Graduate Recruitment Programme
Years of experience
Percentage female partners
Over 350 lawyers
Most sought-after employer by law graduates
Meet our 2026 Candidate Attorneys
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Applications for the Adams and Adams Candidate Attorney programme and Bursaries must be submitted through our website. Applications for our 2028 Candidate Attorney programme are now closed.
Keep an eye on our website or follow us on our social media pages for updates and new opportunities.
We are committed to ensuring a fair process for all applicants and will therefore not accept any applications or, updates to applications, which are submitted directly through email. Please note that only South African Citizens and Permanent Residents are eligible to apply for the Candidate Attorney Programme.
For other queries email graduaterecruitment@adams.africa
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 runs winter and summer vacation programmes that give law students firsthand insight into the legal profession.
Through exposure to real matters and participation in tailored development activities, students gain practical exposure, build their professional skills, and deepen their understanding of the legal profession
Adams & Adams offers bursary opportunities to students who demonstrate financial need and come from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. Bursaries are available to students currently pursuing undergraduate law degrees or postgraduate LLB qualifications and who show strong potential to join the firm’s Candidate Attorney Programme in the future.
Who can apply:
Qualifying criteria for consideration:
- 65% or higher average in each year of tertiary study
- Quantifiable financial need
- Preference to students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds
All applications must be submitted through our website. Please note that applications submitted via email will not be considered.
Visit our website regularly or follow us on our social media platforms to stay informed about application deadlines, updates, and other exciting opportunities.
While applications for our 2028 Candidate Attorney Programme have officially closed, we look forward to welcoming applications for our 2029 intake soon. Follow our website and social media channels for announcements and application opening dates.
What documents do I need to 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.
Insider Tips on your application
- Keep your biography concise, engaging, and authentic.
- Check that all supporting documents are up to date.
- Academic performance is important, but we also want to learn about your extracurricular activities, work experience, leadership roles, volunteer work, sporting achievements, and personal interests. Be sure to include any positions of responsibility on your CV, whether legal or non-legal.
- As an aspiring attorney, your cover letter should be professionally presented. It should clearly articulate your motivation for applying and what you can contribute. Further guidance on how to prepare a strong motivational letter can be found here.
- Take the time to review your documents for spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes.
Supporting Documents
- All supporting documents must be clear, legible, and accessible. Please ensure that files are not password protected.
- Certification is not required. If you choose to submit certified copies, ensure that certification stamps do not obscure your academic results or any important information.
- Before submitting your application, verify that all required documents have been included and uploaded correctly.
The recruitment of Patent Candidate Attorneys is managed separately from the firm’s graduate recruitment programme. The firm does not recruit Patent Candidate Attorneys on a routine basis, appointments are made only where there is a specific business need.
While the firm may, from time to time, appoint patent candidates who do not hold an LLB degree, based on strong academic qualifications in scientific or engineering disciplines, prospective candidates should be aware that an LLB qualification is a statutory requirement for admission as a Patent Attorney.
Those without an LLB would be required to pursue the qualification concurrently with their employment at the firm and, upon completion, serve the prescribed two-year period of articles as a Patent Candidate Attorney.
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 after completion of LLB degree
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”.
