To Succeed As A Lawyer

Abstract

We gather once more in the precincts of this institution to participate in the time honoured ritual of admitting new members into the legal profession. It is at once a solemn and auspicious occasion! While it may not call for a long homily on the dos and don'ts of the profession, it is apposite, however, that I say a few words that may touch on them.

I have had occasion recently (at the opening ceremony of the last Bar Conference in August last year to be precise), to reiterate the fact that the legal profession has, through the ages, been accepted as a beacon of society with corresponding obligations in the development of any nation. The truth of this assertion cannot be over-emphasized. It is in this regard that new entrants into the profession need to be aware of the great responsibility thrust on them.

In the course of your professional training at the Nigerian Law School and indeed your academic career in the University, you have been exposed to the rudiments of the requisite skills and knowledge required of the lawyer. As you will soon discover, all you have learnt so far can only be summed up as "basic", for, you will have the rest of your lifetime to discover the actual skills of the profession. Bear in mind that the more skills and knowledge you try to acquire over time, the more likely you are to succeed as a lawyer.