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Young lawyers and the legal profession; the national and global market

The theme ‘Young Lawyers and the legal profession; venturing into the national and global market’ could not have come at a better time. I say…

The theme ‘Young Lawyers and the legal profession; venturing into the national and global market’ could not have come at a better time. I say so because from today henceforth, you will begin to confront the bitter sweet of legal practice as it really applies in the Nigerian legal system, and not the scenarios given at law school. The more reason why it is necessary for us to discuss how to cope; how the legal professional can venture into the legal industry and survive the ocean of sharks he/she is about to dive into. 

The legal structure currently does not provide for a marketable lawyer; there is no foundation on how to improve and transform into a legal brand worthy of value, and as a result of this dependence on the current structure, young lawyers ignore improving their dream and goal, but follow the wagon that carries majority of the lawyers.  

A legal practitioner venturing into the global market with the aim of succeeding, ought to understand that ‘no one’, can decide your fate in the industry better than yourself because upon entering into the legal industry, the baton of success has been handed over to you. 

The journey from here henceforth lies in your hand; if you want to walk, jog, run, or better still take a seat in the race course, the decision is yours to take, and once taken, bear in mind that no one would be responsible for the consequences of your decisions or actions in the legal industry. So to discover your own path, begin to pay attention to the areas of law that incite your talent and passion in the industry, and work towards improving your practice in that area.

• Mentorship

By mentorship I mean actually getting a particular senior colleague who is doing better in an area of law that incites your passion, and work closely with him/her.

The adage ‘what some elder sees sitting down, a young lad cannot see standing up’ is not merely deep talk, but actually applies. On entering legal practice, your knowledge of the law is limited, and you need grooming; the seniors are the most viable option to coach such legal professional.

• Networking and social mingling

The importance of networking amongst learned minds cannot be overemphasized; neither do I need to explain the meaning of networking and social mingling amongst learned friends.

One of the major contributors to jurisdictional gap in the industry, is lack of connection and relationship between learned colleagues from different jurisdictions. As it stands, you would hardly see a synergy between all the jurisdictions in Nigeria that is why Lagos can be far ahead in legal advancement than Ekiti, Ogun and the other South West jurisdictions despite their close proximity to each other.

If indeed, the future is in the hands of the young, then we must begin to do differently what we did before now. With the coming of social media and android phones, networking and social mingling has been made more seamless than it used to be, so channel your energy and data to professional networking and growth. 

• Packaging and branding 

With networking and social mingling comes packaging, the appearance of a legal professional is ‘EVERYTHING’ in the industry. If you want value to be attached to your services then you must look the part. You cannot show up dressed like a lawyer in frustration with  black turned brown suits, white – brown shirts, and shoes begging to be thrown away, and then expect to charge a client N1,000,000 and be taken seriously.

If you want to be viewed as a brand worth the value, then it is duty bound on any legal professional aspiring to be successful in the industry, to look the part.

Mode and manner of communication

Communication is key and vital to understanding people and the society,

Words and actions are powerful tools in passing a message to colleagues and members of the society, thus a lawyer is obligated to be a gentleman in speech, and conduct – don’t act or talk like tout and expect the society to miraculously believe in your ability to handle their brief responsibly. 

Honesty and integrity  

As a legal professional, your word is your bond, lose it and it will take years to regain such trust. Venturing into the legal market, a lawyer must be honest first to himself/herself and then the society at large.

The seed of integrity once sown at the early stages of practice, and nourished during growth, will bring out the best in a lawyer. It is this integrity that will be your watch word in your absence; we cannot tell what people say behind our back, it is a reputation based on honesty that will be our defense in those times. 

• Avoid self-doubt and fear of the unknown

The legal profession is not for the shy or timid, so avoid self-doubt and fear of the unknown. Once you are convinced on a particular matter, even if no one believes in it, or critics don’t accept it, go ahead and get it done, no one can see your journey better than you.

The outlined attributes are not exhaustive of what a legal professional needs to survive in the legal industry, but it is a start, take a step in the right direction, and you will be surprised how far you can go.

Godspeed!   

 

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