From Theoretician to Practician: Can Clinical Legal Education Equip Students With the Essential Professional Skills Needed in Practice?
Abraham Klaasen

Abstract
The report from the Department of Higher Education in South Africa highlights the need for legal graduates to be equipped with practical and essential professional skills. Various role players have made submissions to the Department of Higher Education on what they need from legal graduates after completion of the LLB curriculum. It is the view of the majority of respondents that the purpose of the LLB degree is to produce well-rounded graduates who are capable of dealing with legal concepts in a meaningful way and, thereby, contributing to law and society (The Society of Law Teachers of Southern Africa) (SLTSA). In this paper we look at the different perspectives of stakeholders and what their expectations are for legal graduates. We ask the question whether clinical legal education can bridge the divide between theory and practice and fulfil stakeholders’ expectations to develop students with technical competency and an appreciation of how the law operates in practice.

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