By Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq.
![image](/2021/07/Justice-Ejembi-Eko-1.jpg")
![image](/2021/07/lawpv.jpg")
A law office or law firm in Nigeria is either operated as a sole
proprietorship or sole practitionership or partnership or
associateship. See: A. Obi Okoye, Law in Practice in
Nigeria: (Professional Responsibilities And Lawyering Skills),
First edition, Snaap Press Ltd., 2011, at pages
251-254. In either way, a 21st Century Law
Firm is a law firm that is technologically advanced and of a
standard law office that ensures a more professional standard of
legal services delivery to the 21st Century Clients.
![image](/2021/07/escrow-service1.jpg")
As a young lawyer who aims at building a 21st Century
Law Firm, there are corresponding challenges. These challenges can
be classified as follows: (1) financial capability (2) required
professional experiences (3) strategy in competing with co-law
firms in the labour market.
- Challenge of financial capability: This is one
of the greatest challenges that a young lawyer faces in the
building of a 21st Century Law Firm. Finance is required
as a form of capital to establish a 21st Century Law
Firm. For instance, building an office space that contains all that
is required for a successful 21st Century Law Firm
requires a great capital, even if it is a small space. In such law
firm, running an up-to-date law library with both physical and
on-line research tools is very challenging too. The facilities that
must be available in such law firm require a huge capital. For
instance, the number of air-conditioners, laptops/desktopb
computers, Censored Circuit Television (CC-TV) cameras, water and
fireproof file cabinets, the emoluments to be paid to working staff
of the law firm and other incentives, among others. - Required professional experiences: The legal
profession is a profession built on a continuous practice of the
law. At one time or the other, Clients approach a lawyer or
attorney or solicitor in order to solve one legal issue or the
other or for some legal counsel. A 21st Century lawyer
or advocate or solicitor is expected to be abreast of the practices
in the field of law that he professes or specializes. A wrong
advice or counsel given to a client might lead the lawyer into a
serious personal liability for unprofessional conducts and or
professional incompetency. Therefore, a 21st Century
lawyer must be versatile and be abreast with the Rules of his
professional ethics. These experiences are very much required for a
young lawyer to compete with his co-senior or junior colleagues in
the labour market. That is why a young lawyer is expected to
undergo pupilage for some months or years in a law firm that
engages him in the practice of the law, where he gets to be trained
under a senior colleague(s) or a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. - Strategy in competing with co-law firms in the labour
market: The practice of the legal profession as a business
oriented profession requires strategy in competing successfully
with other co-law firms in the labour market. This strategy is very
necessary especially in order to get huge brief or brief with huge
financial pay from the clients or big multi-national companies as
clients. For instance also, the manner of dressing to appear in
public or in meeting with his client, a very good vehicle,
neatness, good communications, trust and honesty, use of
sophisticated technologies in the office etc. are part of the
strategies in winning the mind or heart of a client and to retain
his patriotism to continuously engage his legal services.
Nevertheless, the challenges, there are accruing opportunities
for a young lawyer who can confront all the above identified
challenges by establishing a 21st Century Law Firm.
These opportunities can be classified as follows: (1) becoming a
notary public. (2) becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the
early years (3) recognition by international business communities.
(4) respect among fellow colleagues.
- Becoming a notary public: One of the very
early opportunities that a young lawyer benefits in the legal
profession is becoming a notary public at the time of having spent
seven (7) years at the bar and having paid his practicing fees for
seven (7) years at the same time. This is what the Notaries Public
Act, 2004, provides. See: The Notaries Public Act, Laws
of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004 (as amended) and the
Requirements for application of Notary Public as published on the
Supreme Court of Nigeria’s website. Therefore, this
kind of early opportunity will add more recognition to a young
lawyer who has strived to meet up with the requirements for
qualification for becoming a Notary Public. Also, with such status
of being a Notary Public, he can notarise public documents and
documents of international flavour. - Becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the early
years: This is another great opportunity that a young
lawyer later attains having spent a period of not less than ten
(10) years post call in the legal profession. It is very important
to emphasise that becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria-herein
after referred to as SAN- is a cumulative of the past efforts and
the present efforts with future vision. It is a great achievement
that a young lawyer is able to attain the status of SAN immediately
he is ten (10) years post call at the bar. By being a SAN, he then
enjoys all the benefits accorded to a SAN such as sitting in the
front seat in Nigerian courts, having his matter called out of turn
over other non-SAN who are also appearing in courts, etc.
See: Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, 2017 and the Legal Practitioners’ Act,
Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004 (as
amended). - Recognition by international business
communities: A young lawyer who is able to establish and
or build a 21st Century law firm is recognized by international
business communities, especially in business transactions.
Therefore, he is able to win their patriotism with no stress. - Respect among fellow colleagues: The
last but not the least of opportunities is respect among other
colleagues, which such young lawyer attracts as a result of his
achievement in building a 21st Century law firm.
In conclusion, it is my humble submission that though, building
a 21st Century law firm is very challenging for a young
lawyer, it is indeed a great level for a young lawyer to
attain.
