UKZN Faculty Of Law, Welcome to the School of Law at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The School of Law falls within the College of Law and Management Studies and operates on both the Howard College and Pietermaritzburg Campuses. The School is currently being led by Professor Managay Reddi as the Dean and Head of School.
The School is one of the largest contact Law schools in South Africa. The undergraduate LLB Degree is offered on both campuses with a common curriculum.
One of the focal points within the School is the development of sound relations with the legal profession through ongoing consultation with various roleplayers within the profession as well as the development and facilitation of graduate recruitment programmes.
This has resulted in emphasis being placed on skills development within the LLB – with particular focus on legal, professional and general skills. Graduates are highly sought after across a wide range of legal careers.
The School also offers a number of LLM programmes that can be taken over one year (full time) or two years (part-time). These programmes are designed to develop and enhance skills in legal research and writing as well as academic knowledge in the chosen sphere of expertise. They are all taught by experts in these particular fields and will result in a general rounding-off of a legal education irrespective of whether candidates have recently graduated or have been pursuing careers in various fields of law over the years.
We are confident that your links to the School of Law will be productive and rewarding.
Mission
To continue our commitment to making a significant contribution towards the growth of legal knowledge, through teaching and research, by producing graduates with the skills, knowledge and values needed to perform successfully in the professions and to become leaders and visionaries in broader society.
Vision of the School of Law
It is our vision for our students to educate them to be internationally competitive and qualified for a wide spectrum of career opportunities by developing:
- a knowledge and understanding of the discrete areas of law;
- skills required in legal practice, particularly research skills to locate the law, analytical skills to interpret and evaluate the law and its impact, problem-solving skills to find and suggest answers to legal problems, and writing and advocacy skills to articulate legal argument;
- a critical appreciation of the role of law in society and an understanding of the values of the South African Constitution, particularly dignity, equality and human rights;
- a critical and independent approach to social and legal issues, particularly in the development of a sense of justice and the potential of law to be used as a tool for social and economic change;
- an appreciation of the ethical dimensions of law and legal practice;
- on-going opportunities for research and learning at post-graduate level to further enhance knowledge, values and skills.
It is our vision for our teaching staff to develop them so that they can fulfill our vision for our students in the following ways:
- through the promotion of excellence and innovation in teaching, assessment and curriculum development;
- through the promotion of research which makes a contribution to law and social justice in the international and African context;
- through encouragement to collaborate and exchange ideas with others in the international community of lawyers;
- through the promotion of a collegial and supportive working environment and the development of a sense of community with our students;
- through a sensitivity to the need for and challenges of representivity on the staff and in the student body.
It is our vision with respect to the community that both staff and students contribute to the deepening of the democratic process, the rule of law and social and economic justice by:
- seeking to understand the dynamics and needs of South African society so that legal and ethical solutions can be investigated and promoted;
- responding to the needs of indigent persons through the provision of free legal services and public interest advocacy;
- engaging in legal and human rights education in society;
- participating on all levels in research, drafting and advocacy tasks which contribute to law and policy reform in South Africa;
- fostering mutually beneficial relationships throughout Africa
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