Law graduates looking to gain practical experience within South Africa’s judiciary can apply for the 2027 Legal Internship Programme, which offers 23 internship positions across several courts and judicial institutions.
The 12-month programme is being offered by the Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape Divisions of the High Court, the Land Court, and the South African Judicial Education Institute (SAJEI) in partnership with the Democratic Governance and Rights Unit (DGRU) in the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
Successful candidates will be employed by UCT on a 12-month contract and seconded to the court or institution corresponding to the position for which they applied. The internships are scheduled to run from 4 January to 31 December 2027.
23 Legal Internship Positions Available
The programme has 23 positions available across South Africa.
The opportunities are distributed as follows:
- 5 interns – Pretoria High Court
- 5 interns – Johannesburg High Court
- 6 interns – Cape Town High Court
- 2 interns – Pietermaritzburg High Court
- 2 interns – Durban High Court
- 2 interns – Land Court
- 1 intern – South African Judicial Education Institute (SAJEI)
Legal research interns will work in person at their respective courts or institutions.
What the Legal Internship Offers
The 12-month placement provides graduates with practical exposure to the work of the judiciary and legal research.
Interns may be involved in researching legal issues for judges and court researchers, analysing legal materials, attending court proceedings, proofreading judgments and preparing research memoranda.
Depending on their placement, interns may also contribute to legal speeches, articles, reports and conference papers.
In the Western Cape High Court, interns may rotate through the Office of the Registrar and provide administrative and support services to the Judiciary. Land Court interns may also support case-management functions and the Historical Cases Project.
The programme therefore provides exposure to both legal research and practical court operations.
Who Can Apply?
The internship is aimed at law graduates who meet the required academic qualifications.
Applicants must have:
- An LLB degree, or
- A four-year recognised legal qualification accredited by SAQA.
Candidates should also have knowledge of electronic legal information resources and online legal research platforms, including Westlaw, LexisNexis, Jutastat and Sabinet, as well as law library resources.
Applicants for the Land Court positions should have an interest in land reform, governance or public-interest litigation.
Skills and Competencies
The programme is suited to graduates who can demonstrate strong legal research, analytical and communication abilities.
Important skills include:
- Excellent legal research skills
- Report writing and editing
- Written and verbal communication
- Problem analysis and solving
- Planning and decision-making
- Time management
- Creative and analytical thinking
- Ability to work under pressure
- Ability to meet strict deadlines
- Confidentiality
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office
Land Court applicants should also be comfortable using Microsoft Excel.
What Will Legal Interns Do?
Successful interns will undertake a range of duties supporting judges, court researchers and judicial institutions.
Responsibilities may include conducting legal research using reliable and verifiable sources, reviewing relevant legal materials, analysing legal issues and preparing comprehensive research memoranda.
Interns may also attend court proceedings when requested, proofread judgments and assist with the preparation of legal articles, speeches, reports and conference papers.
The role requires interns to manage multiple assignments and meet strict deadlines while maintaining confidentiality and high-quality work.
Importantly, the internship advertisement specifies that legal research duties for judges must be performed without using AI tools such as ChatGPT. Applicants should therefore be prepared to undertake independent legal research using recognised legal resources.
Internship Stipend
Successful interns will receive a stipend of R9,000 per month for the duration of the internship.
The placement runs for 12 months, from 4 January to 31 December 2027. Successful candidates will also be required to complete an online legal research training course before beginning their duties in January 2027.
Application Requirements
Applicants should prepare the required documents before submitting their application.
The application requires:
- A cover letter
- A CV
- A complete academic transcript
All documents should be attached in PDF format in one email.
Applicants must clearly state the court or position they are applying for in the subject line of the email. Applications that do not include this information will not be considered. Incomplete applications will also not be considered.
Applications should be submitted by email
2027 Legal Internship Deadline
Applications close on Sunday, 27 September 2026.
Shortlisted candidates are expected to be contacted by the end of October 2026, while successful interns will begin their placements on 4 January 2027.
Applicants should submit their documents before the deadline and carefully check that the selected court or position is correctly stated in the email subject line.
How to Apply
Eligible law graduates interested in gaining practical experience within South Africa’s courts and judicial institutions should prepare their CV, cover letter and complete academic transcript and submit the application by email.
Applicants should select the specific court or position they wish to apply for and include it in the email subject line.
Deadline: 27 September 2026
Internship period: 4 January – 31 December 2027
Stipend: R9,000 per month
The opportunity is published by Judges Matter in partnership with the relevant judicial institutions and the DGRU at UCT.
