Folakunmi Pinheiro has an LL.B from the University of Hull , England and an LL.M in Law and Economics from University College, London He shared his experience in formal education , law practice and other sundry issues with ADEBISI ONANUGA.
Folakunmi Pinheiro was born and raised in Lagos. He is the first of three children of Mr Kemi Pinheiro, (SAN) and Justice Yetunde Pinheiro of the High Court of Lagos State.
Fola, as he is fondly called, studied Law at the University of Hull, England, and graduated in 2017. The academic side of his degree programme was enjoyable, he said, especially because it involved scrutinizing assumptions, asking questions, having debates, etc.
“I suppose my biggest challenge though, was that Hull was not my first choice. To be honest, I only went there because my grades weren’t good enough. So, I spent most of my first year fighting against feeling like a failure.
“Gradually, I overcame this feeling and began to enjoy my experience more and more. And now, I look back on my time in Hull fondly. I made friends for life, I had memorable experiences, and I finished with a decent grade”, he said.
Prior to university, Fola attended Grange School in Ikeja. When he clocked 13, he switched to Haileybury College, England, until he was 18 (when he gained admission to Hull).
“My school years were actually very difficult,” he said. “Not many good memories. I struggled academically, socially, and I used to get into a lot of trouble.
“But, one thing I can say is that, I do not regret this period, because it made me who I am. It made me learn how to bounce back from failure and disappointment, which has been an invaluable lesson for me.”
Interestingly, studying Law was not initially in Fola’s plans. He wanted to study Politics because it was his favourite A-Level subject (the others were Biology and Psychology) and (at the time) he wanted to go into politics.
“But my dad suggested that I study Law instead, so, that way, I could still go into politics and have a legal career to fall back on.
“In hindsight, I would have studied Psychology. I find human behaviour so intriguing and, during my Masters, I took a module called Evolution and Social Behaviour from the psychology department which was fascinating.”
On whether, like the general consensus, he found Law School in Nigeria difficult, Folakunmi gave an interesting analysis.
He said: “In terms of the actual content, Law School was not actually difficult. There were not many hard or complicated concepts to learn, and recollection was prioritised over analysis. So long as you can recall a certain set of facts, you’ll do well. But, what makes it hard is the volume of facts to be recalled and the unwarranted stress in the way it is taught (Disclaimer: I was in Lagos Campus). That, to me, made the process unnecessarily difficult.”
Nevertheless, he said his approach to Law School intellectual demands was not particularly novel.
Folakunmi said: “I structured my notes around the past questions. But the thing is: If you ace your MCQ’s and you know your drafts, you put yourself in a good position to do reasonably well. And, of course, you have to make sure you find time for rest and relaxation during the Law School programme.”
When asked about the most talked about features of the Nigerian Law School, such as its grading system, Folakunmi pulled no punches in his criticism.
He said: “I am yet to hear a convincing reason for why the grading system still exists. The grading system, combined with students being ranked, tells a story of misplaced priorities, where grades are prioritised over a students’ actual learning process.
“Yes, it is true that grades get you into the door at top law firms, companies, and universities. It is also true that grades can (generally) be a proxy for competence. But clearly, long-term success is not determined by someone’s law school grades.
“That said, the only bit of advice I have for people who are disillusioned with the grading system is: work as hard as you can, to avoid being a casualty of the system.”
Being a lawyer in Nigeria confers one with a respectable staus, but when you are also the son of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) dad and a judge mum, the respect and expectations are sky high. But Fola is not taking anything for granted. His status also allows him to experience unique things other lawyers may not have the priviledge to.
He experienced one of such unique occurrences when he followed his father to court the day after his Call to Bar.
Fola said: “I can’t quite remember what the facts of the case were, but I recall that my dad was making an application. He was so proud to announce me alongside him that he struggled to contain his smile. He then proceeded to make his submission and, in closing, he said, ‘And finally, my Lord, I pray that you grant this application because my son is here with me, my Lord. Please don’t embarrass his father, my Lord.’”
Fast forward to March 2020 and Folakunmi appeared in court by himself for the first time before Hon. Justice Balogun of the Lagos State High Court.
He said: “I had to make an application to substitute a witness. I was extremely nervous. And to make matters worse, I arrived late.
“Fortunately, the case was yet to be called. When it was called, I announced to the judge that I intended to make an application. And somehow, he could tell it was my first time appearing alone. ‘Young man. When were you called?’ he asked.
“I replied: ‘November 2018, my Lord.’
‘So, how is this just your first time in court? What have you been doing all this while?’
‘I went for my Masters, my Lord.’ ‘Congratulations. When did you finish?’
‘September 2019, my Lord.’
‘So, what have you been doing since then?’
I paused awkwardly and said, ‘I was on holiday, my Lord.’
“He laughed and so did the rest of the Court.
‘Counsel, you may proceed with your application. And I will have a word with your parents about your extensive vacations.’
“I laughed. And then, I made my application, which was granted, and the matter was adjourned for trial.”
The debate around the wig and gown in Nigeria, is a regular topic for many lawyers, but Fola felt the matter should have been settled long ago.
He said: “To be honest, I do not know why we are still debating whether or not we should scrap the wig and gown in 2021. Clearly, the wig and gown is a relic of a bygone age. I understand that tradition is important. But tradition must be constrained by functionality and utility. Not just tradition for tradition’s sake.”
Role models are important for most people and Fola admits they have played more of a role in guiding his actions than mentors.
“Many people (rightly) find mentorship useful. But I have relied more on role models,” he said. “A role model can simply be someone whose career path or skillset you admire, someone who inspires you to be better. There is a bit more flexibility than with mentors because role models need not be older than you, nor do they need to be in the same profession as you. But, when it comes to receiving actual advice or making career decisions, I rely on people who have my best interests at heart—my family and my, close friends.”
Young lawyers in Nigeria often have complaints about their work conditions and Fola notes that this is a real problem, although not peculiar to lawyers alone.
He said: “The real plight is the plight of young Nigerians. And the high rate of unemployment means that employers have more bargaining power: they feel they can treat employees badly because, worst case, there are many other graduates that can replace them. Unfortunately, I don’t have a particularly novel solution to this other than to encourage people to work hard to make their way out of difficult workplaces.”
On whether he fancies being a SAN, Professor, or Judge in future, Fola said: “Professor, without a doubt. I prefer the intellectual freedom that comes with being in academia. Instead of being constrained by what is right for a client or what the law is, I am more interested in what is right generally and what the law should be. People have also said that I am a naturally academic person—but I do not know whether this is a compliment or an insult!”
On whether he would marry a lawyer: “I am indifferent, to be honest. I do not think that lawyers as a group exclusively have any personality traits or characteristics that bankers, doctors, and consultants, etc. do not have. So, for me to say ‘“I will marry a lawyer’” or ‘“I won’t marry a lawyer’” does not really make sense.”
When asked whether he would encourage his children to study law, he said: “, I won’t encourage my children to study law; not because I do not think it is a good subject to study, but because I would rather encourage them to do what they find interesting and fulfilling.”
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