around South Africa.

Denver Burns, who is part of the steering committee, told De Rebus that the YLPA was starting the meetings in the northern provinces region due to logistics. It was also from this province that the LSSA received the most responses when it sent out an e-mail asking young practitioners if they would be interested in forming a young lawyers’ association.

If you would like to join the YLPA, send an e-mail to steering committee members Diyashen Pillay at d.pillay@bowman.co.za or William Maodi at wmaodi@yahoo.com

Nomfundo Manyathi,nomfundo@derebus.org.za

This article was first published in De Rebus in 2012 (May) DR 10.