Advocates Training Program at Kenya School of Law

The Advocates Training Program at Kenya School of Law is conducted in 18 months; 12 months in-house and 6 months pupilage. Teaching in the Advocates’ Training Programme (the ATP) is conducted on a clinical basis.

Students will be divided into six classes namely Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E and Class F each comprising about 200 students each. Classes A, B and C shall attend instruction in the morning and Classes D, E and F in the afternoon.

Each class is divided into “firms” which constitute study groups where legal problems and issues are thoroughly discussed. During moot courts, there are simulations of actual law firms in practice. Each firm has a firm leader and a deputy firm leader drawn from each gender.

Each class elects a class representative and a deputy class representative who are the liaison persons between the Class members and the School’s administration. The representatives of each class represent both gender.

Instruction is conducted as per the timetable from Monday to Friday. The hours provided for firm meetings must be observed. It is expected that such meetings shall be discussion forums for such problems as may be given by course instructors. Firm leaders shall facilitate those meetings. The class lists as well as firm lists are posted on the School notice boards at the beginning of the academic year.

Each class has 10 firms of about 20 students although the number may vary with the circumstances of the academic year. Each firm chooses a Firm leader within the first three weeks of the academic year and the names of such Firm leaders forwarded to the Assistant Director, ATP. In all, there are 60 firms (10 in Class A, 10 in Class B, 10 in Class C, 10 in Class D, 10 in Class E and 10 in Class F).

Each class is allocated the class supervisor who is a member of academic staff. The class supervisor is the contact person for each class particularly with respect to academic matters. Each year a list of KSL lecturers as class supervisors will be issued.

Students are encouraged to continually consult their class supervisors on issues concerning their studies at the school.

There is a briefing session during the 1st week of the academic year of the ATP program on the School by the Director/Chief Executive. All students upon notification are required to attend this very important event.