Scroll to the bottom for a list of institutions that offer Law
LAW-CAREER INFORMATION SUMMARY
WHO IS A LAWYER/ ADVOCATE?
A Lawyer is a person who studied law at a university and has obtained a Bachelor’s of Law degree. Studying law in Zambia entails getting a general understanding of the legal framework in Zambia. It entails learning how laws are made, interpreted and applied in our day to day lives.
In Zambia, one is deemed to be a practicing lawyer or can be termed to be an Advocate when they have successfully completed the Legal Practitioner’s Qualification Exam at the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE). The exam essentially introduces a lawyer to the practical aspects of legal application. When this course is successfully completed, a lawyer should be able to adequately analyse a legal problem, understand how and be able to practically commence a legal suit, defend a suit in court by acquiring various litigation skills and properly conduct themselves in the profession.
WHERE DO LAWYERS/ADVOCATES (LEGAL PRACTITIONERS) WORK?
- a) Lawyers
In the Zambian context, a lawyer (indvidual with a Bachelor of Laws -Degree) can work in multifaceted industries due to the fact that the law is applicable to almost all sectors of our economy. A lawyer can work as a Legal Assistant in law firms and corporate entities. A Lawyer can also work as a Lecturer, once they obtain a Master of Laws degree and Teaching Methodology certification as per Higher Education Authority requirement. Additionally, a Lawyer can work as a Human Resource Officer, when they combine they Bachelor of Laws Degree with some Human Resource certification or training. As can be seen from the career options outlined above, Lawyers can work in various industries, but are limited in that they cannot go before the Court and represent anyone as a lawyer requires a Legal Practitioner’s Certification issued from ZIALE upon successful completion of the Legal Practitioners Qualifying Examinations.
- b) Advocates/Legal Practitioner
Similar to Lawyers, Legal Practitioners as professionals can work in almost any industry. Their role in a law firm, corporate entity (Company) is to offer legal advice and represent their clients in Courts of Law. Legal Practitioners in companies are often times employed as Company Secretaries or In-House Counsel. Legal Practitioners are also employed in the civil service, such as Judges, Magistrates, Research Advocates, State Advocates at National Prosecution Authority (Represent the state in criminal matters), Attorney General’s Chambers (Represent the state in civil matters), National Legal Aid Clinic for Women, to mention but a few.
WHAT TASKS ARE INVOLVED IN THE WORK
- a) A Lawyer
Someone who is employed as a Legal Assistant at a firm or corporate entity does a variety of tasks. One of them is to conduct legal research and draft legal opinions that will be used by the partner at a law firm or a Practicing lawyer at a company to offer legal advice to the client. Another task is that of keeping a status report on all the firms/corporate entities cases. A Legal Assistant’s role can also involve filing legal documents at Court and conducting searches at the Court’s registry and various state institutions such as PACRA and the Ministry of Lands.
- b) Legal Practitioner
A Legal Practitioner employed at a law firm or corporate entity carries out various tasks. One of them is to conduct legal analysis of various cases, carry out legal research and prepare legal opinions for the client. This entails reading various cases, laws and statutory instruments. A Legal Practitioner initiates legal process on behalf of a client and represents the client at court during trial. This entails typing out the documents and ensuring they are in compliance with the prescribed standard, which if not, may not be considered by the courts. The practitioner’s role is to ensure he/she is well read and prepared to conduct a client’s case in order to give the client a good chance of succeeding. The above tasks are applicable even to Legal Practitioners in the civil service, but may vary slightly depending on the institution one is working for.
WHAT IS THE WORK SCHEDULE OF A LAWYER/ LEGAL PRACTITIONER?
Typically, a Lawyer/Legal Practitioner’s work schedule runs from Monday to Friday from 08:00am to 17:00pm. However, depending on the institution one is working for, the work schedule may vary. Most law firms opt to work half day on Friday, but most companies maintain the aforesaid schedule throughout the week. More often than not, a legal practitioner may work for longer hours depending on the number of cases they are handling and the urgency which they demand.
WHAT SORT OF CAREER-PERSONALITY MATCH IS REQUIRED?
To enjoy being a Lawyer or Legal Practitioner, one needs to be a person that is passionate about justice and enjoys reading and learning new things. It requires one to have basic analytical skills, good inter personal relations and good oral skills in order to adequately serve a client.
