John Austin Unachukwu
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Tola Atoyebi, has predicted that technology would play a major role in the future of the legal profession.
He added that as novel fields of endeavour emerge, the profession would keep being pivotal, if social interaction among humans continue.
According to him, the legal practice will continue to be relevant in ensuring and regulating the enforcement of law and order in business, the arts, medicine, labour, justice delivery, the government and other areas of life.
Atoyebi spoke with The Nation in Asaba, the Delta State capital, during the opening of a law firm, The Seat of Wisdom Court built by Mr. Andrew Odum.
He said: “The practice of law is here to stay and as was argued by Jim Yong Kim, (the 12th World Bank Group President) ‘We need everybody. We need writers who can write about this. We need engineers. We need doctors. We need lawyers, we need artists, we need everybody who can capture the imagination of the world to end poverty.’
“Like we say in Law, Res ipsa loquitur (the thing speaks for itself). Technology seems to dictate the speed at which life is changing.
“I believe that the future of the profession is technology-driven and as novel fields of endeavours emerge, the legal profession would keep being pivotal in ensuring and regulating the enforcement of law and order.”
He praised Odum for setting up the firm.
Atoyebi said: “Establishing a law firm is no mean task. I speak from experience, and to see one who believes in the industry and practice to the extent of committing his hard-earned resources in such a magnitude, must indicate that such a person knows what he is doing.
“For this stride of an edifice, I salute heartily Mr. Odum and his entire team/staff.
“The structure I saw tells me that there are still a good number of lawyers who believe in the permanency and veracity of the law profession. Simply put – Exceptional!”
He advised young lawyers aiming for success to work hard and also develop a strategy.
Atoyebi said: “Identify early what area of this noble field you would want to leave a mark in and make your contribution, work tirelessly at it with a strategy of accomplishing just that, be professional and excellent at service delivery at each point and never compromise your integrity as only those who survive the test of time would enjoy the rewards of their labour.
“Build, invest in your mind and practice and keep building daily. If you intend to thrive, then do not just survive.’’
The Assistant Publicity Secretary of the NBA, Mr. Akorede Habeeb, said: “The Seat of Wisdom law firm is an indication of a successful and forward-looking legal practice. I feel so proud that Mr. Odum has chosen to put back into the profession that has made him a distinguished and reputable human being.
“The structure of the office compares with the best of law offices in Nigeria. It is indeed heartwarming to have such a gigantic structure housing lawyers and law books.
“It could be a statement of success or a statement of purpose. In all, you cannot underestimate the value and importance of space.’’
He noted that a lawyer who builds a mega law office will need to fill up the space with human beings – mostly lawyers and books.
Habeeb added: “What this means is that we have job opportunities for the teeming young lawyers in an environment with requisite resources.
Another guest, Mr. Adebola Lema suggested that the law firm building could be the best in Southeast and Southsouth geopolitical regions.
Lema said: “The Seat of Wisdom law firm’s building is second to none in Asaba and by extension Delta State or the entire Southsouth and Southeast of Nigeria.
“I do know I may be guilty of falling into fallacy of hasty generalisation, but I care less because I may also be right considering the benefit of wide travels and exposures to law firm across the country.
“The dedication of the law firm is a welcome development and I encourage more lawyers to build and dedicate their law firms’ buildings for the advancement of the legal profession.
“A learned Senior informed me a few years ago that his children would have been encouraged to study law if he had had a wonderful and serene law office while the children were growing up. I am sure no children will see the Seat of Wisdom building and will not be encouraged to study law.”
According to him, building mega law firms is good business in the sense that “the practice creates its own clients as not everyone who comes to a lawyer’s office will definitely be able to afford the services of such a lawyer, but with the quality of the law firm coupled with its building, those who can afford the professional fees are the likely clients who will come its way’’.
“Unlike the practice where the law firms and offices are the opposite of the Seat of Wisdom Court, many clients who will take your time are not ready to pay, thereby reducing the efficacy of the law firms with briefs and when it is time to perfect such brief with fund they develop cold feet.
“Only serious and capable clients will come your way, if your firm is well structured.
On his advice to young lawyers, Lema said: “There is an English saying that ‘Rome was not built in a day’. The saying presupposes that Rome is a beautiful place to behold. In the same vain, good practice in law does not come cheap in terms of work ethics, sincerity, dedication to the practice, marriage to the practice, honesty, integrity et al.
“I therefore recommended that whoever wants to be successful in the practice of law must imbibe the above characteristics.
“He or she must also know that the practice of law is a jealous practice, those who got to the peak of the profession were married to the practice of law.”
He said there were three people he looked up to in the practice of law: “Fredrick Rotimi Alade Williams, QC, SAN; Chief Afe Babalola, OFR, SAN and Chief ‘Wole Olanipekun, SAN. These men never had any other business other than law practice and they immersed themselves in the practice and left any other passion for others.
“The only areas that they tend to have a little passion for was politics (country and profession-wise). And another common factor in their lives was they all left country politics for the law and they got to the peak and became the best at one time or the other during their practice.
“It is also important to mention that today there are other areas of the law, which the big lawyers I adored and mentioned above never ventured into which are now the rave in the practice of law.”
Lema urged young lawyers to take interest in Media Law, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, International Economic Law, and Telecommunication Law, among others.
Nevertheless, he warned: “The future of the practice of law is not bright, if the Federal Government and the NBA will not do something to change the current trend where the field of law that is mostly endeared to have been hijacked by other professionals owning to the lackadaisical behaviours of the NBA.’’
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