Careers › Law

How to become a Lawyer (Attorney / Advocate)

Advises on and argues the law - in court, in business or in government.

This needs more than the degree

The LLB is step one, not the whole route. Attorneys then serve 1-2 years under a Practical Vocational Training contract and must pass the Legal Practice Council’s competency exams; advocates follow a separate pupillage route. Typical total: 5-6 years from matric before you can practise independently.

What does a Lawyer (Attorney / Advocate) actually do?

More about this career

Attorneys handle contracts, conveyancing, litigation preparation and client-facing legal work directly; advocates specialise in arguing cases in court and are usually briefed by an attorney rather than hired directly by the public. Both routes need an LLB, then articles (for attorneys) or pupillage (for advocates) before you can practise independently.

Where this degree can take you

  • Corporate/Commercial Lawyer
  • Prosecutor (NPA)
  • In-House Legal Advisor
  • Human Rights Lawyer

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

  • English (strong)
  • History (helpful)

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

What the degrees we’ve captured actually ask for

  • Mathematics – asked for by 12 of 20 degrees
  • Mathematical Literacy – asked for by 6 of 20 degrees
  • Accounting – asked for by 1 of 20 degrees

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each degree links to the page it came from.

Degrees that lead here

20 degrees at 14 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Nelson Mandela University

Partly verifiedNot fully verified

LLB

Law · 4 years

NMU Applicant Score (AS) 390 out of 600 (+7 bonus in some cases)

  • English: 65% OR English: 70%
  • Mathematics: 50%

English threshold is 65% if it is your Home Language, 70% if First Additional. A 5-year LLB Extended route also exists at a lower threshold. From NMU’s own faculty "UG Guide" PDFs, most of which are dated/closing in 2024 - apparently covering the 2025 intake, not independently confirmed as current for 2027 (NMU appears to roll these forward with the same structure each year, but treat the figures as "last confirmed" rather than "2027-verified"). No 2027 closing date is stated.

Source: View the official page (law.mandela.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Partly verifiedNot fully verified

BCom Law

Law

NMU Applicant Score (AS) 390 out of 600 (+7 bonus in some cases)

  • English: 65% OR English: 70%
  • Mathematics: 60%

Mathematical Literacy and Technical Mathematics are not accepted. From NMU’s own faculty "UG Guide" PDFs, most of which are dated/closing in 2024 - apparently covering the 2025 intake, not independently confirmed as current for 2027 (NMU appears to roll these forward with the same structure each year, but treat the figures as "last confirmed" rather than "2027-verified"). No 2027 closing date is stated.

Source: View the official page (law.mandela.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Partly verifiedNot fully verified

BA Law

Law

NMU Applicant Score (AS) 390 out of 600 (+7 bonus in some cases)

  • English: 65% OR English: 70%
  • Mathematics: 50%

AS 390 on the Mathematics route, 405 on the Mathematical Literacy/Technical Mathematics route (at a 75% threshold). From NMU’s own faculty "UG Guide" PDFs, most of which are dated/closing in 2024 - apparently covering the 2025 intake, not independently confirmed as current for 2027 (NMU appears to roll these forward with the same structure each year, but treat the figures as "last confirmed" rather than "2027-verified"). No 2027 closing date is stated.

Source: View the official page (law.mandela.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Rhodes University

LLB

Law · 4 years

Rhodes points 45 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 6 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)

Rhodes points of 40-44 are considered at the Dean’s discretion; 45 or more receives a provisional offer. We show 45 as the qualifying number so that "you qualify" means exactly that - but you are still worth an application from 40. Rhodes has no Engineering and no MBChB. The NBT is recommended, not required. Life Orientation is not scored, but you need at least 50% in it.

Source: View the official page (ru.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Stellenbosch University

Selection programme

LLB (4-year)

Law · 4 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 70 %

  • English: 60% if it is your Home Language, 70% if it is your First Additional Language
  • NBT – The NBT AQL must be written before 31 July.

Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher. Selection is 80% school results and 20% NBT. About 120 places. Afrikaans Home Language at 60% or First Additional at 70% is also accepted.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Selection programme

BCom (Law)

Law · 3 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 70 %

  • Mathematics: 60%
  • NBT – The NBT AQL and MAT are required.

Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher. About 80 places.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Selection programme

BAccLLB

Law · 5 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 80 %

  • Mathematics: 70% OR Mathematics: 60% AND Accounting: 70%

Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher. About 35 places.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Fort Hare

Partly verifiedNot fully verified

Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Law · 4 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy or Technical Mathematics – A minimum level in one of these three - UFH’s page listed three different level numbers against these three options without making clear which applies to which, so we show this as a note rather than guess which.
  • Four more subjects – Four further subjects at level 4 or better.
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)

UFH does not state a numeric APS minimum on this programme’s own page, only subject-level requirements. 2027 undergraduate applications: opened 1 May 2026, close 31 October 2026 (from ufh.ac.za/admission).