Scroll to the bottom for a list of institutions that offer Law
WHAT COURSES WILL THE PROGRAMME COVER?
When one enrols into a university to study law, they will cover various areas of law such as introduction to law, criminal law, constitutional law, corporate law to name but a few. It’s worth mentioning that in Zambia, the various laws are taught as courses and one cannot specialise at undergraduate level but can do so at Master of Laws Level. This in the author’s view is in order to ensure that at the end of the program a lawyer can handle variety of cases, as some cases border on various areas of the law. The courses include Introduction to Law, Legal Writing, Criminal Law, Company law, Constitutional law, the law of Evidence amongst others.
WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS?
Most universities will set their own criteria for enrolment. But on average, at Grade 12, one must have at least 5 credits or better in 5 subjects that should include English and Mathematics.
WHAT ARE THE FUTURE ADVANCED QUALIFICATIONS AVAILABLE AND WHY?
Once you study law, you may decide to pursue a Master of Laws programme where one can specialise in a specific field of law such as Criminal Law, Family Law, Constitutional Law to name but a few. As noted above, in Zambia, one can only specialise in a field of Law at Master’s Level.
INSTITUTIONS THAT OFFER LAW
UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA
Duration: 4 years (degree)
Mode: Full time and distance learning
Admitting school: School of Humanities
Intakes: January
Location: Lusaka
Contacts:
Tel: + 26 021 125 0733
Fax: +26 021 125 0733
Website: www.unza.zm/academics/undergraduate/bachelor-of-laws
MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY
Duration: 4 years (degree)
Mode: Full time
Admitting school: School of Business
Intakes: January and July
Location: Kabwe
Contacts:
Tel: +260 215 228 004
Email: academic@mu.ac.zm
Website: www.mu.ac.zm
UNIVERSITY OF LUSAKA
Duration: 4 years (degree)
Mode: Full time, Part time and Long distance learning
Admitting school: School of Law
Intakes: January and July
Location: Lusaka
Contacts:
Tel: +260 976 075850 or 0953 688533 or +260 211 258505
Email: academic@unilus.ac.zm or info@unilus.ac.zm
Website: www.unilus.ac.zm/fees.php
CAVENDISH UNIVERSITY ZAMBIA
Duration: 4 year (degree)
Mode: Full time
Admitting school: School of Law
Intakes: January and June
Location: Lusaka
Contacts:
Tel: +260 211 387600 / +260972102386
Email: jchikonde@cavendish.co.zm
Website: www.cavendishza.org/admissions/fee-structure
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Duration: 4 years (degree) and 3 years (diploma)
Mode: Full time, part-time and Distance Education
Admitting school: Legal Studies Department
Intakes: January and July
Location: Lusaka
Contacts:
Tel: +260 211 228802-4
Email: registrar@nipa.ac.zm
Website: www.nipa.ac.zm
LIVINGSTONE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF TOURISM, EXCELLENCE AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Duration: 4 years (degree)
Mode: Full time
Admitting school: School of Law
Intakes: January, June and September
Location: Livingstone
Contacts:
Tel: (+260) 977 766 866
Email: support@liutebmuniversity.org
Website: www.liutebmuniversity.org
PAMODZI UNIVERSITY
Duration: 4 years (degree) and 3 years (Diploma)
Mode: Full time
Admitting school: School of Law
Intakes: January
Location: Lusaka
Contacts:
Tel: 0976 726864
ZAMBIA OPEN UNIVERSITY
Duration: 4 years (degree)
Mode: Full time
Admitting school: School of Law
Intakes: January
Location: Lusaka
Contacts:
Tel: +260 211 427 600 or 211 845 469 or 0969 672 965 or 0976 123 055
Email: admissions@zaou.ac.zm
Website: www.zaou.ac.zm
COPPERSTONE UNIVERSITY
Duration: 4 years (degree) and 3 years (Diploma)
Mode: Full time
Admitting school: School of Law
Intakes: January
Location: Kitwe
Contacts:
Tel: +26 0962 394621/ 0965 571607
Website: www.copperstone.education
GIDEON ROBERT UNIVERSITY
Duration: 4 years (degree)
Mode: Full time
Admitting school: School of Law
Intakes: January
Location: Lusaka
Contacts:
Tel: +260 969 899875
Email: vc@gideonrobertuniversity.com
Website: www.gideonrobert.education