In his welcome letter titled “You Too Can Be A Successful Lawyer”, Mazi Afam Osigwe who was recently appointed as a life bencher, a former publicity secretary of the NBA Abuja chapter, the former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja Branch (Unity Bar), and the former Nigerian Bar Association National Secretary, detailed what it takes to navigate the ropes of being a successful lawyer.
“Dear colleagues, congratulations on your call to the Nigerian Bar. This is a moment you have all labored for and dreamt of. From the first time you had a dream to be a lawyer, you booked this date. Your success in the Bar examination has guaranteed you a place in the profession. Some of your friends were not so fortunate. I felicitate you.
As you join the legal profession, I enjoin you to serve humanity and stand out firmly for justice. Your call to the bar is a new start. You are no longer who or what you used to be. Each one of you has acquired a new age and a new status. You are now Ministers in the Temple of Justice.
The legal profession is undoubtedly the noblest of all professions. It is equally a challenging profession which imposes on you a general responsibility to uphold and observe the rule of law, promote and foster the cause of justice, maintain a high standard of professional conduct. Please do not engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of a legal practitioner. Your call to the Bar is therefore not an end, but the beginning of a lifetime professional journey.
The way you begin and or commit to go in the profession will be a signpost to where you will end.
The legal profession is like a pyramid. Never worry that in climbing a pyramid, you would likely start at the base. The race to professional excellence starts this day. The profession offers several vistas. It depends on you to decide which path to toe. Endeavour to master the requisite skills needed to excel in your chosen field . Exercise patience to blossom in your chosen direction.
You should never be deterred by tales of how difficult and almost impossible it is to get to the top or to succeed in the profession. All lawyers who set out on this journey which you embark on today went down this same road. The road may appear difficult, daunting and insurmountable, but you will master and succeed in it. With focus, commitment, hard work, perseverance, and the grace of God, you will surely excel and get to the top of the pyramid.
To get to the zenith of your chosen path, these virtues are very necessary – hard work, trustworthiness, patience, integrity, perseverance, and honesty. Imbibing the virtues will sustain you in the profession. The profession punishes any erring lawyer for any contravention of any of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners or failure to perform any of the duties imposed by the Rules. Do well not to ever forget this.
As you commence this walk which I have no doubt will someday lead you to the pinnacle of the pyramid, always remember to 1) find a mentor to emulate; 2) value your beginning; 3) read more; 4) write better; 5) acquire requisite skills for your chosen area of practice; 6) learn to listen especially when addressed; 7) observe and internalize proceedings; (8) dress well; 9) speak audibly and politely; 10) invest your money wisely; 11) learn to be humble; 12) respect elders; 13) protect your reputation; 14) and above all 15) keep yourselves abreast with developments in whatever you choose to apply your qualification to.21:19
I assure you, you will never regret your decision to be a lawyer as long as you understand that your destiny lies in your hands. I believe you will work diligently towards your set goals.
I wish you success. You can be a success story. You surely, will. The sky is wide enough to accommodate all the stars.
I look forward to meeting you in the continuous quest to open up legal markets to our colleagues and to defend human rights while supporting our members within the domestic legal market.”
He concluded his letter with: “Welcome to the Nigerian Bar. May God bless you.”
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