Start fresh with new skills. Get 15% off course fees with the code TOASTNY2026 until January 13, 2026 and set yourself up for exponential growth this year.

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UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
PARALEGAL PRACTITIONER

ONLINE SHORT COURSE

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

VIEW COURSE PROSPECTUS
Duration

16 weeks, excluding
orientation

Effort

7 hours per week,
entirely online

Learning Format

Weekly modules,
flexible learning

Get 15% off until January 13, 2026.

Start fresh with new skills.

It’s time for a new season of personal growth. Take 15% off this online course with the code TOASTNY2026.

*Offer applies to any start date for participating courses where registration is currently open as long as you register and pay by January 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S.). To redeem the offer for executive education courses, register on getsmarter.com, using code TOASTNY2026 at checkout. The discount cannot be combined with any other offers for executive education courses.

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

    1 QS 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. Join a growing community of global professionals, and benefit from the opportunity to:
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Gain verifiable and relevant competencies and earn invaluable recognition from an international selection of universities and institutions, entirely online and in your own time.

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

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