So, you want to become a lawyer in Nigeria? (i)

Misbau ‘Mislaw’ Lateef

After a very brief lull in this Column, owing to my involuntary response to call of the weather; today, dear readers, I shall in the spirit of the basic raison d’état of this blog (i.e. career, mentoring and etcetera) as clearly put forward by its anchor, be taking you through a somewhat introductory to the Nigerian legal practice and the process of becoming a legal practitioner in Nigeria.

I say somewhat because what I am offering here is far from being exhaustive of the entire process and procedures. However, what is offered is sufficient enough a guide and introduction to a first starter into the study of law and how to become a legal practitioner in Nigeria. So, you want to become a lawyer in Nigeria? Here we go then.

In Nigeria, the education of a lawyer starts properly at the University level. Most universities across Nigeria have Faculties of Law. The conditions or qualification for admission to study law at such law faculties are usually as published by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Act.

Most basic conditions common to all universities in Nigeria is that an applicant must have in the least passed at credit level, English Language, Literature-in English, Mathematics, Government and any other subject. It would appear however that Obafemi Awolowo University is the only university in Nigeria that does not make mathematics, whether with a credit or outright failure, one of its compulsory subjects.

The contents of the course of study leading to the award of a law degree whether from a Nigeria or foreign University must have been approved by the Council of Legal Education. A prospective lawyer may also chose to study in a foreign University provided that such foreign Universities are in the common law countries or teach common law courses as approved by the Nigerian Council of Legal Education.

It is worth noting here that common law countries are the former colonies of Britain such as Ghana, India and Nigeria amongst numerous others. The Council usually insists that the subjects taken at such foreign universities must include Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Law of Contract, Tort, Land Law, Equity & Trust, Commercial Law, and the Law of Evidence.

After completion of studies in the university a prospective lawyer then proceeds to the Nigerian Law School for procedural training in law practice. The Council of Legal Education runs the Nigeria Law School and all persons who have obtained a University degree in law and want to practice as lawyers in Nigeria, must attend the Nigerian Law School. Admission into the Nigeria law School is also open to persons who have passed the final Bar Examinations of the English, Scottish or Irish Bar or the Solicitor’s Final Examinations of England, Scotland or Ireland.

The duration of course of study at the Nigerian Law School is one year for those who studied their legal education at any of the accredited Law Faculties of the Nigerian Universities. For those who studied in any accredited University outside Nigeria, it takes a duration of two years as such prospective lawyers are obligated by law to first study for and pass the Bar Part I examinations (i.e. Constitutional law, criminal law and introduction to the Nigerian Legal System generally) before joining their counterparts who studied in Nigeria for the Bar Part II examinations.

The courses taken in the Bar Part II training and examinations include Civil Procedure, Company Law and Commercial Practice, Criminal Procedure, Law of Evidence, Legal drafting and Conveyancing, Professional Ethics, Legal Practitioner’s Accounts, Law Office Management and General Paper.

Concluding part will be published tommorrow