about us Pupillage BECOME A MEMBER Transformation gallery

Our Chambers

Groenkloof Advocates Chambers branched out from the Pretoria Society of Advocates’ High Court Chambers in 2016 and is home to around 80 members, all of whom are independent and admitted advocates and members of the Pretoria Society of Advocates (the ‘PSA’), with diverse areas of practice and who appear in various courts around the country.

Collectively, our advocates’ areas of practice encompass the main fields of law in South Africa, supported by comprehensive administrative services and facilities, arbitration rooms, a library and a restaurant, which is conveniently on the premises too.

Ideally located at 205 Florence Ribeiro Avenue in Groenkloof, Pretoria, our chambers are easily accessible from the major highways and close to the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court and High Court.

Our contemporary offices are nestled in a serene setting with a panoramic view of the CBC Old Boys cricket oval, the Groenkloof Nature Reserve and the Union Buildings.

What is an Advocate?

An advocate is a legal professional who specialises in researching and interpreting the philosophy, hypothesis and history of law for the purposes of presenting and arguing legal cases in court, rendering expert opinions on legal matters and providing expert input in the drafting of legal documents. In South Africa, advocates may appear in all courts but predominantly practise in the High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court.

Advocates vs Attorneys

Attorneys perform the majority of their work in a law firm or office setting. They advise clients, undertake negotiations and draft legal documents. An attorney is the first point of contact when legal services are required.

Advocates are self-employed, independent practitioners who share chambers with other advocates. They are called upon when a case requires appearance in court or for a specialist opinion on a specific point of law. An advocate works on referral from an attorney only.

How to Engage the Services of an Advocate

The profession of an advocate is a referral profession. In practice, this simply means that members of the public or a legal persona who require legal representation in court may only be referred to an advocate via an attorney and may not directly engage an advocate.

As stipulated by our ethical code and for the sake of complete objectivity, all advocates must practise independently, in their own names and for their own account.

The Legal Practice Act, 2014 introduced the concept of a trust account advocate, which allows an advocate who holds a Fidelity Fund certificate to accept instructions directly from a member of the public. Groenkloof Chambers and the Pretoria Society of Advocates do not accommodate trust account advocates.

find an advocate

Pupillage at the Pretoria Bar

The pupillage programme is conducted through the Pretoria Society of Advocates and the application forms are available on their website, www.pretoriabar.co.za,
during May, June and July each year, for the programme commencing the following year.

It is both our duty and our legacy to teach how laws and words can change the world.

At Groenkloof Chambers we are committed to helping build a just society by contributing to the development of future advocates.

To this end, the PSA accepts 50 Bachelor of Law (LLB) graduates for a one-year pupillage mentored by advocates from various chambers.

A pupil must be an admitted advocate (admission to the Roll of Legal Practitioners) or be admitted within 30 days from commencement of pupillage.

Upon completion, pupils must pass the National Bar Examination (the Bar Exam) of the General Council of the Bar before they can apply for membership of the PSA and for offices at Groenkloof Chambers or any other chambers.

We firmly believe that by giving these advocates-to-be the best possible training and experience to enable them to pass the Bar Exam, we are contributing to maintaining a highly skilled community of advocates in our country.

Become a Member

Members of Groenkloof Chambers enjoy an end-to-end solution for practising at a prime location, supported by modern offices, joint reception and meeting rooms and services, full administrative support, a comprehensive legal library and additional in-house facilities such as an arbitration centre and an onsite coffee shop and restaurant.

Becoming a member is subject to office availability. Current members enjoy preference and open offices are advertised internally first. Offices that are not reserved are advertised externally to all members of the PSA and the various chambers through the administration office of our society.

Applications are reviewed and shortlisted by our housing committee, who interviews prospective members and then makes recommendations to the board of directors for their final decision on who to invite to take up residency at the chambers.

Your monthly rental includes:

  • 1 secured undercover parking
  • Visitors’ parking
  • 24-hour security services
  • Hourly bus service to and from the High Court, Pretoria
  • Free access to Zoom and Microsoft Teams
  • Wi-Fi and internet connectivity
  • Shared receptionist services
  • Office manager, driver and delivery support
  • Free access to 7 consultation rooms (6 with full conference facilities including Zoom and Microsoft Teams)
  • 11 parking bays at High Court Chambers, Pretoria
  • Printing, photocopying and stationery services
  • Access to the Groenkloof Chambers library and the PSA library at High Court Chambers
  • Access to Juta and LexisNexis electronic subscriptions via library workstations
  • Thursday Members’ Lunch at the Groundsman Premium Café

Submit Your Application to Join Groenkloof Chambers

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Groenkloof Chambers Transformation Policy

  1. Groenkloof Chambers (GKC Group) established a Transformation Committee with the task of promoting and ensuring the integration and assimilation of all members into the GKC Group.

