About Marc Evan Aupiais

About Me

I believe success requires intelligence, perseverance, humility, integrity, diligence, a strong work ethic, courage, and courtesy. I enjoy public speaking, reading, writing, debate, and throwing myself entirely into solving a problem. I am fascinated by the history, cultures, and societies of the world, and read widely about them and the world’s myths, politics, science, philosophy, fiction, and different legal and belief systems.

I am an honours bachelor’s degree (LLB law: NFQ level 8) graduate with years of overseas experience in the legal field, journalism, and business administration.

In my student days, it was noted I had an ability for oration, and I credit this ability to speak with the many leadership positions I have been elected to, during university, and after it. I am an able speaker, and capable of holding my own, in most debates. I often had lengthy discussions before various judicial officers during my legal career, to convince them my side was right on the law or some fact or other. They tended to permit what I asked.

I am passionate about language, including my first language of English, which is at an advanced/university level. I also quite enjoy research, which has led to me reading and writing a lot over the years. My love of gaining different perspectives on news led to me often rewording snippets of French news and opinions into English and posting them online, which saw France’s Les News noticing me, and appointing me as one of their breaking news correspondents. I believe reading widely makes me inclined to debate ideas and to hearing other views.

In the legal field I worked most recently as an attorney and notary public with my own law firm, and before that, in various roles, as an attorney, candidate attorney, and paralegal/student counsellor. I worked in a legal system based on a hybrid of the common law (used in England and Ireland) and civil law systems.

I have studied the theory and practice of business administration and management, from passing senior year business studies, to receiving formal training in business strategy, management, and administration, in extensive Practical Legal Training and Practice Management Training courses I took after graduating university. I also have widely read on business management and administration, and taken free online courses on it, as well as running my own law firm for years, including doing all the accounts, compliance, administrative work, and reports required of me.

Candidate Attorney and Post Articles, Desmond Barry Attorneys, March 2015 – May 2016

I learnt a lot about research, writing, drafting and presentation from my principal at this firm, who was a published legal author, and former partner of one of South Africa's top law firms, who had opened his own firm years before. My work’s focus was on High Court litigation, insurance, contracts, and pension law.

Candidate Attorney, D.L. Wilson Attorney, August 2014 – March 2015

I drafted pleadings, affidavits, and correspondence; I interviewed clients, researched, and appeared at court. I dealt with matters that were litigated in: the magistrates' court, the domestic violence court, the CCMA (a body dealing with labour law matters), the High Court, the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA), and the Supreme Court of Appeal (South Africa's highest court for non-constitutional matters). We took many unique matters; Part of my work involved extensively researching the law in various areas, fact-finding, and interacting with various government and other bodies and with various medical, financial, and legal professionals.

Other Positions: Student Counsellor/Paralegal at Wits University Law Clinic (2013, June 2014); Correspondent for France’s French-language Les News (from 2014); Web Assistance, Advice to ADHASA (2011-2012); Class Representative: PLT Criminal Court Practice (2014), LLB Contract Law (2010), LLB Global English Literature & Film (2009); Deputy Chair of the Executive Committee (elected position): Democratic Alliance Students Organisation DASO at Wits University (2009-2010); Editor: SACNS News & Analysis (from 2008).

University of the Witwatersrand Oliver Schreiner School of Law, Bachelor of Laws (Baccalaureus Legum) (LLB) (NFQ Level 8/Honours Bachelor’s Degree), Passed, 2009-2013

I passed 30 subjects, the maximum I could take without special permission. Non-law subjects passed: English Global Literature and Film, English Literature in Context, and Forensic Medicine. South Africa’s legal system is a hybrid between civil law (European continental system) and common law (used in England and Ireland).

Legal Education and Development (L.E.A.D.) School for Legal Practice of the Law Society of South Africa, Practice Management Training (PMT), Passed, 2018

The course was set up by Law Society of South Africa, to make sure that the senior management of law firms had a good understanding of business, regulatory compliance, accountancy, human resources, technology, risk, business management and strategies. It consisted of attendance, testing, and assignments. The assignments were for: Law Business Finance (budgets, cash flow, accountancy), Risk Management and Insurance (business risk analysis, development of internal compliance controls, fraud avoidance, investment conduct compliance) and (a detailed) Business Plan Portfolio (including description, vision, SWOT, benchmarking, goals, scenarios, guide and Gantt chart, financials, plans, marketing, smaller contingent plans, and execution of tasks).

The modules of study were: General Introduction to Management, Risk Management and Insurance, Law Business Finance, Systems and Technology, Practice Administration, Marketing of Legal Services, Human Resources Management, and Strategic Management.

Legal Education and Development (L.E.A.D.) School for Legal Practice of the Law Society of South Africa, Practical Legal Training (PLT), Passed with Distinction, 2014

Half-year, full-time statutory trade course set up to ensure lawyers are well trained in the everyday matters of running a firm, applying the law in practice, and in managing, and arguing, a case. I also wrote a National Litigation Examination with a few other select subject specific top scoring students. Articles I wrote were included in the Johannesburg school’s official end of semester newsletter. Course Subjects: Effective Research, Criminal Court Practice, Constitutional Court Practice, Legal Writing, High Court Practice, Magistrate's Court Practice, Legal Costs, Matrimonial Matters & Divorce, Personal Injury Claims, Insolvency Procedures, Wills and Estates and Trusts, Forms of Business Enterprise, Commercial Contracts, Commercial Litigation, Labour Dispute Resolution, Attorney’s Bookkeeping, Introduction to Practice Management, and Professional Conduct (Ethics).

Trinityhouse High School, Passed with University Exemption, 2004-2008

My final year (Matriculation/Leaving Certificate) subjects (all passed) were: English, Mathematics, Afrikaans, Life Orientation LO, Information Technology IT (computer programming), Science, and Business Studies.

About Marc Evan Aupiais | Education | Experience | Areas of Legal Practice | Qualifications