THE LAW IN NIGERIA AND QUALITIES EXPECTED OF GOOD LAWYERS

THE LAW IN NIGERIA AND QUALITIES EXPECTED OF GOOD LAWYERS (Contribution: Barr. Abah S. F)

Without going into the nitty-gritty of jurisprudence or the various classifications of law, it suffices for the purpose
of this piece to state that the law in Nigeria can be broadly divided into two areas namely: Criminal law and Civil law. Every other aspect of the law can find anchorage on these classifications.

The various types of law available as a course of study in Nigerian Universities include: Common Law, Civil Law, International Law and Diplomacy, Commercial Law, Public and International Law etc.

QUALITIES EXPECTED OF GOOD LAWYERS

The lawyer is an agent of change. He is a social engineer and as such, besides the aforementioned academic qualifications, a lawyer must possess the following:

Hardwork: It is commonly said that laziness travels so slowly that poverty overtakes it. It takes a serious level of hardwork to be a good and seasoned lawyer. A lawyer must be a ferocious reader and someone with a dogged dexterity. Indolence and idleness are not the hallmarks of a good lawyer. This is predicated upon the fact that a lawyer is assumed to know everything and as such the society believes his opinions are always correct for they are the only learned men on earth.

Integrity: The legal profession is a noble one and as such every lawyer must have that element of nobility flowing through his veins. A lawyer does not engage in any activity that will lower his estimation in the eyes of the society or that is incompatible with his status. He must be upright and uphold the truth at all times.

Communication: Words are the tools with which lawyers ply their trade and as such a lawyer must have a good command of English Language which is the official language of the court. He must also possess every aspect of communication skills, i.e. vocal and listening skills.

Neatness: The aphorism that “you are addressed the way you are dressed” applies to no one more succinctly than to a lawyer. The legal profession has a strong aversion for shabbiness; therefore lawyers should always appear neat.

Spirituality: The lawyer’s work is not only deleterious, it is precarious. This makes it imperative for him to have spiritual back-up. It is popularly said within the legal parlance that as a lawyer, it is either you are very close to God or very close to the devil; there is no sitting on the fence.

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