Email: hameed_ajibola@yahoo.com[1]
By Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq.
A law office or law firm in Nigeria is either operated as a sole
proprietorship or sole practitionership or partnership or
associateship. See: A. Obi Okoye, Law in Practice in
Nigeria: (Professional Responsibilities And Lawyering Skills),
First edition, Snaap Press Ltd., 2011, at pages
251-254. In either way, a 21st Century Law
Firm is a law firm that is technologically advanced and of a
standard law office that ensures a more professional standard of
legal services delivery to the 21st Century Clients.
As a young lawyer who aims at building a 21st Century
Law Firm, there are corresponding challenges. These challenges can
be classified as follows: (1) financial capability (2) required
professional experiences (3) strategy in competing with co-law
firms in the labour market.
- Challenge of financial capability: This is one
of the greatest challenges that a young lawyer faces in the
building of a 21st Century Law Firm. Finance is required
as a form of capital to establish a 21st Century Law
Firm. For instance, building an office space that contains all that
is required for a successful 21st Century Law Firm
requires a great capital, even if it is a small space. In such law
firm, running an up-to-date law library with both physical and
on-line research tools is very challenging too. The facilities that
must be available in such law firm require a huge capital. For
instance, the number of air-conditioners, laptops/desktopb
computers, Censored Circuit Television (CC-TV) cameras, water and
fireproof file cabinets, the emoluments to be paid to working staff
of the law firm and other incentives, among others. - Required professional experiences: The legal
profession is a profession built on a continuous practice of the
law. At one time or the other, Clients approach a lawyer or
attorney or solicitor in order to solve one legal issue or the
other or for some legal counsel. A 21st Century lawyer
or advocate or solicitor is expected to be abreast of the practices
in the field of law that he professes or specializes. A wrong
advice or counsel given to a client might lead the lawyer into a
serious personal liability for unprofessional conducts and or
professional incompetency. Therefore, a 21st Century
lawyer must be versatile and be abreast with the Rules of his
professional ethics. These experiences are very much required for a
young lawyer to compete with his co-senior or junior colleagues in
the labour market. That is why a young lawyer is expected to
undergo pupilage for some months or years in a law firm that
engages him in the practice of the law, where he gets to be trained
under a senior colleague(s) or a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. - Strategy in competing with co-law firms in the labour
market: The practice of the legal profession as a business
oriented profession requires strategy in competing successfully
with other co-law firms in the labour market. This strategy is very
necessary especially in order to get huge brief or brief with huge
financial pay from the clients or big multi-national companies as
clients. For instance also, the manner of dressing to appear in
public or in meeting with his client, a very good vehicle,
neatness, good communications, trust and honesty, use of
sophisticated technologies in the office etc. are part of the
strategies in winning the mind or heart of a client and to retain
his patriotism to continuously engage his legal services.
Nevertheless, the challenges, there are accruing opportunities
for a young lawyer who can confront all the above identified
challenges by establishing a 21st Century Law Firm.
These opportunities can be classified as follows: (1) becoming a
notary public. (2) becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the
early years (3) recognition by international business communities.
(4) respect among fellow colleagues.
- Becoming a notary public: One of the very
early opportunities that a young lawyer benefits in the legal
profession is becoming a notary public at the time of having spent
seven (7) years at the bar and having paid his practicing fees for
seven (7) years at the same time. This is what the Notaries Public
Act, 2004, provides. See: The Notaries Public Act, Laws
of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004 (as amended) and the
Requirements for application of Notary Public as published on the
Supreme Court of Nigeria’s website. Therefore, this
kind of early opportunity will add more recognition to a young
lawyer who has strived to meet up with the requirements for
qualification for becoming a Notary Public. Also, with such status
of being a Notary Public, he can notarise public documents and
documents of international flavour. - Becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the early
years: This is another great opportunity that a young
lawyer later attains having spent a period of not less than ten
(10) years post call in the legal profession. It is very important
to emphasise that becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria-herein
after referred to as SAN- is a cumulative of the past efforts and
the present efforts with future vision. It is a great achievement
that a young lawyer is able to attain the status of SAN immediately
he is ten (10) years post call at the bar. By being a SAN, he then
enjoys all the benefits accorded to a SAN such as sitting in the
front seat in Nigerian courts, having his matter called out of turn
over other non-SAN who are also appearing in courts, etc.
See: Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, 2017 and the Legal Practitioners’ Act,
Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004 (as
amended). - Recognition by international business
communities: A young lawyer who is able to establish and
or build a 21st Century law firm is recognized by international
business communities, especially in business transactions.
Therefore, he is able to win their patriotism with no stress. - Respect among fellow colleagues: The
last but not the least of opportunities is respect among other
colleagues, which such young lawyer attracts as a result of his
achievement in building a 21st Century law firm.
In conclusion, it is my humble submission that though, building
a 21st Century law firm is very challenging for a young
lawyer, it is indeed a great level for a young lawyer to
attain.
Email: hameed_ajibola@yahoo.com[1]