STAY humble, ‘grind’ and pray

“The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s about what you are made of, not the circumstance” Saw this caption ‘stay humble, grind and pray’ on a social media picture and couldn’t stop thinking how helpful this might be to a young wig; a situation where one keeps asking if he […]

“The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s about what you are made of, not the circumstance”
Saw this caption ‘stay humble, grind and pray’ on a social media picture and couldn’t stop thinking how helpful this might be to a young wig; a situation where one keeps asking if he is in the right place as a profession and if all the hard work, time spent at school and midnight candle is actually paying off now that we  are in practice. Many senior colleagues are of the opinion that “there must be willingness from the junior not only to learn but to uphold good values and improve on them.”
The advice given to young lawyers with regard to paying more attention to the values of the profession than the financial gains of the profession is golden just to say the least. In a quest to preserve the dignity of this noble profession, it is sacrosanct that young lawyers learn and uphold the existing values of the profession and also develop their brand of practice around them. From my little experience as a lawyer, I have come to realise that integrity and values sell a lawyer more than even the knowledge of the law.
“It is only logical to conclude that once your brand of practice has been successfully sold to clients, money will flow almost naturally,” says Yusuf Imam Esq, a young wig who runs his own law firm in the Kaduna Judicial Division.
True, the profession requires patience, diligence and hard work to be successful, bearing in mind that success is not measured by the size of the bank account but contribution of each young counsel to the development of the legal profession and immediate society, without senior colleagues showing the way, the juniors cannot learn, which is why the law firm a young wig begins practice of law when being called to Bar plays a major role in the style of practice of the young wig in the nearest future.
However, it is one thing to tell a junior what needs to be done, it is another thing to show the junior how to do the right thing, and learnt seniors ought not to be just teachers of the law alone but mentors to juniors around them.
The legal profession is not funny at the bottom of the ladder. One school of thought blames the type of law firms that litter the Nigerian legal profession as the cause, another school of thought says young wigs are not ready to do that which is necessary; some critic say the NBA is really not doing enough to alleviate the plight of the young ones or encourage law firms to treat their juniors well. Be that as it may, a young lawyer must despite all these odds, ‘stay humble, grind and pray’.
“A plain mind and open heart always keeps one going and hearty, regardless of the troubles and challenges around.” Do that which is right and ethical not for public approval but personal gratification, don’t compromise in your practice of law or try to find short cuts. If you believe in something don’t be shy to stand for it, don’t joggle clients’ funds no matter how small. Your words should be a bond, at the long run, this act of integrity would speak out your name to the hearing of clients.
As a young wig, understand and appreciate that the key to success in the legal profession lies in your hand not in the hand of any senior colleague. At the moment the turf may be hard but keep grinding, be focused, “you will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks”, give respect to whom respect is due; pay your dues and with time, dues would be paid to you.
Irrespective of the religion a young lawyer finds himself, prayer is the master key, it is important that in the struggle to get the best out of the profession, one maintains a steady and personal relationship with the Almighty.
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