Johannesburg

Apply for Articles at Fasken

We employ top candidates looking to specialise in business law and make a positive contribution to society. We are an equal opportunity employer who rejects any form of discrimination and rewards excellence. We offer excellent hands-on practical training in specialised areas of law, under exceptional guidance and mentoring. At Fasken, we strive to provide you with all the necessary training, guidance and support to allow you to achieve your goals. Fasken is a great place to work, offering a vibrant and collegial atmosphere where you will be involved in challenging and interesting matters and transactions which are often of a high-profile nature. As part of our recruitment process, we select only those candidates who we believe have the potential to become Partners at Fasken. As a result, we do not employ more candidate attorneys than we expect to accommodate as associates after the completion of their articles.

About the Fasken Graduate Program

The articling program in Fasken’s Johannesburg office provides law students with exciting opportunities to gain skills and to learn from some of the best lawyers in South Africa, Canada and around the globe. You can start applying for articles from your second year of studies.

We consider candidates with any undergraduate degree plus LLB, a four-year LLB or an LLM. The position of a Candidate Attorney is role is reserved for those university graduates who are to undertake their articles, after which they will be deemed fit and proper to practise as an attorney in South Africa.

The ideal candidate has the potential to, with experience and development, display the following characteristics:

the intellectual ability to analyse and solve problems
the ability to communicate effectively
the ability to develop their own knowledge base and that of the firm
the ability to deliver excellent client service
well developed personal and organisational skills
the ability to develop a client base within, and eventually outside of, the firm
the ability to gain the professional confidence of others.

We look for a well-rounded individual who has integrity and an excellent work ethic.

When you article at Fasken, you’ll enjoy being part of a team with broad interests and you’ll meet clients from all backgrounds and from numerous industries. You’ll be encouraged to join firm activities and be exposed to a variety of in-house training programs and seminars, right from your first day at the firm.

Applications for 2026 are closed.

Feedback from Fasken Candidate Attorneys

I appreciated the level of autonomy that you get given when you attend to an instruction. As much as there is a hierarchy to be followed (CA, Associate then Partner). My opinion/input has always been considered.
Some firms only rotate in one department for the duration of their articles whereas we rotate three times; and
We get given the opportunity to work closely with partners without necessarily having to go through an associate.
My experience at Fasken has been extremely enriching and informative. In each department I rotate to I am exposed to a large variety of fields including niche and specialised areas of law such as environmental law, mining law, tax law and competition law. I have never been limited to one type of field within the departments and have had the opportunity to explore and absorb as much information as possible about each respective field. I have learned so much about client relations, drafting, efficient research, deal management, legal opinions, due diligence reports and a variety of other invaluable skills.
Fasken provides you with the opportunity to experience as many different areas of law as possible in order to find your niche during your two years of articles. Fasken encourages its employees to look after their mental health and provides helpful tools to do so, for example through web seminars from professionals who offer really great tips on how to make sure you are looking after your mental health. Fasken also goes above and beyond in making you feel that you are a valued and important member of the team.
I am thankful for the open-door policy at Fasken, with a lot of brains behind those doors. This is particularly great because I find myself working in a team-based environment.

Vacation Students

Working at Fasken during vacation offers law students an opportunity to become familiar with the firm and vice versa. We limit the number of students to ensure that you and your peers will have enough guidance and feedback, and to tailor work towards your interests. You can start applying for vacation work from your second year of studies.

Throughout the vacation term, you’ll be invited to participate in formal training sessions for students, general seminars for lawyers and to participate in other firm meetings and events.

Many of our current lawyers first joined the firm as vacation students, and many were recipients of the firm’s scholarship program.

Proud winner of the 2019 Best Work Experience Award - Awarded by the South African Graduate Employers Association.

Please note applications for 2026 are closed.

Ricci Schwab Lyons Scholarship

About

Fasken offers a scholarship for a deserving student in law school.

This scholarship is named after Ricci Schwab Lyons. Ricci was a partner and Chief Operating Officer at Fasken in Johannesburg. In honour of Ricci’s lasting legacy and the role and impact that she had on the Firm, and the community at large, the Ricci Schwab Lyons Scholarship is awarded each year to a deserving law student.

Ricci played a significant and invaluable role during her time at our Firm, especially in leading and organising community outreach programmes. To this day, our people are dedicated to giving back and serving others around us.

The following criteria must be met to qualify for the scholarship:

Students must be registered for their second, third or penultimate year of law school.
Maintain a minimum average of 65% and over for years of study completed prior to application.
Participation in vacation work programs offered by the Firm.
The candidate must be a person who has the potential to become an effective attorney at Fasken. They must demonstrate leadership, take an interest in the community or in community issues and be self-motivated.
Unless the scholarship recipient fails one or more subjects, the scholarship is likely to continue into the individual’s following year of studies.

Once a scholarship recipient has successfully graduated, they will be required to accept articles of clerkship at Fasken, if offered. Should the recipient decline the offer, the entire scholarship amount must be paid back to the Firm in full.

Applications for 2025 are closed.

Lundi Gadla Scholarship

About

Fasken offers a scholarship in memory of a colleague and friend, Lundi Gadla. Lundi passed away tragically in February 2006 and the scholarship is meant to perpetuate his memory.

The scholarship will be awarded to a student who:

Is studying at the NMMU and on second, third or last year of study.
Requires financial support for their LLB studies.
Displays leadership ability and characteristics of a motivated and hard-working person.
Has an interest in community issues/projects.