Graduate Recruitment Programme
Years of experience
Percentage female partners
Over 350 lawyers
Most sought-after employer by law graduates
For more than a century, Adams & Adams continues to lead the way in intellectual property law in Africa while forging ahead in expanding its impressive commercial litigation, corporate law, personal injury law, family law, and insurance law practices. The firm strongly believes that the Candidate Attorney (CA) Programme forms an important part of our commitment to excellence in law.
Every year, the firm offers approximately 20 CAs an opportunity to gain rich exposure to a variety of practices. The programme is designed specifically to rotate candidates through various practice areas, including commercial litigation, commercial drafting, unlawful competition, trade mark and copyright litigation, trade mark prosecution, family law, personal injury law, and insurance law, to name but a few. The depth of experience acquired through this programme allows candidates to develop their careers across multiple disciplines of law and is designed to ensure their success as future attorneys.
To complement this extensive practical vocational training, the firm has a structured lecture programme and offers the Compulsory Practical Vocational Training School (previously known as PLT) on-site. The CA Programme thus offers a holistic training and advancement package for any CA who joins Adams & Adams.
To enable the CAs and associates to share useful information, the firm has a professional Buddy Mentorship Programme. CAs and associates choose buddies at an annual event and meet whenever there is a need, providing a supportive and bonding experience for all CAs. These relationships are important for CAs to navigate their practical vocational training and associates to hone their leadership and mentoring skills.
The firm also boasts sports and social events which CAs can participate in depending on their interests. We find that CAs who engage in these activities form relationships with people outside the CA programme and have a more fulfilling time at the firm.
Endearingly, the firm is referred to by those who work here as “The Adams family”. This is reflective of the culture of the firm where we consider our clients and employees a family.
Beyond the expected attributes of academic excellence, exemplary conduct, trustworthiness, candidates who fit in best with the firm are most prominently those who have an attitude of taking ownership of and responsibility for their work. We see ownership and responsibility as the foundation for our success. They lead to Adams & Adams’ unique ability to not only practice law ‘by the book, but rather to ‘write the book’. This means that the firm ensures success today whilst directing the firm to a successful future.
The firm’s vacation work programme is the primary tool that the firm uses to assess candidates.
Vacation work for the selection of 2027 candidate attorneys will be taking place in July 2025.
Places are limited to 20 per intake, and our bursary holders and appointed candidates get preference. To apply for the programme, please follow the application procedure detailed on this page.
Adams & Adams offers four study bursaries for deserving candidates with potential for renewal in further years of study.
2025 Bursary applications will open in September and close on 31 October 2024.
Applications must be accompanied by a one-page motivational cover letter, comprehensive curriculum vitae, tertiary academic results, and senior certificate.
Shortlisted candidates may be subjected to an interview process and skills assessments.
ADAMS & ADAMS MERIT BURSARY
Who can apply:
A LLB under- or postgraduate student (LLB, BA Law, or BCom Law) showing promise to join the firm for practical vocational training in 2028, with reference to academic performance.
Qualifying criteria for consideration:
- 75% or higher average in senior certificate examination
- 70% or higher average in each year of tertiary study
- Maths and physical science at senior certificate level will be an advantage
E.V. ADAMS BURSARY
Who can apply:
Awarded to a LLB postgraduate student (BA Law or BCom Law, or equivalent) with reference to academic performance and financial need.
Qualifying criteria for consideration:
- 65% or higher average in each year of tertiary study
- Quantifiable financial need
- Preference to students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds
NONDUMISO MSIMANG BURSARY
Who can apply:
Awarded to a LLB undergraduate student with reference to academic performance and financial need.
Qualifying criteria for consideration:
- 65% or higher average in each year of tertiary study
- Quantifiable financial need
- Preference to students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds
Before you apply
- Collate all relevant information namely, academic, extracurricular activities, awards, committees, community involvement, employment, references.
- Check that all supporting documents are up to date and there are no spelling errors.
- All supporting documents must be clear and not password protected.
- Your supporting documents do not need to be certified. If you choose to certify them, make sure that the stamp is not placed over your marks.
The Application Process
- All applications must be made through Leaply. Access Leaply here.
- The first step will be to gather your basic info to check whether you meet the qualifying criteria.
- If you meet our qualifying criteria – you will move on to the next step – i.e. uploading your supporting documents and telling us more about you.
- Applications must be completed within 14 days.
- Further guidance on the Leaply application process can be found here.
Insider Tips on your application
- Keep your biography short, punchy and interesting. Let’s hear your highlights!
- Academics are important, but what else have you been up to? Sport, jobs, committees, volunteer work, hobbies – tell us!
- As an aspiring attorney, show your communication skills by formatting your cover letter as a business letter and ensuring that it does not have grammatical errors. Further guidance on how to prepare a strong motivational letter can be found here.
The recruitment of patent candidate attorneys is dealt with separately from the firm’s graduate recruitment programme. The firm does not take in patent candidate attorneys routinely, and any intake is managed solely on a needs-basis.
To qualify as a patent attorney with the firm, a tertiary four-year engineering degree or a tertiary postgraduate science degree at master’s or doctorate level is a prerequisite. An LLB qualification, in addition, would be advantageous.
Qualification as a patent attorney requires, in addition to a technical degree as mentioned above and an LLB degree:
- Writing several patent board exams;
- Writing the attorneys admission exams; and
- Serving practical vocational training for two years.
Candidates who wish to place their CVs on record with the firm for consideration, when a need arises, are welcome to do so, by forwarding same to GraduateRecruitment@adams.africa with a subject line that reads “Application for Patent Candidate Attorney”.
Meet The Graduate Recruitment Team
