‘Living Law’

Two Law students, Nuruddeen Shehu Ingawa and Abdul Habib Ibrahim on chamber attachment in a law firm were surprised at the reading and research that lawyers do on daily basis, from cases to cases, and asked how they did it? Most see law as a career like banking, engineering and medicine, that you are in […]

Two Law students, Nuruddeen Shehu Ingawa and Abdul Habib Ibrahim on chamber attachment in a law firm were surprised at the reading and research that lawyers do on daily basis, from cases to cases, and asked how they did it? Most see law as a career like banking, engineering and medicine, that you are in from 8am – 5pm, then after that, return to your normal self at home. Some lawyers have adopted this method to the practice of law, i.e being lawyers only when wearing the wig and gown, or suit and returning to our normal selves after office hours.
In my humble opinion, the sure way to enjoy the practice of law is to make it a way of life – when interacting in the market, with family members, in relationships, at places of worship, ethnic meetings et al, legal practitioners should represent the legal profession with integrity at all times.
In the words of Toyo Jimmy Esq, a youth corp member serving in Kaduna State, “the personality of a lawyer should transcend and cover instances when relating informally or with family members. Integrity, discipline and comportment should be his watchword. However, it doesn’t mean he must be too formal as when he is in court, yet he must remember at all times that he is a lawyer and act differently in all he does. He should endeavour to speak and write in markedly different manner from other people or professions.”
The reason some of us may find it difficult to ‘live law’ is because we didn’t study law out of passion but rather due to parental influence, peer pressure or the popularity of the profession while growing up as kids.  This set of lawyers would always be seen complaining that the practice of law is boring and under paying.
Truth be told the profession is not easy for anyone anywhere, but to succeed in the legal parlance, one must make up his/her mind at the pre-entry stage that ‘whatever the hurdles might be in the profession, I would survive’.
To ‘live law’ doesn’t mean living in denial or self-deceit that the practice of law is not hard, hectic, stressful or tiring; living law is the act of carrying your legal functions day in, day out without financial benefit and still look forward to going to the work place the next day.
Integrity should be the primary goal when climbing the ladder to success in the profession not wealth, and the way to get a name of repute, when money is not the driving force to giving your best at the office desk but the desire to learn and become better, to be distinguishable from the pack.
The benefits of ‘living law’ include amongst others, confidence in the legal profession by the society at large, the lay man on the street would begin to look up to lawyers in the society as people worthy of trust, gentlemen properly so called, in the long run, the relevance of the legal profession would begin to rise to the level it ought to be.
The patronage of the legal profession is dwindling because the populace believes we are scuttling the fight against corruption like we have something to benefit from it. To redeem our prideful place in the society, we must play our part and for the pressure not to be telling on us, we must live law as a way of life and be a gentleman properly so called all the time.
Godspeed & Goodluck!
REPLY ON BRIEF WRITING
“I read your essay on brief writing, quite thoughtful and incisive. The quote from Justice Tobi in BUSARI V OSENI was interesting to me, why? The comment was on the brief I wrote in that case, it was written in 1988 but judgment was delivered on 7th May 1992. The structure and presentation of the brief helped my clients win the appeal. I wish you sustain the tempo of your sterling contributions to legal advancement.”  – Taiwo Kupolati
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