Sri Lanka Law College

Instruction Booklet
for the

Practical Training Course

for
Apprentices

2023
SRI LANKA LAW COLLEGE PRACTICAL TRAINING COURSE

Before applying for admission to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, all students who have passed
the Attorneys-at-Law Final Year Examination and are eligible for the apprenticeship MUST fulfil
two (2) essential requirements:

1. Complete a Practical Training Course (PTC) offered by the Sri Lanka Law College; and

2. Serve an apprenticeship period of at least six months under the supervision of a

lawyer with at least eight (8) years of experience in the legal profession.

An Apprentices who fails to complete fully or partially complete1 the PTC WILL NOT be issued
with the Certificate of Completion by the Law College.

INTRODUCTION

The training skills that are included in the PTC that are mandated by the Incorporated Council of
Legal Education of Sri Lanka are taught by Sri Lanka Law College, which is responsible for
delivering the course. The English language will be used as the medium of instruction for the PTC.

The following sections provide an overview of the PTC. A comprehensive exposition will be
provided prior to the pertinent course. It is imperative that you accurately record the dates of
these sessions.

As you move through the following, you'll see that certain sessions call for 100% attendance while
others only require 80%.

The Apprentices are divided into two groups – Group A and Group B. The apprentices will be
informed their allocated group before the commencement of the PTC.

Workshop on Research Methodology

Research is a methodical and structured procedure for the collection of information, examination
of facts, and production of novel knowledge or perspectives pertaining to a specific subject or
enquiry. There is a significant importance for those who want to pursue a professional and/or an
academic career. The main goal of research is to efficiently tackle specific objectives or resolve
issues through the use of a methodical and evidence-based approach.

1
Fails to complete any of the listed components of the PTC.
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Each group is divided into two (2) sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. An
apprentice is only required to attend one session.

During this session, the participants will be provided with guidance on the essential stages of
conducting research such as the contents of a research paper, how to begin a research, literature
review, methodology, data analysis, referencing etc.

Attendance is compulsory.

Litigation Workshops

There are two (2) Litigation Workshops, namely Criminal Litigation and Civil Litigation.
Participants will have a better understanding of the litigation process as a result of this. These
sessions will be led by lecturers or facilitators who are mostly legal practitioners who have
excelled in court work. All litigation workshops are held in person.

The participants are anticipated to acquire a range of benefits, including but not limited to the
development of legal skills, engagement in interactive learning, receiving expert counsel based
on real-life experiences, and examination of ethical aspects.

80% attendance is required. Please refer to the Note on Page 07.

Workshop on Legal Etiquette

As you know, legal etiquette is a set of formal and professional behaviors, norms, and courtesies
that are expected in the legal profession. It includes the right behavior and manners that lawyers,
legal professionals, and even judges should follow when interacting with the legal system. This is
essential for maintaining respect, professionalism, and the smooth operation of the legal system.

One common complaint today is that young lawyers entering the profession are not following
professional norms and courtesies. The aim of this workshop is to provide apprentices with a
fundamental understanding of what is expected of a lawyer entering the legal profession.

80% attendance is required. Please refer to the Note on Page 07.

Panel Discussions

There are two (2) panel discussions covering current topics relevant to the legal profession. This

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is a formal discourse or forum where a cohort of experts or panelists engage in a deliberative
exchange and disseminate their insights, expertise, and viewpoints pertaining to a particular
subject matter or concern, in the presence of the apprentices.

There are several advantages to participating in these discussions. These can aid in
communication between specialists and apprentices. The talks would be participatory and lively
since they would feature conversation among panelists rather than a one-sided presentation. As
a result, the apprentices would find it more interesting and relatable, which can lead to respectful
arguments.

Based on the Panel Discussions, there will be two written assignments, one is an individual and
the other is a groups presentation. The word count for each assignment is limited to a maximum
of 2,500 words. There will also be two (2) oral presentations based on the topics discussed at the
Panel Discussions – one is an individual presentation and the other is a group presentation. The
details of the assignments and the dates for the presentation will be informed in due course.

The panel discussions are held in person, and attendance is compulsory. Further, assignments
submissions and oral presentations are compulsory.

Legal Clinics

Legal clinics are widely recognized as a fundamental component of legal education on a global
scale. The course of study focuses students on the application of abstract and theoretical
knowledge in the resolution of legal conflicts. However, the implementation of this highly
acclaimed strategy is lacking in Sri Lanka.

