If you’re passionate about law but you did not meet the law degree requirements in Kenya, perhaps you should consider taking a diploma course in law. Form Four leavers and other individuals hoping to practice law have been keen to discover all they can about a Diploma in Law. There are several career opportunities as a paralegal or legal advisor. Moreover, you can work with the government or in a private firm. The good thing is that some universities will allow you to join their law degree program with a diploma in law. So, what are the minimum requirements to pursue a diploma in law in Kenya? Read this article to understand more about making right decisions to it and advising on appropriate learning institutions to join.
What is a Diploma in Law for?
In most
cases, a Diploma in Laws course intends to give you the knowledge, skills, and
competencies required to practice as a paralegal in Kenya.
For
starters, a paralegal is simply a professional who performs a variety of
procedures as delegated to him/her by a lawyer. These include:
·
Maintaining
and organizing legal records/files.
·
Drafting
documents such as affidavits and agreements
·
Conducting
legal research.
·
Where
can I work with a diploma in Law in Kenya?
·
Paralegals
are employed by a vast range of organizations including NGOs.
However,
most work for registered law firms, government agencies/departments, and
corporate legal departments. Further note
that there are few other positions you can qualify for with a diploma in law. These are:
·
Investigating
officer
·
Court
clerk
·
Legal
Secretary
·
Legal
assistant
·
Case-management
officer.
Is
diploma in law marketable in Kenya?
While it
may not be as marketable as the LL.B Degree, there are decent jobs you can
qualify for with a diploma in law. These
include paralegal jobs in the NGO sector, some of which pay very well.
However,
if you’re able, I suggest that you upgrade to an LL.B after completing the
diploma. That way, you will have more job openings you qualify for.
Diploma
in law Kenya requirements.
Generally, you
are required to have scored a mean grade of at least C(C plain) -in your KCSE
exam- or its equivalent.
In
addition, you must have at least a C+(C plus) grade in English to qualify.
There are
no other cluster requirements for a diploma in law in Kenya.
Diploma
in law Kenya requirements – alternative qualifications
You can
also be admitted if you have one principal pass (At least) at the KACE (Kenya
Advanced Certificate of Education) examinations.
The other
acceptable qualification by some universities is a Certificate in Law (you must
have scored a distinction/ credit pass).
The only
concern is that the certificate in law doesn’t seem to be recognized by the
council of legal education (the body in charge of approving the curriculum for
legal programmes) so there is no guarantee you’ll be admitted with the course.
Universities
that offer diploma in law in Kenya
You should
note that only a few universities have been accredited to offer diploma courses
in law in Kenya- most offer the LL.B (Bachelors of Law) course.
So far, only two
universities are accredited to offer a law programme at the diploma level.
·
Mt
Kenya University (MKU)- This is a privately owned university and the course is
offered at their Parklands law Campus
·
Kisii
University- This is a public university and the course is offered at the main
campus.
·
The
other recognized institution that offers the course is the council of legal
education-owned Kenya School of Law.
Diploma
in Law at Kenya School of Law (Para-legal) – entry requirements
Mean
grade: C (Plain) in the KCSE
English: C
(Plus) minimum grade
Course
structure & Duration
Students
can choose day /evening classes.
The
programme lasts for at least two (2) academic years with each year having three
(3) terms and shall not exceed three(3) academic years.
Students
shall enroll for four(4) course units (maximum) per term. Again there are a
total of 24 units for the course.
CONCLUSION
You should
check out the following institutions if you wish to pursue a diploma in law in
Kenya:
Good luck.
No comments:
Post a Comment