The organic development of a legal writing and tutoring programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal School of Law: reflections on a sustainable, structured approach to teaching and tutoring legal writing in South African law schools.

Abstract

Abstract

Although much advocacy work takes place in courts, a considerable amount of the background work and day-to-day tasks of lawyers is writing and clearly articulating various legal positions. Thus, the ability to write like a lawyer is very important. However, legal academics as well as the law profession have consistently made the point that there is a real issue with the quality of legal writing of law students. This is a problem that many South African Universities are grappling with, and which must be addressed urgently. An examination of the literature, through the lens of four iterations of legal writing programmes implemented at the University of KwaZulu-Natal School of Law, Howard College, shows that the key drivers of good legal writing are critical thinking and student motivation. If these principles are incorporated into the structure of the programme, it will help students to be motivated to think critically, which will enable them to engage on a sufficiently deep level with the material being studied. This in turn should help to produce written work that is persuasive. Thus, it is submitted that the design of a legal writing programme should include four teaching principles: the constructive alignment of the programme; a commitment to learner participation; the implementation of conversations in feedback; and the transformative contextualisation of programme materials. However, the real question is how can a sustainable, structured approach to teaching and tutoring legal writing in South African law schools be achieved with large classes of novice legal writers and legal lecturers sometimes having overwhelming teaching loads and competing academic commitments? It may seem like an impossible task, but it is not if the legal writing programme is pedagogically well-designed and administratively well-structured. This thesis submits that the answer lies in training senior law student peer tutors to assist in a legal writing programme.

Iqoqa

Nakuba umsebenzi wokushushisa wenzeka enkantolo, umsebenzi omningi wenzeka usuku nosuku emahhovisi kuvaliwe lapho abameli bechitha isikhathi esiningi bebhala futhi behumusha imithetho eminingi elandelwayo. Ngakho-ke, ikhono lokubhala njengommeli libaluleke kakhulu. Kodwa-ke, izifundiswa zomthetho kanye nendima yezomthetho ihlale ikhala njalo ngekhono lokubhala elivezwa ngabafundi beziqu eziphansi kwezomthetho. Lena yinkinga amanyuvesi amaningi aseNingizimu-Afrika abhekene nayo futhi okumele ilungiswe ngokushesha. Ukubuyekezwa kwemibhalo, kusetshenziswa indlelakubuka yezinhlelo zomthetho eqalwe eSikoleni seZomthetho eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natali, eHoward College, kuveze ukuthi izinto ezibalulekile ekugqugquzeleni indlela enhle yokubhala kwezomthetho ukukwazi ukucabangasakuhlaziya kanye nokuzimisela. Uma lawa makhonsepthi ethathwa njengaqavile ekubunjweni kohlelo lokufunda umthetho, angalekelela abafundi ukuba bakwazi ukuba yingxenye yokufunda ngendlela esezingeni eliphezulu kulokho okufundwayo. Ukugxila ekucabangeni njengommeli kungalekelela ekukhiqizeni imibhalo enohlonze futhi kungakhuthazi ukugxila kakhulu emaphutheni olimi nohlelo kodwa engqikithini yomsebenzi. Ngakho-ke, kuphakanyiswa ukuba izinhlelo zokufundwa komthetho zifake lezi zinsika ezine: indlela eya phambili yokuhlelwa kwezinhlelo zokufunda; ukuzibophezela kwabafundayo ukuba bafunde; ukukhuthaza izingxoxo; nokuvumela inguquko ekuhlanganisweni kwezinsizakufunda. Nokho, umbuzo omile ukuthi le ndlela ebalulwe ngenhla ingasebenza kanjani ezikoleni zomthetho eNingizimu-Afrika ngenxa yokugcwala kwamaklasi abafundi abasafufusa bokubhalwa komthetho futhi uma abafundisi bebhekene nomthwalo wokufundisa ongaphezu kwamandla abo kanye nenggcindezi yomsebenzi abawenzayo? Kuzwakala njengento okungelula ukuba yenzeke, kodwa akunjalo, inqobo nje uma izinhlelo zokufunda umthetho zilandela indlela okuyiyona yokufundisa futhi zihlanganiswe ngobunyoninco. Lolu cwaningo luphakamisa ukuthi kuqeqeshwe abafundi bezomthetho asebemnkantshubomvu ukuba babe ngabasizi noma abalekeleli balabo abasafufusa kwezokubhalwa komthetho.