Source: View the official page (ufh.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Johannesburg

Partly verified

LLB

Law · 4 years

UJ APS 31 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Additional language – An additional language at level 4.
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 4 (50% or more)

APS 31 applies if you take Mathematics; APS 32 is required if you take Mathematical Literacy. This figure was read from the search-engine index of the official UJ programme page rather than from the full page, and UJ’s 2027 prospectus PDF could not be fetched. Confirm it on the UJ page before you rely on it.

Source: View the official page (uj.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of KwaZulu-Natal

From an older document

LLB

Law & Management Studies · 4 years

UKZN APS 32 points out of 48

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 6 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)

The published APS range is 48-32. This comes from the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure, the most recent official source we could find. UKZN had not published a 2027 table when we checked, so treat these as 2026 figures pending a 2027 update. Applications go through the CAO.

Source: View the official page (studyatukzn.ukzn.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of Limpopo

Partly verified

LLB

Management and Law (School of Law)

UL APS 30 points

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • One more subject – One further subject at level 5 or better.

A lower-APS (26) Extended Curriculum Programme route also exists. UL’s document did not state this programme’s duration (commonly 4 years elsewhere, but we won’t publish a number we didn’t see stated). From UL’s 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus. UL states that meeting the minimum APS does not guarantee admission. No official 2027 closing date was found in the sections we read.

Source: View the official page (ul.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Pretoria

University of South Africa

Partly verified

Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Law

Unisa APS 20 points

  • English: 50%

NSC with Bachelor’s Degree endorsement required (alternative routes exist via a Senior Certificate, a Higher Certificate in Law, or certain other qualifications). Maximum 10 years to complete. Confirmed current for the 2027 intake: Unisa’s own pages state its 2027 application window as 17 August - 9 October 2026.

Source: View the official page (unisa.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of the Western Cape

Not fully verified

LLB (4-year)

Law · 4 years

UWC weighted points 37 points out of 65

  • Subject minimums – UWC’s per-subject minimums for LLB could not be read - the programme page did not render for our research pass.

UWC counts seven subjects (English, an additional language, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, Life Orientation and your three best others) with English and Mathematics weighted most, for a total out of 65. The points total shown is what UWC publishes; its subject-by-subject minimums for this programme could not be read, so check them with UWC. Scoring rule: https://www.uwc.ac.za/admission-point-score-calculator/south-african-aps-calculator

Source: View the official page (law.uwc.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Not fully verified

BCom (Law)

Law

UWC weighted points 30 points out of 65

  • Subject minimums – UWC’s per-subject minimums for this programme could not be read.

UWC counts seven subjects (English, an additional language, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, Life Orientation and your three best others) with English and Mathematics weighted most, for a total out of 65. The points total shown is what UWC publishes; its subject-by-subject minimums for this programme could not be read, so check them with UWC. Scoring rule: https://www.uwc.ac.za/admission-point-score-calculator/south-african-aps-calculator

Source: View the official page (law.uwc.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of the Witwatersrand

From an older document

BCom with Law

Commerce, Law & Management · 3 years

Wits APS 43 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 5 (60% or more)

This figure comes from the Wits schools-liaison Grade 12 guide, which is headed for 2026 entry. We have not yet found a 2027 course-finder page confirming it, so treat it as the most recent official figure rather than a confirmed 2027 one.

Source: View the official page (wits.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

From an older document

LLB (4-year stream)

Commerce, Law & Management · 4 years

Wits APS 46 points

  • English: level 6 if it is your Home Language, level 6 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 6 (70% or more)

This figure comes from the Wits schools-liaison Grade 12 guide, which is headed for 2026 entry. We have not yet found a 2027 course-finder page confirming it, so treat it as the most recent official figure rather than a confirmed 2027 one.

Source: View the official page (wits.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Venda

Partly verified

LLB

Management, Commerce and Law (School of Law) · 4 years

Univen APS 38

  • English: 60%

From Univen’s 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus. We could not confirm the application closing date from the pages we read (applications opened 1 May 2026) - check the current date on univen.ac.za.

Source: View the official page (univen.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Zululand

Partly verifiedFrom an older document

Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Commerce, Administration & Law · 4 years

UniZulu APS 30 points out of 48

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 4 (50% or more)

From UniZulu’s own 2026-labelled faculty handbooks, which contain no 2027-specific intake or closing-date information at all - do not assume a date, and treat this as the most recent official figures available rather than confirmed-current for 2027.

Source: View the official page (unizulu.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Walter Sisulu University

Partly verified

Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Law, Humanities & Social Sciences · 4 years

WSU APS 26 points out of 48

  • English: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 4 (50% or more)

From WSU’s 2027 Undergraduate Information Brochure & Admission Requirements. We could not confirm the application closing date from the pages we read - check the current date on wsu.ac.za.

Source: View the official page (wsu.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

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