The semiotics of non-verbal communication in the attorney, client consultation process
type: CreativeWork
description: In 2010, the Law Society of South Africa, expressed concern over the number of law graduates that were lacking in essential skills and they stressed that clients in legal matters are placed at risk if new practitioners are not properly equipped to assist them.1 Many lamented the academic nature of the LLB programmes at most tertiary institutions as concentrating only on the “knowledge of the law” rather than the enhancement of important skills and abilities. The “radical dichotomy” that exists between theory and practice in the law curricula at most tertiary law schools is at the root of the problem Whilst there is no denying that the ubiquity of doctrinal development is central to legal studies, law is no longer seen as a “technique of professional practice” only. Legal Realism has highlighted the fact that law permeates all facets of life and should therefore be studied as an embodiment of knowledge that permeates the “real” world. The focus of my study is on one key area of communication that has been largely ignored thus far in the legal arena, i.e. non-verbal communication. Effective communication is a fundamental dexterity to the attorney and a lack thereof can result in the likelihood of psychological and emotional long-term difficulties. My study furnishes some insight into the challenges facing most attorneys during the consultation process. The study outlines the importance and ubiquity of the different sign systems (semiotics) that regulate human interaction. The growing body of knowledge about non-verbal communication has illustrated that it is the main sign system that parallels verbal communication in the human interactive process. The aim of this study was to establish the attorneys’ perceptions of implementing non-verbal communication into their daily lives and the legal system in South Africa. A qualitative approach (where attorneys were interviewed) broadened my understanding of the attorneys’ experiences and I was allowed to be privy to their pers…
abstract: In 2010, the Law Society of South Africa, expressed concern over the number of law graduates that were lacking in essential skills and they stressed that clients in legal matters are placed at risk if new practitioners are not properly equipped to assist them.1 Many lamented the academic nature of the LLB programmes at most tertiary institutions as concentrating only on the “knowledge of the law” rather than the enhancement of important skills and abilities. The “radical dichotomy” that exists between theory and practice in the law curricula at most tertiary law schools is at the root of the problem Whilst there is no denying that the ubiquity of doctrinal development is central to legal studies, law is no longer seen as a “technique of professional practice” only. Legal Realism has highlighted the fact that law permeates all facets of life and should therefore be studied as an embodiment of knowledge that permeates the “real” world. The focus of my study is on one key area of communication that has been largely ignored thus far in the legal arena, i.e. non-verbal communication. Effective communication is a fundamental dexterity to the attorney and a lack thereof can result in the likelihood of psychological and emotional long-term difficulties. My study furnishes some insight into the challenges facing most attorneys during the consultation process. The study outlines the importance and ubiquity of the different sign systems (semiotics) that regulate human interaction. The growing body of knowledge about non-verbal communication has illustrated that it is the main sign system that parallels verbal communication in the human interactive process. The aim of this study was to establish the attorneys’ perceptions of implementing non-verbal communication into their daily lives and the legal system in South Africa. A qualitative approach (where attorneys were interviewed) broadened my understanding of the attorneys’ experiences and I was allowed to be privy to their pers…
author: Iyer, Desan
keywords: Law education
license: https://devspace.unizulu.ac.za/bitstreams/fd190450-8a6e-4f06-b1b0-8c8385682c7a/download
date published: 2011
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:16:55Z
provider: University of Zululand
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Zululand