Proudly JLS

Proudly JLS

J Leslie Smith’s top achiever becomes the fourth person of colour to be simultaneously admitted as an Attorney, Conveyancer, and Notary Public in the history of Kwazulu-Natal.  

On the 4th of November 2011 at the High Court of South Africa, Pietermaritzburg, Thabo Vilakazi became the 62nd person (and the fourth person of colour) in the history of Kwazulu-Natal legal practice admitted simultaneously as an Attorney, Conveyancer, and Notary Public. 

The study of Conveyancing and Notarial practice can be very daunting. With failure rates as high as 80% one can be forgiven for believing that the whole endeavour seems too much to bear. When asked about his achievement Mr Vilakazi's sentiments were as follows:

"I was not aware of any statistics and nor did I seek out any prizes, I just wanted to be the best Conveyancer and property law practitioner I could possibly be, in the shortest possible time and that is why I decided to take the Conveyancing and Notarial practice examinations at the same time."

A University of KwaZulu Natal (Howard College) graduate, Mr Vilakazi started serving articles at J Leslie Smith and Company Incorporated in July of 2010. At present he works in the Agency Conveyancing Department as a Professional Assistant, and hopes to specialise in property law. Mr Vilakazi commented that the greatest benefit to working in a firm renowned for its conveyancing practice is the opportunity to work with some of the best practitioners in the country. “This has made me realise that there's so much more to this profession than what many outside of the profession believe and I truly feel that in qualifying I've only just scratched the surface. This energises and excites me", said Mr Vilakazi when asked how he feels about his achievement.

Another top achiever to have qualified with the prestigious triple admission is the Late KwaZulu-Natal Judge President Justice Herbert Msimang. "I take the responsibility of my qualifications very seriously, especially the Notarial qualification as it is such an ancient and noble office and it is important that its’ high standards are maintained."

During the course of the next year Mr Vilakazi plans to further his studies and grow in the field of Conveyancing and Notarial practice. When asked what fuelled his drive in the past year Mr Vilakazi responded, "I knew that if I really applied myself, sooner or later I would pass and that the only way I would learn fast was to give my absolute best at all times"

  • Added 10 November 2011

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