'The numbers are a testament to an exclusionary past': LPC fights for transformation in South Africa's legal profession 07.05.2026

The Legal Practice Council (LPC) is defending the Legal Sector Code (LSC) in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, arguing it is essential for transforming South Africa's legal profession, which still shows significant imprints of an exclusionary past. This defense comes as four major law firms—Deneys, Bowmans, Webber Wentzel, and Werksmans—challenge the sector-specific B-BBEE framework gazetted in September 2024. Court papers reveal that the country's largest commercial firms remain about 72% white-owned, and despite black attorneys making up 53.16% of the profession in 2025, black women are severely underrepresented at 15.2%. The Johannesburg Society of Advocates also presented statistics showing disparities, particularly among senior counsel and high attrition rates for black junior counsel, highlighting the limitations of internal initiatives in a referral-based system and suggesting generic B-BBEE codes are inadequate for meaningful transformation.





















