Nigeria Churns Out New Lawyers: What Provision Has The Government Made To Accommodate Them?

Every year the Nigerian Government through the Council of Legal Education churns out new Lawyers. The big question is, what provisions has the Government made to accommodate this teeming population of Lawyers?

In Nigeria, every year Lawyers after successful graduation from the Law School, passing out from the compulsory National Service to the fatherland (for those whose age does not exceed 30 years), join the rest of Nigerian graduates in the labour market hungrily seeking for jobs.

The devastating thing about the legal profession is that these new young firebrand Lawyers hop from Law Firm to another seeking for job. What then is noble or special about a profession that makes one suffer the same fate as those in other profession? When even during the National Youth Service Corps (N.Y.S.C), most Law Firms (their Place of Primary Assignment; PPA) gave us stipends as allowance. This allowance is nothing to be compared to Corps Medical Doctors who receive huge allowances in their PPA.

When these young Lawyers finally get a job, guess what? They feed from the crumbs that fall off their Principal’s table (stipends as salary). Imagine a trained Lawyer who spent five (5) years in Nigerian University with all the stress and attendant challenges a typical Nigerian student faces to study LAW, spent thousands of Naira and in the last few years hundreds of thousands of Naira (most of which is borrowed) at the Law School passing through the rigors  of Nigerian Law School, passed Bar Finals, compulsorily served our Fatherland and at the end no JOB!!! Interestingly, when young Lawyer finally gets a job with a Law Firm after trekking with black turning brown suit and knocking on the doors of law Firm, you are being told you can only be paid N20,000. Surprised? Hmmmmmmm! This is what some Law Firms pay. If you doubt me ask those in Kaduna. Young Lawyer screens, " what! How can you pay me that? Is that my salary or lunch allowance?" (lol). The Principal or Head Of Chamber (HOC) look the young Lawyer in the eyes and say “ Ah! What do you think the money is for? That is what we are starting you with here”. Take it or leave it! Young lawyer may have no choice but to agree to receive this stipends at the end of the month as salary; may be because there is no job and he is tired of trekking and knocking on the doors of Law of Firms. Young lawyer may have no choice but to accept the ‘salary’ or walk away hungry. But is it really the fault of the Law Firm? That’s a story for another day.

The month ends and young lawyer receives his stipends. How will he be able to offset the debt of Law school expenses (the money borrowed to go to Law school)? After spending so much to train young lawyer, family looks up to young lawyer as the bread winner of the family. Young lawyer needs to have a family of his own. Will he able to do all these with the stipends he receives? Hmmmmmmm! Its impossible and trust me it is this pressure of the profession that drives both young and old lawyers into sharp practices which earns them being disrobed.

But I think young lawyer has a choice to accept the offer, reject it or modify it and fight for his own. I had the chance and I made my choice. Before my recent job, after my P.O.P from N.Y.S.C.

I was retained in the Law Firm where I served with an offer of N20, 000 as salary. I didn’t walk away, I simply modified the terms of the agreement and luckily for me my terms were accepted. “Let me stay here sir” I told him, “but don’t pay me, give me the privilege of going to court with you any day a matter comes up”. With this kind of arrangement, I was able to both go out make my own money and at the same time learn the law. Barely two weeks into this, I got a better job offer.

As my new Principal hinted, if the Government creates a policy that enables Law Firms get good briefs, put the minimum wages of Lawyers at N50, 000, give cars or houses on loans to Lawyers especially the up coming, this will help alleviate the plight of lawyers in this our beloved country.

Well, while we wait for the Government to do so, we must take a stand and DECIDE. Do a business (not the type prohibited by RPC). Don’t wait for a PAY RISE, because it may take too long or never come, don’t wait for a better welfare getting angry at your Principal accusing him or her of being greedy, (when it may not be his or her fault), don’t wait for the Government, do something to salvage the plight of your family and generation. If you don’t, you will continue to feed from the crumbs that falls off your Principal’s table.

 DO SOMETHING TO SWIM OUT OF TURBULENT WATER, ONLY REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOVE THE WATER (BE LEGITIMATE), ELSE YOU WILL SINK (LPDC) WILL CLAMP ON YOU AND YOU KNOW WHAT FOLLOWS IF THEY SUCCEED. DISROBE!!!!!