The
legal profession is a noble one meant for the elite of the society due
to its expensive nature; becoming a lawyer is a long, taxing and
challenging journey as it takes a minimum of six years to become a legal
practitioner properly so called in the Nigerian legal system. However,
to add insult to injury, the books required for this journey are not
just expensive but also beyond the reach of most students, leaving the
students with the option of a library that cannot avail all in need. Be
that as it may, the Nigerian undergraduates, blessed with hustling and
adaptive skills, device the means of photocopying materials and handout
to see them through.
As kids, the elders often say to us,
“go to school, graduate with a good grade so you can get a good job”.
The young lawyer armed with this adage tries his best not to fail LLB
and BL with the belief that all would be well when he enters the labour
market. Unfortunately the Nigerian syndrome of ‘who knows who’ prevents
such dream from becoming a reality even after being a graduate.
A law firm is the sanctuary of every
lawyer, it’s the oven where the law practice of a lawyer is baked, but
regrettably only few law firms do well to properly bake a young lawyer.
The legal profession is a challenging one that requires a lot of mental
exertion, thus, where a young lawyer is mentally stressed up, he cannot
be at his best in any sphere of life. Certain law firms are of the
opinion that the primary objective of a young lawyer should be to learn
the job, not focus on money and while this is true there is no better
motivator than money.
Young lawyers are paid meagre stipends, barely enough to provide their basic amenities in a month, yet such young lawyers are expected to live up to standard and expectation. Though settled that the law certificate (degree) is not an automatic meal ticket, the young lawyer should not be left to face the travails and challenges of practice in constant want as that would only help in distorting his legal development.
Optimum performance in any corporation or firm is achieved vis-à-vis good welfare package for staff, if the environment is not encouraging; a young lawyer cannot learn what is required of him in the legal profession neither can he contribute substantially to the improvement of the law firm. A young lawyer that is constantly worried where his next meal is coming from cannot be in the right frame of mind to do any meaningful job.
For the few law firms that actually
pay well and take care of their young lawyers, it is easier for a camel
to pass through a needle’s eye than for a young lawyer without political
affiliation or connection (a ‘nobody’) to get the job. It is ironical
that these well to do law firms only employ children of the elite who
are okay one way or the other, while the poor ones who have struggled
all their lives to become lawyers are employed by law firms that pay
stipends.
Life is not fair, nor was it meant to be fair. However the custodians of this great, noble profession are saddled with the responsibility to intervene and alleviate the suffering of these young lawyers to a certain extent. Besides, why should a law firm employ a lawyer and desert his financial needs? The society looks at lawyers with high esteem, which makes it disappointing when young lawyers look shabby, frustrated and depressing due to lack of funds. For instance, most young lawyers have been known to wear just one pair of suit for months not for the fun of it but because of penury.
It is said that change is in the hands of the young but when the younger generation who are expected to save the future lose faith, trust or belief in the legal profession because of unnecessary and untold hardship due to neglect, it means the future is bleak. The meagre stipend most law firms hand out in the name of salary have made many vibrant young lawyers abandon their life-long dream of becoming an advocate to hustle for salaried employment in the banking sector, telecommunications, oil and gas et al, to seek better living.
The number of unemployed and unkempt young lawyers roaming the streets is alarming, it is high time the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and all judicial bodies concerned did what is necessary to salvage this disturbing situation. The journey to become a lawyer is neither cheap nor easy, why then should a person who has successfully become one in a difficult country like ours be allowed to continually wallow in penury. The time to act is now not tomorrow or towards the next election.
Written by Daniel Bulusson
Daniel Bulusson practices law in Kaduna
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