Becoming A Lawyer In Nigeria(A Presentation To Guide Career Choice)

Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.

Confucious.

Being a lawyer is a very rewarding career choice. It is business and people oriented. A lawyer advises clients in their business and personal affairs. Lawyers assist in the purchase and selling of properties; setting up of businesses; planning for the needs of clients’ businesses and families. Lawyers help with litigation or arbitration in law courts, both in criminal and civil cases. In criminal cases they defend persons accused of crime and prosecute the case for the government that instituted the charges.  

Being a lawyer is financially rewarding but it takes years of discipline, dedication, perseverance and hard work. The payback comes from doing a good job, assisting your clients and seeing that justice is done. Lawyers work hard and are committed to scholarship at all times, observing the Rules of Professional Conduct. 

Lawyers play an ubiquitous role in the universe; they work for governmental agencies, law firms, companies, and not for profit agencies. Every lawyer is required to work for the general good of the society, representing the poor, protecting the environment, defending the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Some Lawyers become Judges,Professors or Senior Advocates of Nigeria inter alia. The law as cement of the society could be found in any facet of life, thus the latin maxim “Ubi Jus Ibi societas ” “where there is society there is Law”. 

REQUIREMENT: 

Lawyers come from different backgrounds; however, it is pertinent that he graduates from the High School, University and the Nigerian Law School and must be found a ‘fit and proper’ person by the body of Benchers. 

In the high school, a prospective lawyer must take the following subjects to successfully apply to a University that offers Law as a degree; Mathematics, English Language, Literature-in -English, Government, Economics, Christian or Islamic Studies, Biology and Agricultural Science. Of utmost relevance is English Language and Literature-in-English, because a lawyer must have a working knowledge of words; imaginatively delving into the creative world of Jurisprudence. These subjects are taken within the span of three years in the high school and in the final year the student will apply for the “West African Examination Council” or G.C.E. A successful applicant will further apply to the “Joint Matriculation Examination Board” and apply to the University of his choice that offers Law as a course of study. Upon completion of the University programme the candidate is awarded “Bachelors of Laws in Law’ also known as “LL.B{Hons}.  It is worthy of note that four subjects are taken at the “Joint Matriculation Board Examination” i.e. English Language, Literature -In-English , Government and Christian or Islamic Studies. The National University Commission have the list of approved Universities that offer law as a degree and such list is included in the Joint Matriculation Board Examination brochure. If a University is not approved the “ Council of Legal Education” which is the statutory body in charge of the “ Nigerian Law School” reserves the right to decline admission to any graduate from institution. 
Universities that offer Law are listed below; 

• University Of Ibadan
• Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 
• University of Lagos 
• University of Ado -Ekiti 
• Lagos State University 
• Afe Babalola University 
• Bowen University 
• Adeleke University 
• University of Jos 
• Ahmadu Bello University. 

For more on  the list please click on this link www.jamb.gov.ng/ibass  

At the University core subjects taken in the Law Degree or other Law courses includes the following; Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Contract, Tort, Land Law, Equity and Trusts, Law of Evidence and Commercial Law. Any undergraduate who is deficient in any of the core subject would be referred to remedy the deficiency. Upon successful completion of the university degree; the law graduate applies to the Nigerian Law School with the recommendation of the Dean of his Faculty that he is a fit and proper’ candidate with good character to be admitted to the prestigious Nigerian Law School. One important thing to remember that if the applicant was convicted of a crime such applicant must disclose that fact. Thus, it becomes imperative that every prospective candidate stay focused on the primary goal by staying out of trouble keeping up sterling character and poise. 

It takes a year to complete the Nigerian Law School. It is full time of study and concentration to excellence. The Law school focuses on the procedural aspect of the Law and a prospective lawyer is expected to excel in the following Courses: Property Law Practice; Criminal Litigation; Corporate Law Practice; Civil Litigation and Law in Practice.  

Successful students in the course of study of the Nigerian Law School may apply to the body of Benchers for Call to the Nigerian Bar in accordance with the Legal Practitioners Act 1975 now Legal Practitioners Act Cap 207 Laws of the Federation 1990. For this purpose, each applicant must be sponsored by two benchers as being “fit and proper” person to be called. After the call, candidates will be required to sign the Roll of Legal Practitioners in the Supreme Court before they can be eligible to practice. Applicants for call to the Bar must appear in their Barrister robes at the call ceremony. 

The newborn Lawyer who is now called “new wig” is to undergo pupillage for an effective understanding of the procedures and pragmatic ethics at the Bar which forms the fulcrum of a successful Legal Practice.