LLM in Drafting and Interpretation of Contracts University of Johannesburg

Are you interested in negotiating, drafting, and executing contracts? Does the idea of studying contract law in South Africa’s vibrant commercial hub appeal to you? Do you want to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in the drafting of contracts?

Reasons for studying at UJ

• UJ offers not only a special program called the First Year Experience to help orientate students throughout the first year but we also offer a Senior Student Experience that gears students toward the workplace!
• Grab the opportunity to participate in a variety of sports and train alongside Olympians and Paralympians on state-of-the-art pitches, tracks, and fields, or just keep fit by joining one of the gyms on each of our 4 campuses.
• Be part of a young, vibrant, and agile university that reflects and adapts easily to our country’s aspirations, while maintaining global relevance through numerous international partnerships.
• 178 Internationally respected and accepted qualifications.
• Join a university that cares enough to have raised over R300 million since the start of 2016 in order to support the Missing Middle Campaign. UJ also ensures that more than 6 000 needy students have two healthy meals per day.
• Study in the vibrant City of Gold – the economic hub of South Africa. Join a vibrant, cosmopolitan, progressive group of students and academics on their way to re-imagining the future!
• UJ offers an amazing on-campus experience whether you live in one of UJ’s residences, belong to a day house, or whether you just want to socialize at the Student Centres on all campuses.
• We ensure the health, safety, and security of all our students through our own on-campus health services and UJ Protection Services.
• Did you know that during the first five years of UJ’s existence it doubled its targeted research output and to this day, continues to break records!

In a commercial atmosphere where more and more statutes propagate consumer rights and where plain language is becoming increasingly important, the drafter of modern-day contracts can no longer resort to the cutting and pasting of disjointed, archaic, and even illegal phrases, thereby fudging together a contract. Rather, knowledge of current law pertaining to the drafting and interpretation of contracts and excellent language skills are the tools required by lawyers who negotiate and draft contracts. Indeed, practical as well as theoretical knowledge of drafting and interpretation of contracts are indispensable to practicing lawyers.

The lecturing style in this program is interactive. Classes are small and the program caters exclusively to a group of students who will benefit from close contact with their professor and with expert practitioners from the relevant legal field. The program is presented over two years. In the first year, students have one class per week. In the first semester of the first year, the class deals with the interpretation of contracts. The second semester of the first year deals with law and language. Where necessary, classes may be presented in the form of a number of workshops on Saturdays.

The first semester of the second year is devoted to the drafting of contracts and there is one class a week. During the second semester of the second year, students are expected to finalize their minor dissertation. The University of Johannesburg has a superb library and electronic resources. These resources, together with weekly writing assignments, assist students in writing their minor dissertations.

The course will consist of the following four modules:

• Interpretation of contracts;
• Law and language;
• Drafting of contracts; and
• A minor dissertation.

The degree is taken part-time over two years. Lectures take place after 18h00 or on Saturdays in order to accommodate students who work during the day.

Lecturers:

The course will be lectured by Prof Daleen Millard, Dr. Marieke Roos, Dr. Eesa Fredericks and experts invited to present guest lectures.

Shanghai Ranking

• World Rankings: 601-700 in the world / 5th in South Africa and 6th in Africa
• Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS):

Hospitality & Tourism Management: 18th in the world, 1st in South Africa and Africa
Sociology: Top 150 in the world, 1st and only one ranked in South Africa and Africa
Public Administration: Top 150 in the world, 1st and only one ranked in South Africa and Africa
Education: Top 300 in the world, 1st in South Africa and Africa
Earth Sciences: Top 300 in the world, 2nd in South Africa and Africa
Geography: Top 300 in the world, 2nd in South Africa and Africa
Chemical Engineering: Top 400 in the world, joint 1st in South Africa and Africa
Political Sciences: Top 400 in the world, 3rd in South Africa and Africa
Physics: Top 400 in the world, 3rd in South Africa and Africa
Management: Top 500 in the world, 1st in South Africa and Africa
Ecology: Top 500 in the world

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)

• World Rankings: 434 in the world, in the Top 1.4% / 3rd in South Africa and Africa
• Subject Rankings:

English Language & Literature: Top 250 in the world, joint 3rd in South Africa and Africa
Chemical Engineering: Top 350 in the world, joint 3rd in South Africa, and joint 4th in Africa
Education & Training: Top 350 in the world, 5th in South Africa and Africa
Economics & Econometrics: Top 400 in the world, joint 4th in South Africa, and joint 5th in
Africa Agriculture & Forestry: Top 400 in the world, 6th in South Africa
Physics & Astronomy: Top 450 in the world, joint 2nd in South Africa, and joint 3rd in Africa
Environmental Sciences: Top 450 in the world, 6th in South Africa and Africa
Chemistry: Top 500 in the world, joint 3rd in South Africa, and joint 6th in Africa
Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering: Top 500 in the world, 5th in South Africa
Medicine: Top 650 in the world

• QS Graduate Employability Rankings:

Top 500 in the world, joint 4th in South Africa

Times Higher Education (THE)

• World Rankings: 601-800 in the world / Joint 7th in South Africa
• Subject Rankings:

Law: Top 201+ in the world, joint 4th in South Africa and Africa
Education: Top 300 in the world, joint 3rd in South Africa and Africa
Psychology: Top 400 in the world, joint 2nd in South Africa and Africa
Arts & Humanities: Top 400 in the world, joint 3rd in South Africa and Africa
Social Sciences: Top 400 in the world, 4th in South Africa and Africa
Life Sciences: Top 500 in the world, joint 4th in South Africa, and joint 5th in Africa
Business & Economics: Top 600 in the world, joint 4th in South Africa, and joint 6th in Africa
Engineering & Technology: Top 600 in the world, joint 4th in South Africa
Clinical & Health: Top 600 in the world
Computer Science: Top 800 in the world, joint 4th in South Africa
Physical Sciences: Top 800 in the world

• THE Young University Rankings: 173 among young universities, 4th in South Africa
• THE Emerging Economies University Rankings: 116 among universities in emerging economies, 7th in South Africa

US News & World Report’s Best Global Universities Rankings (BGUR)

• World Rankings: 378 in the world / 5th in South Africa and Africa
• Subject Rankings:

Geosciences: 222 in the world, 2nd in South Africa and Africa
Chemistry: 280 in the world, 1st in South Africa and Africa
Social Sciences & Public Health: 287 in the world, 5th in South Africa and Africa
Physics: 289 in the world, 3rd in South Africa and Africa
Engineering: 392 in the world, 2nd in South Africa, and 4th in Africa
Plant & Animal Science: 424 in the world
Environment/Ecology: 463 in the world

An LLM in Drafting and Interpretation of Contracts provides graduates with knowledge and skills that will enable them to excel in this complex and dynamic field. Excellent drafting skills provide lawyers with the upper hand in the negotiation, drafting, and execution of all contracts, and this skill is especially valuable in commercial practices. Those who work as legal advisers or government officials involved with procurement will find that the combination of contract theory and practical skills will provide them with the ability to excel in their fields.