A History of Black Lawyers in South Africa

Wednesday, 3 August 2022 - 9:00am

WiSER, 6th Floor, Richard Ward Building, East Campus

University of the Witwatersrand

9:00 – 9:30Opening and Introductions: Jonathan Klaaren (University of the Witwatersrand)

09:30 – 10:45

Panel One: The Future of Black Women Lawyers in South Africa

Busisiwe Kamolane, Thandeka Kathi, Zanele Malindi, Sithuthukile Mkhize, & Vuyolethu Mntoninthsi (CALS, University of the Witwatersrand)The history of black women lawyers in South Africa: What Thendele andThendele v Legal Practice Council tells us about the persisting resistance to the transformation to the legal profession

10:45 – 11:00 Tea Break

11:00 – 12:45

Panel Two: Contemporary Histories

Short Briefings on Ongoing Research Projects: (11:00-11:45):

A History of the Wits Law School Thomas Coggin/Desia Colgan/Jonathan Botes (University of the Witwatersrand)

Young, Black, and Lawyering for the Public Interest in Johannesburg Leila Strelitz (University of Oxford)

Some Comments on Buttressing Black Lawyers in South Africa, Pre and Post-1994 Alice L Brown (University of the Witwatersrand)

Comments and Future Directions for Research: (11:45-12:45)

Discussant: Charmika Samaradiwakera-Wijesundra (University of the Witwatersrand)

12:45 – 13:45 Lunch

13:45 – 15:15

Panel Three: Histories and Networks

Elizabeth Thornberry (John Hopkins University) Law Agents and the Making of Customary Law in the 19th Century Eastern Cape

Tara Weinberg (University of Michigan) Pixley ka Seme, the Native Farmers Association and legal networks in early 20th century South Africa

Discussant: George Karekwaivanane (University of Edinburgh)

15:15 – 16:45

Panel Four: Histories and Fields

Ralph Madlalate (University of California, Berkeley) Legal Education in South Africa: Racialized Globalizations, Crises, and Contestations

Max Bolt (WiSER/University of Oxford) Legal assistance and the making of a legal field: the case of Johannesburg’s deceased estates

Discussant: Timothy Gibbs (University College, London)

Programme

Call for Papers

Preliminary Bibliographic Note

WISER Research Theme: