Chief Arthur Obi Okafor ( SAN), has called for
deliberate policy frameworks to improve the welfare of young
lawyers in the country and equip them to compete favourably
in a globalised world.
In his key note address at the maiden edition of the Nigerian
Bar Association ( NBA) Young Lawyers Forum Calabar branch
held at Gomez Hotel Calabar penultimate
week Tuesday, with the theme:
Young lawyers in legal practice: Venturing beyond
usual borders, Obi Okafor SAN stated that
every effort to improve and develop the legal profession must
go together with efforts at increasing opportunities for young
lawyers in the country.
He said: “In recent times, the main problem of young lawyers in
Nigeria has been; locating opportunities for
employment. This in itself is not the only problem,
but from time to time we need to pause and examine the efforts,
means and methods by which young lawyers can engage in expanding
the frontiers of legal practice, appraise the successes,
challenges, and failures and adapt positively especially in line
with the professional circumstances and realities in Nigeria and
the world today.
He identified the challenges facing the young lawyer
playing across borders to include demand for
specialisation.
“ There is increased demand for specializations in areas of
practice in the global legal service sector that requires
multidisciplinary skills, for instance a decent knowledge of
accounting and finance in order to have a basic understanding of
corporate governance issues etc. Law is increasingly becoming
multidisciplinary in nature as a lawyer is now required to
understand many socio-political issues, and happenings in other
areas such as oil and gas, capital market etc. This is the effect
of globalization on legal practice.[1] The reality is
therefore that a lawyer should continuously pursue skills in
related fields to remain relevant and employable in today’s rather
overpopulated legal landscape.
On the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
on the young lawyer, he said: “Knowledge and proficiency in ICT is
a mandatory requirement in the 21st century legal
marketplace. Clients often communicate through ICT systems and
Lawyers must be in a position to access and have proficiency in
utilization of ICT facilities. These include video conferencing,
advanced document formats for sensitive documents etc. A Nigerian
lawyer and indeed any lawyer anywhere in the world must therefore
be abreast of latest developments in ICT as it is a requirement for
effective use of ICT systems and devices
He stated that the rules of professional conduct also affect the
performance of the young lawyer: “Every lawyer no matter how
brilliant and smart must at all times bear in mind the strict rules
of professional conduct for Nigerian lawyers and lawyers
everywhere. A high regard for ethical standards and rules of
professional conduct is an absolute necessity for success in the
legal profession. The legal profession places a high premium on
integrity, honesty, decency, dedication and discipline all over the
world. A successful lawyer must always represent the high moral
values and discipline which distinguishes lawyers in the society. A
lawyer should act within the prescriptions of the Rules of
Professional Conduct. It can never be over-emphasized that without
integrity, no lawyer can succeed in the long run. Practicing across
borders may throw-up ethical issues. All lawyers should be careful
not to breach rules of professional conduct in discharging legal
duties.
He advised young lawyers Deliver solutions before
making demands: the best way to make yourself
valuable is to solve problems and find innovative
solutions to legal problems that you encounter in your
chosen area of practice. Instead of complaining, motivate yourself
and constantly think of ways to solve problems. This adds
value and helps you in the long
run
To specialise in different areas of law.
“ a lawyer is a better asset to himself and society
if he can demonstrate excellent
skills in a niche within the profession. It makes you significantly
more
valuable and gives you potential to attract more clients. If you
are known as a specialist in a particular area, for instance;
medical negligence cases, your value will greatly increase.
“Take your employer’s office as your
own: any aspect of legal practice is a
“business enterprise”, a young lawyer must become part of the
“business” and relate properly with the employer and clients.
This is important in building a career and a
reputation. Without owning the business and treating the
“business” and clients’ right, it will be difficult to build a
reputation and develop in your chosen area of practice.
“Engage in constant research: It helps in
any kind of practice to impress your seniors and mentors. Rather
than waiting to be taught, engage in research constantly. This aids
your learning and adds value to you and your firm. If your boss is
impressed by the currency of your knowledge, you may likely be
taught more and given more responsibilities. The result is more
experience, better remuneration and a faster climb
to the top of the ladder. Never forget that experience
is not the amount of time spent in employment, rather it is the
amount of time spent learning and working on the job.
“Be humble and inquisitive: it is easy to
get carried away in the belief that you have acquired
adequate skills for the work you do. However it is also very
important to know that seniors are willing teachers to
those who seek knowledge. It is therefore vital that a
young lawyer is humble and inquisitive. No senior lawyer
expects you to know everything in the first place. Ask
questions even at the risk of
sounding silly rather than having to redo lots of work
or job assignments. Also improve your skills constantly. For
instance, when you start out, your legal drafting skills may look a
bit rough at the edges, but constant practice and thirst for
improvement will ultimately make you an expert.” Obi Okafor
stated
The chairman of the occasion, Ntufan Mba Ukweni (SAN) urged the
young lawyers to cool down and learn the art of the trade under the
feet of seniors because there is no short cut in legal practice.
You must climb through the same rung of the ladder to imbibe the
ethics of the profession.
The event was attended by the Publicity Secretary of the Eastern
Bar Forum ( EBF) Mr. George Fortune, former Chairman of the
Calabar branch of the NBA, Mrs Nkoyo Ama among others.