  2. The Transformation Committee reflects strong, informed and ethical leadership in the transformation initiative.

  3. The Transformation Committee focuses on four core elements: continuing education, skills transfer, transformation and empowerment, to ensure that the GKC Group comprises a dynamic team of members representative of all seniority levels, genders and races.

  4. The continuing education programme consists of monthly lectures aimed at enhancing junior members’ knowledge of theoretical and practical aspects of selected topics. The purpose of the lecture programme is to enable the GKC Group’s most junior members to deal competently with matters they are likely to receive early in their practice. Members with five years’ seniority and more host these lectures on a rotational basis.

  5. The GKC Group established a transformation and empowerment initiative inviting junior members of the Bar (0–3 years) to apply to take up chambers under this initiative. The allocated chambers assist junior members to establish or expand a practice so they may take up independent chambers within the GKC Group in future.

  6. The initiative makes provision for four junior members to whom furnished chambers are allocated for a period of 12 months. Chambers are shared.

  7. Before the 12-month period expires, a member may apply for an extension of the programme. Extensions are considered with reference to the development of the member’s practice during the year.

  8. The rental component for chambers allocated under this initiative is capped at R5,000.00 (incl. VAT) per month, per member. The rental includes:

a) Library access, including Jutastat and LexisNexis
b) Daily bus service to and from court three times a day
c) Additional parking at the High Court
d) Unlimited Zoom and Microsoft Teams access
e) Unlimited use of conference, consultation and boardroom facilities
f) One parking bay at the GKC Group
g) A designated Silk and senior/junior mentor for 12 months
h) Assistance with general practice management, including recovery of fees
i) Unlimited Wi-Fi usage
j) Skills transfer and participation in lecture programmes
k) Weekly Groenkloof Chambers members’ lunch at the Groundsman restaurant every Thursday
l) No group fees or room deposit payable
m) A furnished office with an individual desk, chair, credenza and/or bookshelf (members may use their own furniture)

  1. In allocating chambers, the Transformation Committee considers the following:

9.1 Interested members must subscribe to the objectives of the GKC Group, namely:

9.1.1 To contribute to the overall transformation of the GKC Group and the Pretoria Society of Advocates (PSA), by empowering historically disadvantaged junior members to build or expand sustainable practices
9.1.2 To assist in developing historically disadvantaged junior members by enabling them to access work they would not ordinarily receive
9.1.3 To expose deserving junior members to work, attorneys and senior colleagues
9.1.4 To facilitate skills transfer from more experienced members to previously disadvantaged junior members
9.1.5 To continue building a dynamic group of advocates that is gender and culturally representative and strives for excellence and forensic skill

  1. This initiative will be funded by monthly contributions from middle to senior juniors to the Transformation Fund. The Fund provides junior and previously disadvantaged members with opportunities to work on briefs held by middle and senior juniors and to earn a stipend for doing so.

  2. Opportunities provided by the Fund enable junior members to become acquainted with attorneys and begin building sustainable and rewarding briefing relationships.

  3. Senior members are encouraged to participate in the programme by making opportunities available to junior members of the GKC Group.

  4. The GKC empowerment and outreach programme will be operated in conjunction with the law faculties of the University of South Africa and the University of Pretoria.

  5. The GKC Group will establish a programme offering law students the opportunity to shadow members of the GKC Group, both in chambers and in court, focusing on the litigation process.

  6. The programme will assist students with practical preparation, moot skills and exposure to the potential of a career at the Bar.

  7. The GKC Group intends hosting an annual moot competition for participating law students. The competition will be judged by a panel presided over by Judges and/or retired Judges of the Gauteng Division, Pretoria.

  8. Members of all seniorities are encouraged to participate actively in the Transformation Committee by contributing their time and ideas, ensuring that the skills of all members support the core values of the GKC Group.

PSA Transformation Policy

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