LARC Learning Workshop: Young Lawyers’ Think Tank meeting
Left to right: Monica de Souza Louw (LARC); Zaida Essop (UCT Law Clinic); Tatiana Kazim (UCT Centre for Law and Society); Shazia Sader (UCT Refugee Rights Unit); Nolundi Luwaya (LARC); Ayesha Motala (LARC); Nokwanda Sihlali (LARC).
On 20 March 2025, the Land and Accountability Research Centre (LARC) hosted a Learning Workshop with Public Interest Litigation Organisations (PILOs) to explore ways of working pertaining to training the next generation of lawyers entering the sector. Representatives from various PILOs attended the Think Tank meeting, including colleagues from the UCT Centre for Law and Society, the UCT Law Clinic, the UCT Refugee Rights Unit, and the Stellenbosch University Law Clinic.
The idea for the Workshop stemmed from LARC identifying a shortage in accessing legal practitioners specialising in specific areas of law, and how this could be improved upon based on the methodologies applied by colleagues from PILOs.
Rich discussions were held around developing and maintaining capacity in the public interest litigation sector. Attending colleagues shared similar experiences around the need for creative ways to secure this capacity. Through brainstorming exercises, practical ideas were presented on how to build a cohort of “new lawyers”.
The Workshop served as a valuable space for LARC to learn, network, and build on existing relationships.