Therefore, law students in Sri Lanka obtain their degrees from their respective universities or
complete their education at Sri Lanka Law College (SLLC), mostly acquire theoretical knowledge
and lacks the ability to apply their acquired knowledge in practical scenarios, leading to a
noticeable disparity between theoretical understanding and practical implementation. In order
to address this disparity in legal education, the SLLC has introduced ‘Law Clinics’ into this
program.

The Law Clinics aim to offer apprentices a complete grasp of the fundamental principles,
concepts, and complexities inherent in both civil and criminal law, thereby facilitating their
acquisition of specialized knowledge in this field of law. Moreover, the apprentices will have the
opportunity to cultivate legal expertise and participate in experiential education.

The senior legal practitioners from civil and criminal areas will engage to facilitate case studies in
an interactive format, thereby offering practical exposure to the apprentices.

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The apprentices will be organized into groups, with each group will consist of 20 apprentices.
These groups will be under the supervision of senior lawyers who will be responsible for
overseeing the activities of the legal clinic.

There will be two (2) major case studies, namely Civil and Criminal. At the commencement of
each session, every student will be provided with a folder containing the assigned case study.
The apprentice is required to retain possession of this folder until the conclusion of the law clinic.
The duration of each case study will be five (5) days, with each session lasting approximately 3-4
hours. The apprentice will learn to engage in different stages in the case study (eg. Consultation,
Initial or Engagement Letter, Letter of Demand, Plaint etc).

During the Law Clinic sessions, the Apprentice is also required to complete four (4) court visit
reports, two (2) from civil law cases and two (2) from criminal law cases. The Apprentice is
expected to attend court in order to prepare these reports, per the agreement with the Senior
Attorney at Law who oversees the Law Clinics (I and II). The format of the report will be given to
the apprentices in due course.

Attendance and submission of reports are compulsory.

Short Courses

There are four (4) short courses. The lectures will discuss current and significant areas that are
important to Sri Lanka. These lectures will be delivered by widely recognized and acclaimed
practitioners in the field.

These are intended to offer specialized knowledge and skills to apprentices in a succinct and
efficient manner. Attending these seminars provides a wonderful opportunity for an apprentice
to swiftly gain new skills or improve existing ones. The following Short Courses are primarily
concerned with practical, job-related skills. The following Courses will be offered:

• Alternate Dispute Resolution

• Cyber Law / ICT
• Law of the Sea
• Law relating to Children

80% attendance is required. Please refer to the Note on Page 07.

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Optional Workshops

There are two Optional Workshops:

1. Conveyancing Practice
2. Corporate Structure

These two sessions will provide you with hands-on experience in these two areas. Anyone
interested in starting a conveyancing practice might consider attending the Conveyancing
Workshop. This would also assist the apprentice in finishing the Deed Book and preparing for the
Viva Voce examination. An apprentice who wants to work in the corporate sector, on the other
hand, will gain a solid understanding of the essential aspects of a company's organization and
governance.

There is no attendance required; nevertheless, participation in these two sessions is highly

suggested.

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ATTENDANCE

The Council of Legal Education Rules stipulate specifically that the Apprentices shall attend the
Practical Training Course for six (6) months. The conducting of the Practical Training Course is
entirely vested with the Law College.

If an apprentice believes that he or she will be unable to fully fulfil or complete the six (6) months
apprenticeship period for any reason, he or she should not undertake the Practical Training
Course.

There are events that require 100% attendance. Some events require only 80%. There are
optional events and there is no attendance requirement. However, these two optional events
may help you in your legal practice in future.

If an apprentice fails to complete the requisite Practical Training Course (listed below), the Law
College WILL NOT provide the Completion Certificate to the Supreme Court. The attendance
requirement cannot be waived under any circumstances.

The following are the PTC offered by the Law College and level of attendance requirement:

PTC Level of attendance requirement

1 Inauguration of Practical Training Course 100% attendance
2 Research Methodology 100% attendance
3 Panel Discussion I on Professional Ethics 100% attendance
4 Law Clinic One 100% attendance
5 Law Clinic Two 100% attendance
6 Research Paper I Submission and Individual Presentation 100% attendance
7 Research Paper II Submission and Group Presentation 100% attendance
8 Panel Discussion II on Violence against Women 100% attendance
9 Short Course on Alternate Dispute Resolution 80% attendance
10 Workshop on Legal Etiquette 80% attendance
11 Civil Litigation 80% attendance
12 Criminal Litigation 80% attendance
13 Short Course on Alternate Dispute Resolution 80% attendance
14 Short Course on the Cyber Law 80% attendance
15 Short Course on Law of the Sea 80% attendance
16 Short Course on Law Relating to Children 80% attendance
17 Workshop on Conveyancing Practice Optional
18 Workshop on Corporate Structure Optional
19 Deed book submission and viva voce examination Compulsory for the apprentices who
wish to obtain the Notary Public
license

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Note: 9 – 16 above, attendance of 80% is calculated on the total attendance excluding optional
workshops.