Chief Arthur Obi Okafor ( SAN), has called for
deliberate policy frameworks to improve the welfare of young
lawyers in the country and equip them to compete favourably
in a globalised world.
In his key note address at the maiden edition of the Nigerian
Bar Association ( NBA) Young Lawyers Forum Calabar branch
held at Gomez Hotel Calabar penultimate
week Tuesday, with the theme:
Young lawyers in legal practice: Venturing beyond
usual borders, Obi Okafor SAN stated that
every effort to improve and develop the legal profession must
go together with efforts at increasing opportunities for young
lawyers in the country.
He said: “In recent times, the main problem of young lawyers in
Nigeria has been; locating opportunities for
employment. This in itself is not the only problem,
but from time to time we need to pause and examine the efforts,
means and methods by which young lawyers can engage in expanding
the frontiers of legal practice, appraise the successes,
challenges, and failures and adapt positively especially in line
with the professional circumstances and realities in Nigeria and
the world today.
He identified the challenges facing the young lawyer
playing across borders to include demand for
specialisation.
“ There is increased demand for specializations in areas of
practice in the global legal service sector that requires
multidisciplinary skills, for instance a decent knowledge of
accounting and finance in order to have a basic understanding of
corporate governance issues etc. Law is increasingly becoming
multidisciplinary in nature as a lawyer is now required to
understand many socio-political issues, and happenings in other
areas such as oil and gas, capital market etc. This is the effect
of globalization on legal practice.[1] The reality is
therefore that a lawyer should continuously pursue skills in
related fields to remain relevant and employable in today’s rather
overpopulated legal landscape.
On the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
on the young lawyer, he said: “Knowledge and proficiency in ICT is
a mandatory requirement in the 21st century legal
marketplace. Clients often communicate through ICT systems and
Lawyers must be in a position to access and have proficiency in
utilization of ICT facilities. These include video conferencing,
advanced document formats for sensitive documents etc. A Nigerian
lawyer and indeed any lawyer anywhere in the world must therefore
be abreast of latest developments in ICT as it is a requirement for
effective use of ICT systems and devices
He stated that the rules of professional conduct also affect the
performance of the young lawyer: “Every lawyer no matter how
brilliant and smart must at all times bear in mind the strict rules
of professional conduct for Nigerian lawyers and lawyers
everywhere. A high regard for ethical standards and rules of
professional conduct is an absolute necessity for success in the
legal profession. The legal profession places a high premium on
integrity, honesty, decency, dedication and discipline all over the
world. A successful lawyer must always represent the high moral
values and discipline which distinguishes lawyers in the society. A
lawyer should act within the prescriptions of the Rules of
Professional Conduct. It can never be over-emphasized that without
integrity, no lawyer can succeed in the long run. Practicing across
borders may throw-up ethical issues. All lawyers should be careful
not to breach rules of professional conduct in discharging legal
duties.
He advised young lawyers Deliver solutions before
making demands: the best way to make yourself
valuable is to solve problems and find innovative
solutions to legal problems that you encounter in your
chosen area of practice. Instead of complaining, motivate yourself
and constantly think of ways to solve problems. This adds
value and helps you in the long
run
To specialise in different areas of law.
“ a lawyer is a better asset to himself and society
if he can demonstrate excellent
skills in a niche within the profession. It makes you significantly
more
valuable and gives you potential to attract more clients. If you
are known as a specialist in a particular area, for instance;
medical negligence cases, your value will greatly increase.
“Take your employer’s office as your
own: any aspect of legal practice is a
“business enterprise”, a young lawyer must become part of the
“business” and relate properly with the employer and clients.
This is important in building a career and a
reputation. Without owning the business and treating the
“business” and clients’ right, it will be difficult to build a
reputation and develop in your chosen area of practice.
“Engage in constant research: It helps in
any kind of practice to impress your seniors and mentors. Rather
than waiting to be taught, engage in research constantly. This aids
your learning and adds value to you and your firm. If your boss is
impressed by the currency of your knowledge, you may likely be
taught more and given more responsibilities. The result is more
experience, better remuneration and a faster climb
to the top of the ladder. Never forget that experience
is not the amount of time spent in employment, rather it is the
amount of time spent learning and working on the job.
“Be humble and inquisitive: it is easy to
get carried away in the belief that you have acquired
adequate skills for the work you do. However it is also very
important to know that seniors are willing teachers to
those who seek knowledge. It is therefore vital that a
young lawyer is humble and inquisitive. No senior lawyer
expects you to know everything in the first place. Ask
questions even at the risk of
sounding silly rather than having to redo lots of work
or job assignments. Also improve your skills constantly. For
instance, when you start out, your legal drafting skills may look a
bit rough at the edges, but constant practice and thirst for
improvement will ultimately make you an expert.” Obi Okafor
stated
The chairman of the occasion, Ntufan Mba Ukweni (SAN) urged the
young lawyers to cool down and learn the art of the trade under the
feet of seniors because there is no short cut in legal practice.
You must climb through the same rung of the ladder to imbibe the
ethics of the profession.
The event was attended by the Publicity Secretary of the Eastern
Bar Forum ( EBF) Mr. George Fortune, former Chairman of the
Calabar branch of the NBA, Mrs Nkoyo Ama among others.