Soft work

“I know it seems hard sometimes but remember one thing; Through every dark night, there’s a bright day after. So no matter how hard it gets, stick your chest out, keep your head up… and handle it.” It was Nigerian lawyer turn musical entertainer Folarinde Falana, alias Falz that sang ‘Soft work’, in the lyrics […]

“I know it seems hard sometimes but remember one thing; Through every dark night, there’s a bright day after. So no matter how hard it gets, stick your chest out, keep your head up… and handle it.”

It was Nigerian lawyer turn musical entertainer Folarinde Falana, alias Falz that sang ‘Soft work’, in the lyrics of the song, he said he could have been in chambers but no regrets the music industry pays more.

Unfortunately, many young wigs would love to work in an environment without much mental exertion, and still be paid money sufficient for the monthly needs. But the reverse is the case as most young wigs are found in an environment that is exhausting mentally from Monday to Friday, and paid peanuts with minimal welfare package not commensurate with the efforts put into the month.

Understanding the Nigeria system and knowing how it works, a young lawyer can only device means to mitigate the hardship to the barest minimum. Take for instance, drafting and preparation of court processes in the law office, some young lawyers prefer to write their Applications, Affidavits and Written Addresses first on a piece of paper with long hand, then give it to a secretary with little or no knowledge in law to type, knowing fully well that the same secretary has other documents in the office to type.  After that, the young lawyer edits, goes back to the computer to read through before then printing out a clean copy to present to the principal partner who will still make alterations before the final draft.

To whose benefit is the stress? There is a reason the Nigerian Law School thought it fit to make laptops one of its requirements for Law students. Technology comes from necessity, it shows people a more efficient and convenient way to do things, and these processes bring results.  A young lawyer can reduce this avoidable stress and even produce neater court processes by typing his work on a laptop, while in law offices with internet connection, drafts can be sent to the principal and back via Email for amendments.

The legal profession is already a mind-tasking job; it takes the time and energy of the young lawyer with constant reading and providing legal solutions to people’s problems of life. A young lawyer can also reduce mental burden in the legal profession by taking down notes on proceedings in court instead of trying to put everything to memory, during trial preparation on the next adjourned date, the young lawyer would realise that he has saved himself the hassle of trying to remember every minute detail that occurred on the last adjourned date. There might just be an order that the defendants should be served and where service is not effected, it consequently affects the progress of the case.

Another instance where a young lawyer contributes to the hardship he faces in the profession is the Fire Brigade approach he or she takes in the cases handled. Some young lawyers don’t make out time to read a case files, and prepare ahead of time except in court on the day the matter comes up for trial, thereby making it difficult for themselves to give accurate answers to legal questions put forward by the Learned Lordship presiding over the case, or handle the matter adequately.

No doubt the Nigerian society is not favourable to her younger generation who are finding it difficult to find their feet and be independent, this does not however mean that one should succumb to the pressures of life and give up. Things would always be hard, it is finding a way out of the hardship that matters. Rita Mero rightly observed, “…everything happens for a reason. The hard times that you go through build character, making you a stronger person.”

Believe in your purpose for the profession; find ways to make practice in the legal profession easy and smarter, whichever module of practice you choose, in the words of Prof. Chidi Odinkalu ‘Young lawyers should not do things the analogue way’, let’s go online and digital and make the practice soft work.

Godspeed!

 

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