The Apprentice is expected to be punctual and attend the above sessions on time. Late
attendance will not be accepted (not more than 15 minutes late).

We have provided you with the Calendar. The specific dates and times for the events will be
provided in due course.

EVALUATION REPORT

In order for the Law College to assess your progress and determine how it can best support you
as an apprentice by making comments and ideas, the Apprentice must submit two (2) Evaluation
Reports from your designated senior. The Evaluation Form will be provided in due course.

IMPORTANT

• Apprentices must not be involved in any dishonorable or unprofessional conduct

relating to the completion of the PTC.
• All reports/assessments you submit to SLLC must be your own and be in your own
words.
• All reports/assessments shall be submitted to SLLC within the time allocated for
submission.
• Apprentices shall participate in all exercises and demonstrate commitment and
interest.
• In addition to the in-house assessment by the Incorporated Council of Legal
Education at the Sri Lanka Law College, the Apprentice is required to undergo
training under a Senior Attorney-at-Law having a minimum of 8 years active practice
in the courts of law with regard to the practical aspects of all court procedures and
aspects of litigation.
• This training period should be a minimum of six (6) months at the end of which the
Senior Attorney-at-Law, if satisfied, would certify the Apprentice’s practical
competency.
• This period of training would be concurrent to the Practical Training Course
conducted by the Sri Lanka Law College.

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DRESS CODE

Apprentices must be attired in proper dress in all lectures and workshops throughout the PTC.

For all academic sessions, the dress code should be for females; sarees and abayas (black, white,
gray, and mauve). And for males, white shirts with black trousers & black tie. (Refrain from
wearing a black tie with the BASL Logo).

Apprentices are advised to refrain from wearing T-shirts, slippers, skinnies & denims during
academic sessions conducted by the SLLC.

The apprentices must refer to the Dress Code requirements published by the Supreme Court of
Sri Lanka for the Attorneys at Law.

Please Note – The students who are not properly attired will not be allowed to enter the
hall/auditorium.

PLAGIARISM AND COLLUSION

Plagiarism and collusion are considered grave offences within the context of academia. When
engaging in academic work, it is essential to assert that the work is solely the product of one's
own efforts, with the exception of duly acknowledged contributions, and that no external
assistance has been sought or received in the preparation of said work.

The Council of Legal Education places significant importance on addressing instances of

plagiarism and collusion, as these actions are considered in breach of Rule 60. This would have
an impact on your application to the Supreme Court for admission as an Attorney at Law.

Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else's work as one's own, either by copying it without
giving proper credit or by claiming ownership. On the other hand, collusion refers to obtaining
the agreement with another individual for deceptive purposes, intending to gain an advantage in
submitting an assessment or engaging in other academic activities.

PLACING FORGED SIGNATURES

The documents to be submitted to apply to the Supreme Court for the purpose of enrolment as
Attorneys-at- Law will not be issued to the students who attempt to place signatures for others
and who request others to sign on their behalf.

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NAME IN PASS LIST / ENROLMENT NAME

Please note that it is the responsibility of apprentices to check whether their names are stated
accurately in the "Pass List" displayed on the SLLC notice board. In the event of any difference or
change, the same must be brought to the notice of the SLLC administration. The students should
use the same name published in the SLLC pass list when publishing their Enrolment Notices.

PRACTICAL TRAINING COURSE CERTIFICATE

Upon the successful completion of the PTC, an apprentice will be awarded a certificate by the Sri
Lanka Law College. The submission of this certificate, along with the requisite documentation, is
mandatory when applying for enrolment as an Attorney-at-Law to the Registrar of the Supreme
Court of Sri Lanka.

Apprentices who fail to successfully complete the Practice Training Course offered by the Law
College will be ineligible to receive the Practical Training Course Certificate. In this scenario, the
apprentice will need to retake the Apprenticeship Course alongside the subsequent cohort of
apprentices in order to meet the necessary criteria and attain eligibility.

APPEALS

The decisions of the Incorporated Council of Legal Education shall be final and conclusive, and no
appeals shall be entertained with regard to the assessments on academic grounds or otherwise.

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