Advanced Advocacy Course presented by the Bar in South Africa

The GCB will hold its second advanced advocacy course from 9 - 14 January 2012, at the Wallenberg Centre, Stellenbosch University, in the scenic Cape wine-lands

The course

It is similar to advanced courses that are presented by the Australian and London Bars
It is a residency course that takes place over 6 days - from Monday to Saturday afternoon
The object of the course is to develop advanced advocacy skills among junior advocates
Junior advocates perform the main advocacy skills, opening and closing addresses, leading and cross-examining witnesses, including expert witnesses
Performances by advocates are subjected to reviews, including video reviews by seasoned advocacy teachers
It is an advanced course. So expect a rigorous, intensive, demanding but enjoyable course that allows you to develop advocacy skills essential for practice, while at the same time improving the quality and standard of advocacy among junior advocates, improving the delivery of legal services and strengthening the Rule of Law in our country
Advance preparation is required, entailing the submission of written documents before the course commences

The course content includes the following:

A case analysis session on the Monday afternoon in which participants participate in a collective case analysis of a civil/commercial trial action
A trial exercise that requires participants to perform opening addresses, closing argument, examination in chief and cross-examination of witnesses on Tuesday and Wednesday, culminating in a full trial on the Saturday morning
An expert witness exercise from the Thursday to Friday afternoon. This involves an accounting problem requiring consultation with and examination in chief and cross examination of expert witnesses from Deloitte
An ethics exercise requiring the discussion of common ethical problems encountered by junior advocates in practice
Every day is preceded by a presentation/demonstration on/of the exercises to take place the following day by senior advocacy teachers and by accountants from Deloitte
There is a gala dinner on the Friday evening

Click here to download the Program for more detail on the course.

Faculty

Training is conducted by seasoned advocacy teachers who are predominantly Judges and Senior Counsel from the Bars of South Africa, Australia and England and Wales
The training method is known simply as "The Method"
It involves a review and critique of every performance upon completion of the performance by a member of faculty
Every performance is recorded on video. After the performance review, there is a video review by faculty and a performance coach

Click here for the 2012 list of faculty.

Participants

The course is aimed at junior advocates of between 3 - 12 years' standing
The course is limited to between 36 and 48 junior advocates
Training is conducted in groups of no more than 6 advocates and 2 - 3 trainers per group

Cost

The course fee is R9000,00
The fee is inclusive of everything except airfares to Cape Town and includes:
- All course materials and training
- Accommodation at attractive guesthouses near the Wallenberg Centre in Stellenbosch
- Transfers between Cape Town International Airport and Stellenbosch
- 3 meals and 2 teas daily and the gala dinner

More Information

Sherrie Leigh Lowe
Advocacy Training Administrator

Photos from the 2011 Course

The Accountants:
Bottom left: Debra Liebenberg, Trevor Caizergues, Tracey Walker, Jan van Romburgh (North West University), Zoe Van Der Spuy
Top left: Jolande de Wet, Sandra Rennie, Kate Butler, Simon De Quidt (Associate Partner, Deloitte London), Robert Cameron Ellis (ENS) and Ryno Pepler
(Absent from photo: Danie Du Plessis (University of Pretoria)

The Faculty:
Front left: Christopher Whitcutt, Timothy Bruinders SC, Sven Olivier SC, Desmond Browne QC
Middle row: Marth Munro (Performance Coach), Amber Darr (Pakistan), Rashid Vahed SC (GCB Chairman), Anesta Weekes QC, Schalk Burger SC
Back left: Guy Hoffman SC, John Mullins SC, Sherrie Leigh Lowe, Judge Malcolm Wallis, Judge Eberhard Bertelsmann, Sheen Van Niekerk, Vincent Maleka SC, and Judge Trevor Gorven.