YOUNG LAWYERS FORUM! WHERE ART THOU?
The underlying objective of the
young lawyers Forum as provided in her Bye-Laws is to articulate the welfare of
Young Lawyers and address the issues concerning their welfare and professional growth;
it is clear from the foregoing that the intent of the Forum is of good and not
evil. It is no news that Nigerians have the best policy on paper but lack
immensely in the implementation of such policy, the same can be said of the
Young Lawyers Forum, large number of young Lawyers practice law without any
commensurate effort from the forum to help mitigate their challenges.
As an umbrella of young Lawyers
under the Nigerian Bar Association, the Forum is not meant to lie docile and
watch the rights of its members being hinged unchecked but to serve as a guard.
It is now common practice for Young lawyers to be brutalized by the Nigerian
Police Force and nothing is being done, we have young lawyers employed to law
firms that do not pay monthly salary or cater for their capacity building, like
payment of practicing fees, branch dues, stamp and seal, conference fees, e.t.c
and nothing is being done, the intellectual property of creative legal
professionals are not encouraged or protected by the Association, and nothing
can be done about it, they are just young lawyers forget them.
At the NBA Kaduna branch
Monthly General Meeting held on 6th May 2016, the President of the
association, then an aspirant promised to provide entrepreneur education for
young lawyers to help in self-sustainability and aid growth in the legal
profession. Two years down the line this statement has not seen the light of
day, rather our young legal entrepreneurs are being frustrated by bureaucratic political
happenings which take priority over the needs of its members.
Young lawyers have no voice on
pertinent issues of the Nigerian Bar Association because there is no common
voice, as such not taken seriously by the Bar, it is the writer’s opinion that
the Bar would listen if young lawyers communicate with one voice and common
interest. Most young lawyers are not even sure if the Forum exists or if
meetings and congresses are held, consequently we don’t know who to talk to
when the Bar is not listening to us? Like how the YLF annual summit (2018) went
to Lagos State, months after lawyers just returned from an annual general
conference held in Lagos.
We cannot continue at this slow
pace and expect any meaningful change to occur, Change is in the Young and the
Young Lawyers forum has a large number to make it a force to reckon with, if
properly coordinated. A lot needs to be achieved on the welfare and
professional growth of a young lawyer that the Forum’s quiet nature only makes
matters worse than better.
The forum in advocating a
better welfare for young lawyers ought to push for a minimum wage or a better
welfare scheme for young lawyers, young lawyers labour are being exploited by
the day by certain law firms and nothing has been heard from the Forum who is
meant to shield the interest of her members, it is the duty of the Young
lawyers Forum to ensure the NBA is kept abreast with the plight of young
lawyers.
Information is what makes the
world go round, if indeed, the Forum is vibrant in her own little way to better
aid the life of a Young lawyer in practice, then there is need to inform members
on what it has done and what she intends to do. “The sheep cannot lead better than the shepherd but when the shepherd
is asleep or unwatchful, a lot of harm and discord would be the fate of the
sheep”
It is settled law, that a party
cannot lay claim to an equitable right it has unreasonably delayed or been
negligent in asserting, therefore, the Forum cannot continue to lie still,
quiet, docile and act in abeyance of the yearnings of young lawyers. The
continued silence of the Young Lawyers Forum means all is well with the welfare
and professional development of young lawyers when in reality nothing is well.
Do send your comment{s}, observation{s}
and recommendation{s} to danielbulusson@gmail.com or like us on www.facebook.com/younglawyerscolumn
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