What are lawyers called in South Africa?

Asked by: Vivien Witting  |  Last update: April 18, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (55 votes)

In the multifaceted arena of South African law, two prominent figures emerge: advocates and attorneys. While both are integral to the legal system, their roles are distinct, each serving unique functions tailored to the complexities of legal proceedings.

What is a barrister in South Africa?

In South Africa the employment and practice of advocates (as barristers are known in South Africa) is consistent with the rest of the Commonwealth. Advocates carry the rank of Junior or Senior Counsel (SC), and are mostly briefed and paid by solicitors (known as attorneys).

What are Nigerian lawyers called?

Nigerian lawyers are associated with different names or appellations and they practise their legal profession in different categories and institutions, which include the following: Barristers. Solicitors. Attorneys. Advocates.

What is a law degree called in South Africa?

legal field: BA(Law), BCom(Law) and the LLB. You have to have at least an LLB degree – which will take four years – to become an attorney or advocate in South Africa. If you choose the BA(Law) LLB or BCom(Law) LLB, you can obtain two degrees in five years.

What is the slang term for lawyers?

Mouthpiece is a slang term for a lawyer, especially a criminal defense lawyer. The term stems from the view of lawyers as being the spokesperson for their client.

Life of a Law Graduate | The differences between an Advocate and an Attorney in South Africa |

27 related questions found

What is a nickname for a lawyer?

Another outdated slang term is “ mouthpiece”. “Ambulance chaser”. “Legal eagle”. Probably many others, those are the ones that come to mind.

What are South African lawyers called?

The legal administration in South Africa is comprised of:

1.2 Officers of the Court in the Private Sector: i) Attorneys; and ii) Advocates.

What is a law degree called in Nigeria?

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B)

The LL. B programme equips students with basic legal education to enhance their admission into the Nigerian Bar whereon they could become Solicitors and Advocates of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

How to be a lawyer in South Africa?

To become a lawyer in South Africa takes a minimum of 6 years. 4 Years for the LLB degree and 2 years of articles. You will also have to complete the 4 board exams and be admitted to as an attorney by the high court of South Africa.

What are lawyers called in Ghana?

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) is a professional association of lawyers in Ghana, including what used to be called solicitors and barristers but they are now called legal practitioners, as well as magistrates.By convention, all lawyers admitted to practice in Ghana become automatic members of the association.

What are American lawyers called?

In the United States, the terms “lawyer” and “attorney” are often used interchangeably.

What is the highest rank in a lawyer?

The highest level in a law firm is typically the senior partner, who has significant control over the firm's operations, strategic direction, and client management.

What is an attorney in South Africa?

In South Africa, Attorneys are lawyers who provide legal advice and representation to clients, aiding individuals and businesses in their legal dealings, and as required, handling related correspondence and writing up contracts.

What is the highest paid lawyer in South Africa?

Business and corporate lawyer

They also deal with mergers and acquisitions of companies. Additionally, they handle cases dealing with intellectual property. Of the many types of lawyers in South Africa, corporate lawyers are on average the highest paid, they can earn as much as R3 500 000 per annum.

What is a divorce lawyer called?

A divorce lawyer, also called a family law attorney, is someone who knows a lot about divorce, child custody, and how to split money and belongings when a marriage ends. They represent people in court and give advice about divorce.

What is the difference between lawyer and attorney in Nigeria?

In Nigeria, there is no distinction of these concepts in Nigeria, as these terms encapsulate the roles of a Legal Practitioner. Anyone who has fulfilled the requirements to be a Legal Practitioner in Nigeria wears this mantle as long as he/she practices.

What is the highest law degree?

Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD)

A Doctor of Juridical Science degree is considered the highest level of a law degree and is designed for professionals who are looking to gain an advanced legal education after earning their JD and LLM.

Can a law graduate be called a lawyer in Nigeria?

Once you have successfully passed the Bar examinations, you can enroll as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. This enrollment is facilitated by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and it officially qualifies you to practice law in Nigeria.

What is the difference between lawyer and advocate in South Africa?

In South Africa, attorneys handle general legal tasks like client consultation and document preparation, while advocates specialise in courtroom advocacy and are usually hired by attorneys to represent clients in higher courts.

What do lawyers call the judge in South Africa?

In the high courts, male judges are addressed as "My Lord", and female judges are addressed as "My Lady". This practice becomes second nature to those of us within the Legal Profession and has a deep rooted history in our complex non-codified legal system.

What is a legal practitioner in South Africa?

Authorization to practise. For the purposes of the Act, a 'legal practitioner' is an attorney or an advocate. To be able to practise as one, the High Court must give you permission to do so – this is called being 'admitted to practice'.

What is the formal title for a lawyer?

In the United States, esquire (often shortened to Esq.) is a title of courtesy, given to a lawyer and commonly appended to his/her surname ( e.g. , John Smith, Esq. or John Smith, Esquire) when addressing the lawyer in written form.

What is shyster slang for?

Shyster (/ˈʃaɪstər/; also spelled schiester, scheister, etc.) is a slang word for someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law, sometimes also politics or economics.

What is another name for a lawyer?

People also use these terms in place of lawyer: attorney, barrister, counsel, counsellor, defender, jurist, mouthpiece, pleader, practitioner, proctor, procurator, and solicitor. Less common replacements are attorney-at-law, legal adviser, legal eagle, legist, member of the law, and jurisprudent.