Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg has announced it will offer three external candidates a place on the firm’s Practice Management Training (PMT) programme for new partners in 2018. PMT is offered by the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) and now also in-house by Baker McKenzie, through a Joint Training Agreement with the LSSA. This initiative is part of the firm’s Skills Development programme, which is a key component of its Black Economic Empowerment strategy.

Lindie Saunderson-Meyer, Business Manager at Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg, explains that the PMT training programme was developed to assist attorneys to manage their practices and the course is hugely beneficial to attorneys from small to medium sized practices. It is also compulsory.

“In terms of the Judicial Matters Second Amendment Act, Practice Management Training is mandatory for all attorneys who were issued with their first Attorneys Fidelity Fund certificates after to 14 August 2009. And in terms of Section 13B (2) of the Attorneys Act, new partners have eighteen months from the date of becoming partner to complete the PMT course.  Should they fail to complete it within this period, and unless exemption or an extension is granted, their Fidelity Fund Certificates will not be renewed and they will not be allowed to continue practising law,” she notes.

The course comprises eight compulsory modules including Human Resources, Legal Marketing, Business Plans, Introduction to Practice Management, Strategic Management, the Law of Business Finance, Risk Management & Insurance and Information Technology.

The firm is offering three candidates the opportunity to complete this PMT course at no cost at the law firm’s Sandton offices. Candidates must be previously disadvantaged South Africans, promoted to partner in 2017. Preference will be given to attorneys who need practice support and candidates must be able to regularly travel to the firm’s offices for training. The course will run in the evenings and on weekends from February - July 2018.  Applications close on 1 December 2018 and interviews will be conducted with shortlisted candidates.

Interested parties can send their details to Lindie to find out more – lindie.saunderson-meyer@bakermckenzie.com