Hello and welcome.
I am new here and it feels so good. I know that I am supposed to introduce myself but please permit me to talk about something that is at the forefront of my mind, something I must say! Hopefully, with time, we shall get to know each other very well. Let us get on with it, shall we?
The Case of the Junior Lawyer
Junior Lawyers in Nigeria have continued to be bashed, embarrassed and disgraced in Courts by Judges and Magistrates owing to the gullibility of some juniors who rushed to Court to hold the briefs of seniors. The embarrassment does not emanate from holding of the brief but from the improper holding of the brief. As in almost all the cases I've witnessed or seen, these juniors accept to hold the briefs but failed and neglected to ask any question or relevant questions in respect of the case or cases. Most times, they appear in Court like window shoppers, with neither the idea about the case before the Court nor the case file or any processes of the case. Haba!
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The picture most times appears in this manner, where the learned senior calls up the learned junior and simply say, "Oga lawyer, how u dey? Please, I need you to hold my brief in so and so case coming up in so and so court. Inform my lord, I'm not disposed. Just pick a date to enable the substantive Counsel effectively prosecute the matter, please text me your account number or take this for your lunch".
Junior Counsel quietly responds, "Okay sir". Junior Counsel heads to the Courtroom with his wig and gown, announces appearance with the hope of seeking for a date only to be confronted by a situation which is always the case, is unable to answer but to shabbily inform the Court that he is not abreast with the facts of the case because he is only holding the brief of the senior. And that's how he would have his a$$ handed to him. God bless the Judges who have continued to berate Juniors over improper holding of briefs.
You can't as a Counsel go to the Courtroom without having an idea about a matter for which you appeared in Court, with no processes of the case or the case file on you. If the purpose of the junior is to go to Court to pick up a date then he's no better than the litigant who can as well inform the Court and get a date. Some tough Judges will insist, the case must go on whether or not the substantive Counsel is in Court as long as the Litigant has been represented.
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Are Junior Lawyers alone to be blamed? No! The seniors themselves share in the embarrassment and this reflects the quality of practice we have. Juniors, ask questions whether or not you have access to the case file and if you do, study it even while in the Courtroom. Learned Seniors you can do better, lecture juniors on the facts of the case from its inception to the present status.
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We must improve the quality of our practice if we must go far and earn the respect that we deserve. © Isaac Idota
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Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope to see you again when I do a proper introduction.
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Yours,
@obasanjo
Excellent. It is good to have you here. I hope you enjoy it. It is always good to pay attention to details. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to reading more from you. Followed and upvoted.
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