The Integrated Bar Project (IBP) was established in the late 1980's with the objective of exposing senior black South African law students to the legal practice of especially commercial law in the country's larger law firms. Since then approximately 1385 students from all law faculties in South Africa have undertaken 3-week internships during the July university holidays. Almost all the top law firms in the country participated and additional specialised phases were added.

The Integrated Bar Project (IBP) aimed to place 100-150 senior black law students from all South Africa's Universities on July holiday internships with South Africa's top law firms. Twenty of these students advanced to specialised internships with the High Courts, the Constitutional Court and the largest commercial banks in South Africa.

The IBP was an initiative resulting from a partnership between the

• Centre for Human Rights
  www.chr.up.ac.za

• Legal Education and Development, Law Society of South Africa
  www.lssalead.org.za