Useful Legal Resources for Exam Preparation
Updated: 4 days ago
Preparing for the competency-based examinations is not only about studying your notes. You also need to know where to find reliable legal information and how to use it effectively.
Your preparation should start with the Legal Practice Council (LPC) and then extend to primary legal sources, case law, research databases and other reliable resources.
You do not need to use every resource available to you. The goal is to build a reliable study system using resources that help you understand, research and apply the law.
1. Start With the Legal Practice Council
The Legal Practice Council (LPC) should be your first point of reference for examination-related information.
The LPC publishes information relating to examinations, syllabi, notices, study guides and other requirements. This is particularly important because examination requirements and assessment structures can change.
The LPC's current examination materials should always take priority over older notes, past advice or information shared by other candidates. Useful LPC resources include:
Current examination information and notices
The applicable examination syllabus
PVT study guides
Examination schedules and oral schedules
Rules and regulations
Relevant notices and updates
Information relating to registration, fees and other administrative requirements
The LPC's current PVT study guides are aligned with the amended curriculum and cover 15 modules. The LPC also instructs candidates to remain up to date with developments in legislation and case law.
Useful links:
2. Legislation
Knowing the relevant legislation is essential for examination preparation.
Do not rely only on notes that explain what an Act says. Where possible, read the legislation itself and learn how to navigate it. Depending on the subject you are studying, you may need to work with:
Acts of Parliament
Regulations
Rules
Government Notices
Proclamations
Practice directives
Amendments to legislation
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development provides access to legislation administered by the Department, as well as Government Gazette notices, rules and practice directions.
A useful habit
When studying a particular legal issue, ask:
What is the primary source of law for this rule?
If the answer is an Act, regulation or rule, find the provision and read it yourself. This will also help you become more comfortable with the language and structure of legislation.
3. Case Law
Case law is an important part of legal study and examination preparation. You should become comfortable finding judgments and identifying the legal principles that they establish.
SAFLII
The Southern African Legal Information Institute (SAFLII) provides free public access to legal information, including South African case law. Its databases include judgments from the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and various High Courts.
SAFLII is particularly useful when you do not have access to a subscription-based legal research database.
Constitutional Court
The Constitutional Court's online collection provides access to Constitutional Court cases and judgments from 1995 onwards.
Supreme Court of Appeal
The Supreme Court of Appeal's judgments can also be accessed through SAFLII. The database contains decisions provided by the Court. When researching case law, do not simply memorise case names. Try to understand:
What were the relevant facts?
What legal issue did the court have to decide?
What law or principle did the court apply?
How was the law applied to the facts?
What was the court's conclusion?
Why is the case relevant to the topic you are studying?
4. Legal Research Databases
If you have access to subscription-based legal research platforms, they can make your preparation and research considerably easier.
Juta
Juta provides South African legal publications, legislation, case law, textbooks and other legal research resources.
LexisNexis
LexisNexis South Africa provides access to legal research resources including legislation, case law, commentary, forms, precedents and other legal materials. Its South African research platforms include Lexis Library and other research tools.
Sabinet
Sabinet provides access to South African legal information and research resources, including national legislation, provincial legislation and municipal by-laws.
These platforms may require a subscription or institutional access. Check whether your university, employer, library or another institution provides access before paying for your own subscription.
5. Rules, Practice Directives and Forms
For practical examinations, it is not enough to understand the general legal principle. You may also need to understand how the procedure actually works. Depending on the subject, useful resources may include:
Rules of the High Court
Rules of the Magistrates' Courts
Criminal procedure resources
Practice directives
Prescribed forms
Court forms
Legal practice rules
Relevant regulations
The Department of Justice provides access to rules and practice directions for various courts, while the LPC provides its own rules and regulations applicable to the profession.
When studying procedure, try to connect the rule to its practical application.
For example:
What must be done?
Who must do it?
When must it be done?
What document or process is required?
What happens if the requirement is not complied with?
This approach can help turn procedural rules into something you can actually apply in an examination.
6. Your Own Notes and Study Materials
Your own notes can be one of your most useful study resources.
As you work through the syllabus, consider creating:
Topic summaries
Case tables
Legislation checklists
Procedural flowcharts
Drafting checklists
Definitions and key principles
Common mistakes
Questions you struggled with
Practical examples
The aim is not to create the longest set of notes possible.
Your notes should help you revise and apply the law, not become another textbook that you have to study from the beginning.
7. Past Examination Papers
Past examination papers can help you become familiar with the way questions are asked and the practical nature of the assessments. However, they should be used alongside the current syllabus and current law.
An older paper may contain legislation, rules, procedures or approaches that have since changed. Do not assume that because something appeared in a previous examination it will necessarily appear again.
Use past papers to practise:
Identifying issues
Applying the law
Drafting
Working under time pressure
Understanding the level of detail expected
Structuring answers
For more information, see our separate Past Exam Papers resource.
8. Keep Your Legal Information Current
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when preparing for a legal examination is studying from outdated information.
Before relying on a resource, ask:
Is this the current version?
Has the legislation been amended?
Has a rule changed?
Is there a more recent practice directive?
Has a judgment been overturned or appealed?
Is this still the current LPC syllabus?
Is the information from an official or reliable source?
The LPC itself instructs candidates to remain up to date with developments in legislation and case law. This is particularly important when using older notes, textbooks, past papers or material shared by previous candidates.
9. Be Careful With Online Summaries and AI
Online summaries, videos, blogs, social media posts and AI tools can be useful starting points, but they should not replace proper legal research.
If a resource tells you that a particular legal rule applies, ask:
Where does this rule come from?
Then, where possible, verify it against the relevant:
legislation;
case law;
rules;
practice directives; or
official LPC material.
AI can also help you understand difficult concepts, generate practice questions or organise your study material. However, AI-generated legal information can contain errors, omissions or outdated information.
Use AI as a study aid, not as your authority.
10. Legal Communities and Podcasts
EduLaw: The Learned Colleagues Club
EduLaw runs The Learned Colleagues Club, a WhatsApp community for candidate attorneys and attorneys. Its groups cover Board Exam preparation, practical legal questions, legal resources, career opportunities, CourtOnline and CaseLines, and Oral Attorneys’ Board Examinations.
EduLaw also hosts The Learned Colleagues’ Club podcast, where members of the legal fraternity share their experiences as candidate attorneys and attorneys.
Explore the resources:
Quick Resource Checklist
Before you begin your examination preparation, make sure you know where to find:
☐ The current LPC syllabus
☐ The latest LPC examination notices
☐ The LPC PVT study guides
☐ Relevant legislation
☐ Relevant case law
☐ Rules of court and practice directives
☐ Government Gazette resources
☐ A reliable case-law database such as SAFLII
☐ A legal research database, if available to you
☐ Your own organised study notes
☐ Past examination papers, where legitimately available
Final Thought
You do not need to use every legal resource available to you.
A good candidate learns to distinguish between primary sources, secondary sources and study aids, and knows when to verify information against the actual law.
Your preparation should ultimately help you do more than remember legal rules. You should be able to find the law, understand it, apply it and communicate your answer clearly.
Don't just collect resources. Learn how to use them.
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