Read on Twitter
To everyone called to the Nigerian Bar this week, congratulations. I hope this serves as an opportunity to answer a bigger call—a call into the world—and I have a few nuggets that you may find useful.
Your law degree is the foundation not the roof. It may take you out of the valley, but the mountain top of legal practice belongs to those who constantly augment themselves with new skills and competencies.
Even if you graduated with a first class, all that it signposts is that you have a potential to be great. Nothing more.
While you must strive for vertical competence in law, seeking horizontal proficiencies in diverse disciplines will distinguish you in a competitive world where your most treasured skills may be redundant on your first day at work.
Do not join the bandwagon of LLM seekers without determining if it is right for you and the right time for it. Begin your journey to mastery before you explore a Master’s.
Your passion for legal education may have been fuelled by that fiery litigator in your community, or that charming transaction lawyer in the mould of Harvey Specter.
But there are different entry points to being an outstanding lawyer, and your childhood fantasies may not always align with current trends.
Always resist the urge to compete with others. Determine your ultimate objectives and work diligently towards them. Do not amend your goals to impress or imitate another.
This is not an invitation to be complacent, but remember that another’s early dawn does not mean your day will not break. You must stay in your lane, run your own race, respect your time zone and watch your day break.
There will be others who will be better from you, learn from them. Others will look up to you, lift them up.
And before you dive into the oceans of possibilities that your legal skills will earn you, decide very early on what your values are. What qualities do you want to animate your career?
What are your non-negotiables? When a mid-term report of your career is written, what standards would you want on every page? This would determine how far you go, which jobs you take and which ones you decline.
Finally, let God be your pilot. He sees the complete picture and you can trust Him. If your life is a puzzle, he is the puzzle master and He fill fix you pine piece at a time.
Sometimes, a lot around would not make sense, but they do to Him. So stay in purpose, maintain an informed perspective and trust the process.
I look forward to learning from you.
I look forward to learning from you.
